THE SONG OF MOSES (II)

Passage: Deuteronomy 32:26-52

Key verse: 43

NIV

26 I said I would scatter(A) them
    and erase their name from human memory,(B)
27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
    lest the adversary misunderstand(C)
and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;
    the Lord has not done all this.’”(D)

28 They are a nation without sense,
    there is no discernment(E) in them.
29 If only they were wise and would understand this(F)
    and discern what their end will be!(G)
30 How could one man chase a thousand,
    or two put ten thousand to flight,(H)
unless their Rock had sold them,(I)
    unless the Lord had given them up?(J)
31 For their rock is not like our Rock,(K)
    as even our enemies concede.(L)
32 Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom(M)
    and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,(N)
    and their clusters with bitterness.(O)
33 Their wine is the venom of serpents,
    the deadly poison of cobras.(P)

34 “Have I not kept this in reserve
    and sealed it in my vaults?(Q)
35 It is mine to avenge;(R) I will repay.(S)
    In due time their foot will slip;(T)
their day of disaster is near
    and their doom rushes upon them.(U)”

36 The Lord will vindicate his people(V)
    and relent(W) concerning his servants(X)
when he sees their strength is gone
    and no one is left, slave(Y) or free.[a]
37 He will say: “Now where are their gods,
    the rock they took refuge in,(Z)
38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their drink offerings?(AA)
Let them rise up to help you!
    Let them give you shelter!

39 “See now that I myself am he!(AB)
    There is no god besides me.(AC)
I put to death(AD) and I bring to life,(AE)
    I have wounded and I will heal,(AF)
    and no one can deliver out of my hand.(AG)
40 I lift my hand(AH) to heaven and solemnly swear:
    As surely as I live forever,(AI)
41 when I sharpen my flashing sword(AJ)
    and my hand grasps it in judgment,
I will take vengeance(AK) on my adversaries
    and repay those who hate me.(AL)
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,(AM)
    while my sword devours flesh:(AN)
the blood of the slain and the captives,
    the heads of the enemy leaders.”

43 Rejoice,(AO) you nations, with his people,[b][c]
    for he will avenge the blood of his servants;(AP)
he will take vengeance on his enemies(AQ)
    and make atonement for his land and people.(AR)

44 Moses came with Joshua[d](AS) son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day,(AT) so that you may command(AU) your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life.(AV) By them you will live long(AW) in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Moses to Die on Mount Nebo

48 On that same day the Lord told Moses,(AX) 49 “Go up into the Abarim(AY) Range to Mount Nebo(AZ) in Moab, across from Jericho,(BA) and view Canaan,(BB) the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. 50 There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die(BC) and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died(BD) on Mount Hor(BE) and was gathered to his people. 51 This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh(BF) in the Desert of Zin(BG) and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites.(BH) 52 Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance;(BI) you will not enter(BJ) the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”

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Footnotes
  1. Deuteronomy 32:36 Or and they are without a ruler or leader
  2. Deuteronomy 32:43 Or Make his people rejoice, you nations
  3. Deuteronomy 32:43 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint) people, / and let all the angels worship him, /
  4. Deuteronomy 32:44 Hebrew Hoshea, a variant of Joshua
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

26 (A)I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces;
    (B)I will wipe them from human memory,”
27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy,
    lest their adversaries should misunderstand,
lest they should say, (C)“Our hand is triumphant,
    it was not the Lord who did all this.”’

28 “For they are a nation void of counsel,
    and there is (D)no understanding in them.
29 (E)If they were wise, they would understand this;
    they would (F)discern their latter end!
30 How could (G)one have chased a thousand,
    and two have put ten thousand to flight,
unless their Rock (H)had sold them,
    and the Lord had given them up?
31 For (I)their rock is not as our Rock;
    (J)our enemies are by themselves.
32 For their vine (K)comes from the vine of Sodom
    and from the fields of Gomorrah;
their grapes are grapes of (L)poison;
    their clusters are bitter;
33 their wine is the poison of (M)serpents
    and the cruel venom of asps.

34 “‘Is not this laid up in store with me,
    (N)sealed up in my treasuries?
35 (O)Vengeance is mine, and recompense,[a]
    (P)for the time when their foot shall slip;
for (Q)the day of their calamity is at hand,
    and their doom comes swiftly.’
36 For (R)the Lord will vindicate[b] his people
    (S)and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
    and there is none remaining, (T)bond or free.
37 Then he will say, (U)‘Where are their gods,
    (V)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 (W)I, even I, am he,
    and there is no god beside me;
(X)I kill and I make alive;
    (Y)I wound and I heal;
    and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
40 For (Z)I lift up my hand to heaven
    and swear, As I live forever,
41 if I (AA)sharpen my flashing sword[c]
    and my hand takes hold on judgment,
I will take vengeance on my adversaries
    and will repay those who hate me.
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
    and (AB)my sword shall devour flesh—
with the blood of the slain and the captives,
    from the (AC)long-haired heads of the enemy.’

43 (AD)“Rejoice with him, O heavens;[d]
    bow down to him, all gods,[e]
for he (AE)avenges the blood of his children[f]
    and takes vengeance on his adversaries.
He repays those who hate him[g]
    and cleanses[h] his people's land.”[i]

44 Moses came and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he and (AF)Joshua[j] the son of Nun. 45 And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, (AG)“Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, (AH)that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47 For it is no empty word for you, (AI)but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Moses' Death Foretold

48 That very day the Lord spoke to Moses, 49 “Go up (AJ)this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50 And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as (AK)Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 (AL)because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For (AM)you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”

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Footnotes
  1. Deuteronomy 32:35 Septuagint and I will repay
  2. Deuteronomy 32:36 Septuagint judge
  3. Deuteronomy 32:41 Hebrew the lightning of my sword
  4. Deuteronomy 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text Rejoice his people, O nations
  5. Deuteronomy 32:43 Masoretic Text lacks bow down to him, all gods
  6. Deuteronomy 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text servants
  7. Deuteronomy 32:43 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Masoretic Text lacks He repays those who hate him
  8. Deuteronomy 32:43 Or atones for
  9. Deuteronomy 32:43 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew his land his people
  10. Deuteronomy 32:44 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew Hoshea
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. I will repay (26-35) The enemy nations thought they were strong enough to defeat Israel, not knowing God was using them to punish Israel as a rod of judgment. However, in due time their feet would slip and they would be avenged for all their empty pride and wrongdoings. 2. Rejoice, O nations (36-43) God's compassion on his people is far greater than his judgment. When his people are at the end of their rope, he shows his compassion (36). God alone is almighty and sovereign (39). He would heal them. He will provide the atonement for his people (43). All nations will rejoice when Jesus cleanses all their sins and pays a ransom on the cross for their salvation. 3. The true shepherd, Moses (44-52) Moses loved God's people and gave them his last command to obey the words of God. To obey or not to obey is a matter of life or death. Moses knew he would not be able to enter the promised land and that Israel would fail, yet with a broken shepherd heart, he taught the Bible to the end.

Prayer: Lord, your compassion is greater than our sins. Help me to choose life by obeying your words.

One Word: Obey God's words