The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  32:2 my teaching. Moses imparted instruction that if received would, like rain, dew, raindrops, and showers to the earth, bring benefit to the hearts and the minds of the hearers.

  32:3 Ascribe greatness to our God. Cf. 3:24; 5:24; 9:26; 11:2; Ps. 150:2. This command refers to the greatness of God revealed in His acts of omnipotence.

  32:4 the Rock. This word, representing the stability and permanence of God, was placed at the beginning of the verse for emphasis and was followed by a series of phrases which elaborated the attributes of God as the Rock of Israel. It is one of the principal themes in this song (see vv. 15, 18, 30, 31), stressing the unchanging nature of God in contrast with the fickle nature of the people.

  32:5 A perverse and crooked generation. Israel, in contrast to God, was warped and twisted. Jesus used this phrase in Matt. 17:17 of an unbelieving generation and Paul in Phil. 2:15 of the dark world of mankind in rebellion against God.

  32:6 your Father. The foolishness and stupidity of Israel would be seen in the fact that they would rebel against God who as a Father had brought them forth and formed them into a nation. As Father, He was the progenitor and originator of the nation and the One who had matured and sustained it. This idea of God as Father of the nation is emphasized in the OT (cf. 1 Chr. 29:10; Is. 63:16; 64:8; Mal. 2:10) while the idea of God as Father of individual believers is developed in the NT (cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).

  32:7 Remember the days of old. A call to reflect on past history and to inquire about the lessons to be learned.

  32:8, 9 the Most High. This title for God emphasized His sovereignty and authority over all the nations (see Gen. 11:9; 10:32; 14:18; Num. 24:16) with the amazing revelation that in the whole plan for the world, God had as His goal the salvation of His chosen people. God ordained a plan where the number of nations (70 according to Gen. 10) corresponded to the number of the children of Israel (70 according to Gen. 46:27). Further, as God gave the nations their lands, He established their boundaries, leaving Israel enough land to sustain their expected population.

  32:10–14 This whole description of what God did for Israel is figurative. Israel is like a man in the horrible desert in danger of death, without food or water, who is rescued by the Lord.

  32:10 as the apple of His eye. Lit. “the little man of His eye,” i.e., the pupil. Just as the pupil of the eye is essential for vision and, therefore, closely protected, especially in a howling wind, so God closely protected Israel. Cf. Ps. 17:8; Prov. 7:2.

  32:11 Hovers over its young. The Lord exercised His loving care for Israel like an eagle caring for its young, especially as they were taught to fly. As they began to fly and had little strength, they would start to fall. At that point, an eagle would stop their fall by spreading its wings so they could land on them; so the Lord has carried Israel and not let the nation fall. He had been training Israel to fly on His wings of love and omnipotence.

  32:12 no foreign god. Moses makes clear that God alone carried Israel through all its struggles and victories, thus depriving the people of any excuse for apostasy from the Lord by interest in false gods.

  32:13 honey from the rock. A reference to honeycombs located in the fissures of the faces of a cliff is used because Canaan had many wild bees. oil from the flinty rock. Likely a reference to olive trees growing in rocky places otherwise bereft of fruit-growing trees. These metaphoric phrases regarding honey and oil point to the most valuable products coming out of the most unproductive places.

  32:14 rams of…Bashan. See note on 3:1.

  32:15 Jeshurun. The word means “righteous” (lit. “the upright one”), i.e., a name for Israel which sarcastically expresses the fact that Israel did not live up to God’s law after entering the Land. God uses this name to remind Israel of His calling and to severely rebuke apostasy. grew fat and kicked. Like an ox which had become fat and intractable, Israel became affluent because of the bountiful provisions of God but, instead of being thankful and obedient, became rebellious against the Lord (cf. 6:10–15).

  32:16 foreign gods. Israel turned to worship the gods of the people in the land. These were gods they had not before acknowledged (v. 17).

  32:17 demons. Cf. Lev. 17:7; 2 Chr. 11:15; Ps. 106:37. The term describes those angels who fell with Satan and constitute the evil force that fights against God and His holy angels. Idol worship is a form of demon worship as demon spirits impersonate the idol and work their wicked strategies through the system of false religion tied to the false god.

  32:18–33 For this foolish apostasy, the Lord will severely judge Israel. This visitation of anger is in the form of a divine resolution to punish Israelites whenever they pursue idols, including the next generation of sons and daughters (v. 19). In vv. 20–22, Moses quotes the Lord Himself.

  32:21 not a nation. As the Lord was provoked to jealousy by Israel’s worship of that which was “not God,” so He would provoke Israel to jealousy and anger by humiliation before a foolish, vile “no-nation.” In Rom. 10:19, Paul applied the term “not a nation” to the Gentile nations generally. Jews who worship a “no-god” will be judged by a “no-people.”

