Chapter Thirty-Two
The Song of Moses Continued
32:1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 2 May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. 3 For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!
Moses once again calls the heavens and the earth to be witnesses of what he is about to say to the people (see Deuteronomy 4:26; 30:19; 31:28). Some consider this song to be a legal document describing a legal contention or lawsuit (known in Hebrew as a ‘riyḇ’),[1] in which Moses is calling on the heavens and earth to be the witnesses against the people of Israel.
Moses asks that his teaching (Hebrew word ‘liq·ḥi’,[2] referring to instruction received and understood, this is the first appearance in Scripture) to fall like rain, his speech to appear like the dew, like a gentile rain on grass or showers on plants, equating the words to be as refreshing and welcomed as rain falling on parched ground.
The contrast between calling the heavens and earth to be witnesses followed by the desire that these words being welcomed, sets up the duality that becomes the theme of the song. Essentially the dichotomy between God’s greatness, of which Moses will call attention to in multiple ways, versus the feeble efforts of the people. Moses begins by stating that his intention is to proclaim the name of YHWH and to call attention to His greatness.
32:4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Moses will use the Hebrew word ‘ṣûr’[3] (Rock) seven times in this song, five times referring to God (see verses 4, 15, 18, 30 and 31, each beginning with a capital ‘R’ in the ESV)[4] and twice referring to false gods (used to demonstrate contrast to the real God, see verses 31 and 37, note those words are not capitalized).
Here Moses says that everything the Rock does is perfect. The author combines two words to convey perfection, Hebrew ‘pā’ǒl’,[5] translated here as ‘work’, indicating a deed completed, and the Hebrew ‘tā·mîm’[6] referring to being without any blemish. Everything He does is just and fair. Moses then calls Him a faithful God (Hebrew ‘ěmû·nāh’,[7] truth, faithfulness, steadiness) who will not do anything wrong as He is just (Hebrew ‘ṣǎd·dîq’,[8] righteous) and upright (Hebrew ‘yā·šār’,[9] straight, just, right).
32:5 They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. 6 Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you? 7 Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. 9 But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
Sounding like an attorney for the prosecution, Moses contrasts God’s perfection with the people’s flawed nature. He says they can no longer call themselves children of God since they are blemished, being a perverted and distorted generation (Hebrew ‘dôr’,[10] a period of time, could imply a temporary condition). As if taking on the third-party role of being the prosecuting attorney, the narrative of the ‘song’ asks, is this how you repay YHWH, you foolish and senseless people? Is He not your Father, your Creator, the One who brought you into existence and established you as His children? They were not to forget the past, if they couldn’t remember, they were to ask their fathers or their elders. When God allocated land to the human race, He set the borders according to the number of the sons of God (the text actually reads the sons of Israel). Some believe that Moses could have been matching the number of nations described in Genesis chapter ten which was seventy, to the number of Jacob’s family who migrated into Egypt, which was also seventy (see Exodus 1:1-5; Deuteronomy 10:22). Others, however are not convinced that the term ‘Israel’ should be in this verse since some variations have been found (the Septuagint uses the word ‘angels’ and one fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls, 4QDeutJ, translates to “sons of the gods,”).[11] However, regardless of what Moses is referring to, the meaning of the phrase does not change, YHWH kept a portion of all people groups for Himself, His people are identified through the line of Jacob. The Israelites are His heritage.
32:10 “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions,
The people of Israel are figuratively represented as an individual man. Referring to the period between them leaving Egypt while in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land, God found them without food or water. While in the wilderness He took care of them, He kept them as, “the apple of His eye,” (Hebrew ‘î·šôn’,[12] referring to the dark center or pupil of an eye, sometimes called apple, not a reference to the fruit but as an idiom relating to what is precious and cherished). His care was like an eagle that stirs up and awakens its nest and flutters over its young (Hebrew word ‘yerǎ·ḥēp’,[13] meaning to move, hover, tremble, flutter),[14] spreading out its wings, protecting and catching the young as they fall from the nest, carrying them safely on its pinions (Hebrew ‘ěḇ·rāṯ’,[15] outer feathers or wings).
32:12 the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him. 13 He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. 14 Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat— and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.
It was YHWH alone that guided the people of Israel, no foreign gods were involved. A statement undoubtedly given to support the fact that later when they turn to idol worship and the serving of other gods, their basis for doing so would be without merit. He led them to the high places of the land and even after entering the Promised Land He continued to provide for them. By taking over land that was already producing, they ate the produce of the field and enjoyed being blessed with honey and oil without much effort on their part. They got butter and milk from the flock, the best of lambs, goats, rams from Bashan (previously occupied by the Amorites, considered some of the best pastureland) and the finest of wheat harvests. They even drank fermenting wine made from the blood of the grape.[16]
32:15 “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.
This is the first of four appearances of the word ‘Jeshurun’ in Scripture (Hebrew ‘yešǔ·rûn’,[17] meaning the “upright one”), always referring to Israel. Since it is found in the poetry here in the “Song of Moses,” the blessings of Moses (see Deuteronomy 33:5, 26), and the prophecy of Isaiah (see Isaiah 44:2), the word is often referred to as the “poetic” name of Israel.
