Deuteronomy 32:5

32:5 His people have been unfaithful ¹  to him;

they have not acted like his children ²  – this is their sin. ³ 

They are a perverse ⁴  and deceitful generation.

Deuteronomy 32:30

32:30 How can one man chase a thousand of them, ⁵ 

and two pursue ten thousand;

unless their Rock had delivered them up, ⁶ 

and the Lord had handed them over?

[32:5]  ¹ tc The 3rd person masculine singular שָׁחַת (shakhat) is rendered as 3rd person masculine plural by Smr, a reading supported by the plural suffix on מוּם (mum, “defect”) as well as the plural of בֵּן (ben, “sons”).

[32:5]  ² tn Heb “(they are) not his sons.”

[32:5]  ³ tn Heb “defect” (so NASB). This highly elliptical line suggests that Israel’s major fault was its failure to act like God’s people; in fact, they acted quite the contrary.

[32:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “twisted,” “crooked.” See Ps 18:26.

[32:30]  ⁵ tn The words “man” and “of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ⁶ tn Heb “sold them” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).