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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:26-38

After many terrible threatenings of deserved wrath and vengeance, we have here surprising intimations of mercy, undeserved mercy, which rejoices against judgment, and by which it appears that God has no pleasure in the death of sinners, but would rather they should turn and live. I. In jealousy for his own honour, he will not make a full end of them, Deut. 32:26-28. 1. It cannot be denied but that they deserved to be utterly ruined, and that their remembrance should be made to cease from among... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:39-43

This conclusion of the song speaks three things: I. Glory to God, Deut. 32:39. ?See now upon the whole matter, that I, even I, am he. Learn this from the destruction of idolaters, and the inability of their idols to help them.? The great God here demands the glory, 1. Of a self-existence: I, even I, am he. Thus Moses concludes with that name of God by which he was first made to know him (Exod. 3:14), ?I am that I am. I am he that I have been, that I will be, that I have promised to be, that I... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:34

Is not this laid up in store with me ,.... The fruit of the degenerate vine, its bitter clusters of grapes, and poisonous wine; meaning the evil principles and practices of the apostate church, well known to God, taken notice of by him, and laid up in his mind and memory; for both she and her sins will come in remembrance before God, and will be brought to open view, and appear to have been laid up by him, in order to be exposed at a proper time; see Revelation 16:19 ; and so the Targums... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:35

To me belongeth vengeance and recompense ,.... Or, I will repay, or recompence, as it is quoted in Romans 12:19 ; and so all the three Targums, the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, here, and so Jarchi interprets it. Vengeance belongs only to a divine Person, not to an Heathen deity called Dice, or vengeance, Acts 28:4 ; nor to Satan and his spiteful angels, nor to any of the sons of men in a private capacity; though magistrates, being in public office, and representing God, are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:36

For the Lord shall judge his people ,.... The true church and members of it, in opposition to the false and apostate church; his chosen and covenant people, whom he gave to Christ, and who are redeemed by his blood, and effectually called by his grace; the people he shall call out of Babylon, or preserve from the corruptions of it before its fall; and who are the objects of his love and delight; a distinct, peculiar, and special people, near unto him, and all righteous: these he will judge... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:37

And he shall say, where are their gods ?.... Not the Lord shall say to Israel, upbraiding them with their idols and their idolatries; but, as the Targum of Jonathan,"the enemy shall say, where is the God of Israel?'and to the same purpose is, the Jerusalem Targum, and which is the sense of other Jewish writers F23 Aben Ezra & R. Nehemiah in Jarchi in loc. ; and the words may be rendered impersonally, and in the singular number, "and it shall be said, where is their God?" as it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:38

Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings ,.... Alluding to the fat of the sacrifices under the law, which was claimed by the Lord as his, and represented as his food, Leviticus 3:11 ; and to the drink offerings of wine, which were of a sweet savour to God, and with respect to which wine is said to cheer him, Numbers 15:7 . Now New Testament worship and services are here expressed in Old Testament language, which is not unusual; see Isaiah... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:39

See now that I, even I, am he ,.... Which words are directed to the people of God in their low estate, to look to Christ, and expect deliverance and salvation from him; or to their enemies that insult them, to the despisers, to look, and wonder, and perish, as they will, when the witnesses slain by them shall arise, and go up to heaven in their sight, Revelation 11:11 ; they are spoken by the Word and Son of God, to whom the Father has committed all judgment, and who will now rise up... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:40

For I lift up my hand to heaven ,.... Which is a gesture used in swearing, Genesis 14:22 , and is ascribed to a divine Person, Ezekiel 20:5 ; and particularly to Christ the angel, that is so wonderfully described, Revelation 10:1 ; though sometimes it is used, as Aben Ezra observes, to excite the attention of hearers, but here it signifies swearing; and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,"I have lift up my hands with an oath to heaven;'and to the same sense is the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:41

If I whet my glittering sword ,.... That is, I will do it as sure as I live, if I do not, be it so and so; what that is is not said, but left to be concluded. A glittering sword is a sword drawn, the blade of it drawn out of the scabbard, cleaned and polished, whetted and made sharp, that it may more easily penetrate and pierce; and this, being brandished, glitters like lightning, as the word used signifies. Whetting the sword is a preparation for doing execution with it; and is a warning, a... read more

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