  32:22 a fire is kindled…to the lowest hell. Cf. 29:20. Once the fire of God’s anger was kindled, it knew no limits in its destructive force, reaching to even those in the grave, an indication of God’s eternal judgment against those who oppose Him.

  32:23 disasters…arrows. The disasters (lit. “evil”) are described in v. 24. The arrows represent the enemies who would defeat Israel in war and are further described in vv. 25–27.

  32:27 Our hand is high. Military arrogance. The only thing that would prevent the Lord from permitting the complete destruction of His people would be His concern that the Gentiles might claim for themselves the honor of victory over Israel.

  32:31 rock…Rock. A contrast between the gods of the nations (“rock”) and Israel’s true God (“Rock”). Israel could smite its foes with very little difficulty because of the weakness of their gods, who are not like the Rock Jehovah.

  32:32 the vine of Sodom. Employing the metaphor of a vineyard, its grapes and its wine, the wickedness of Israel’s enemies was described as having its roots in Sodom and Gomorrah, the evil cities destroyed by God as recorded in Gen. 19:1–29.

  32:34 Sealed up among My treasures. The wicked acts of Israel’s enemies were known to God and are stored up in His storehouse. At the proper time, God will avenge. Paul uses this image in Rom. 2:4, 5.

  32:35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense. The manner and timing of the repayment of man’s wickedness is God’s prerogative. This principle is reaffirmed in the NT in Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30.

  32:36 This is the promise that the Lord will judge Israel as a nation, but that the nation is composed of righteous and wicked. God actually helps the righteous by destroying the wicked. “His servants” are the righteous, all who in the time of judgment are faithful to the Lord (cf. Mal. 3:16—4:3). The Lord has judged Israel, not to destroy the nation, but to punish the sinners and show the folly of their false gods (vv. 37, 38). At the same time, the Lord has always shown compassion for those who have loved and obeyed Him.

  32:39 I, even I, am He. After showing the worthlessness of false gods (vv. 37, 38), this declaration of the nature of God was presented in contrast to show that the God of Israel is the living God, the only One who can offer help and protection to Israel. He has the power of life and death with regard to Israel (cf. 1 Sam. 2:6; 2 Kin. 5:7) and the power to wound and heal them (cf. Is. 30:26; 57:17, 18; Jer. 17:14; Hos. 6:1).

  32:40–42 I raise My hand. God takes an oath to bring vengeance on His enemies. Here (as in Ex. 6:8; Num. 14:28) the hand is used anthropomorphically of God, who can swear by no greater than His eternal Self (cf. Is. 45:23; Jer. 22:5; Heb. 6:17).

  32:43 Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. As a result of the execution of God’s vengeance, all nations will be called upon to praise with Israel the Lord who will have provided redemptively for them in Christ and also provided a new beginning in the Land. This atone
ment for the Land is the satisfaction of God’s wrath by the sacrifice of His enemies in judgment. The atonement for the people is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross (cf. Ps. 79:9). Paul quotes this passage in Rom. 15:10, as does the writer of Hebrews (1:6).

  32:47 it is your life. Moses reiterated to Israel that obedience to the Lord’s commands was to be the key to her living long in the land that God had prepared and called for this song to be a kind of national anthem which the leaders should see is frequently repeated to animate the people to love and obey God.

  32:48—34:12 The anticipation of and record of Moses’ death (32:48–52; 34:1–12) bracket the recording of Moses’ blessing given to Israel before his death. This literary unit was composed and added to the text after the death of Moses.

  32:49 Mount Nebo. A peak in the Abarim range of mountains to the E of the N end of the Dead Sea, from where Moses would be able to see across to the Promised Land, which he was not permitted to enter.

  32:50 gathered to your people. An idiom for death. See Gen. 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:33; Num. 20:24, 26; 31:2.

  Deuteronomy 33

  33:1–29 The final words of Moses to the people were a listing of the blessings of each of the tribes of Israel, Simeon excluded (vv. 6–25). These blessings were introduced and concluded with passages which praise God (vv. 2–5, 26–29). That these blessings of Moses are presented in this chapter as recorded by someone other than Moses is clear because in v. 1, Moses was viewed as already being dead, and as the words of Moses were presented, the clause “he said” (vv. 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24) was used.

  33:1 the man of God. The first use of this phrase in Scripture. Subsequently, some 70 times in the OT, messengers of God (especially prophets) are called “a man of God “ (1 Sam. 2:27; 9:6; 1 Kin. 13:1; 17:18; 2 Kin. 4:7). The NT uses this title for Timothy (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:17). Moses was viewed among such prophets in this conclusion to the book (see 34:10).

