4 The Rock! -- perfect `is' His work, For all His ways `are' just; God of stedfastness, and without iniquity: Righteous and upright `is' He.
To declare that upright `is' Jehovah my rock, And there is no perverseness in Him!
God! perfect `is' His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield `is' He to all those trusting in Him. For who `is' God besides Jehovah? And who `is' a rock save our God?
`Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens, for all His works `are' truth, and His paths judgment, and those walking in pride He is able to humble.'
Jehovah `is' my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God `is' my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.
How doth one pursue a thousand, And two cause a myriad to flee! If not -- that their rock hath sold them, And Jehovah hath shut them up? For not as our Rock `is' their rock, (And our enemies `are' judges!)
And Jeshurun waxeth fat, and doth kick: Thou hast been fat -- thou hast been thick, Thou hast been covered. And he leaveth God who made him, And dishonoureth the Rock of his salvation.
ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who `is' in the heavens is perfect.
and he saith: `Jehovah `is' my rock, And my bulwark, and a deliverer to me, My God `is' my rock -- I take refuge in Him; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge! My Saviour, from violence Thou savest me!
Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah `is' a rock of ages,
Purer of eyes than to behold evil, To look on perverseness Thou art not able, Why dost Thou behold the treacherous? Thou keepest silent when the wicked Doth swallow the more righteous than he,
Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;
And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)
and they sing the song of Moses, servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, `Great and wonderful `are' Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty, righteous and true `are' Thy ways, O King of saints, who may not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? because Thou alone `art' kind, because all the nations shall come and bow before Thee, because Thy righteous acts were manifested.'
Wherefore, also, it is contained in the Writing: `Lo, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, choice, precious, and he who is believing on him may not be put to shame;'
every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ;
and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things.
who the righteous judgment of God having known -- that those practising such things are worthy of death -- not only do them, but also have delight with those practising them.
He hath remembered His kindness, And His faithfulness to the house of Israel, All ends of earth have seen the salvation of our God.
and Jehovah passeth over before his face, and calleth: `Jehovah, Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth,
He is doing the judgment of fatherless and widow, and loving the sojourner, to give to him bread and raiment.
There is none holy like Jehovah, For there is none save Thee, And there is no rock like our God.
He said -- the God of Israel -- to me, He spake -- the Rock of Israel: He who is ruling over man `is' righteous, He is ruling in the fear of God.
Yea, though thou sayest thou dost not behold Him, Judgment `is' before Him, and stay for Him.
Jehovah liveth -- and blessed `is' my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
The law of Jehovah `is' perfect, refreshing the soul, The testimonies of Jehovah `are' stedfast, Making wise the simple,
From the end of the land unto Thee I call, In the feebleness of my heart, Into a rock higher than I Thou dost lead me. For Thou hast been a refuge for me, A tower of strength because of the enemy. I sojourn in Thy tent to the ages, I trust in the secret place of Thy wings. Selah.
Cloud and darkness `are' round about Him, Righteousness and judgment the basis of His throne.
And the strength of the king Hath loved judgment, Thou -- Thou hast established uprightness; Judgment and righteousness in Jacob, Thou -- Thou hast done.
For good `is' Jehovah, to the age His kindness, And to generation and generation His faithfulness!
Making the heavens and earth, The sea and all that `is' in them, Who is keeping truth to the age,
I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.
Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: `Lo, I am laying a foundation in Zion, A stone -- a tried stone, a corner stone precious, a settled foundation, He who is believing doth not make haste.
And therefore doth wait Jehovah to favour you, And therefore He is exalted to pity you, For a God of judgment `is' Jehovah, O the blessedness of all waiting for Him.
But -- in this let the boaster boast himself, In understanding and knowing Me, For I `am' Jehovah, doing kindness, Judgment, and righteousness, in the earth, For in these I have delighted, An affirmation of Jehovah.
And Jehovah `is' a God of truth, He `is' a living God, and a king age-during, From His wrath shake doth the earth, And nations endure not His indignation.
and Simon Peter answering said, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answering said to him, `Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal `it' to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens. `And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 32
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 32
In this chapter we have,
Deu 32:1-6
Here is,
Deu 32:7-14
Moses, having in general represented God to them as their great benefactor, whom they were bound in gratitude to observe and obey, in these verses gives particular instances of God's kindness to them and concern for them.
Three things are here enlarged upon as instances of God's kindness to his people Israel, and strong obligations upon them never to forsake him:-
Deu 32:15-18
We have here a description of the apostasy of Israel from God, which would shortly come to pass, and to which already they had a disposition. One would have thought that a people under so many obligations to their God, in duty, gratitude, and interest, would never have turned from him; but, alas! they turned aside quickly. Here are two great instances of their wickedness, and each of them amounted to an apostasy from God:-
Deu 32:19-25
The method of this song follows the method of the predictions in the foregoing chapter, and therefore, after the revolt of Israel from God, described in the foregoing verses, here follow immediately the resolves of divine Justice concerning them; we deceive ourselves if we think that God will be thus mocked by a foolish faithless people, that play fast and loose with him.
Deu 32:26-38
After many terrible threatenings of deserved wrath and vengeance, we have here surprising intimations of mercy, undeserved mercy, which rejoices against judgment, and by which it appears that God has no pleasure in the death of sinners, but would rather they should turn and live.
Deu 32:39-43
This conclusion of the song speaks three things:
Deu 32:44-52
Here is,