Deuteronomy 32:1

EXPOSITION

SONG OF MOSES AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS DEATH .

In accordance with the Divine injunction, Moses composed an ode, which he recited in the hearing of the people, and committed to writing, to remain with them as a witness for God against them. With this end in view, the ode is directed principally to a contrasting of the unchanging faithfulness of the Almighty with the anticipated perversity and unfaithfulness of his people. The poem may be divided into six parts.

1. An introduction ( Deuteronomy 32:1-3 ), in which the importance of the doctrine to be delivered is announced.

2. The blamelessness and excellency of Jehovah are placed in contrast with the corruptness and perversity of Israel ( Deuteronomy 32:4 , Deuteronomy 32:5 ).

3. The folly and ingratitude of the rebellious people is dwelt upon ( Deuteronomy 32:7-18 ).

4. The purpose of God to punish and reject the rebellious generation is declared ( Deuteronomy 32:19-23 ).

5. The fulfillment of this purpose in the judgments which should come upon the rebels, whilst mercy and favor should be showed to those that repented and were humbled under the hand of God ( Deuteronomy 32:24-34 ).

6. And finally, the judgment which God would execute on the enemies of Israel, and the mercy he would show to his servants ( Deuteronomy 32:35-43 ).

In this ode—" carmine plane divino " (Lowth)—Moses displays the genius of the poet, as in the other parts of this book he has showed the sagacity of the legislator and the skill of the orator. Vigor of diction, elevation of sentiment, vivacity of representation, beauty and sublimity of imagery, characterize this ode throughout. Nor is the piety less noticeable than the poetry; zeal for God, earnest desire far his honor, and devout reverence of his majesty pervade and inspire the whole. Remarkable also is this ode in relation to the later prophetic utterances in Israel. "It is the compendious anticipatory sketch and the common watchword of all prophecy, and stands related to it as fundamentally as the Decalogue to all laws, and the Lord's Prayer to all prayers. The legislator has here condensed in a song the prophetic contents of his last address ( Deuteronomy 27:1-26 ; Deuteronomy 28:1-68 ; Deuteronomy 29:1-29 ; Deuteronomy 30:1-20 .), wherewith he lives on in the memory and mouth of the people. He here sets before them their whole history to the end of the days. In this ode, each age of Israel has a mirror of its present condition and future fate. This mirror prophecy holds up before its contemporaries" (Delitzsch, 'Jesaias,' s. 33).

Heaven and earth are summoned to hearken to his words, both because of their importance, and because heaven and earth were interested, so to speak, as witnesses of the manifestation of God's righteousness and faithfulness about to be celebrated (cf. Deuteronomy 4:26 ; Deuteronomy 30:19 ; Deuteronomy 31:28 , Deuteronomy 31:29 ; Isaiah 1:2 ; Jeremiah 2:12 ; Jeremiah 22:29 ).