Deu 32:15-39 | TNotes | STEP | 32:15 Israel: Hebrew Jeshurun. This name, which appears to be derived from a verb meaning “to be upright,” demonstrates the Lord’s strong affection for his people (see 33:5 , 26 ; Isa 44:2 ). • the Rock: This metaphor describes God’s strength and reliability, especially regarding salvation (see Deut 32:4 ).

32:15 ^a Israel: Hebrew Jeshurun. This name, which appears to be derived from a verb meaning “to be upright,” demonstrates the Lord’s strong affection for his people (see 33:5 ^b, 26 ^c; Isa 44:2 ^d).

• the Rock: This metaphor describes God’s strength and reliability, especially regarding salvation (see Deut 32:4 ^e).
32:16 ^f his jealousy: See study note on 4:24. Just as a husband is properly jealous when another man tries to draw his wife away (Prov 6:34 ^g), God was jealous when Israel worshiped other gods.
32:17 ^h demons: In the ancient Near East, the gods were thought to protect individuals and places from harm, but worshiping these pagan deities actually amounted to worshiping evil spirits (cp. 1 Cor 10:20-21 ⁱ; Rev 9:20 ^j).

• New gods were false deities that Israel had never before encountered.
32:18 ^k the Rock: This expression draws attention to God’s reliability as Father (see 32:4 ^l, 9 ^m).
32:20 ⁿ The phrase without integrity indicates disloyalty to the covenant. Israel had promised to be true to the Lord but had consistently been unfaithful (see Exod 19:8 ^o).
32:21 ^p roused my jealousy: The Lord was not petulant because of attention paid to false gods. Rather, Israel had broken their covenant with him by worshiping other gods, demonstrating their disdain for him and his sovereignty (see 32:16 ^q).

• people who are not even a people: God’s purpose for Israel was not just to redeem them, but through them to redeem all nations of the earth. In Israel’s eyes, other peoples were worthless, but through God’s attention to other nations, Israel would be drawn back to obedience (see Hos 1:9 ^r; 2:23 ^s; Rom 9:25 ^t; 10:19 ^u).
32:22 ^v The realm of the dead was thought to be in the depths beneath the earth, and the entrance to that world was the grave. God is omnipresent, and his judgment reaches the most inaccessible places (see Ps 139:7-12 ^w).
32:27 ^x I feared: God is never terrified or intimidated. This fear is concern that Israel’s enemies would attribute their success to their own efforts rather than to God’s sovereign judgment of his people (see Exod 32:11-14 ^y).
32:29 ^z their fate (literally their latter end): Israel’s future had not been predetermined; this statement expresses how things would turn out if Israel continued on its rebellious course.
32:30 ^aa How could one person chase a thousand: When God gives his people over to destruction, they are vulnerable against all odds.

• their Rock: Here the metaphor is used ironically. The very one upon whom Israel should stand as the source of their strength will desert them because of their own wickedness and unfaithfulness (see 32:4 ^ab).
32:31 ^ac the rock of our enemies: In this sarcastic comparison between the pagan gods and the Lord God of Israel, the false deities come up woefully short.
32:32 ^ad Sodom ... Gomorrah: These cities were the epitome of evil (see Gen 18:16–19:38 ^ae). Pagan perversity and godlessness found their inspiration and source in these cities, and because they were unrepentant, they were utterly destroyed (see Deut 29:23 ^af).
32:34 ^ag Metaphorically, my treasury is the place where God, as Divine Warrior, lays up his implements of war and judgment until the time comes for them to be put to use (see 1:30 ^ah).
32:36 ^ai will change his mind about: When speaking of God, the Old Testament frequently uses figurative language (see study note on 8:2). Human beings cannot understand God’s mind (Isa 55:8 ^aj), so God uses human language and gives himself human physical characteristics and feelings. Although the Bible frequently speaks of God’s eyes, arms, hands, and feet, he is invisible and has no body; these metaphors describe his activity. Similarly, when the Bible says that God fears (Deut 32:27 ^ak) or changes his mind, it expresses how God’s actions appear to humans.
32:37 ^al the rocks: This sarcastic metaphor concerns the impotence of pagan gods (see 32:31 ^am).
32:38 ^an ate the fat ... drank the wine: Most polytheistic religious systems that practice sacrifice include the notion that the gods find nourishment in the sacrifices made to them. Israel fell victim to this superstitious belief for a time before the Lord graciously taught them otherwise and restored them to himself (32:36 ^ao).