King James Version
Deuteronomy 32
52 verses with commentary
The Song of Moses
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
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<strong>Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth</strong> (הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִי <em>ha'azinu hashamayim va'adabberah vetishma ha'arets imre-fi</em>)—Moses invokes heaven and earth as covenant witnesses, echoing ancient Near Eastern treaty language where cosmic elements bore witness to binding agreements. <em>Ha...
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XXXII.
(1) **Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.**—Comp. the opening of Isaiah 1:2, which is almost identical, excepting that the two words for “hearing” are transposed.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
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<strong>My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew</strong>—Moses uses four nature metaphors for God's teaching: rain (<em>matar</em>), dew (<em>tal</em>), small rain (<em>se'irim</em>, light showers), and showers (<em>rebibim</em>, heavy rain). The verb <em>ya'arof</em> ("drop/drip") suggests gentle, life-giving penetration rather than violent downpour.<br><br>This imag...
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(2) **My doctrine.**—Or, *my learning, that which I receive*—a not very common, but beautiful expression in the Hebrew. Everything that comes down from the “Father of lights” is handed on by one heavenly messenger to another, until it falls upon the heart of man, in just that form in which he can best receive it. The Son of God says,” My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.” “I speak that w...
Read full commentary →Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
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In the Song of Moses, he declares: 'Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.' The verb 'publish' (Hebrew qara) means proclaim, announce, or call out—public declaration of God's name (character/reputation). Moses calls the audience to 'ascribe greatness'—attribute to God His rightful glory and honor. The song that follows (Deuteronomy 32:4-43) rehearses Israel...
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(3)—“For (or when) it is the Name JEHOVAH that I utter; Give ye greatness to our God.”
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
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This verse opens the Song of Moses with a profound declaration of God's character. The title <em>hatsur</em> (הַצּוּר, 'the Rock') emphasizes God's unchanging stability, reliability, and strength—a foundation that cannot be shaken. This metaphor recurs throughout Scripture (Psalm 18:2; Isaiah 26:4) and contrasts with human instability and false gods' impotence. The declaration <em>tamim pa'alo</em...
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(4) **He is the rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.**—No such combination of all the words for *uprightness, sincerity, equity, *and *reliability *is to be found elsewhere in all Scripture. This is the character of *the Rock. *This name of God ( *Tzur*) is one of the characteristics of the song. The word occurs first ...
Read full commentary →They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. They have: Heb. He hath corrupted to himself their: or, that they are not his children, that is their blot
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<strong>They have corrupted themselves</strong> (<em>shichet lo</em>)—the reflexive verb emphasizes Israel's self-inflicted moral defilement. <strong>Their spot is not the spot of his children</strong> (<em>mumam lo banim</em>)—"spot" (<em>mum</em>) denotes blemish or defect, the same term used for disqualifying sacrificial animals (Leviticus 22:20-21). Israel has become unfit for the holy purpose...
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(5)—“He (Israel) hath destroyed himself.
Their undutifulness,[5] that is their blot,
[5] Literally, *they are no sons to him. *(Comp. Deuteronomy 32:20.)
A froward and crooked generation !”
These first two lines are given up as hopeless by many interpreters, not because the words are difficult of translation, but from the great variety of possible interpretations. After careful consideration of th...
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**11. thou shalt rejoice--**feasting with friends and the Levites, who were invited on such occasions to share in the cheerful festivities that followed oblations (De 12:7; 16:10-15).
Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?
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<strong>Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise?</strong>—the Hebrew <em>naval</em> (foolish) and <em>lo chakam</em> (not wise) indicate moral deficiency, not intellectual limitation. Biblical foolishness is covenant rebellion (Psalm 14:1: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'"). To 'requite' (<em>gamal</em>) means to repay or reward—Israel's ingratitude repays God's good...
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(6)“It is Jehovah that ye requite thus!
A people foolish and unwise!
Is not He thy Father that hath gotten thee?
He made thee and establisheth thee.”
The first line is an exclamatory question. A question and an exclamation have the same name in the Rabbinical writings. “Hath gotten” in the third line is the same expression which Eve used (in Genesis 4:1) at the birth of Cain, and occurs also in th...
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**12-15. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year--**Among the Hebrews there were two tithings. The first was appropriated to the Levites (Nu 18:21). The second, being the tenth of what remained, was brought to Jerusalem in kind; or it was converted into money, and the owner, on arriving in the capital, purchased sheep, bread, and oil (De 14:22, 23). Th...
