4 He is the Rock, H6697 his work H6467 is perfect: H8549 for all his ways H1870 are judgment: H4941 a God H410 of truth H530 and without iniquity, H5766 just H6662 and right H3477 is he.
To shew H5046 that the LORD H3068 is upright: H3477 he is my rock, H6697 and there is no unrighteousness H5766 H5766 in him.
Now H3705 I H576 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 praise H7624 and extol H7313 and honour H1922 the King H4430 of heaven, H8065 all H3606 whose works H4567 are truth, H7187 and his ways H735 judgment: H1780 and those that walk H1981 in pride H1467 he is able H3202 to abase. H8214
How should one H259 chase H7291 a thousand, H505 and two H8147 put ten H7233 thousand H505 to flight, H5127 except H3808 their Rock H6697 had sold H4376 them, H3588 and the LORD H3068 had shut them up? H5462 For their rock H6697 is not as our Rock, H6697 even our enemies H341 themselves being judges. H6414
But Jeshurun H3484 waxed fat, H8080 and kicked: H1163 thou art waxen fat, H8080 thou art grown thick, H5666 thou art covered H3780 with fatness; then he forsook H5203 God H433 which made H6213 him, and lightly esteemed H5034 the Rock H6697 of his salvation. H3444
That be far H2486 from thee to do H6213 after this manner, H1697 to slay H4191 the righteous H6662 with the wicked: H7563 and that the righteous H6662 should be as the wicked, H7563 that be far H2486 from thee: Shall not the Judge H8199 of all the earth H776 do H6213 right? H4941
Be G2071 ye G5210 therefore G3767 perfect, G5046 even G5618 as your G5216 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven G3772 is G2076 perfect. G5046
And he said, H559 The LORD H3068 is my rock, H5553 and my fortress, H4686 and my deliverer; H6403 The God H430 of my rock; H6697 in him will I trust: H2620 he is my shield, H4043 and the horn H7161 of my salvation, H3468 my high tower, H4869 and my refuge, H4498 my saviour; H3467 thou savest H3467 me from violence. H2555
Trust H982 ye in the LORD H3068 for ever: H5703 for in the LORD H3050 JEHOVAH H3068 is everlasting H5769 strength: H6697
Thou art of purer H2889 eyes H5869 than to behold H7200 evil, H7451 and canst H3201 not look H5027 on iniquity: H5999 wherefore lookest H5027 thou upon them that deal treacherously, H898 and holdest thy tongue H2790 when the wicked H7563 devoureth H1104 the man that is more righteous H6662 than he?
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto him, G846 I G1473 am G1510 the way, G3598 G2532 the truth, G225 and G2532 the life: G2222 no man G3762 cometh G2064 unto G4314 the Father, G3962 but G1508 by G1223 me. G1700
And G2532 they sing G103 the song G5603 of Moses G3475 the servant G1401 of God, G2316 and G2532 the song G5603 of the Lamb, G721 saying, G3004 Great G3173 and G2532 marvellous G2298 are thy G4675 works, G2041 Lord G2962 God G2316 Almighty; G3841 just G1342 and G2532 true G228 are thy G4675 ways, G3598 thou King G935 of saints. G40 Who G5101 shall G5399 not G3364 fear G5399 thee, G4571 O Lord, G2962 and G2532 glorify G1392 thy G4675 name? G3686 for G3754 thou only G3441 art holy: G3741 for G3754 all G3956 nations G1484 shall come G2240 and G2532 worship G4352 before G1799 thee; G4675 for G3754 thy G4675 judgments G1345 are made manifest. G5319
Wherefore G1352 also G2532 it is contained G4023 in G1722 the scripture, G1124 Behold, G2400 I lay G5087 in G1722 Sion G4622 a chief corner G204 stone, G3037 elect, G1588 precious: G1784 and G2532 he that believeth G4100 on G1909 him G846 shall G2617 not be G3364 confounded. G2617
Every G3956 good G18 gift G1394 and G2532 every G3956 perfect G5046 gift G1434 is G2076 from above, G509 and cometh down G2597 from G575 the Father G3962 of lights, G5457 with G3844 whom G3739 is G1762 no G3756 variableness, G3883 neither G2228 shadow G644 of turning. G5157
But G1161 we are sure G1492 that G3754 the judgment G2917 of God G2316 is G2076 according G2596 to truth G225 against G1909 them which commit G4238 such things. G5108
He hath remembered H2142 his mercy H2617 and his truth H530 toward the house H1004 of Israel: H3478 all the ends H657 of the earth H776 have seen H7200 the salvation H3444 of our God. H430
