Deuteronomy 32:1-4

Invocation of Witnesses

32:1 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak;

hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

32:2 My teaching will drop like the rain,

my sayings will drip like the dew, ¹ 

as rain drops upon the grass,

and showers upon new growth.

32:3 For I will proclaim the name ²  of the Lord;

you must acknowledge the greatness of our God.

32:4 As for the Rock, ³  his work is perfect,

for all his ways are just.

He is a reliable God who is never unjust,

he is fair ⁴  and upright.

Deuteronomy 32:10

32:10 The Lord ⁵  found him ⁶  in a desolate land,

in an empty wasteland where animals howl. ⁷ 

He continually guarded him ⁸  and taught him; ⁹ 

he continually protected him ¹⁰  like the pupil ¹¹  of his eye.

[32:2]  ¹ tn Or “mist,” “light drizzle.” In some contexts the term appears to refer to light rain, rather than dew.

[32:3]  ² tc Smr and Tg read “in the name.”

[32:4]  ³ tc The LXX reads Θεός (qeos, “God”) for the MT’s “Rock.”

[32:4]  ⁴ tn Or “just” (KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “righteous” (NASB).

[32:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:10]  ⁶ tn The reference is to “his people/Jacob” (cf. v. 9), that is, Israel (using a collective singular). The singular pronouns are replaced by plural ones throughout vv. 10-14 by some English versions as an aid to the modern reader (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT).

[32:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “in an empty, howling wasteland.” The word “howling” is derived from a verbal root that typically refers to the wailing of mourners. Here it likely refers to the howling of desert animals, or perhaps to the howling wind, in which case one may translate, “in an empty, windy wasteland.”

[32:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “was surrounding him.” The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing care during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.

[32:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “he gave him understanding.” The form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.

[32:10]  ¹⁰ tn The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing protection during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.

[32:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the little man.” The term אִישׁוֹן (’ishon) means literally “little man,” perhaps because when one looks into another’s eyes he sees himself reflected there in miniature. See A. Harman, NIDOTTE 1:391.