Read full commentary →Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. many: Heb. generation and generation
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<strong>Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations</strong>—<em>zakhor</em> (remember) is a key Deuteronomic command (5:15; 7:18; 8:2), requiring active recollection and covenant fidelity. <em>Bin</em> (consider) means to discern or understand deeply—not superficial nostalgia but theological reflection on God's historical faithfulness.<br><br><strong>Ask thy father, and he wi...
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(7) The fourfold division of this verse is manifest.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12-15. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year--**Among the Hebrews there were two tithings. The first was appropriated to the Levites (Nu 18:21). The second, being the tenth of what remained, was brought to Jerusalem in kind; or it was converted into money, and the owner, on arriving in the capital, purchased sheep, bread, and oil (De 14:22, 23). Th...
Read full commentary →When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
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<strong>When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance</strong> (<em>be-hanchel 'Elyon goyim</em>)—<em>'Elyon</em> (Most High) emphasizes God's sovereignty over ALL nations, not just Israel. The division of nations recalls the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) and Babel's dispersion (Genesis 11:8-9). God assigned territorial boundaries according to His sovereign will.<br><br><strong>He se...
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(8, 9) Comp. Deuteronomy 21:16.
“when the Most High made nations to inherit,
When He parted the sons of Adam,
He set the bounds of the peoples,
According to the number of the sons of Israel.
For the portion of Jehovah is His people,
Jacob the cord [7] of His inheritance*”*
[7]* i.e., *limit.
The allusion is to the dispersion from Babel (Genesis 10, 11). The Jews were accustomed to reckon seventy n...
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**12-15. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year--**Among the Hebrews there were two tithings. The first was appropriated to the Levites (Nu 18:21). The second, being the tenth of what remained, was brought to Jerusalem in kind; or it was converted into money, and the owner, on arriving in the capital, purchased sheep, bread, and oil (De 14:22, 23). Th...
Read full commentary →For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. lot: Heb. cord
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<strong>For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance</strong> (<em>ki cheleq YHWH 'ammo Ya'aqob chebel nachalato</em>)—<em>cheleq</em> (portion) and <em>nachala</em> (inheritance) reverse expected language. Israel inherits Canaan from God, but remarkably, God claims Israel as HIS inheritance. <em>Chebel</em> (measuring line/allotted portion) was used in land distributi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12-15. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year--**Among the Hebrews there were two tithings. The first was appropriated to the Levites (Nu 18:21). The second, being the tenth of what remained, was brought to Jerusalem in kind; or it was converted into money, and the owner, on arriving in the capital, purchased sheep, bread, and oil (De 14:22, 23). Th...
Read full commentary →He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. led: or, compassed
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<strong>He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness</strong>—the Hebrew <em>tohu yelalah yeshimon</em> combines chaos (tohu), howling desolation (yelalah), and uninhabitable waste (yeshimon). This isn't merely geographical but theological: Israel was spiritually lost, morally formless, endangered by predators (human and animal).<br><br><strong>He led him about, he instructed...
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(10) The whole of this verse is in the pictorial present in the Hebrew—
“He findeth him in a desert land,
In a waste howling wilderness;
He compasseth him about, He instructeth him,
He guardeth him as the apple of his eye.”
**He found him.**—This beautiful expression is common to the Old and New Testaments as a description of God’s first revelation of Himself to man. In the case of Hagar it is wri...
Read full commentary →As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
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<strong>As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young</strong>—the eagle (<em>nesher</em>, possibly also vulture) disturbs the nest's comfort, forcing eaglets toward flight. <strong>Spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings</strong>—when fledglings falter, the mother catches them mid-fall, bearing them on strong pinions until they gain strength.<br><br>This o...
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(11, 12) “As an eagle awakeneth her nest,
Over her young she broodeth,
She spreadeth out her wings, she taketh up
each one of them,
She beareth him on her pinions:
Jehovah alone leadeth him,
And a stranger-god is not with Him.”
The eagle in Hebrew is masculine. He is one of the creatures that is honoured with a description by the lips of Jehovah Himself in Job 39:27-30. But beautiful as the simile...
Read full commentary →So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him</strong> (<em>YHWH badad yanchenu we-'en 'immo 'el nekar</em>)—<em>badad</em> (alone) emphasizes exclusive divine leadership without assistance from pagan deities. <em>'El nekar</em> (strange/foreign god) denotes covenant violation—Israel worshiped YHWH exclusively, without syncretistic compromise.<br><br>This verse esta...
Read full commentary →He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He made him ride on the high places of the earth</strong> (<em>yarkivehu 'al-bamote 'arets</em>)—<em>bamot</em> (high places) denotes elevated terrain and strategic dominance. God gave Israel possession of Canaan's fortified cities and mountainous regions, militarily superior positions. Spiritually, this imagery suggests exaltation and blessing—God elevates His people to positions of influ...