  33:2 Sinai…Seir…Paran. These are mountains associated with the giving of the law—Sinai on the S, Seir on the NE, and Paran on the N. These mountains provide a beautiful metaphor, borrowed from the dawn. God, like the morning sun, is the Light that rises to give His beams to all the Promised Land. saints. Lit. “holy ones.” Probably a reference to the angels who assisted God when the law was mediated to Moses at Mt. Sinai (see Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2).

  33:3 He loves the people. Notwithstanding the awe-inspiring symbols of majesty displayed at Sinai, the law was given in kindness and love to provide both temporal and eternal blessing to those with a heart to obey it. Cf. Rom. 13:8–10.

  33:5 King in Jeshurun. See note on 32:15. Since Moses is nowhere else in Scripture referred to as king, most interpret this as a reference to the Lord as King over Israel. However, Moses is the closest antecedent of the pronoun “he” in this clause, and the most natural understanding is that Moses is being referred to as a king. Moses certainly exercised kingly authority over Israel and could be viewed as a prototype of the coming King. Thus, united in the figure of Moses, the coming prophet like unto Moses (18:15) would be the prophet-king.

  33:6 Reuben. Here is the prayer that this tribe would survive in large numbers (cf. Num. 1:21; 2:11).

  33:7 Judah. Moses prayed that this tribe would be powerful in leading the nation to be victorious in battle through the help of the Lord.

  33:8–11 Levi. Moses prays for the Levites to fulfill their tasks, God granting to them protection from their enemies. Moses omitted Simeon, but that tribe did receive a number of allies in the southern territory of Judah (Josh. 19:2–9) and did not lose their identity (cf. 1 Chr. 4:34–38).

  33:12 Benjamin. That this tribe would have security and peace because the Lord would shield them was Moses’ request. They were given the land in the N of Judah near Jerusalem.

  33:13–17 Joseph. This included both Ephraim and Manasseh (v. 17), who would enjoy material prosperity (vv. 13–16) and military might (v. 17), which would compensate and reward them for the Egyptian slavery of their ancestor (see Gen. 49:26). Ephraim would have greater military success in the future than Manasseh as the outworking of Jacob’s blessing of the younger over the older (see Gen. 48:20).

  33:18 Zebulun…Issachar. Moses prayed that these two tribes from the fifth and sixth sons of Leah would receive God’s blessing in their daily lives, particularly through the trade on the seas.

  33:20 Gad. This tribe had large territory E of the Jordan and was a leader in gaining the victory in battles in Canaan.

  33:22 Dan. Dan had the potential for great energy and strength and leaped from its southern settlement to establish a colony in the N. Cf. Gen. 49:17, 18, where Dan is compared to a serpent.

  33:23 Naphtali. This tribe would enjoy the favor of God in the fullness of His blessing, having land in the W of Galilee and S of the northern Danites.

  33:24 Asher. The request is that this tribe would experience abundant fertility and prosperity, depicted by reference to a foot-operated oil press. Shoes of hard metal suited both country people and soldiers.

  33:26, 27 the God of Jeshurun. Moses concluded his blessings with a reminder of the uniqueness of Israel’s God. For “Jeshurun,” see note on 32:15.

  33:28, 29 This pledge was only partially fulfilled after they entered the Land, but it awaits a complete fulfillment in the kingdom of Messiah.

  33:28 The fountain of Jacob. This is a euphemism for Jacob’s seed, referring to his posterity.

  Deuteronomy 34

  34:1–12 This concluding chapter was obviously written by someone other than Moses (probably the writer of Joshua) to bridge out of Deuteronomy into Joshua.

  34:1 Pisgah. The range or ridge of which Mt. Nebo was the highest point.

  34:1–4 the LORD showed him. From the top of the mountain, Moses was allowed to see the panorama of the Land the Lord had promised to give (the Land of Canaan) to the patriarchs and their seed in Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18–21; 26:4; 28:13, 14.

  34:6 He buried him. The context indicates that the Lord is the one who buried Moses, and man did not have a part in it. Cf. Jude 9, which recounts Michael’s and Satan’s dispute over Moses’ body.

  34:7 not dim…diminished. Moses’ physical vision and physical health were not impaired. It was not death by natural causes that kept Moses from leading Israel into the Promised Land; it was his unfaithfulness to the Lord at Meribah (see Num. 20:12).

  34:8 thirty days. The mourning period for Moses conformed to that of Aaron (Num. 20:29).

