Deut. 32 The Divine song, in which God’s power, mercy to his people, and vengeance on his enemies exalted, their ingratitude is rebuked, Deut. 32:1–18. God’s wrath and future judgments, Deut. 32:19–26. Yet the idolatrous nations to be destroyed, and they at last to be enlarged, Deut. 32:27–43.

O ye heavens, and, O earth: either, 1. Angels and men; or, 2. You lifeless and senseless creatures, heaven and earth, which he calls upon partly to accuse the stupidity of Israel, that were more dull of hearing than these; and partly as witnesses of the truth of his sayings, and the justice of…

Look what effect rain and dew have upon herbs and grass, which they make fresh and fragrant and growing, the same effect I may justly expect and hope that my discourse will have upon your hearts, i.e. to make them soft and pliable and fruitful. Or this may be a prayer, Let my doctrine drop, &c.

The name of the Lord, i.e. his glorious excellencies and righteous and worthy actions, by which he hath made himself known, as a man is known by his name, and by which it will appear both that there is no blame to be laid upon him, whatsoever befalls you, and that it is gross madness to forsake…

The rock, or, a rock, as for the stability and everlastingness of his nature, and invincibleness of his power, so also for his fixedness and immutability in his counsels and promises and ways; so that if there shall be a sad change in your affairs from a high and prosperous to a calamitous and…

They, i.e. the Israelites, as the following words manifest. Corrupted themselves: this phrase sometimes in Scripture notes sin, and sometimes destruction. And so the sense may be either, 1.

Hath bought thee; that hath redeemed and rescued thee from Egyptian bondage. Made thee, i.e. advanced thee, as that word is used, 1 Sam. 12:6, Est. 6:6, Ps. 95:6, Ps. 149:2, Isa. 43:7.

The days of old, i.e. the history and events of ancient days or former ages, and thou wilt find that I had a respect unto thee, not only in Abraham’s time, but long before it. Compare Jer. 2:20.

When God by his providence did allot the several parts of the world to several people, which was done Gen. 10:0; Gen. 11:0. See Deut. 2:5, Deut. 2:9; Amos 9:7; Acts 17:26, Acts 17:27. Separated the sons of Adam, i.e. divided them in their languages and habitations according to their families.

It is no wonder God had so great a regard to this people, for he chose them out of all mankind to be his peculiar portion and treasure.

He found him, not by chance but as it were looking out and seeking for him, He met with him there. He did indeed manifest himself to him in Egypt, but it was in the wilderness at Sinai; where he found God, and God found him in an eminent manner, and revealed his mind and will to him, and entered…

Her nest, i.e. her young ones in the nest, by a common metonymy; which she by her cry and motion provoketh to fly by her example. Spreadeth abroad her wings, as preparing herself to fly. On her wings, or, as on her wings, i.e.

i.e. When they were shut up in Egypt, as in their nest, whence they durst not venture to fly nor stir, he taught, and encouraged, and enabled them to fly out and flee themselves from that bondage, and brought them into a state of liberty and safety; he dealt tenderly with them, bearing with their…

On the high places of the earth, i.e. to conquer their strongest holds, which ofttimes are in the mountains, and their cities fenced with walls of greatest height and strength, Deut. 1:28, Deut. 2:36, Deut. 33:29, Isa. 58:14. To ride upon in Scripture phrase is to subdue or conquer, as Ps.

With fat of lambs; for though the fat wherewith the inward parts were covered was not to be eaten by them, but offered to God, Lev. 3:9–10, yet that fat which was fast joined to and mixed with the flesh they might eat, as the Jewish doctors note. Bashan; a place famous for excellent cattle, Num.

Joshurun, i.e. Israel, as is agreed by Christian and Jewish interpreters, whom he calls right, or upright, or righteous, (as the word signifies,) not that they were so indeed, but partly by way of instruction, to mind them what they professed, and promised, and ought to be; and partly by way of…

To jealousy, i.e. to anger and fury, for jealousy is the rage of a man, Prov. 6:31. And withal it implies the ground of his anger, to wit, their falseness to God, whom they had owned and accepted as their Husband, and their spiritual whoredom with other gods.

Unto devils, i.e. unto idols, which the devils brought into the world in opposition to God, in and by which the devils ofttimes manifested themselves unto men, and gave them answers, and received their worship. Compare 1 Cor. 10:20.

Of the Rock, i.e. of God, one of whose titles this is, above, Deut. 32:4, Isa. 44:8; or of Christ, who is called the Rock, 1 Cor. 10:4, whom the Israelites are said to have tempted, there, Deut. 32:9. That begat thee, i.e.

Because of their sins, whereby they provoked him to anger. Or, by reason of his great and just anger against them he abhorred, or reprobated, or cast off his sons and his daughters, for such they were by calling and profession, but not in truth and reality, Deut. 32:5.

I will see what their end shall be; I will see and observe what will be the issue of all this, what will become of them at last; but this God doth not see only by way of speculation, but practically, i.e.

