43 Rejoice, H7442 O ye nations, H1471 with his people: H5971 for he will avenge H5358 the blood H1818 of his servants, H5650 and will render H7725 vengeance H5359 to his adversaries, H6862 and will be merciful H3722 unto his land, H127 and to his people. H5971
And G1161 that the Gentiles G1484 might glorify G1392 God G2316 for G5228 his mercy; G1656 as G2531 it is written, G1125 For G1223 this G5124 cause G1223 I will confess G1843 to thee G4671 among G1722 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 sing G5567 unto thy G4675 name. G3686 And G2532 again G3825 he saith, G3004 Rejoice, ye G2165 Gentiles, G1484 with G3326 his G846 people. G2992 And G2532 again, G3825 Praise G134 the Lord, G2962 all G3956 ye G134 Gentiles; G1484 and G2532 laud G1867 him, G846 all ye G3956 people. G2992 And G2532 again, G3825 Esaias G2268 saith, G3004 There shall be G2071 a root G4491 of Jesse, G2421 and G2532 he that shall rise G450 to reign over G757 the Gentiles; G1484 in G1909 him G846 shall G1679 the Gentiles G1484 trust. G1679 Now G1161 the God G2316 of hope G1680 fill G4137 you G5209 with all G3956 joy G5479 and G2532 peace G1515 in G1722 believing, G4100 that G1519 ye G5209 may abound G4052 in G1722 hope, G1680 through G1722 the power G1411 of the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151
And G2532 they sung G103 a new G2537 song, G5603 saying, G3004 Thou art G1488 worthy G514 to take G2983 the book, G975 and G2532 to open G455 the seals G4973 thereof: G846 for G3754 thou wast slain, G4969 and G2532 hast redeemed G59 us G2248 to God G2316 by G1722 thy G4675 blood G129 out of G1537 every G3956 kindred, G5443 and G2532 tongue, G1100 and G2532 people, G2992 and G2532 nation; G1484 And G2532 hast made G4160 us G2248 unto our G2257 God G2316 kings G935 and G2532 priests: G2409 and G2532 we shall reign G936 on G1909 the earth. G1093
For G1063 so G3779 hath G1781 the Lord G2962 commanded G1781 us, G2254 saying, I have set G5087 thee G4571 to be G1519 a light G5457 of the Gentiles, G1484 that thou G4571 shouldest be G1511 for G1519 salvation G4991 unto G2193 the ends G2078 of the earth. G1093 And G1161 when the Gentiles G1484 heard this, G191 they were glad, G5463 and G2532 glorified G1392 the word G3056 of the Lord: G2962 and G2532 as many as G3745 were G2258 ordained G5021 to G1519 eternal G166 life G2222 believed. G4100
For G3754 these G3778 be G1526 the days G2250 of vengeance, G1557 that all things G3956 which G3588 are written G1125 may be fulfilled. G4137 But G1161 woe G3759 unto G1722 them that are with child, G1064 G2192 and G2532 to them that give suck, G2337 in G1722 those G1565 days! G2250 for G1063 there shall be G2071 great G3173 distress G318 in G1909 the land, G1093 and G2532 wrath G3709 upon G1722 this G5129 people. G2992 And G2532 they shall fall G4098 by the edge G4750 of the sword, G3162 and G2532 shall be led away captive G163 into G1519 all G3956 nations: G1484 and G2532 Jerusalem G2419 shall be G2071 trodden down G3961 of G5259 the Gentiles, G1484 until G891 the times G2540 of the Gentiles G1484 be fulfilled. G4137
For G3754 the days G2250 shall come G2240 upon G1909 thee, G4571 that G2532 thine G4675 enemies G2190 shall cast G4016 a trench G5482 about G4016 thee, G4671 and G2532 compass G4033 thee G4571 round, G4033 and G2532 keep G4912 thee G4571 in G4912 on every side, G3840 And G2532 shall lay G1474 thee G4571 even with the ground, G1474 and G2532 thy G4675 children G5043 within G1722 thee; G4671 and G2532 they shall G863 not G3756 leave G863 in G1722 thee G4671 one stone G3037 upon G1909 another; G3037 because G473 G3739 thou knewest G1097 not G3756 the time G2540 of thy G4675 visitation. G1984
And G2532 the angel G32 said G2036 unto them, G846 Fear G5399 not: G3361 for, G1063 behold, G2400 I bring G2097 you G5213 good tidings G2097 of great G3173 joy, G5479 which G3748 shall be G2071 to all G3956 people. G2992 For G3754 unto you G5213 is born G5088 this day G4594 in G1722 the city G4172 of David G1138 a Saviour, G4990 which G3739 is G2076 Christ G5547 the Lord. G2962
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.