Read full commentary →Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.
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<strong>Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs</strong>—Moses recounts God's extravagant provision using Hebrew <em>ḥem'at bāqār</em> (cream/curds of cattle) and <em>ḥālāv ṣō'n</em> (milk of flock). <strong>Rams of the breed of Bashan</strong> references the renowned pastureland east of Jordan known for prime livestock (Ezekiel 39:18, Amos 4:1). The metaphor of drinking <strong>the p...
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(14) **Kidneys of wheat.**—The metaphor is literally translated from the Hebrew. The kidneys are enclosed in the very best of the fat of the animal, fat that was strictly reserved for God’s altar by the Levitical Law.
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
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<strong>But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked</strong>—<em>Yeshurūn</em> (ישֻׁרוּן), meaning 'upright one,' is an affectionate name for Israel (Deuteronomy 33:5, 26; Isaiah 44:2), making the indictment more poignant. The verb <strong>kicked</strong> (בָּעַט, bā'aṭ) depicts a well-fed beast rebelling against its master—ingratitude expressed as violence. The threefold repetition 'thou art waxen fat, th...
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(15) **Jeshurun** is a diminutive—a term of endearment. Either “the child of the upright,” or “the beloved Israel.” The letters of the diminutive of Israel, if slightly abbreviated, would make “Jeshurun.” It is peculiar to Deuteronomy (here and in Deuteronomy 33:5; Deuteronomy 33:26) and Isaiah (Isaiah 44:2). Two of the Targums render the word by “Israel here.” The third retains the word itself. T...
Read full commentary →They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
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<strong>They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods</strong>—the Hebrew <em>qin'ū</em> (קִנְאוּ) from <em>qānā'</em> means to incite intense jealous anger. <strong>Strange gods</strong> (בְּזָרִים, bĕzārîm) literally means 'foreign ones,' emphasizing covenant betrayal—spiritual adultery. God's jealousy is not petty envy but righteous indignation at covenant violation, like a husband's justifie...
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CHAPTER 27 De 27:1-10. The People Are to Write the Law upon Stones.
**2. it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan--**"Day" is often put for "time"; and it was not till some days after the passage that the following instructions were acted upon.
**thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister--**These stones were to be taken in their natural state, unhewn, and...
Read full commentary →They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. not to: or, which were not God
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<strong>They sacrificed unto devils, not to God</strong>—the Hebrew <em>shedhîm</em> (שֵׁדִים) appears only here and Psalm 106:37, referring to demonic powers behind idols. Paul explicitly connects this verse to New Testament theology: 'the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils' (1 Corinthians 10:20). Idolatry is never merely superstition—it involves real demonic deception....
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(17) **They sacrificed unto devils, not to God.**—St. Paul repeats this expression in 1Corinthians 11:20.
**Gods that came newly up.**—Literally, *that came from close at hand. *Compare the description of the idol in Isaiah 44:15, easily made from the firewood; and see also Wisdom Of Solomon 13:13, “A carpenter taking a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, hath carved it diligently, *when he ...
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**3. thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law--**It might be, as some think, the Decalogue; but a greater probability is that it was "the blessings and curses," which comprised in fact an epitome of the law (Jos 8:34).
Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful</strong>—<em>ṣûr yĕlādĕkā</em> (צוּר יְלָדְךָ) uses the verb <em>yālad</em>, typically for childbirth, creating powerful imagery: God as both father who begets and mother who gives birth. <strong>Unmindful</strong> (תֵּשִׁי) means to neglect or forget, implying deliberate inattention, not mere forgetfulness.<br><br><strong>Hast forgotten God t...
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(18) **Of the Rock that begat thee.**—“*The Rock hath begotten thee forgetful, and thou hast forgotten God that travailed with thee” *is another possible translation of this verse. The expression in the second clause is found also in Psalm 90:2 (a prayer of Moses), “Before the mountains were brought forth, while Thou wast yet *in travail with *earth and world, and from eternity unto eternity Thou ...
Read full commentary →And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. abhorred: or, despised
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them</strong>—the verb <em>nā'aṣ</em> (נָאַץ) means to reject with contempt or spurn. Divine abhorrence is the covenant curse for persistent rebellion (Leviticus 26:30, Psalm 5:6). The phrase <strong>because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters</strong> emphasizes that covenant children, not pagans, provoked this response—making judgment ...
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(19) **The Lord saw . . . abhorred.**—Comp. Jeremiah 14:21.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--**The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elem...
