1Kia whai taringa mai, e nga rangi, a ka korero ahau; whakarongo mai hoki, e te whenua, ki nga kupu a toku mangai: 2Ka kopatapata iho taku whakaako, ano he ua, ka maturuturu iho taku kupu me te tomairangi; me te ua punehunehu ki runga i te tupu hou, me te ua ta ki runga i te tarutaru: 3No te mea ka kauwhautia e ahau te ingoa o Ihowa: waiho te nui i to tatou Atua. 4Ko te Kamaka, tika tonu tana mahi; he whakarite tikanga nei hoki ona huarahi katoa: he Atua pono, kahore ona he, he tika, he tapatahi ia. 5Kua mahi ratou i te kino ki a ia, ehara ratou i te tamariki nana, no ratou te koha; he whakatupuranga maro, parori ke ratou. 6Ko ta koutou utu ianei tenei ki a Ihowa, e te iwi kuware, e kore nei e mohio? Ehara ianei ia i tou matua, nana koe i hoko? Nana koe i hanga, nana hoki koe i whakau? 7Kia mahara ki nga ra onamata, whakaarohia nga tau o nga whakatupuranga e maha: ui atu ki tou papa, a mana e whakaatu ki a koe; ki ou kaumatua, a ma ratou e korero ki a koe. 8I ta te Runga Rawa whakaritenga kainga mo nga iwi, i tana wehewehenga i nga tama a te tangata, i whakaturia e ia nga rohe mo nga iwi, me te whakaaro ano ki te tokomaha o nga tama a Iharaira. 9Ko to Ihowa wahi hoki, ko tana iwi; ko Hakopa hei wahi pumau mona. 10I kitea ia e ia ki te whenua koraha, ki te tahora tuhea e hamama kau ana; i taiwhiotia ia e ia, i atawhaitia, i tiakina hoki e ia, ano ko te whatupango o tona kanohi: 11Ano he ekara e whakakorikori ana i tana ohanga, e whakapaho ana i runga i ana pi, e roharoha ana ia i ona parirau, e tango ana i a ratou, e waha ana hoki i a ratou i runga i ona parirau: 12Na Ihowa anake ia i arahi, kahore hoki he atua ke i tona taha. 13Nana hoki ia i whakaeke ki nga wahi tiketike o te whenua, hei hoiho mona, a i kai ia i nga hua o te mara; a nana ia i ngongo ai i te honi i roto i te kamaka, i te hinu hoki i roto i te kohatu kiripaka; 14I te pata o te kau, i te waiu hipi, i te ngako reme, i nga hipi toa o te momo o Pahana, i nga koati, me te taupa o nga whatukuhu o te witi; a i inu koe i te waina, i te toto o te karepe. 15Nawai a ka whai kiko a Iehuruna, a whana mai ana: kua whai kiko koe, kua tetere, kua ki i te ngako; a whakarerea iho e ia te Atua nana ia i hanga, whakahawea ana ki te Kamaka o tona whakaoranga. 16Na ratou i mea kia hae ia ki nga atua ke, whakapataritari ana ratou i a ia ki nga mea whakarihariha kia riri. 17Ko a ratou patunga tapu i tapaea e ratou ma nga rewera, ehara nei i te Atua, ma nga atua kihai nei ratou i mohio, he mea puta hou ake nonaianei, kihai nei i wehingia e o koutou matua. 18Ko te Kamaka i whanau ai koe ka wareware i a koe, kahore hoki ou mahara ki a Atua nana koe i hanga. 19A ka kite a Ihowa, na anuanu ana ia ki a ratou, mo te mahi whakapataritari a ana tama, a ana tamahine. 20Na ka mea, Ka huna ahau i toku mata i a ratou, ka titiro atu ahau he aha he mutunga mo ratou: he whakatupuranga parori ke hoki ratou, he tamariki kahore he pono i roto. 21Na ratou ahau i mea kia hae ki te mea ehara i te Atua; i whakapataritari kia riri ki a ratou mea horihori: na maku ratou e mea kia hae ki te hunga ehara i te iwi; maku ratou e whakapataritari kia riri ki te iwi poauau. 22Ka ngiha hoki te ahi i ahau e riri ana, ka toro atu ki te takere ra ano o te reinga, pau ake hoki te whenua, tahuna ana nga turanga o nga maunga. 23Ka opehia e ahau nga kino ki runga ki a ratou; ka whakapotoa aku pere ki a ratou. 24Ka hemo ratou i te matekai, ka pau hoki i te hana o te wera me te hunanga nui whakaharahara; maku hoki e tuku iho te niho o nga kararehe ki a ratou, me te huwhare whakamate o nga mea e ngoki ana i te puehu. 25Ko te hoari ki waho whakamate ai, ko te wehi ki roto i nga whare; mana e huna ngatahi te taitama me te taitamahine, te mea ngote u raua ko te tangata hina. 26I mea ahau, ka whakamararatia ratou e ahau ki tawhiti, ka meinga e ahau kia mutu te mahara ki a ratou i roto i nga tangata: 27Me i kahore ahau te wehi i te ngakau kino o te hoa whawhai, kei pohehe ona hoariri, kei mea ratou, Kua kake to tatou ringa, kahore ano hoki a Ihowa i mea i enei mea katoa. 28He iwi whakaarokore hoki ratou, a kahore he mohio i roto i a ratou. 29E, me i tupato ratou, me i mohio ki tenei, me i whakaaro ki to ratou mutunga iho! 30Me pehea e whai ai te kotahi i te mano, e whati ai nga mano kotahi tekau i te tokorua, me i kahore ratou i hokona e to ratou Kamaka, i tukua atu hoki e Ihowa? 