Deuteronomy 32:16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:15-18

We have here a description of the apostasy of Israel from God, which would shortly come to pass, and to which already they had a disposition. One would have thought that a people under so many obligations to their God, in duty, gratitude, and interest, would never have turned from him; but, alas! they turned aside quickly. Here are two great instances of their wickedness, and each of them amounted to an apostasy from God:? I. Security and sensuality, pride and insolence, and the other common... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:16

They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods ,.... Or "with others" F8 בזרים "per alios", Cocceius. ; the word "gods" is not in the text, nor were the Jews guilty of worshipping strange gods or idols in the times of Christ, nor had they been from the time of their coming out of the Babylonish captivity; but the word, as Cocceius observes, is used for "another", as in Job 19:27 ; and signifies other saviours, other messiahs, whom the Jews set up when they rejected Christ, the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 32:16

Verse 16 16They provoked him to jealousy. It is only figuratively that jealousy is attributed to God, who is free from all passions; but, since men never sufficiently reflect how great pollution they contract by their idolatries, it is necessary that the grossness of the sin should be expressed in such terms as this, implying that men do no less injury to God, when they transfer to others the honor due to Him, and that the offense is no lighter than as if a licentious woman should provoke her... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:15-18

Israel's ungrateful return for the Lord's benefits. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:15-18

Jeshurun. I. A GOOD NAME BELIED . Jeshurun, equivalent to righteous. An honorable name, but sadly falsified by the conduct described. How many Jeshuruns have thus forsaken the God of their early vows! Notice, a good name is of no account without the good character. Balaam praised Israel's righteousness, and wished to "die the death of the righteous" ( Numbers 23:10 , Numbers 23:21 ); but it is the being righteous, not the being called so, which makes the happy deathbed. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:15-18

The damager of worldly success. Success, when granted, bids for men's trust. They begin accordingly to insinuate that the reliable Rock who begat them is not the source of all success, and that the rill may be tracked to some nearer source. Hence new gods, novelties of man's imagination, or demons from the waste, grateful for even a false faith, are worshipped; and the ever-living and true God forgotten. Apostasy and skepticism, we would repeat, are born of luxury and success. Men think,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:15-25

Sowing and reaping. The connection between sin and suffering is natural, organic, and universal. Suffering, in some form, is the proper development of sin. Like the plants of nature, sin has its seed within itself. I. WE HAVE A CASE OF AGGRAVATED SIN . 1. It was a wanton abuse of special cloudiness . The splendid gifts of providence, which ought to have bound them by golden ties of obligation to God, were erected into barriers to shut out God from them. An inner... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:16

They provoked him to jealousy. God had bound Israel to himself as by the marriage bond, and they by their unfaithfulness had incited him to jealousy (cf. Deuteronomy 31:16 ; Exodus 34:15 ; Isaiah 54:5 ; Hosea 1:1-11 ; etc.). Strange gods (cf. Jeremiah 2:25 ; Jeremiah 3:13 ). read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Deuteronomy 32:1-42

Song of MosesIf Deuteronomy 32:1-3 be regarded as the introduction, and Deuteronomy 32:43 as the conclusion, the main contents of the song may be grouped under three heads, namely,(1) Deuteronomy 32:4-18, the faithfulness of God, the faithlessness of Israel;(2) Deuteronomy 32:19-33, the chastisement and the need of its infliction by God;(3) Deuteronomy 32:34-42, God’s compassion upon the low and humbled state of His people.The Song differs signally in diction and idiom from the preceding... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Deuteronomy 32:16-17

Deuteronomy 32:16-17. They provoked him to jealousy Speaking after the manner of men. See on Numbers 25:11. The word expresses not only the hot displeasure and indignation of God, but also the ground of it, which was Israel’s falseness to him, whom they had accepted as their husband, and their spiritual whoredom with other gods. They sacrificed unto devils Not that they actually considered their gods under the notion of devils; but, whatever pretext they might have for their idolatry,... read more

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