Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32 is a chapter near the end of Deuteronomy. It contains the text of the song that Moses began to speak to the assembly at the close of chapter 31 (Deuteronomy 31:30). The song is followed by the blessing in chapter 33 and the death of Moses in chapter 34.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses and praises God as the perfect and righteous "Rock."
• Verses 5–14 Moses rebukes the people for spurning God's kindness and calls them to remember the days of old. God chose Jacob as His inheritance, sheltered and led him in the wilderness as an eagle does, and fed him with the produce of a rich land.
• Verses 15–18 When Jeshurun grew fat, he forsook God and sacrificed to other gods and to devils.
• Verses 19–25 God declares that He will hide His face, provoke the people to jealousy with those who are not a people, and send famine, sword, and calamity upon them.
• Verses 26–35 Lest the enemy boast that it had triumphed by its own power, God refrains from destroying His people utterly. The enemies' vine is the vine of Sodom, and vengeance belongs to God.
• Verses 36–43 God will judge His people and have compassion on His servants. God alone is the one who says, "I kill, and I make alive," and the nations are called to rejoice with His people.
• Verses 44–47 Moses and Hoshea recite the song to the people. Moses exhorts them, declaring that the words of the law are not a vain thing but their very life.
• Verses 48–52 God tells Moses to climb Mount Nebo and view Canaan. Because he trespassed at the waters of Meribah, Moses will die on that mountain as Aaron died on his, and he will not enter the land.

Key Verses

• Deuteronomy 32:4 "He is the Rock, his work is perfect." The title "the Rock" for God is the central image of the song.
• Deuteronomy 32:11 "As an eagle stirreth up her nest." This is a well-known image of God's care for His people.
• Deuteronomy 32:35 "To me belongeth vengeance." This verse is quoted in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30.

People and Places

• Moses, Aaron, Jacob (here referring to the people of Israel)
• Hoshea: The son of Nun; the original name of Joshua.
• Jeshurun: A poetic name for Israel, commonly interpreted as meaning "upright one."
• Sodom and Gomorrah, the Jordan River, Jericho, Moab, Canaan
• Mount Abarim and Mount Nebo: Mountains in the land of Moab. Mount Nebo is regarded as a peak within the Abarim range.
• Mount Hor: The place where Aaron died.
• Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin: The place where Moses sinned, recounted in Numbers 20. Kadesh is commonly identified with Kadesh Barnea.

Points to Consider

• The phrase "according to the number of the children of Israel" in verse 8 follows the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint reads "according to the number of the angels of God," and one of the Dead Sea Scrolls reads "sons of God." These differences lead to divergent translations and interpretations.
• The Septuagint text of verse 43 is also longer. Many scholars hold that Hebrews 1:6 derives from this Septuagint text.
• The New Testament draws on this song repeatedly. Verse 21 is thought to be reflected in Romans 10:19, and the wording of verse 17 in 1 Corinthians 10:20. Interpreters differ on whether "the song of Moses" in Revelation 15:3 refers to this chapter or to Exodus 15.
• The text states that Moses was barred from entering Canaan because of the incident at Meribah. Reading this in terms of the relationship between law and grace belongs to later interpretation.