Read full commentary →And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I will hide my face from them</strong>—<em>astîrāh phānay</em> (אַסְתִּירָה פָנַי) describes God's covenantal withdrawal, removing His protective presence and blessing. This terrifying phrase appears throughout Deuteronomy (31:17-18) and the prophets (Isaiah 54:8, Ezekiel 39:23-24) as the ultimate covenant curse. God's face represents favor, guidance, and protection—to lose it is spiritual...
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(20) **A very froward generation.**—Literally, *a generation of perversities.*
**Children in whom is no faith.**—Literally, *children !*—*there is no relying on them. *(Comp. Deuteronomy 5:5.) Faith is not used in the sense of “belief” or “confidence,” but as in the expression to “keep faith,” or to “break faith,” children who will keep no faith with one.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--**The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elem...
Read full commentary →They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God</strong>—<em>bĕlō' 'ēl</em> (בְּלֹא אֵל), literally 'with a no-god.' Paul quotes this verse extensively in Romans 10:19 and 11:11-14, showing how Israel's rejection of Messiah led to Gentile evangelization. Divine jealousy provoked by Israel's unfaithfulness produces redemptive jealousy in Israel when they see Gentiles enjoying cove...
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(21)“They have made me jealous with a no-god;
They have provoked me with their vanities:
And I will make them jealous with a no-people;
With a foolish nation will I provoke them.”
St. Paul comments on this in Romans 10, as proving that Israel was informed of the calling of the Gentiles, and compares Isaiah 65:1, “I was found of them that sought me not. I made myself manifest unto those that inquir...
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**5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--**The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elem...
Read full commentary →For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. shall burn: or, hath burned shall consume: or, hath consumed
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For a fire is kindled in mine anger</strong>—<em>'ēsh qādĕḥāh bĕ'appî</em> (אֵשׁ קָדְחָה בְאַפִּי). The verb <em>qādaḥ</em> means to kindle or ignite, depicting God's wrath as consuming fire, echoing Deuteronomy 4:24: 'the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.' This is not petulant rage but judicial holy wrath against covenant violation.<br><br><strong>Shall burn unto the l...
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(22) **For a fire is kindled in mine anger.**—Quoted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:14, and comp. Jeremiah 17:4).
**The foundations of the mountains.**—Rashi says, “Jerusalem, which is founded on the mountains,” as it is said, “Jerusalem, the mountains are about her” (Psalm 125:2).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--**The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elem...
Read full commentary →I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I will heap mischiefs upon them</strong>—<em>aspeh 'alēmô rā'ôt</em> (אַסְפֶּה עֲלֵימוֹ רָעוֹת), literally 'I will gather evils upon them.' The verb <em>sāphah</em> means to gather, collect, or heap up, suggesting accumulated judgments, not a single disaster. <strong>I will spend mine arrows upon them</strong>—<em>ḥiṣṣay 'ăkalleh-bām</em> (חִצַּי אֲכַלֶּה־בָּם), using the verb <em>kālāh</e...
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(23) **Mischiefs.**—Literally, *ills. *Comp. Ezekiel 5:16 : “I will send upon them *the evil arrows of famine . . .* I will *increase *the famine upon them.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--**The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elem...
Read full commentary →They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. heat: Heb. coals
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction</strong>—Moses catalogs covenant curses that will befall apostate Israel. The Hebrew <em>mezei ra'av</em> (מְזֵי רָעָב, 'burnt with hunger') describes famine's wasting effects, while <em>lechumei reshef</em> (לְחֻמֵי רֶשֶׁף, 'devoured with burning heat') may refer to plague, fever, or devastating p...
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(24, 25)
“Consumed[8] with hunger, and devoured with pestilence, and bitter destruction—
[8] Or, possibly, “*Regaled *with hunger, and *fed with bread *of pestilence and bitter destruction,” &c.
I will also send the tooth of the beasts upon them, with the poison of crawling things of the dust.
Outside the sword bereaveth, and in the chambers terror:
Both young man and maiden, the suckling with the...
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**5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--**The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elem...
Read full commentary →The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs. within: Heb. from the chambers destroy: Heb. bereave
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs</strong>—Moses depicts total, indiscriminate judgment spanning all ages and conditions. The Hebrew <em>mi-chutz techakel-cherev</em> (מִחוּץ תְּשַׁכֶּל־חֶרֶב, 'from outside the sword bereaves') describes external military invasion, while <em>u-me-chadarim eima...
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De 27:11-13. The Tribes Divided on Gerizim and Ebal.
**11-13. These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people ... these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse--**Those long, rocky ridges lay in the province of Samaria, and the peaks referred to were near Shechem (Nablous), rising in steep precipices to the height of about eight hundred feet and separated by a green, well-watered valley of ...
