Deuteronomy 32:35-45

35 Vengeaunce is myne and I will rewarde: their fete shall slyde, when the tyme cometh. For the tyme of their destruction is at honde, and the tyme that shall come vppon them maketh hast.

36 For the Lorde will doo iustice vnto hys people, and haue compassion on his servauntes. For it shalbe sene that theire power shall fayle, and at the last they shalbe presoned and forsaken.

37 And it shalbe sayed: where are their goddes ad their rocke wherein they trusted?

38 The fatt of whose sacrifices they ate and drancke the wyne of their drynck offerynges, let them ryse vpp and helpe you and be youre protection.

39 Se now howe that I, I am he, and that there is no God but I. I can kyll and make alyue, ad what I haue smyten that I can heale: nether ye there that can delyuer any man oute off my honde.

40 For I will lifte vp myne hande to heaue, ad will saye: I lyue euer.

41 Yf I whett the lyghtenynge of my swerde, and myne hande take in hande to doo iustyce, I wyll shewe vengeaunce on myne enemyes and will rewarde them that hate me.

42 I will make myne arowes dronke with bloude, and my swerde shall eate flesh of the bloud of the slayne and of the captyue and of the bare heed of the enemye.

43 Reioyse hethen wyth hys people, for he wyll auenge the bloude off his servauntes, and wyll auenge hym off hys aduersaryes, and wilbe mercyfull vnto the londe off hys people.

44 And Moses went ad spake all the wordes of this songe in the eares of the people, both he and Iosua the sonne of Nun.

45 And when Moses had spoken all these wordes vnto the ende to all Israel,

Deuteronomy 32:35-45 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 32

This chapter contains the song mentioned and referred to in the former, the preface to it, De 32:1-3; the character of the divine and illustrious Person it chiefly respects, De 32:4; the ingratitude of the people of the Jews to him, who were a crooked and perverse generation, aggravated by his having bought, made, and established them, De 32:5,6; and which is further aggravated by various instances of divine goodness to them, first in providing and reserving a suitable country for them, at the time of the division of the earth to the sons of men, with the reason of it, De 32:7-9; then by what the Lord did for them in the wilderness, De 32:10-12; after that in the land of Canaan, where they enjoyed plenty of all good things, and in the possession of which they were, when the illustrious Person described appeared among them, De 32:13,14; and then the sin of ingratitude to him, before hinted at, is fully expressed, namely, lightly esteeming the rock of salvation, the Messiah, De 32:15; nor could they stop here, but proceed to more ungodliness, setting up other messiahs and saviours, which were an abomination to the Lord, De 32:16; continuing sacrifices when they should not, which were therefore reckoned no other than sacrifices to demons, and especially the setting up of their new idol, their own righteousness, was highly provoking; and by all this they clearly showed they had forgot the rock, the Saviour, De 32:17,18; wherefore, for the rejection of the Messiah and the, persecution of his followers, they would be abhorred of God, De 32:19; who would show his resentment by the rejection of them, by the calling of the Gentiles, and by bringing the nation of the Romans upon them, De 32:20,21; whereby utter ruin and destruction in all its shapes would be brought upon them, De 32:22-25; and, were it not for the insolence of their adversaries, would be entirely destroyed, being such a foolish and unwise people, which appears by not observing what the enemies of the Messiah themselves allow, that there is no rock like him, whom they despised, De 32:26-31; which enemies are described, and the vengeance reserved for them pointed out, De 32:32-35; and the song closed with promises of grace and mercy to the Lord's people, and wrath and ruin to his and their enemies, on which account all are called upon to rejoice in the latter day, De 32:36-43; and this song being delivered by Moses, the people of Israel are exhorted seriously to attend to it, it being of the utmost importance to them, De 32:44-47; and the chapter is concluded with a relation of Moses being ordered to go up to Mount Nebo and die, with the reason of it, De 32:48-52.