321 'Give ear, O heavens, and I speak; And thou dost hear, O earth, sayings of my mouth! 2 Drop as rain doth My doctrine; Flow as dew doth My sayings; As storms on the tender grass, And as showers on the herb, 3 For the Name of Jehovah I proclaim, Ascribe ye greatness to our God! 4 The Rock!—perfect 'is' His work, For all His ways 'are' just; God of stedfastness, and without iniquity: Righteous and upright 'is' He. 5 It hath done corruptly to Him; Their blemish is not His sons', A generation perverse and crooked! 6 To Jehovah do ye act thus, O people foolish and not wise? Is not He thy father—thy possessor? He made thee, and doth establish thee.
7 Remember days of old—Understand the years of many generations—Ask thy father, and he doth tell thee; Thine elders, and they say to thee: 8 In the Most High causing nations to inherit, In His separating sons of Adam—He setteth up the borders of the peoples By the number of the sons of Israel. 9 For Jehovah's portion 'is' His people, Jacob 'is' the line of His inheritance. 10 He findeth him in a land—a desert, And in a void—a howling wilderness, He turneth him round—He causeth him to understand—He keepeth him as the apple of His eye. 11 As an eagle waketh up its nest, Over its young ones fluttereth, Spreadeth its wings—taketh them, Beareth them on its pinions;— 12 Jehovah alone doth lead him, And there is no strange god with him. 13 He maketh him ride on high places of earth, And he eateth increase of the fields, And He maketh him suck honey from a rock, And oil out of the flint of a rock; 14 Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs, and rams, sons of Bashan, And he-goats, with fat of kidneys of wheat; And of the blood of the grape thou dost drink wine!
15 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. 16 They make Him zealous with strangers, With abominations they make Him angry. 17 They sacrifice to demons—no god! Gods they have not known—New ones—from the vicinity they came; Not feared them have your fathers! 18 The Rock that begat thee thou forgettest, And neglectest God who formeth thee.
19 And Jehovah seeth and despiseth—For the provocation of His sons and His daughters. 20 And He saith: I hide My face from them, I see what 'is' their latter end; For a froward generation 'are' they, Sons in whom is no stedfastness. 21 They have made Me zealous by 'no-god,' They made Me angry by their vanities; And I make them zealous by 'no-people,' By a foolish nation I make them angry. 22 For a fire hath been kindled in Mine anger, And it burneth unto Sheol—the lowest, And consumeth earth and its increase, And setteth on fire foundations of mountains. 23 I gather upon them evils, Mine arrows I consume upon them. 24 Exhausted by famine, And consumed by heat, and bitter destruction. And the teeth of beasts I send upon them, With poison of fearful things of the dust. 25 Without bereave doth the sword, And at the inner-chambers—fear, Both youth and virgin, Suckling with man of grey hair.
26 I have said: I blow them away, I cause their remembrance to cease from man; 27 If not—the anger of an enemy I fear, Lest their adversaries know—Lest they say, Our hand is high, And Jehovah hath not wrought all this. 28 For a nation lost to counsels 'are' they, And there is no understanding in them. 29 If they were wise—They deal wisely 'with' this; They attend to their latter end: 30 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? 31 For not as our Rock 'is' their rock, (And our enemies 'are' judges!) 32 For of the vine of Sodom their vine 'is', And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes 'are' grapes of gall—They have bitter clusters; 33 The poison of dragons 'is' their wine And the fierce venom of asps. 34 Is it not laid up with Me? Sealed among My treasures? 35 Mine 'are' vengeance and recompense, At the due time—doth their foot slide; For near is a day of their calamity, And haste do things prepared for them. 36 For Jehovah doth judge His people, And for His servants doth repent Himself. For He seeth—the going away of power, And none is restrained and left. 37 And He hath said, Where 'are' their gods—The rock in which they trusted; 38 Which the fat of their sacrifices do eat, They drink the wine of their libation! Let them arise and help you, Let it be for you a hiding-place!
39 See ye, now, that I—I 'am' He, And there is no god with Me: I put to death, and I keep alive; I have smitten, and I heal; And there is not from My hand a deliverer, 40 For I lift up unto the heavens My hand, And have said, I live—to the age! 41 If I have sharpened the brightness of My sword, And My hand doth lay hold on judgment, I turn back vengeance to Mine adversaries, And to those hating Me—I repay! 42 I make drunk Mine arrows with blood, And My sword devoureth flesh, From the blood of the pierced and captive, From the head of the freemen of the enemy. 43 Sing ye nations—'with' his people, For the blood of His servants He avengeth, And vengeance He turneth back on His adversaries, And hath pardoned His land—His people.'