Read full commentary →I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
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<strong>I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men</strong>—God contemplates Israel's complete eradication. The Hebrew <em>amarti af'eihem</em> (אָמַרְתִּי אַפְאֵיהֶם, 'I said, I would scatter them') uses <em>pa'ah</em>, meaning to blow away, disperse to the corners—total diaspora, not just exile. The second phrase <em>ashbitah me-enosh ...
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(26, 27) The argument of these verses is such as no man would dare to put into the mouth of the Most High. Moses had pleaded it (in Numbers 14:13-16; Exodus 32:12), but none but Jehovah Himself would say for Himself, “*I feared the wrath of the enemy.”*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
De 27:11-13. The Tribes Divided on Gerizim and Ebal.
**11-13. These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people ... these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse--**Those long, rocky ridges lay in the province of Samaria, and the peaks referred to were near Shechem (Nablous), rising in steep precipices to the height of about eight hundred feet and separated by a green, well-watered valley of ...
Read full commentary →Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this. Our: or, Our high hand, and not the LORD hath done
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<strong>Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely</strong>—God reveals His restraint in judgment, not from inability to destroy Israel, but concern for His own name's glory. The phrase <em>lulei ka'as oyev agur</em> (לוּלֵי כַּעַס אוֹיֵב אָגוּר, 'were it not I feared provocation of the enemy') uses <em>agur</em> (אָגוּר), meaning to...
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(27) **Behave themselves strangely.**—Possibly, *misunderstand it, *or *take note of it *(as a strange thing).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
De 27:11-13. The Tribes Divided on Gerizim and Ebal.
**11-13. These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people ... these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse--**Those long, rocky ridges lay in the province of Samaria, and the peaks referred to were near Shechem (Nablous), rising in steep precipices to the height of about eight hundred feet and separated by a green, well-watered valley of ...
Read full commentary →For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.
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<strong>For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them</strong>—Moses shifts focus to Israel's enemies, diagnosing their spiritual blindness. The Hebrew <em>goy oved etsot hemah</em> (גּוֹי אֹבֵד עֵצוֹת הֵמָּה, 'a nation perishing of counsel they') uses <em>oved</em>, meaning lost, perishing, wandering—not merely lacking counsel but fundamentally disoriented, wit...
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(28) **Void of counsel.**—Literally, *perishing in counsels, *or, perhaps, *spoiling the plans *of Jehovah. Yet they said, “Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not *perish *from the priest, nor *counsel *from the wise, nor the word from the prophet” (Jeremiah 18:18).
O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
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<strong>O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!</strong>—Moses expresses divine longing for Israel's wisdom and repentance. The Hebrew exclamation <em>lu chakamu</em> (לוּ חָכָמוּ, 'O that they were wise') uses <em>lu</em>, expressing unfulfilled wish or lament—God desires their wisdom but knows they'll resist. <em>Chakam</em> (חָכָם, 'to be wis...
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(29) **Consider their latter end.**—Have *some discernment as to their hereafter, *what their destiny was, and what they will miss, if they fail to fulfil it.
How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?
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<strong>How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?</strong>—Moses poses a rhetorical question exposing Israel's defeat as divine abandonment, not military weakness. The phrase <em>eikha yirdof echad elef</em> (אֵיכָה יִרְדֹּף אֶחָד אֶלֶף, 'how should one chase a thousand') references covenant blessing's rever...
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(30) **How should one (of their enemies) chase a thousand (of them).**—Comp. the verse in Deuteronomy 28:25, and more especially Leviticus 26:8; Leviticus 26:17; Leviticus 26:36.
**Had sold them.**—Here first used of Jehovah. It is a common expression in the book of Judges (Deuteronomy 2:14; Deuteronomy 3:8; Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 10:7; 1Samuel 12:9).
**Had shut them up** (into the hand of t...
Read full commentary →For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
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<strong>For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges</strong>—Moses contrasts Israel's God with pagan deities, declaring Yahweh's incomparable superiority. The Hebrew <em>ki lo khe-tsureinu tsuram</em> (כִּי לֹא כְצוּרֵנוּ צוּרָם, 'for not like our Rock their rock') uses wordplay on <em>tsur</em> (צוּר)—Israel's Rock is the living God, while pagan 'rocks' are lifeles...
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(31) **For their rock.**—Perhaps this may be taken, *For their rock *(the enemies’ God) is *not as our Rock *(Jehovah), *and yet our enemies are judges, i.e., lords, over us. *So Rashi takes it. The verse should be read as a parenthesis. The argument would be this: No cause can be found for the defeat of Israel except the displeasure of Jehovah. The enemies have no gods that could fight against Is...
