Deuteronomy 32

The chapter functions as a 'witness' song, moving from the proclamation of God's character to an indictment of Israel's sin, followed by a prophetic declaration of future judgment and restoration.

• God will preserve the remnant of His people (v36).
• God will avenge the blood of His servants and be merciful to His land (v43).

• Give ear, O ye heavens (v1).
• Ascribe ye greatness unto our God (v3).
• Remember the days of old (v7).
• Consider the years of many generations (v7).
• Set your hearts unto all the words (v46).
• Command your children to observe to do all the words of this law (v46).

• Do not forsake the Rock that begat you (v15, v18).
• Be wise and consider the latter end (v29).
• Do not rely on gods who cannot protect or deliver (v37-38).

• This passage is set at the end of the wilderness wanderings, just prior to Moses' death on Mount Nebo. The Israelites are in the land of Moab, preparing to cross into the Promised Land.
• The 'Song' format was a common ancient Near Eastern literary device for ensuring that covenantal stipulations and warnings were remembered by the people through generations.

• The 'Rock' (צוּר - H6697) imagery likely draws on the harsh, mountainous geography of the region, where a physical rock provided the only shelter from enemies or the scorching sun.

• The chapter acts as a summation of the Torah's narrative arc, reviewing the history from Egypt (implied) through the wilderness and anticipating the cycle of apostasy and judgment that characterizes the book of Judges and beyond.

• This chapter sets the stage for the rest of Israel's history; the prophets later consistently use the imagery of 'forsaking the Rock' to diagnose the spiritual condition of the nation.
• The New Testament uses these themes in passages concerning God's judgment and the preservation of a remnant (e.g., Romans 10:19, quoting Deuteronomy 32:21).

• 1 Samuel 2:2: Hannah's song parallels the 'there is no Rock like our God' imagery.
• Psalm 18:2: David echoes the 'Rock' imagery for God.
• Revelation 15:3: The 'Song of Moses' is sung in heaven, linking the deliverance of Israel to the final eschatological deliverance.

• צוּר (H6697): Translated as 'Rock', appearing 6 times (vv4, 13, 15, 18, 30, 31). Matthew Henry observes that 'this is the first time God is called so in Scripture,' signifying an immutable foundation.
• שָׁמַיִם (H8064): 'Heavens', used in the invocation (v1) and the oath of God (v40), emphasizing the scope of divine witness.
• דָבַר (H1696): 'Speak', used to describe Moses delivering the 'words of his mouth' (v1) and God's interaction with Moses (v48), emphasizing the authority of the spoken word.
• יָשָׁר (H3477): 'Upright', used in v4 to describe God, contrasting with the 'perverse and crooked generation' of v5.

• The paradoxical language of God 'repenting' (v36) regarding His servants. Scholars debate this; some interpret it as an anthropomorphism showing God's relational response to the changed condition of His people, while others see it as a theological description of God withholding further judgment.
• The significance of the name 'Jeshurun' (v15), often understood as 'the upright one,' used ironically here to highlight Israel's fall from their intended character.

• The exact historical identification of 'that which is not God' (v21) often refers to idols, but scholars debate if it points to a specific historical pagan power that would later conquer Israel.