And the LORD H3068 passed by H5674 before him, H6440 and proclaimed, H7121 The LORD, H3068 The LORD H3068 God, H410 merciful H7349 and gracious, H2587 longsuffering, H750 H639 and abundant H7227 in goodness H2617 and truth, H571
He doth execute H6213 the judgment H4941 of the fatherless H3490 and widow, H490 and loveth H157 the stranger, H1616 in giving H5414 him food H3899 and raiment. H8071
The God H430 of Israel H3478 said, H559 the Rock H6697 of Israel H3478 spake H1696 to me, He that ruleth H4910 over men H120 must be just, H6662 ruling H4910 in the fear H3374 of God. H430
The LORD H3068 liveth; H2416 and blessed H1288 be my rock; H6697 and let the God H430 of my salvation H3468 be exalted. H7311
From the end H7097 of the earth H776 will I cry H7121 unto thee, when my heart H3820 is overwhelmed: H5848 lead H5148 me to the rock H6697 that is higher H7311 than I. For thou hast been a shelter H4268 for me, and a strong H5797 tower H4026 from H6440 the enemy. H341 I will abide H1481 in thy tabernacle H168 for ever: H5769 I will trust H2620 in the covert H5643 of thy wings. H3671 Selah. H5542
The king's H4428 strength H5797 also loveth H157 judgment; H4941 thou dost establish H3559 equity, H4339 thou executest H6213 judgment H4941 and righteousness H6666 in Jacob. H3290
Which made H6213 heaven, H8064 and earth, H776 the sea, H3220 and all that therein is: which keepeth H8104 truth H571 for ever: H5769
Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 Behold, I lay H3245 in Zion H6726 for a foundation a stone, H68 a tried H976 stone, H68 a precious H3368 corner H6438 stone, a sure H3245 foundation: H4143 he that believeth H539 shall not make haste. H2363
But let him that glorieth H1984 glory H1984 in this, that he understandeth H7919 and knoweth H3045 me, that I am the LORD H3068 which exercise H6213 lovingkindness, H2617 judgment, H4941 and righteousness, H6666 in the earth: H776 for in these things I delight, H2654 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
But the LORD H3068 is the true H571 God, H430 he is the living H2416 God, H430 and an everlasting H5769 king: H4428 at his wrath H7110 the earth H776 shall tremble, H7493 and the nations H1471 shall not be able to abide H3557 his indignation. H2195
And G1161 Simon G4613 Peter G4074 answered G611 and said, G2036 Thou G4771 art G1488 the Christ, G5547 the Son G5207 of the living G2198 God. G2316 And G2532 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said G2036 unto him, G846 Blessed G3107 art thou, G1488 Simon G4613 Barjona: G920 for G3754 flesh G4561 and G2532 blood G129 hath G601 not G3756 revealed G601 it unto thee, G4671 but G235 my G3450 Father G3962 which G3588 is in G1722 heaven. G3772 And G1161 I say G3004 also G2504 unto thee, G4671 That G3754 thou G4771 art G1488 Peter, G4074 and G2532 upon G1909 this G5026 rock G4073 I will build G3618 my G3450 church; G1577 and G2532 the gates G4439 of hell G86 shall G2729 not G3756 prevail against G2729 it. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 32
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 32
De 32:1-43. Moses' Song, Which Sets Forth the Perfections of God.
1. Give ear, O ye heavens; … hear, O earth—The magnificence of the exordium, the grandeur of the theme, the frequent and sudden transitions, the elevated strain of the sentiments and language, entitle this song to be ranked amongst the noblest specimens of poetry to be found in the Scriptures.
2, 3. My doctrine shall drop, &c.—The language may justly be taken as uttered in the form of a wish or prayer, and the comparison of wholesome instruction to the pure, gentle, and insinuating influence of rain or dew, is frequently made by the sacred writers (Isa 5:6; 55:10, 11).
4. He is the Rock—a word expressive of power and stability. The application of it in this passage is to declare that God had been true to His covenant with their fathers and them. Nothing that He had promised had failed; so that if their national experience had been painfully checkered by severe and protracted trials, notwithstanding the brightest promises, that result was traceable to their own undutiful and perverse conduct; not to any vacillation or unfaithfulness on the part of God (Jas 1:17), whose procedure was marked by justice and judgment, whether they had been exalted to prosperity or plunged into the depths of affliction.