Read full commentary →For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: of the vine: or, worse than the vine
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<strong>For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah</strong>—Moses shifts to agricultural metaphor, indicting pagan nations' moral corruption. The phrase <em>ki-mi-gefen Sedom gafnam</em> (כִּי־מִגֶּפֶן סְדֹם גַּפְנָם, 'for from vine of Sodom their vine') links enemy nations to Sodom's notorious wickedness (Genesis 19). <em>Gefen</em> (גֶּפֶן, 'vine') often symbolizes a p...
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(32) **Their vine**—*i.e.*, Israel’s,” not the enemies; going back to Deuteronomy 32:30, “Their Rock,” *i.e., *Israel’s Rock, “had sold them . . . for their vine is of the vine of Sodom.” Comp. Hosea 10:1 : *“Israel is an empty vine; *he bringeth forth fruit unto himself;” and Isaiah 5:2; Isaiah 5:7 : “He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes . . . He looked fo...
Read full commentary →Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
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<strong>Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps</strong>—Moses concludes the agricultural metaphor with deadly imagery. The Hebrew <em>chamat tanninim yeinam</em> (חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם יֵינָם, 'poison of dragons their wine') uses <em>chamat</em> (חֲמַת), meaning venom, heat, or fury. <em>Tanninim</em> (תַּנִּינִם) can mean dragons, serpents, or sea monsters—creatures represent...
Read full commentary →Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
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<strong>Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?</strong> (הֲלֹא־הוּא כָּמֻס עִמָּדִי חָתוּם בְּאוֹצְרֹתָי). God declares that Israel's transgressions are <em>kamus</em> (laid up, stored) and <em>chatum</em> (sealed) in His treasury—a forensic metaphor of divine record-keeping. Every sin is documented, preserved as evidence for the coming day of judgment. Paul quotes...
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(34) **Is not this laid up?**—“This” is generally taken to refer to what follows, but it is not clear. It may refer to the fact that “He looked for grapes, and the vine brought forth wild grapes.”
To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
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<strong>To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence</strong> (לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם)—God claims exclusive rights to <em>naqam</em> (vengeance) and <em>shillem</em> (recompense/retribution). This isn't arbitrary wrath but covenant justice: God alone possesses perfect knowledge, righteous standards, and authority to execute judgment. Paul quotes this in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30, prohibiting person...
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(35) **To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence.**—In the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:30) this sentence is quoted with the first clause of Deuteronomy 32:36, “For we know Him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense, saith the Lord.” And so in Romans 12:19.
**Their foot shall slide in due time.**—Rather, *for the time when their foot shall slide.*
For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. power: Heb. hand
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<strong>For the LORD shall judge his people</strong> (כִּי־יָדִין יְהוָה עַמּוֹ)—<em>din</em> means to judge, vindicate, or execute justice. God judges Israel both in discipline (vv. 15-27) and in vindication against their oppressors (vv. 34-43). <strong>And repent himself for his servants</strong>—the Hebrew <em>yitnachem</em> (repent/relent/have compassion) doesn't imply God changes morally but ...
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(36) **For the Lord shall judge His people.**—Quoted in Hebrews 10:30, in connection with the previous verse. According to this view “shall judge” means “shall punish,” not “shall defend.”
**And repent Himself for His servants.**—Or, *and will be comforted over His servants. *Comp. Ezekiel 5:13, “I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I *will be comforted;*” and also Isaiah 1:24, &c.
**None s...
Read full commentary →And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
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<strong>And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted</strong> (וְאָמַר אֵי אֱלֹהֵימוֹ צוּר חָסָיוּ בוֹ)—God's rhetorical question mocks the impotence of idols. Israel called false gods their <em>tzur</em> (rock), the same title used for Yahweh (vv. 4, 15, 18, 30, 31)—a tragic inversion. <em>Chasayu bo</em> (trusted in him) shows they sought refuge in what cannot save. Th...
Read full commentary →Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. your: Heb. an hiding for you
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<strong>Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings?</strong> (אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ יֹאכֵלוּ יִשְׁתּוּ יֵין נְסִיכָם)—God's sarcasm intensifies: these gods consumed the choice portions (<em>chelev</em>, fat—the richest part reserved for deity) and received libations (<em>nesekim</em>, drink offerings). The irony is devastating—the gods didn't actually ...
Read full commentary →See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
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<strong>See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me</strong> (רְאוּ עַתָּה כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים עִמָּדִי)—the emphatic <em>'ani 'ani hu</em> (I, even I, am He) asserts absolute monotheism. The doubled pronoun intensifies God's unique identity; <em>hu</em> (He) recalls "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Isaiah echoes this: "I am he; before me no god was formed, nor shall there be...