Living in God’s prosperity, Israel grew fat (Hebrew verb ‘šā·mǎn’·tā’,[18] first appearance in the Bible, describes the process of becoming fat or being fat, used twice in this verse) and kicked (Hebrew ‘yiḇ·’ā’ṭ’,[19] another first appearance, meaning to kick out, like a wild animal resisting, here referring to a rebellious attitude against God). Now talking to the people of Israel directly, the text states that they grew fat, stout (Hebrew ‘ā·ḇî’·ṯā’,[20] being or becoming thick and heavy), and sleek (Hebrew ‘kā·śî’·ṯā’,[21] meaning obese or filled or gorged with food, the word only appears here in Scripture, the etymology of the word is unknown, resulting in multiple variations). Then returning to the third-person narrative, the song claims he (being the people of Israel) forsook God, the God who made them, and scoffed (Hebrew ‘yenǎb·bēl’,[22] to be foolish or disrespectful) at the Rock of their salvation.
32:16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. 18 You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth.
They stirred the Rock (God) to jealousy by pursing strange gods (Hebrew ‘zā·rîm’,[23] referring to something loathsome) and with abominations they provoked God to anger. They sacrificed to demons (Hebrew ‘šē·ḏîm’,[24] meaning demons, devils, evil or pagan false deities) that were not gods, those that they had not known before, new ones that they only recently encountered, gods their ancestors never feared. They neglected and deserted the Rock who fathered them and forgot the God who gave them birth.
32:19 “The LORD saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters. 20 And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. 21 They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. 22 For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
In response to the provocation of both Israel’s sons and daughters, YHWH punishes them by withdrawing His protection and will determine for Himself how that generation will end. He said that they were a perverse (Hebrew ‘tǎh·pǔ·ḵōṯ’,[25] deviated from the proper course, turned away from God) people, plus they were without any faithfulness (Hebrew ‘ē·mǔn’,[26] trustworthiness, a lack of dependability).
YHWH further stated that they made Him jealous with what is ‘no god’, provoking Him to anger with their vain idol worship. So, He will make them jealous with those that are ‘no people’, provoking them to anger with a foolish nation (godless Gentiles). For a fire has been kindled by His anger and it burns down to the depths of Sheol,[27] the flames from which devours the earth and everything on it and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire.
32:23 “ ‘And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them; 24 they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.
YHWH continues by saying He will heap disasters on them and send arrows on them. They shall be weakened by famine, consumed by plague and bitter pestilence. He will also send wild animals with sharp teeth against them along with snakes or other poisonous creatures that crawl in the dust.
32:25 Outdoors the sword shall bereave, and indoors terror, for young man and woman alike, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs.
The term ‘outdoors’ (Hebrew ‘ḥûṣ’),[28] generally refers to the outdoors as opposed to being indoors, with that meaning it would imply that being outside, perhaps being killed in the streets, will make them childless. Some prefer rendering ‘outdoors’ as a reference to being outside the land, in that scenario perhaps referring to foreign wars that will ultimately kill their children. The same two possibilities relate to the term ‘indoors’, that of being inside the home or being inside the land (although the Hebrew ‘ḥǎḏā·rîm’,[29] refers to a chamber or room), where terror would reign for young men and women alike, killing everyone from the nursing child to the elderly.
32:26 I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory,” 27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, “Our hand is triumphant, it was not the LORD who did all this.” ’
The extent of YHWH’s anger is clearly exhibited when He says He would have cut them into pieces and wiped them from human memory, from all of history, if it wasn’t for the potential provocation by the enemy touting that they were victorious in defeating Israel through their efforts alone and not as judgment from YHWH.
32:28 “For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. 29 If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! 30 How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?
Being used by God to inflict punishment from one nation to another, in which unnatural things occurred giving obvious evidence of a supernatural influence, and then taking the credit for those actions may be the height of human pride and arrogance. Here YHWH is saying that the nation that would take credit for Israel’s fall must be void of counsel, seeing that no one was there to explain to them the truth. If they were wise, they would have been able to discern what was going on and recognize their own fate. How else could you explain one person being able to chase a thousand or two chasing ten thousand? The only explanation is that the Rock sold them, as they were no longer God’s people, He had given them up!
32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves.
The first ‘rock’ is used to ironically relate to the enemy’s set of false deities, comparing them to the real Rock, YHWH. They think their god (or gods) are just as powerful as YHWH, but they are mistaken, even they can see the difference.
32:32 For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter; 33 their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps.
The song resumes with God speaking again. Here the use of the terms vine, grapes, and wine become metaphors that relate to the fate of Israel’s enemies. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah were judged (see Genesis 19:23-29), they too will be judged, facing a cruel destruction of their own. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel used similar metaphors (see Jeremiah 25:15-16; Ezekiel 23:31-34).
32:34 “ ‘Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries?
