Deuteronomy 32:34-43

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 32:34-43

561.

What does God have laid up in His treasury?

562.

How is it possible to say of God that He repents?

563.

Are we to believe God takes some type of delight in bloodshed? Cf. Deuteronomy 32:32-41.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 32:34-43

34 Is not this laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries?
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slide; for the day of their disaster is at hand, and their doom comes speedily.

36 For the Lord will pass sentence for His people, and relent for His servants-' sake, when He sees that their power is gone, and none remain, whether bond or free.
37 And He will say, Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge.
38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, let them be your protection.
39 See now that I, I am He, and there is no god beside Me; I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; and there is none who can deliver out of My hand.
40 For I lift up My hand to Heaven, and swear, As I live for ever,
41 If I whet My lightning sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will wreak vengeance on My foes, and recompense those who hate Me.
42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired heads of the foe.
43 Rejoice with His people, O you nations, for He avenges the blood of His servants, and vengeance He inflicts on His foes, and clears guilt from the land of His people.

COMMENT 32:34-43

MY TREASURES (Deuteronomy 32:34)The Hebrew word otsar, according to Tregelles, means properly, what is laid up, a store, stock. Thus God has reserved in his treasure such items as vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35) and judgment (Deuteronomy 32:36).

FOR JEHOVAH WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. AND REPENT HIMSELF (Deuteronomy 32:36)Better, as in the R.S.V. and others, For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone, etc.

Ferrar Fenton has,

Then the LORD will redress His

People;

For His servants He deeply grieves,
When he sees their power departing,
And fail, and fade, and decay.
Then He asks, Where now are

their godlings?

The power upon whom they

trust

In Israel's despair and desperation, they would come to realize the uselessness and worthlessness of their heathen gods. Finally, the living God would rescue his chosen nation (Deuteronomy 32:39-43). Again and again this is Israel's history, especially in the period of the Judges, between the death of Joshua and the anointing of Saul.

44 And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshea the son of Nun. 45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel; 46 and he said unto them, Set your heart unto all the words which I testify unto you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, even all the words of this law. 47 For it is no vain thing for you; because it is your life, and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.