  34:9 spirit of wisdom…laid his hands. Joshua received 1) confirmation of the military and administrative ability necessary to the task the Lord had given him, as well as, 2) the spiritual wisdom to rely on and to be committed to the Lord through the laying on of Moses’ hands.

  34:10 a prophet like Moses. Moses was the greatest of all the OT prophets, one whom the Lord knew intimately. Not until John the Baptist was there another prophet greater than Moses (see Matt. 11:11). After John, the Prophet came of whom Moses wrote (cf. John 1:21, 25; 6:14 with Deut. 18:15, 18; Acts 3:22; 7:37). Moses next appeared on the Mt. of Transfiguration together with Elijah and Jesus Christ (Matt. 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30, 31).

  Deuteronomy 1

  1:1 a Deut. 4:44–46; Josh. 9:1, 10

  1:1 1 Heb. arabah

  1:1 2 One LXX ms., Tg., Vg. Red Sea

  1:2 b Num. 13:26; 32:8; Deut. 9:23

  1:3 c Num. 33:38

  1:4 d Num. 21:23, 24, 33–35; Deut. 2:26–35; Josh. 13:10; Neh. 9:22

  1:4 e Josh. 13:12

  1:4 3 LXX, Syr., Vg. and; cf. Josh. 12:4

  1:6 f Ex. 3:1, 12

  1:6 g Ex. 19:1, 2

  1:7 4 Heb. arabah

  1:8 h Gen. 12:7; 15:5; 22:17; 26:3; 28:13; Ex. 33:1; Num. 14:23; 32:11

  1:8 5 promised

  1:9 i Ex. 18:18, 24; Num. 11:14, 24

  1:9 6 am not able to bear you by myself

  1:10 j Gen. 15:5; 22:17; Ex. 32:13; Deut. 7:7; 10:22; 26:5; 28:62

  1:11 k 2 Sam. 24:3

&n
bsp; 1:11 l Gen. 15:5

  1:12 m 1 Kin. 3:8, 9

  1:13 7 rulers

  1:15 n Ex. 18:25

  1:15 8 appointed

  1:16 o Deut. 16:18; John 7:24

  1:16 p Lev. 24:22

  1:17 q Lev. 19:15; Deut. 10:17; 16:19; 24:17; 1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 24:23–26; Acts 10:34; James 2:1, 9

  1:17 r 2 Chr. 19:6

  1:17 s Ex. 18:22, 26

  1:19 t Num. 10:12; Deut. 2:7; 8:15; 32:10; Jer. 2:6

  1:19 u Num. 13:26

  1:21 v Josh. 1:6, 9

  1:23 w Num. 13:2, 3

  1:24 x Num. 13:21–25

  1:25 y Num. 13:27

  1:26 z Num. 14:1–4; Ps. 106:24

  1:27 a Ps. 106:25

  1:27 b Deut. 9:28

  1:28 c Num. 13:28, 31–33; Deut. 9:1, 2

  1:28 d Num. 13:28

  1:28 9 Lit. melted

  1:29 e Num. 14:9; Deut. 7:18

  1:30 f Ex. 14:14; Deut. 3:22; 20:4; Neh. 4:20

  1:31 g Deut. 32:10–12; Is. 46:3, 4; 63:9; Hos. 11:3

  1:32 h Num. 14:11; 20:12; Ps. 106:24; Heb. 3:9, 10, 16–19; 4:1, 2; Jude 5

  1:33 i Ex. 13:21; Num. 9:15–23; Neh. 9:12; Ps. 78:14

  1:33 j Num. 10:33; Ezek. 20:6

  1:34 k Deut. 2:14, 15

  1:35 l Num. 14:22, 23; Ps. 95:10, 11

  1:35 10 promised

  1:36 m Num. 14:24; (Josh. 14:9)

  1:36 n Num. 32:11, 12

  1:36 11 fully

  1:37 o Num. 20:12; 27:14; Deut. 3:26; 4:21; 34:4; Ps. 106:32

  1:38 p Num. 14:30

  1:38 q Ex. 24:13; 33:11; 1 Sam. 16:22

  1:38 r Num. 27:18, 19; Deut. 31:7, 23; Josh. 11:23

  1:39 s Num. 14:31

  1:39 t Num. 14:3

  1:39 u Is. 7:15, 16

  1:40 v Num. 14:25

  1:41 w Num. 14:40

  1:42 x Num. 14:41–43

  1:43 y Num. 14:44

  1:43 z Deut. 17:12, 13

  1:43 12 willfully

  1:44 a Num. 14:45; Ps. 118:12

  1:46 b Num. 13:25; 20:1, 22; Deut. 2:7, 14