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(39) **I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me.**—There are many very similar passages in Isaiah 41-46; but none of them *exactly *reproduces this sentence.
**I kill, and I make alive.**—This was repeated by Hannah in her song, “The Lord killeth and maketh alive*” *(1Samuel 2:6). Comp. also Isaiah 43:13, “Yea, before the day was *I am he; *and there is *none that can deliver out of my hand.”...
Read full commentary →For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
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<strong>For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever</strong> (כִּי־אֶשָּׂא אֶל־שָׁמַיִם יָדִי וְאָמַרְתִּי חַי אָנֹכִי לְעֹלָם)—God swears by Himself, lifting His hand in oath-taking gesture. Humans swear by something greater (Hebrews 6:16), but God has none greater, so He swears by His own eternal life: <em>chai anokhi le-'olam</em> (I live forever). This oath form appears when God ...
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(40, 41) **For I lift up my hand.**—This is the form in taking an oath. (Comp. Revelation 10:5.) The two verses may be connected thus: “For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, As I live for ever, if I whet my lightning sword, and my hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and repay them that hate me.”
If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment</strong> (אִם־שַׁנּוֹתִי בְּרַק חַרְבִּי וְתֹאחֵז בְּמִשְׁפָּט יָדִי)—the conditional "if" (<em>im</em>) introduces divine judgment as certain future action. <em>Shannoti</em> (whet/sharpen) describes preparing a blade; <em>beraq charbi</em> (my lightning/glittering sword) evokes the flash of polished metal—a terrifying ima...
Read full commentary →I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.
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<strong>I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh</strong> (אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר)—the Hebrew <em>ashkir</em> (make drunk) personifies arrows as becoming intoxicated with blood. <em>Chitzai</em> (my arrows) and <em>charbi</em> (my sword) execute divine judgment; the sword <em>to'khal</em> (devours/eats) <em>basar</em> (flesh) like a rav...
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(42) **My sword shall devour flesh.**—Comp. Isaiah 66:16 : “For by fire and by *His sword *will the Lord plead with *all flesh, *and *the slain of the Lord shall be many” *
**With blood.**—Literally, *from the blood of the slain and of the captivity, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. *Judgment must begin at the house of God, as it did in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 9:6), “and begin at m...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 28 De 28:1-68. The Blessings for Obedience.
**1. if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God--**In this chapter the blessings and curses are enumerated at length, and in various minute details, so that on the first entrance of the Israelites into the land of promise, their whole destiny was laid before them, as it was to result from their obedience or the contrary.
Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people. Rejoice: or, Praise his people, ye nations: or, Sing ye
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<strong>Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people</strong> (הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ)—after judgment comes restoration and universal worship. <em>Harninu</em> (rejoice, shout for joy) calls <em>goyim</em> (nations/Gentiles) to celebrate with Israel, God's <em>'am</em> (people). Paul quotes this in Romans 15:10 as proof that the gospel was always intended for Gentiles—God's plan includes all nations w...
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(43) **Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people.**[9]—This is cited by St. Paul to show that the Gentiles must also “glorify God for His mercy” in sending Jesus Christ. But it is not wholly fulfilled yet. “If the fall of God’s people was the wealth of the world . . . what will the receiving of them be. but life from the dead?” (See Romans 11:12; Romans 11:15; Romans 15:10.)
[9] The LXX. have a longe...
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**2. all these blessings shall come on thee--**Their national obedience was to be rewarded by extraordinary and universal prosperity.
And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun. Hoshea: or, Joshua
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<strong>And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.</strong><br><br>The phrase <em>wayyabo Moshe</em> ("and Moses came") emphasizes Moses' final public act—delivering the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43) to all Israel. <em>Hoshea</em> is Joshua's original name (Numbers 13:16), meaning "salvation," before Moses changed it to Yehos...
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JOSHUA TAKES UP THE HISTORY.
(44) **He, and Hoshea the son of Nun.**—Why should Joshua be called Hoshea in this place? His name was apparently changed to Joshua at the time when he entered the promised land with the eleven others who searched it out (Numbers 13:8; Numbers 13:16). Now that he is about to lead Israel to the conquest, we are once more reminded of his change of name, and that the “sal...
Read full commentary →And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
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<strong>And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:</strong><br><br>The Hebrew <em>waykal Moshe</em> ("and Moses finished/completed") uses the same verb (<em>kalah</em>) that describes God's completion of creation (Genesis 2:2) and the tabernacle construction (Exodus 39:32). This isn't mere cessation but accomplishment—Moses has fulfilled his covenant mediator role. <em>Ledabb...
