Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32:1

YE Heavens] A manner of appealing unto unanimate creatures, which is very frequent in Scripture, to reprove the peoples hardnesse.

Deuteronomy 32:2

Shall drop] It shall bee abundantly and sweetly proposed unto you, as comming from Heaven to penetrate into your hearts, and cause the seed of Gods Word to spring there: And from thence the Prophets are termed droppers, Ezechiel Chapter 21. vers. 2, 7. Amos Chapter 7. v. 16. Mic. Chapter 2. v. 6. 11.

Deuteronomy 32:3

Because I] This is a reason for the obedience required, verse 1 Ascribe yee greatnesse] acknowledge his supreame Majesty, and do reverence unto him, through your humble obedience to his Word.

Deuteronomy 32:4

Hee is the Rocke] It is a name and epithet of God, for the firmenesse and eternity of his Essence, and for the firmenesse of his Word, and for his being a fence and rampire to his children: See 2 Samuel Chapter 23. verse 3. Psalme 18 46 A God] The Italian hath it, A God so truth] or he is the God of truth.

Deuteronomy 32:5

They have] Namely the people of Israel, whose name Moses concealeth not to exasperate them at the first: Their spot] They do not sinne through plaine ignorance, infirmity, nor unawares; of which sins Gods children are never truly cleansed in this world, 1 Kings chapter 8 46. Proverbs 20:9. but through malice, with delight, perseverance, and profane boldnesse, 1 John 3:9.

Deuteronomy 32:6

Bought thee] Ransomed thee from Egypts tyranny (which was a figure of the bondage to the Devill and sinne) to make thee his, by adoption, and Covenant, Deuteronomy 4. 20. and 7. 6. and 14. 2.

Deuteronomy 32:8

When] When the Lord had through his providence assigned all the habitable parts of the world to severall Nations to inhabite, he reserved the land of promise for his children, which was sufficient to hold, and nourish the innumerable multitude of them.

Deuteronomy 32:9

Portion] Is the people only, whom he hath consecrated and appropriated unto himself by a continued Covenant from father to sonne, Deuteronomy Chapter. 9. 26. Psalme 78. Verses 70. 71.

Deuteronomy 32:10

In a desert Land] This may bodily have relation, to the peoples wretched estate, in the land of Egypt, and in the wildernesse. Spiritually, to the estate of sin, wherein all men lye by nature, which is likened to a wildernesse: As well for the barrennes thereof in all goodnesse and vertue, as for the farre distance of it from all grace and communion with God and for the horrour of his curse: See Cant. 3. 6. and 8. 5. Hos. 9. 5. and 13. 10 Howling wildernesse] Where there are no other cries to be heard but the terrible cries of dragons, owles and other beasts crying out through hunger and thirst, Isaiah 43:20. Micah 1:8. a figure of the cries of a thirsty and troubled conscience, and of infernall horrors.

Deuteronomy 32:11

Stirreth up] She useth and accustometh them by little and little to fly, and with the beating of her wings she incites them to try themselves.

Deuteronomy 32:13

He made him] After he had brought them forth of Egypt, he hath caused them gloriously to soare over the high mountaines, to the confines of the Amorites, to come in and possesse their fat and rich country, Isay 58. 14.

Deuteronomy 32:15

Jesurun] A feigned name, attributed to the people, by allusion to the name of Israel, and signifieth the right; by reason of the rule of justice, which they had in the Law of God, & of the profession they made to observe it: see Deuteronomy 33:5; Deuteronomy 33:26. Isay 44. 2.

Deuteronomy 32:17

Unto Devils] See upon Levit 17. 7 New gods] newly set up and consecrated by the Idolaters, which is contrary, not only to the Eternall Essence of the true God, but also to the ancient revealement which he hath made of himselfe to his Church: Feared not] the Hebrew word sheweth the superstitious terror of the Idolaters towards their Gods: Opposite to the sincere feare and holy reverence towards the only true God.

Deuteronomy 32:18

That begate thee] Made thee his people, by imprinting his image upon thee, by the meanes of his Word and Spirit.

Deuteronomy 32:20

I will hide] That is to say, by taking away my favour from them, I shall make them know what they can do, or what they will become, without me.

Deuteronomy 32:21

Vanities] A frequent name for Idols, because they have no other power nor God-head, but that which the idolater doeth vainly attribute unto them, 1 Corinthians 8:4. See 1 Sam. 12. 21. 1 King. 16. 13 Move them] Giving unto the Gentiles my grace and knowledge, which shall be taken away from them or refused by them: Which are not] which being without the true knowledge of God, in which consisteth the true bond and foundation of a body of a Commonwealth, deserveth the name of a rabling multitude: Or plainely, which is no people of mine, Hosea 1:9.

