Deuteronomy 32:1

CHAPTER XXXII

The prophetical and historical song of Moses, showing forth the

nature of God's doctrine, 1-3.

The character of God, 4.

The corruption of the people, 5, 6.

They are called to remember God's kindness, 7,

and his dealings with them during their travels in the

wilderness, 8-14.

Their ingratitude and iniquity, 15-18.

They are threatened with his judgments, 19-28.

A pathetic lamentation over them because of their sins, 29-35.

Gracious purposes in their behalf, mixed with reproaches for

their manifold idolatries, and threatenings against his enemies,

36-42.

A promise of salvation to the Gentiles, 43.

Moses, having finished the song, warmly exhorts the people to

obedience, 44-47.

God calls him up to the mount, that he may see the good land and

then die, 48-52.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXXII

Verse Deuteronomy 32:1. On the inimitable excellence of this ode much has been written by commentators, critics, and poets; and it is allowed by the best judges to contain a specimen of almost every species of excellence in composition. It is so thoroughly poetic that even the dull Jews themselves found they could not write it in the prose form; and hence it is distinguished as poetry in every Hebrew Bible by being written in its own hemistichs or short half lines, which is the general form of the Hebrew poetry; and were it translated in the same way it would be more easily understood. The song itself has suffered both by transcribers and translators, the former having mistaken some letters in different places, and made wrong combinations of them in others. As to the translators, most of them have followed their own fancy, from good Mr. Ainsworth, who ruined it by the most inanimate rhyming version, to certain latter poets, who have cast it unhallowedly into a European mould. See the observations at the end of the chapter. See Clarke on Deuteronomy 32:52".

Give ear, O ye heavens] Let angels and men hear, and let this testimony of God be registered both in heaven and earth. Heaven and earth are appealed to as permanent witnesses.