Read full commentary →And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
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After reciting the song, Moses commands: 'Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.' The phrase 'set your hearts' (Hebrew sim lev) means deliberate attention and affection—not casual awareness but intense focus. The purpose extends beyond the present generation: 'which ye shall command yo...
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(46) **Set your hearts unto all the words.**—Rashi compares Ezekiel 40:4 : “Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and *set thine heart upon all *that I shew thee.”
**Which ye shall command.**—Rather, *that ye may command your children to observe to do all the words of this law. *Obviously the knowledge of the law would depend very much on personal instruction for some time ...
Read full commentary →For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
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Moses concludes his instruction with a solemn declaration emphasizing Scripture's vital importance. The phrase <em>ki lo-davar req hu mikkem</em> (כִּי לֹא־דָבָר רֵק הוּא מִכֶּם, 'for it is not a vain thing for you') uses <em>req</em> (רֵק), meaning empty, worthless, or idle. God's Word isn't trivial, optional, or peripheral to life—it's essential. The emphatic assertion <em>ki hu chayyeikhem</em>...
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(47) **For it is not a vain thing for you.**—Not too light a thing for you, not unworthy of your attention.
**It is your life.**—For the last time in this book the people are assured that the very end of their existence in Canaan was the observance of the law of Jehovah as the law of the land.
Moses to Die on Mount Nebo
And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
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<strong>And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day</strong>—the phrase <em>bǝʿeṣem hayyôm hazzeh</em> (בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, 'on the very day itself') emphasizes immediacy and solemnity. This occurs immediately after Moses finishes the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43), a covenant lawsuit documenting Israel's future rebellion and God's ultimate vindication. The timing is deliberate: havi...
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(48) **And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day.**—The day in which he spake the song in the ears of all Israel.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. flee before thee seven ways--**that is, in various directions, as always happens in a rout.
Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
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<strong>Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo</strong>—Hebrew <em>ʿălēh ʾel-har hāʿăḇārîm hazzeh har-nǝḇô</em> (עֲלֵה אֶל־הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר־נְבוֹ). Abarim means 'regions beyond/passages,' and Nebo (possibly from Akkadian <em>nabû</em>, 'to proclaim') rises 2,680 feet above the Dead Sea. <strong>Which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho</strong>—geographica...
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(49) G**et thee up into this mountain Abarim.**—See Numbers 27:12. The same command was given there, and was answered by Moses with the prayer for a successor, which was granted. All that is narrated between that passage and this may be considered as preliminary to Moses’ departure.
**Mount Nebo.**—The particular peak of the “Abarim” (“mountains beyond Jordan,” or “passages of Jordan”), where Mose...
Read full commentary →And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
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<strong>And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people</strong>—the Hebrew phrase <em>wēʾāsaptā ʾel-ʿammȇḵā</em> (וְאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל־עַמֶּךָ, 'and be gathered to your people') is a euphemism for death used of Abraham (Genesis 25:8), Ishmael (Genesis 25:17), Isaac (Genesis 35:29), and Jacob (Genesis 49:29). It implies conscious afterlife and reunion with ancestors. <strong...
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(50, 51) **And die in the mount . . . as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor . . . because ye trespassed against me.**—It may be asked why Moses and Aaron should both have been made to ascend a mountain to die. I believe a clue to the reason may be found in the words and act which constituted their transgression. They were bidden to speak to the rock in Kadesh, and they struck it. The words which ...
Read full commentary →Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh , in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Meribah-Kadesh: or, strife at Kadesh
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh</strong>—the Hebrew <em>ʿal ʾăšer maʿăltem bî</em> (עַל אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בִּי, 'because you acted unfaithfully against Me') uses the root <em>māʿal</em>, meaning breach of trust or treachery. Meribah-Kadesh (מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ, 'contention of holiness') recalls Numbers 20:1-13, where Moses struck th...
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**10. called by the name of the Lord--**That they are really and actually His people (De 14:1; 26:18).
Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel</strong>—the Hebrew conjunction <em>kî</em> (כִּי, 'yet/for') introduces a bittersweet concession. Moses will see (<em>tirʾeh</em>, תִרְאֶה) but not enter (<em>lōʾ ṯāḇôʾ šāmmāh</em>, לֹא תָבוֹא שָׁמָּה, 'you shall not go there'). The phrase <em>minneḡeḏ</em> (מִנֶּגֶד, '...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods--**Beside the natural capabilities of Canaan, its extraordinary fruitfulness was traceable to the special blessing of Heaven.