With those which are not a people, i.e. with the Gentile or heathenish nations, who are none of my people, who scarce deserve the name of a people, as being without yoke, without the knowledge and fear of God, which is the foundation of all true policy and government, and without righteous and…

A fire is kindled, i.e. great and grievous judgments shall be inflicted, which oft come under the name of fire, &c. See Deut. 4:24, Ezek. 30:8, Amos 2:2, Amos 2:5. Unto the lowest hell, or, unto hell, or the graves beneath.

i.e. Even empty my quiver, and send upon them all my plagues, which, like arrows shot by a skilful and strong hand, shall speedily reach, and certainly hit, and mortally wound them. Compare Zech. 9:14.

With hunger; with famine, which burneth and parcheth the inward parts, and makes the face black as a coal, Lam. 4:8. With burning heat; from fevers or carbuncles or other inflaming distempers. Serpents of the dust, who feed upon the dust, Gen.

The wrath of the enemy, i.e. their rage against me, as it is expressed Isa. 37:28–29; their insolent and furious reproaches against my name, as if I were unnatural and cruel to my people, or unable to deliver them. Compare Ex. 32:12, Num. 14:13, Deut. 9:28, Josh. 7:9.

They; either, 1. The enemies last mentioned, who are foolish people, and therefore make so false and foolish a judgment upon things. Or rather, 2. The Israelites themselves, of whom he speaks both in the foregoing Deut. 32:26, and in the whole foregoing chapter, and in the next verse Deut.

What their end will be; and that although God spare them long, yet at last judgment will certainly overtake them.

How should one chase a thousand? whence should this miraculous change come, that whereas God had promised that five Israelites should chase an hundred of their enemies, &c., Deut. 26:8, now, on the contrary, one enemy should chase a thousand Israelites? Their Rock, i.e. their God, as before, Deut.

Who by their dear-bought experience have been forced to acknowledge that our God was far stronger than they and their false gods together. See Ex. 14:25; Num. 23:0; 1 Sam. 4:8; Jer. 40:3.

For, or but; for these words seem to contain an answer to that question, Deut. 32:30, How should, &c. To this he answers, 1. Negatively; It was not from impotency in God, for if he had not forsaken and delivered them up, they could not have been so easily chased. 2.

The poison of dragons; for although some write that the dragons of Greece have no poison in them, yet that the African and Arabian dragons, of which Moses here writes, have poison in them, is confessed by ancient heathen authors.

i.e. All their wickedness mentioned before. My longsuffering towards them may make them and others think that I have forgotten their sins, but I remember them punctually, they are sealed up as in a bag, Job 14:17, and as men seal up their treasures that nothing be lost; and I shall bring them to…

It is my office to punish sin, and therefore as I know their sins, so I will assuredly punish them. Their feet shall slide; they who now think they stand fast and unmovable, they shall fall into utter destruction.

For, or, nevertheless, or, but yet, as the particle chi is sometimes used, as Job 5:7, Isa. 9:1, Isa. 49:25. Having spoken of the dreadful calamity which would come upon his people, he now turns his discourse into a more comfortable strain, according to the usual method of the prophets, and here…

He shall say: the Lord, before he deliver his people, will first convince them of their former folly in forsaking him and following idols; he will find an occasion from that miserable and hopeless condition into which their idols have brought them, to upbraid them with it.

i.e. To whom you offered sacrifices and oblations after the manner of the Gentiles. See Ex. 34:13, Ps. 106:28, 1 Cor. 10:20. Let them help you, if they can do it. Compare Judg. 10:14, Jer. 2:28.

See now; learn now by your own sad experience what vain and impotent things idols are, and what a silly thing it was in you to put your trust in them, as they did Deut. 32:37. I am he, i.e. the only true, and omnipotent, and irresistible God, as it here follows.

I lift up my hand to heaven, i.e. I solemnly swear that I will do what here follows, that as I will deliver my people, so I will fully avenge myself upon all mine enemies, whom I have used as rods to scourge my people. I live for ever, i.e. As sure as I live. Compare Jer. 4:2, Heb. 6:13, Rev.

If once I begin to prepare for war, and for the execution of my sentence. Take hold on judgment, i.e. of the instruments of judgment, of the weapons of war. A metaphor from warriors that take their weapons into their hand when they intend to fight.

Of the captives; whom my sword hath sorely wounded, though not utterly killed. From the beginning of revenges upon the enemy, i.e. when once I begin to revenge myself and my people upon mine and their enemies, I will go on and make a full end. Or, with the head, or with the blood of the head, i.e.

With his people. This translation is justified by St. Paul, Rom. 15:10, the particle with being oft understood, as Lev. 26:42. He calls upon the nations to rejoice and bless God for his favours, and especially for the last wonderful deliverance which shall be given to the Jews when they shall be…

Hoshea, or Joshua, who is here joined with Moses in this action, because though Moses only spake the words, yet Joshua consented to them; and, it may be, afterwards repeated them; this being not a song to be sung once for all, but a standing monument, which was written and kept for future use,…

It is not an unprofitable or contemptible work I advise you to, but well worthy of your most serious care, oft to remember and diligently to consider it.

Nebo was a ridge or top of the mountains of Abarim. See Poole “Num. 27:12”; See Poole “Deut. 3:27”.