Tyndale Open Study NotesDeuteronomy 32

In ancient times, vows from both parties secured a treaty between individuals or nations. Israel's promise was in a song of witness that Moses composed under divine inspiration (31:19–22).

Israel probably sang the song during a regular covenant-renewal ceremony (31:21). They invoked upon themselves the covenant's judgments and reminded themselves of its promises.

Give ear, O heavens … hear, O earth: Moses called on the witnesses of the covenant to observe Israel's confession and commitment, as well as its expected disobedience and disloyalty (see 30:19).

like rain … like dew: This comparison shows how gentle and life-giving the teaching of Moses should be. Rain and dew softly water the ground and help plants grow.

In the same way, the words of Moses should refresh God’s people. His teaching should help obedience grow in their hearts.

the Rock: This metaphor represents the Lord as strong, stable, and reliable. God is more than capable of providing righteousness and justice (see 32:15, 18, 30; Habakkuk 1:12).

Ask your father: History teaches those who are willing to listen and learn. God wanted his people to remember what he had done in the past.

In the wisdom tradition of the Old Testament, fathers had the responsibility to teach their children. They passed on the lessons that they themselves had received (see, for example, Proverbs 1:8; 2:1; 3:1).

• God is sovereign over all nations and cares about them. He has given them their lands for his own reasons (see Psalm 74:17; Acts 17:26).

• the Most High (Hebrew ‘Elyon): Abraham learned this name for God when he met Melchizedek (Genesis 14:19). This ancient name shows that God rules over all. It describes his universal sovereignty, which means that he has authority over every nation and every part of creation.

• the boundaries: One sign of God's sovereignty was how he gave lands to the nations (see Genesis 10).

His allotted inheritance: God called Israel his son, whom he released from slavery in Egypt (see Exodus 4:22–23; 13:15; Deuteronomy 7:6).

rams from Bashan, and goats: This high plateau east of the Sea of Galilee was famous for its livestock (see study note on 1:4; see also Psalm 22:12; Ezekiel 39:18; Amos 4:1).

• Jeshurun: This name probably comes from a verb meaning "to be upright." It shows the Lord's strong love for his people (see 33:5, 26; Isaiah 44:2).

• the Rock: This metaphor describes God's strength and reliability, especially in salvation (see Deuteronomy 32:4).

His jealousy: See study note on 4:24. Just as a husband is rightfully jealous when another man tries to take his wife away, God was jealous when Israel worshiped other gods (Proverbs 6:34).

• demons: In the ancient Near East, people believed gods protected individuals and places from harm. But, worshiping these pagan gods was actually worshiping evil spirits (compare 1 Corinthians 10:20–21; Revelation 9:20).

• newly arrived gods: These were false gods that Israel had never before encountered.

the Rock: This phrase emphasizes God's reliability as Father (see 32:4, 9).

The phrase children of unfaithfulness indicates disloyalty to the covenant. Israel had promised to be true to the Lord but had consistently been unfaithful (see Exodus 19:8).

• provoked My jealousy: The Lord was not upset because people paid attention to false gods. Israel had broken their covenant by worshiping other gods. This showed their disrespect for God and his authority (see 32:16).

• those who are not a people: God’s plan for Israel was not only to save them, but also to save all nations through them. Israel often saw other nations as worthless. By showing care for other nations, God would lead Israel back to obedience (see Hosea 1:9; 2:23; Romans 9:25; 10:19).

depths of Sheol: People believed that the place of the dead was deep underground. The grave was its entrance. God is everywhere, and his judgment reaches even the most hidden places (see Psalm 139:7–12).

if I had not dreaded: God is never terrified or intimidated. This fear is concern that Israel’s enemies would attribute their success to their own efforts rather than to God’s sovereign judgment of his people (see Exodus 32:11–14).

their fate (literally their latter end): God had not made a final decision on Israel's future. This statement expresses what would happen if Israel kept rebelling.

• How could one man pursue a thousand: When God allows his people to face destruction, they can be defeated even against great odds.

• their Rock: This metaphor is used ironically. The very one who should be Israel’s source of strength will leave them because of their own sin and unfaithfulness (see 32:4).

their rock: In this sarcastic comparison, Moses contrasts the pagan gods with the Lord, the God of Israel. The word rock refers to a place of safety and strength.

The false gods of the nations were not truly strong or able to save. In comparison, the Lord alone is powerful and faithful. The pagan gods fall far short of him.

Sodom … Gomorrah: These cities became well-known examples of extreme evil (see Genesis 18:16–19:38). They showed deep moral corruption and rejected God.

Because the people refused to turn from their sin, God completely destroyed the cities (see Deuteronomy 29:23). Sodom and Gomorrah became lasting warnings of what happens when people continue in wickedness without repentance.

Metaphorically, My vaults refers to a storage place. It pictures God as a divine warrior (a king who fights for his people). In this image, God stores his weapons and tools for judgment in a treasury.

He keeps them ready until the right time to use them (see 1:30).

will change his mind about: When speaking of God, the Old Testament frequently uses figurative language (see study note on 8:2). Human beings cannot understand God’s mind (Isa 55:8), so God uses human language and gives himself human physical characteristics and feelings. Although the Bible frequently speaks of God’s eyes, arms, hands, and feet, he is invisible and has no body; these metaphors describe his activity. Similarly, when the Bible says that God fears (Deut 32:27) or changes his mind, it expresses how God’s actions appear to humans.

the rock: This is a sarcastic metaphor. A metaphor compares one thing to another in order to make a point.

Here, rocks refers to pagan gods. The image highlights their impotence (lack of power). Unlike the Lord, these gods cannot act or save. (see 32:31).

ate the fat … drank the wine: Many religions that believed in more than one god thought that the gods were nourished by the sacrifices people offered. For a time, Israel also followed this false idea. Later, the Lord taught them the truth and restored them to himself (32:36).

I lift up My hand to heaven: This way of speaking about God as if he had human actions (anthropomorphism; see study notes on 4:34 and 8:2) shows that God is serious about keeping his covenant promises to rescue his people from their enemies. When God makes an oath, he is not relying on any external force in case he fails. Instead, the statement emphasizes that God’s promises are completely reliable, beyond even his character (see Numbers 14:21, 28; Isaiah 49:18; Ezekiel 20:5–6).

The phrase arrows drunk with blood uses figurative language. It gives human qualities to arrows, as if they could drink. It also uses exaggeration to show how great the destruction will be.

This picture shows how severe God’s judgment on the nations will be. The language is strong to help the listener understand the seriousness of the coming punishment.

• they are your life: Obeying the Lord’s words brings life (see 8:3; 30:20).

• you will live long: This promise does not guarantee each person will live for a long time or become immortal. It refers to Israel’s extended stay in the promised land.

The mountains east of the river refer to a mountain range that looks down over the Jordan Valley. These mountains stand on the east side of the Jordan River.

Mount Nebo is a well-known peak in this range. From Mount Nebo, Moses could see the land of Canaan to the west. He also died there (32:50; see 3:17).

• The exact location of Mount Hor is not certain. Many people identify it with Jebel Haroun. This traditional site is near the Nabatean city of Petra (see Numbers 20:22–29).

• The phrase gathered to his people is a gentle way to speak about death and burial. It means that the person died and was buried with earlier family members.

you broke faith with Me: During the journey in the wilderness, Moses dishonored the Lord by striking a rock to get water. This act of impatience and anger prevented Moses from entering the promised land (Numbers 20:1–13; see Deuteronomy 1:37; 3:26–27).