5. They have corrupted themselves—that is, the Israelites by their frequent lapses and their inveterate attachment to idolatry.
their spot is not the spot of his children—This is an allusion to the marks which idolaters inscribe on their foreheads or their arms with paint or other substances, in various colors and forms—straight, oval, or circular, according to the favorite idol of their worship.
6. is not he thy father that hath bought thee—or emancipated thee from Egyptian bondage.
and made thee—advanced the nation to unprecedented and peculiar privileges.
8, 9. When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance—In the division of the earth, which Noah is believed to have made by divine direction (Ge 10:5; De 2:5-9; Ac 17:26, 27), Palestine was reserved by the wisdom and goodness of Heaven for the possession of His peculiar people and the display of the most stupendous wonders. The theater was small, but admirably suited for the convenient observation of the human race—at the junction of the two great continents of Asia and Africa, and almost within sight of Europe. From this spot as from a common center the report of God's wonderful works, the glad tidings of salvation through the obedience and sufferings of His own eternal Son, might be rapidly and easily wafted to every part of the globe.
he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel—Another rendering, which has received the sanction of eminent scholars, has been proposed as follows: "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam and set the bounds of every people, the children of Israel were few in numbers, when the Lord chose that people and made Jacob His inheritance" (compare De 30:5; Ge 34:30; Ps 105:9-12).
10. found him in a desert land—took him into a covenant relation at Sinai, or rather "sustained," "provided for him" in a desert land.
a waste howling wilderness—a common Oriental expression for a desert infested by wild beasts.
11. As an eagle … fluttereth over her young—This beautiful and expressive metaphor is founded on the extraordinary care and attachment which the female eagle cherishes for her young. When her newly fledged progeny are sufficiently advanced to soar in their native element, she, in their first attempts at flying, supports them on the tip of her wing, encouraging, directing, and aiding their feeble efforts to longer and sublimer flights. So did God take the most tender and powerful care of His chosen people; He carried them out of Egypt and led them through all the horrors of the wilderness to the promised inheritance.
13, 14. He made him ride on the high places, &c.—All these expressions seem to have peculiar reference to their home in the trans-jordanic territory, that being the extent of Palestine that they had seen at the time when Moses is represented as uttering these words. "The high places" and "the fields" are specially applicable to the tablelands of Gilead as are the allusions to the herds and flocks, the honey of the wild bees which hive in the crevices of the rocks, the oil from the olive as it grew singly or in small clumps on the tops of hills where scarcely anything else would grow, the finest wheat (Ps 81:16; 147:14), and the prolific vintage.
15. But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked—This is a poetical name for Israel. The metaphor here used is derived from a pampered animal, which, instead of being tame and gentle, becomes mischievous and vicious, in consequence of good living and kind treatment. So did the Israelites conduct themselves by their various acts of rebellion, murmuring, and idolatrous apostasy.
17. They sacrificed unto devils—(See on Le 17:7).
21. those which are not a people—that is, not favored with such great and peculiar privileges as the Israelites (or, rather poor, despised heathens). The language points to the future calling of the Gentiles.
23. I will spend mine arrows upon them—War, famine, pestilence (Ps 77:17) are called in Scripture the arrows of the Almighty.
29. Oh, … that they would consider their latter end—The terrible judgments, which, in the event of their continued and incorrigible disobedience, would impart so awful a character to the close of their national history.
32. vine of Sodom … grapes of gall—This fruit, which the Arabs call "Lot's Sea Orange," is of a bright yellow color and grows in clusters of three or four. When mellow, it is tempting in appearance, but on being struck, explodes like a puffball, consisting of skin and fiber only.
44-47. Moses … spake all the words of this song in the ears, &c.—It has been beautifully styled "the Song of the Dying Swan" [Lowth]. It was designed to be a national anthem, which it should be the duty and care of magistrates to make well known by frequent repetition, to animate the people to right sentiments towards a steadfast adherence to His service.
48-51. Get thee up … and die … Because ye trespassed … at Meribah—(See on Nu 20:13).
52. thou shalt see the land, but thou shalt not go thither—(Nu 27:12). Notwithstanding so severe a disappointment, not a murmur of complaint escapes his lips. He is not only resigned but acquiescing; and in the near prospect of his death, he pours forth the feelings of his devout heart in sublime strains and eloquent blessings.