44 And Moses cometh and speaketh all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshea son of Nun; 45 and Moses finisheth to speak all these words unto all Israel, 46 and saith unto them, 'Set your heart to all the words which I am testifying against you to-day, that ye command your sons to observe to do all the words of this law, 47 for it 'is' not a vain thing for you, for it 'is' your life, and by this thing ye prolong days on the ground whither ye are passing over the Jordan to possess it.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:1-47
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:1-2
(Read Deuteronomy 32:1-2)
Moses begins with a solemn appeal to heaven and earth, concerning the truth and importance of what he was about to say. His doctrine is the gospel, the speech of God, the doctrine of Christ; the doctrine of grace and mercy through him, and of life and salvation by him.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:3-6
(Read Deuteronomy 32:3-6)
"He is a Rock." This is the first time God is called so in Scripture. The expression denotes that the Divine power, faithfulness, and love, as revealed in Christ and the gospel, form a foundation which cannot be changed or moved, on which we may build our hopes of happiness. And under his protection we may find refuge from all our enemies, and in all our troubles; as the rocks in those countries sheltered from the burning rays of the sun, and from tempests, or were fortresses from the enemy. "His work is perfect:" that of redemption and salvation, in which there is a display of all the Divine perfection, complete in all its parts. All God's dealings with his creatures are regulated by wisdom which cannot err, and perfect justice. He is indeed just and right; he takes care that none shall lose by him. A high charge is exhibited against Israel. Even God's children have their spots, while in this imperfect state; for if we say we have no sin, no spot, we deceive ourselves. But the sin of Israel was not habitual, notorious, unrepented sin; which is a certain mark of the children of Satan. They were fools to forsake their mercies for lying vanities. All wilful sinners, especially sinners in Israel, are unwise and ungrateful.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:7-14
(Read Deuteronomy 32:7-14)
Moses gives particular instances of God's kindness and concern for them. The eagle's care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ's love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan's bondage. In verses 13,14, are emblems of the conquest believers have over their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, in and through Christ. Also of their safety and triumph in him; of their happy frames of soul, when they are above the world, and the things of it. This will be the blessed case of spiritual Israel in every sense in the latter day.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:15-18
(Read Deuteronomy 32:15-18)
Here are two instances of the wickedness of Israel, each was apostacy from God. These people were called Jeshurun, "an upright people," so some; "a seeing people," so others: but they soon lost the reputation both of their knowledge and of their righteousness. They indulged their appetites, as if they had nothing to do but to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it. Those who make a god of themselves, and a god of their bellies, in pride and wantonness, and cannot bear to be told of it, thereby forsake God, and show they esteem him lightly. There is but one way of a sinner's acceptance and sanctification, however different modes of irreligion, or false religion, may show that favourable regard for other ways, which is often miscalled candid. How mad are idolaters, who forsake the Rock of salvation, to run themselves upon the rock of perdition!
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:19-25
(Read Deuteronomy 32:19-25)
The revolt of Israel was described in the foregoing verses, and here follow the resolves of Divine justice as to them. We deceive ourselves, if we think that God will be mocked by a faithless people. Sin makes us hateful in the sight of the holy God. See what mischief sin does, and reckon those to be fools that mock at it.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:26-38
(Read Deuteronomy 32:26-38)
The idolatry and rebellions of Israel deserved, and the justice of God seemed to demand, that they should be rooted out. But He spared Israel, and continues them still to be living witnesses of the truth of the Bible, and to silence unbelievers. They are preserved for wise and holy purposes and the prophecies give us some idea what those purposes are. The Lord will never disgrace the throne of his glory. It is great wisdom, and will help much to the return of sinners to God, seriously to consider their latter end, or the future state. It is here meant particularly of what God foretold by Moses, about this people in the latter days; but it may be applied generally. Oh that men would consider the happiness they will lose, and the misery they will certainly plunge into, if they go on in their trespasses! What will be in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:31. For the Lord will in due time bring down the enemies of the church, in displeasure against their wickedness. When sinners deem themselves most secure, they suddenly fall into destruction. And God's time to appear for the deliverance of his people, is when things are at the worst with them. But those who trust to any rock but God, will find it fail them when they most need it. The rejection of the Messiah by the Jewish nation, is the continuance of their ancient idolatry, apostacy, and rebellion. They shall be brought to humble themselves before the Lord, to repent of their sins, and to trust in their long-rejected Mediator for salvation. Then he will deliver them, and make their prosperity great.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:39-43
(Read Deuteronomy 32:39-43)
This conclusion of the song speaks, 1. Glory to God. No escape can be made from his power. 2. It speaks terror to his enemies. Terror indeed to those who hate him. The wrath of God is here revealed from heaven against them. 3. It speaks comfort to his own people. The song concludes with words of joy. Whatever judgments are brought upon sinners, it shall go well with the people of God.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:44-47
(Read Deuteronomy 32:44-47)
Here is the solemn delivery of this song to Israel, with a charge to mind all the good words Moses had said unto them. It is not a trifle, but a matter of life and death: mind it, and you are made for ever; neglect it, and you are for ever undone. Oh that men were fully persuaded that religion is their life, even the life of their souls!