321 'Give ear, O heavens, and I speak; And thou dost hear, O earth, sayings of my mouth! 2 Drop as rain doth My doctrine; Flow as dew doth My sayings; As storms on the tender grass, And as showers on the herb, 3 For the Name of Jehovah I proclaim, Ascribe ye greatness to our God! 4 The Rock!—perfect 'is' His work, For all His ways 'are' just; God of stedfastness, and without iniquity: Righteous and upright 'is' He. 5 It hath done corruptly to Him; Their blemish is not His sons', A generation perverse and crooked! 6 To Jehovah do ye act thus, O people foolish and not wise? Is not He thy father—thy possessor? He made thee, and doth establish thee.
7 Remember days of old—Understand the years of many generations—Ask thy father, and he doth tell thee; Thine elders, and they say to thee: 8 In the Most High causing nations to inherit, In His separating sons of Adam—He setteth up the borders of the peoples By the number of the sons of Israel. 9 For Jehovah's portion 'is' His people, Jacob 'is' the line of His inheritance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:1-9
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:1-2
(Read Deuteronomy 32:1-2)
Moses begins with a solemn appeal to heaven and earth, concerning the truth and importance of what he was about to say. His doctrine is the gospel, the speech of God, the doctrine of Christ; the doctrine of grace and mercy through him, and of life and salvation by him.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:3-6
(Read Deuteronomy 32:3-6)
"He is a Rock." This is the first time God is called so in Scripture. The expression denotes that the Divine power, faithfulness, and love, as revealed in Christ and the gospel, form a foundation which cannot be changed or moved, on which we may build our hopes of happiness. And under his protection we may find refuge from all our enemies, and in all our troubles; as the rocks in those countries sheltered from the burning rays of the sun, and from tempests, or were fortresses from the enemy. "His work is perfect:" that of redemption and salvation, in which there is a display of all the Divine perfection, complete in all its parts. All God's dealings with his creatures are regulated by wisdom which cannot err, and perfect justice. He is indeed just and right; he takes care that none shall lose by him. A high charge is exhibited against Israel. Even God's children have their spots, while in this imperfect state; for if we say we have no sin, no spot, we deceive ourselves. But the sin of Israel was not habitual, notorious, unrepented sin; which is a certain mark of the children of Satan. They were fools to forsake their mercies for lying vanities. All wilful sinners, especially sinners in Israel, are unwise and ungrateful.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:7-14
(Read Deuteronomy 32:7-14)
Moses gives particular instances of God's kindness and concern for them. The eagle's care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ's love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan's bondage. In verses 13,14, are emblems of the conquest believers have over their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, in and through Christ. Also of their safety and triumph in him; of their happy frames of soul, when they are above the world, and the things of it. This will be the blessed case of spiritual Israel in every sense in the latter day.