Deuteronomy 32:22

Shall burne] A figurative description of a totall desolation.

Deuteronomy 32:27

Were it not that I] A human kind of speech, by which is signified, that God tempereth his punishments, that he inflicts upon his children, because he would not give his enemies occasion to insult, and blaspheme, Exodus chapter 32. verse 12. Numbers Chapter 14. verse 13. Deuteronomy 9:28. Joshua 7:9.

Deuteronomy 32:28

For they are] Namely, the Israelites, Void of counsell] That have lost all their true iudgement and can neither take of themselves, nor receive from others, any wholsome counsell.

Deuteronomy 32:29

Their latter end] That which will befall them in the end, good or evill; according to my promises, or threatnings, for their works: See Psal. 39 4. and 90. 12.

Deuteronomy 32:30

One chase] Namely of the enemies.

Deuteronomy 32:31

Their Rocke] The enemies false gods, in which they put their confidence: Themselves being Judges] May be convinced and constrained to acknowledge the infinite power of the true God above the weaknesse of their Idols: And likewise to acknowledge that their victories over the Church, are the effects of Gods Judgement: See 1. Sam. 4. 8. Jeremiah 40:3.

Deuteronomy 32:32

Their Vine] Figurative termes, to shew how the people were corrupt: See Isay 1. 10. Jeremiah 2:21. Ezech. 16. 46. the vine is the wicked nature, the grapes are the hurtfull works.

Deuteronomy 32:34

Is not this] My patience doth not blot out the memory of their misdeeds, it doth but heap the measur full, untill the prefixed time.

Deuteronomy 32:35

, Their foot] That after so many sinns, they shall adde some one, as a full scale goeth down with the least weight that is added to it, or the least touch that is given it: Or my vengeance shall at first appear by small shakings in the beginning, which shall be seconded, by unavoidable ruin.

Deuteronomy 32:36

And repent] He will stay the effects of his just wrath, now fully pacified, and use his mercy, to repaire that breach which himselfe had made. A forme of speech taken from human weaknes. Genesis 6:6. Sam. 24. 16. opposite to the irrevocable judgements against the wicked. See Jeremiah 20:16 There is none] A Scripture phrase which signifieth the totall destruction of a state, which is often poynted at by these termes of opening and shutting, Job 12:14. Isaiah 22:23 Or the sense is, every thing shall be enfolded in a generall desolation, as well those things and persons, which are most precious, and most carefully kept, as the basest and least regarded, as 1 Kin. 14. 10. and 21. 21. 2 Kin. 9. 8. and 14. 26.

Deuteronomy 32:38

The fal] The remainders of the Heathene sacrifices, being employed in feasts of rejoycing, in honour of their idolls, in imitation of the holy feasts, used by Gods people, see Exodus 34:15. Psalme 106. 28. 1 Corinthians 10:20.

Deuteronomy 32:39

Am he [That great and supream God, whose glory is spread all the world over; or that onely true God, whose essence is everlasting, not depending of any one, and immutable, see Psalme 102. 28. Isai. 41. 4.

Deuteronomy 32:40

I lift up] That is to say, I sweare; a terme taken frō those men which use that gesture when they sweare, as it were to call God, who reigneth in heaven, for a witnesse and judge of the truth of their saying, Genesis 24:3.

Deuteronomy 32:41

Take hold] As I would take hold of weapons, see Esay 59. 17.

Deuteronomy 32:42

From the beginning, &c] The Italian hath it, Beginning at the head] That is to say, at the Devill, Prince of this world; or at the Prince of the great worldly empire, enemy to the Church, being those great Empires which have named themselves universall, have alwayes warred against God, & his Church. see Psal. 68. 21. It might also bee translated thus; With the bloud] Of the head of the revenges of an enemy; that is to say, of the head of the adverse party, fierce in his deadly hate against the Church; Psal. 8. 2.

Deuteronomy 32:43

O yee nations] This joyning of the nations with Gods people, in rejoycing for their deliverance from the common enemy, cannot have any relation but only to the Christian Church, composed of Jews and Gentiles, equally participating of one, and the same salvation in Christ: see Romans 15:10.

Deuteronomy 32:44

Hoshea] That is Joshua, which is the name which Moses gave him, because that he was to accomplish the work of the peoples deliverance, bringing them into the land of promise, which was denied to Moses, to shew us, that Christ only pointed at by Joshua, Exodus 3:8. doth bring his Church to the fruition of the kingdom of heaven, which the Law could not do.

Deuteronomy 32:49

Unto mount] See how this ought to be understood upon, Numbers 27:12.

Deuteronomy 32:50

He gathered] See Genesis 15:15.