1._Give ear, O ye heavens. _Moses commences in a strain of magnificence, lest the people should disdain this song with their usual pride, or even reject it altogether, being exasperated by its severe censures and reproaches. For we well know how the world naturally longs to be _flattered, _and that... [ Continue Reading ]
2_My doctrine shall drop as the rain. _Some, as I think improperly, here resolve the future tense into the optative mood, (248) for in this splendid eulogium he rather celebrates, in order to commend his doctrine, the fruitfulness (249) which is actually imparted to it by the Holy Spirit, than asks... [ Continue Reading ]
3_Because I will publish the name of the Lord. _He signifies by these words that, if there were any spark of piety in the Israelites, it must be manifested by their welcoming this address, wherein the majesty of God shines forth. The first clause of the verse, therefore, stands last in order, since... [ Continue Reading ]
4._His work is perfect. _Those who take these expressions generally, and without particular reference to this passage, not only obscure their meaning, but also lessen the force of the doctrine they contain. Let us, then, understand that the perfection of God’s works, the rectitude of His ways, etc.,... [ Continue Reading ]
5._They have corrupted themselves. _Moses now inveighs unhesitatingly against the perfidy of the people, and gives loose to the most unmeasured upbraidings; for if God be just and true, then it was plain enough that the Israelites were a depraved and perverse nation. This perverse nation, he says, h... [ Continue Reading ]
6._Do ye thus requite the Lord. _In order to expose the ingratitude of the people to greater infamy, he now begins to commemorate the benefits whereby God had laid them under obligation to Himself: for the more liberally God deals with us, the more earnest ought to be the piety awakened in our heart... [ Continue Reading ]
7_Remember the days of old. _This is an explanation of the preceding verse, for Moses again shows how God had acquired this people, viz., because he had chosen to separate them from other nations according to His own good pleasure. But, since the Israelites might be inflated by their present superio... [ Continue Reading ]
9_For the Lord’s portion is his people. _This is the main point, that God was moved by nothing but His own good pleasure to make so much of this people, who had been derived from a common origin with all others: for when he says, that Jacob was the portion of Jehovah, and the lot of His inheritance,... [ Continue Reading ]
10._He found him in a desert land. _If the intention of Moses had been to record all the instances of God’s paternal kindness towards the people, he must have commenced from the time of Abraham; like the prophet who, when presenting a complete narrative in the Psalm, begins from that original covena... [ Continue Reading ]
12._So the Lord alone did lead hive. _This is spoken by anticipation, in order to take away every pretext from the Israelites, provided they should seek, according to their custom, to mingle their superstitions with the pure service of God. For, when they were bringing in, from all quarters, gods of... [ Continue Reading ]
13._He made him ride on the high places. _Theirs is but a frivolous imagination, who suppose that Judea was so called as being the navel or center of the earth; (262) it is more likely that it was called _high _in reference to Egypt; and, indeed, it is by no means an unusual expression, that those w... [ Continue Reading ]
15_But Jeshurun _(264) _waxed fat. _Moses here severely censures the ingratitude of the people, because when filled with delicacies, they began to wax wanton against God; for, according to the vulgar proverb, satiety breeds violence; but this arises from men’s detestable depravity, who ought rather... [ Continue Reading ]
16_They provoked him to jealousy. _It is only figuratively that jealousy is attributed to God, who is free from all passions; but, since men never sufficiently reflect how great pollution they contract by their idolatries, it is necessary that the grossness of the sin should _be _expressed in such t... [ Continue Reading ]
18._Of the Rock _(268) _that begat thee. _He again aggravates the criminality of the people by referring to their ingratitude, inasmuch as they did not fall through ignorance, but willfully stifled that knowledge of God, which ought to have shone brightly in all their hearts: for this is the effect... [ Continue Reading ]
19._And when the Lord saw it. _The _seeing _of God, which is mentioned here, has reference to His forbearance in judgment: as if it were said, that He does not act hastily, and is not alienated from His children, without having duly weighed their case; in the same way as it is said elsewhere: “Becau... [ Continue Reading ]
21._They have moved me to jealousy. _He now proceeds further, viz., that God, after having withdrawn Himself for a time, would, at length be the open enemy of the people, so as to repay them in kind. And he points out the mode of this retaliation, that as they had insultingly brought into antagonism... [ Continue Reading ]
22._For a fire is kindled in mine anger. _He confirms what went before, but more generally; for He compares His anger to a burning fire_, _which should penetrate to the deepest abysses, and should utterly consume their land, so as not to spare the very roots of the mountains. This metaphor is, indee... [ Continue Reading ]