Referring to the poison and venom (as metaphors of the ‘tools’ He will use for judgment), God says they are locked up in His storehouse, ready to be used at any time. As God is a just God, judgment and punishment are essential elements of His character.[30]
32:35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
The opening of verse thirty-five is quoted by the apostle Paul (see Romans 12:19) and the author of the book of Hebrews (see Hebrews 10:30), both using the Septuagint’s rendering of the Hebrew ‘šil·lēm’[31] (meaning retribution, translated here as ‘recompense’) with the Greek ‘antapodidōmi’[32] (to give back or repay), as a first-person verb it is generally translated as “I will repay.” This is often interpreted that acts of vengeance and retribution are restricted to only God and that He alone will carry them out. While undoubtedly true that it would best to leave vengeance and retribution in God’s hands, the lesson Paul is teaching is that, as a Christian, they are to fight evil by doing something good, not by continuing the evil. Remember, it is important to never use or interpret a verse out of context, always explore and read before and after any verse to understand the context. Paul wrote: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21).
Here in verse thirty-five God is saying that the enemy, at some point, will slip up and at that time their day of disaster will be at hand and their destruction will come quickly, something that He is reserving for Himself. Besides, the people of Israel would not be in any condition to exact revenge nor seek retribution.
32:36 For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free. 37 Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, 38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you; let them be your protection!
Returning to the third-person narrative, the song states that YHWH will eventually vindicate His people and have compassion on them. When He sees that they are totally powerless, He will ask, “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offering?” Again, the word ‘rock’, as seen here in the ESV in lower case, is used as a disparaging comparison between a false god and the real God. He is saying that by now they should recognize that they made a serious mistake, the false gods they chose to serve don’t exist.
32:39 “ ‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. 40 For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, 41 if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh— with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the enemy.’
The song returns to God speaking, as He proclaims that there is no other god beside Himself. God alone controls events, He alone is the one that kills and gives life or wounds and heals. There is no one that can deliver out of His hand, no one can protect them from God’s punishment.
It was, and still is to some degree, a practice to raise a hand (usually the right hand) towards God to make an oath. Here God is swearing to Himself[33] that when He prepares His flashing sword (either referring to a glistening sword or one that produces light such as lightning) for judgment, He will take vengeance on His adversaries. Although used by God to punish the people of Israel, these nations are still His enemies and will eventually be punished themselves. They will be defeated in what sounds like a bloody encounter, “I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh—the blood of the slaughtered and the captives, and the heads of the enemy leaders.” (Deuteronomy 32:42, NLT) Note that the Hebrew word ‘pǎr·’ǒṯ,[34] does refer to unbraided or lenghty hair, but it can also refer to a leader (see Judges 5:2), translations vary.
32:43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.”
In the final verse of the song, a call is made for all of creation to rejoice with God as He avenges the people of Israel and takes vengeance on His adversaries, repaying those who hate Him. And cleanses the land (Hebrew ‘ḵip·pěr’,[35] a verb meaning to cover, most often translated as ‘atonement’, see commentary under Genesis 6:14-16; see also Exodus 25:17; 29:36-37; Leviticus 14:10-20).
32:44 Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun. 45 And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47 For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
The text records that Moses came with Joshua to the location where the people had gathered to read the song (see Deuteronomy 31:28-29). When he was done speaking, Moses told them to remember the words and teach them to their children, so that they will never forget the warning of disobedience, that they should take this, and all the previous warnings seriously and obey every word in the law. He tells them that these should not be considered empty words, but that their lives depend on their understanding and obedience of the words. If they do, they will be able to live long in the Promised Land.
Moses Allowed to See the Promised Land
32:48 That very day the LORD spoke to Moses, 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50 And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”
On the same day, YHWH spoke to Moses telling him once again to go up the mountain range of Abarim to Mount Nebo in the land of Moab to view the Promised Land.[36] He also told him that he was to die there, just as his brother had died on Mount Hor. God also reminded him why he was not allowed to enter the land.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 7378.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 3948.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 6697.
[4] See also commentary under Exodus 17:6 and the Considerations under Exodus 17:7.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 6467.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 8549.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 530.
[8] Strong’s Hebrew 6662.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 3477.
[10] Strong’s Hebrew 1755.
[11] See commentary under Genesis 6:1-2.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 380.
[13] Strong’s Hebrew 7363.
[14] See commentary under Genesis 1:2.
[15] Strong’s Hebrew 84.
[16] See commentary under Genesis 49:11.
[17] Strong’s Hebrew 3484.
[18] Strong’s Hebrew 8080.
[19] Strong’s Hebrew 1163.
[20] Strong’s Hebrew 5666.
[21] Strong’s Hebrew 3780.
[22] Strong’s Hebrew 5034.
[23] Strong’s Hebrew 2214.
[24] Strong’s Hebrew 7700.
[25] Strong’s Hebrew 8419.
[26] Strong’s Hebrew 529.
[27] See Considerations under Genesis 25:7-11.
[28] Strong’s Hebrew 2351.
[29] Strong’s Hebrew 2315.
[30] See Considerations under Deuteronomy 28:64-68.
[31] Strong’s Hebrew 8005.
[32] Strong’s Greek 467.
[33] See commentary under Genesis 22:15-19.
[34] Strong’s Hebrew 6545.
[35] Strong’s Hebrew 3722.
[36] See commentary under Deuteronomy 27:12-23.