Deuteronomy 32:43

Ver. 43. Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people— St. Paul, in quoting this passage, Romans 15:10 agrees with the LXX in adding the word with, which is not in the Hebrew; and from that quotation we are directed to consider this passage as a prediction of the bringing in of the Gentiles to share the privileges of the Gospel, and to become one church and people of God, in conjunction with the true believers among the Israelites. The Hebrew, however, may be rendered agreeably enough to this sense. Rejoice, O ye nations, or Gentiles, his people; i.e. being now become his people. See note on ver. 36. Houbigant renders the last clause, instead of and will be merciful, &c.—and will expiate the land of this people. This last verse is a triumphant conclusion, wherein Moses, after having predicted the terrible devastations which should fall upon the Jewish nation for their idolatry and apostacy, pronounces that, amidst all this judgment, God would remember mercy, and that the defection of the Jews should be the riches of the Gentile world. For he will avenge the blood of his servants, Venema, and many others, understand of the blood of the apostles and martyrs. See Matthew 23:35. Revelation 19:1. Consequently, their enemies, in the next clause, must mean the persecutors of the Church. By being merciful to the land of his people, some suppose that a reference is had to the grand expiation by the sacrifice of Christ, whom God ordained from the beginning as a propitiation through faith in his blood. But Venema's exposition seems more simple and natural. He thinks that God will expiate or purify the land, in the same sense that it is said, Numbers 35:33 that the earth is purified of a voluntary homicide, by shedding the blood of the murderer; which is as much as to say, that God will purify the land of Canaan, by destroying the murderers of his servants; by causing to cease the voice of their blood, which crieth for vengeance to heaven, and by thus satisfying his own justice. We merely add, that the correspondence of the clauses seems to justify this sense.

REFLECTIONS.—The song concludes, 1. With a proclamation of God's glory and greatness, as it began. I, even I am he, the self-existent and the only God. There is none with me equal in glory, none beside me. I kill, and I make alive; dominion and power are all lodged in my hand, the death of my enemies is determined, the life of my faithful people is secured: or, if I smite them so that they seem dead, I, who wounded, can heal them. Neither is there any who can deliver out of my hand; none who dare interpose to rescue my enemies from destruction. Note; All these things are expressly ascribed to our Jesus, and in a more eminent manner have been, and continue to be fulfilled, both respecting his spiritual Israel, and his spiritual enemies. 2. With a solemn oath of God, who, because he can swear by no greater, swears by himself, to shew the immutability of his counsels, (1.) In his enemies' destruction. The glittering sword is unsheathed; it is whetted with fury; it descends upon the necks of his enemies, wielded by the arm of Omnipotence, and therefore the desolation cannot but be terrible, when God awakes to vengeance, and drenches his arrows in the blood of the slain. Note; It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; and yet, unless sinners repent, they must infallibly perish, without mercy or remedy. (2.) For his faithful people's comfort. They shall see the vengeance executed on their enemies, and rejoice in God's glory therein manifested; they shall triumph in their great salvation: they shall see the vast increase of his church, when the nations shall flow into it, and all the faithful come at last to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads. Note; (1.) Whatever trials the faithful may be exposed to, or whatever sufferings for their sins they may undergo, peace and joy shall be their everlasting portion. (2.) The people of God should be always comforted, nor amidst their days of heaviness, through manifold temptation, intermit their rejoicing in hope. (3.) Let the enemies of God's church and people know, that their day is coming; and when the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever, the saints in glory shall shout Hallelujah.