24._They shall be burnt with hunger. _He now descends to some particular modes of punishment, not, indeed, to enumerate them all, but only to adduce such specimens of them as to inspire the people with greater terror, inasmuch as mere generalities would not have sufficiently affected them. He mentio... [ Continue Reading ]
26._I said, I would scatter them. _God again represents Himself in the character of a man, as if He were meditating opposite determinations, and restrained His vehemence in consideration of the impediments He encountered. What it amounts to, however, is this, that God suspended His final judgment up... [ Continue Reading ]
28._For they are a nation void of counsel. _The cause is assigned why God had almost blotted out altogether the memory of the people, viz., because their faculty was incurable: for He does not merely indicate that their conduct was rash and inconsiderate, because they lacked reason mid discretion: b... [ Continue Reading ]
30._How should one chase a thousand. _Of all the many tokens of God’s wrath, he selects one which was peculiarly striking; for as long as God was on their side, they had put to flight mighty armies, nor had they been supported by any multitude of forces. Now, when, though in great numbers, they are... [ Continue Reading ]
32._For their vine is of the vine of Sodom. _I think it was far from the intention of Moses, as some make it to be, to refer to the punishment which the Israelites deserved; but that he rather inveighs against their corrupted morals, and obstinate disposition. But metaphorically he calls them an off... [ Continue Reading ]
34._Is not this laid up in store with me? _Although some explain this verse as relating to their punishments, as if God asserted that various kinds of them were laid up with Him, which He could produce whenever He pleased, it is more correct to understand it of their crimes. We are well aware that t... [ Continue Reading ]
35_To me belongeth vengeance. _This passage is quoted to different purposes by Paul, and by the author (283) of the Epistle to the Hebrews, (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30;) for Paul, with a view of persuading believers to bear injuries patiently, admonishes them to “give place unto wrath,” inasmuch as... [ Continue Reading ]
36._For the Lord shall judge his people. _Some connect this sentence with what precedes it, and thus take the word _judge _for _to punish, _and the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews, seems to support their opinion, inasmuch as he proves by this testimony how fearful a thing it is “to fall into t... [ Continue Reading ]
37._And he shall say, Where are their gods? _Commentators are here at issue, for some continue the paragraph, as if Moses were reporting the boastings and insults of their enemies in the afflicted state of the Church; whilst others consider it to be a pious exultation, wherein the faithful will cele... [ Continue Reading ]
39_See now that 1, even I, am he. _Those who attribute the preceding verses to the unbelievers, now introduce God speaking, as it were, abruptly, and asserting His glory, in rebuke of their blasphemies. But it is rather a confirmation of that holy boasting which He has just dictated to the believers... [ Continue Reading ]
40._For _(293) _I lift up my, hand to heaven. _Others render it, “When I shall have lifted up my hand,” and read it connectedly with the foregoing verse, that God’s power in destroying and preserving will be manifest, if He raises up His hand to heaven. I do not doubt, however, but that it is the be... [ Continue Reading ]
41_If I whet my glittering sword. _The conditional particle does not leave the matter doubtful, or in suspense, but must be resolved into an adverb of time; as though He had said, As soon as He should take up arms, the destruction of the enemies would be certain; not indeed that God wants arms for t... [ Continue Reading ]
42_I will make my arrows drunk with blood. _In these words He describes a horrible massacre, as though He had said, There shall be no end to my vengeance, until the earth shall be full of blood and corpses. Elsewhere (296) also, God’s sword is said to be “drunk with blood,” as here His arrows, when... [ Continue Reading ]
43._Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people. _The appositive reading, which some prefer, “Praise him, O nations, His people,” supplying the word “God,” is constrained. For there is no incongruity in the notion that the Gentiles should celebrate the benefits which God has conferred upon His people; at... [ Continue Reading ]
Deuteronomy 32:44._And Moses came and spake. _It is not without reason that Moses again records that he repeated this Song before the people; because it thence appears how far from all ambition he was, in that he did not fear, at the very close of his life, to irritate all their minds, so as to rend... [ Continue Reading ]
48._And the Lord spake unto Moses. _We infer that this is not recorded in its regular order, because it is certain that Moses was warned of his approaching death before the Song was composed; and this the second passage, which I have here appended, expressly confirms; for he says that, before he sub... [ Continue Reading ]
51._Because ye trespassed against me. _We perceive from his punishment how necessary to Moses was such a token of favor. (302) For death in itself would not have been so bitter, but the cause, which is again alleged, grievously wounded the mind of the holy man, in that he saw himself to be excluded... [ Continue Reading ]