31No te mea ehara to ratou kamaka i te penei me to tatou Kamaka, na o tatou hoariri nei ano te ki. 32No te mea ko a ratou waina no te waina o Horoma, no nga mara hoki o Komora: ko a ratou karepe he karepe au kawa, ko a ratou tautau kakati ana: 33Ko ta ratou waina ko te huwhare whakamate o nga tarakona, me te ware ngau kino o nga ahipi. 34Kahore ianei tenei i rongoatia ki roto ki ahau, i hiritia hoki ki waenga i aku taonga? 35Maku nga utu e rapu, maku hoki e ea ai, a te wa e paheke ai o ratou waewae: e tata ana hoki te ra e huna ai ratou, a kei te kaika mai nga mea i whakaritea mo ratou. 36No te mea ka whakatika a Ihowa i ta tana iwi, ka aroha hoki ki ana pononga; ina kite ia kua riro to ratou kaha, a kahore he mea i toe, i tutakina ki roto, i waiho atu ranei ki waho. 37A ka mea ia, Kei hea o ratou atua, te kamaka i okioki atu ai ratou; 38I kai nei i te ngako o a ratou patunga tapu, i inu hoki i te waina o a ratou ringihanga? Me whakatika ratou ki te awhina i a koutou, kia ai hoki ratou hei kuhunga atu mo koutou. 39Na titiro, ko ahau, ina ko ahau ia, kahore hoki he atua i toku taha: e whakamate ana ahau, a e whakaora ana; i tukitukia e ahau, ko ahau ano e whakamahu ana: kahore hoki he tangata e ora ai tetahi i toku ringa. 40No te mea e totoro atu ana toku ringa ki te rangi, me taku ki ano, I ahau e ora tonu nei, 41Ki te whakakoia e ahau taku hoari kanapanapa, a ka mau toku ringa ki te whakariterite; ka whakahokia atu e ahau he utu ki oku hoariri, ka ea hoki i ahau ta te hunga e kino ana ki ahau. 42Ka whakahaurangitia e ahau aku pere ki te toto, a ka kai taku hoari i te kikokiko; ki te toto o te hunga i patua, o nga herehere, no te mahunga o nga rangatira o te hoariri. 43Kia hari tahi, e nga tauiwi, me tana iwi: ka takitakina hoki e ia te toto o ana pononga, a ka whakahokia he utu ki ona hoariri, ka whakamarie ano ki tona whenua, ki tana iwi. 44Na ka haere mai a Mohi, ka korero i nga kupu katoa o tenei waiata ki nga taringa o te iwi, a ia, me Hohua, me te tama a Nunu. 45A ka mutu ta Mohi korero i enei kupu katoa ki a Iharaira katoa: 46Na ka mea ia ki a ratou, Kia anga mai o koutou ngakau ki nga kupu katoa e kauwhautia atu nei e ahau ki a koutou i tenei ra; hei whakahau atu ma koutou ki a koutou tamariki kia puritia, kia mahia, nga kupu katoa o tenei ture. 47No te mea ehara tenei i te mea noa iho ki a koutou; ko to koutou oranga hoki ia, a ma tenei mea e roa ai o koutou ra ki te whenua ka whiti atu nei koutou i Horano ki reira ki te tango. 48I korero ano a Ihowa ki a Mohi i taua tino rangi ano, i mea, 49E piki koe i tenei maunga, i Aparimi, ki Maunga Nepo, i te whenua o Moapa, e anga atu ana ki Heriko; ka titiro atu ki te whenua o Kanaana e hoatu nei e ahau ki nga tama a Iharaira hei kainga: 50A e mate koe ki runga ki te maunga e piki atu na koe, ka kohia hoki ki tou iwi; ka peratia me Arona, me tou tuakana, i mate ra ki Maunga Horo, a kohia atu ana ki tona iwi: 51Mo korua hoki i hara ki ahau i waenganui o nga tama a Iharaira i nga wai o Meripa, i Karehe, i te koraha o Hini; mo korua kihai i whakatapu i ahau i waenganui o nga tama a Iharaira. 52Heoi ka kite koe i te whenua i mua i tou aroaro; otiia e kore koe e tae ki reira, ki te whenua e hoatu ana e ahau mo nga tama a Iharaira.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 MOSES' SONG, WHICH SETS FORTH THE PERFECTIONS OF GOD. (Deu. 32:1-43)
Give ear, O ye heavens; . . . hear, O earth--The magnificence of the exordium, the grandeur of the theme, the frequent and sudden transitions, the elevated strain of the sentiments and language, entitle this song to be ranked amongst the noblest specimens of poetry to be found in the Scriptures.
2 My doctrine shall drop, &c.--The language may justly be taken as uttered in the form of a wish or prayer, and the comparison of wholesome instruction to the pure, gentle, and insinuating influence of rain or dew, is frequently made by the sacred writers (
Isa 5:6;
Isa 55:10-
Isa 55:11).
4 He is the Rock--a word expressive of power and stability. The application of it in this passage is to declare that God had been true to His covenant with their fathers and them. Nothing that He had promised had failed; so that if their national experience had been painfully checkered by severe and protracted trials, notwithstanding the brightest promises, that result was traceable to their own undutiful and perverse conduct; not to any vacillation or unfaithfulness on the part of God (
Jas 1:17), whose procedure was marked by justice and judgment, whether they had been exalted to prosperity or plunged into the depths of affliction.
5 They have corrupted themselves--that is, the Israelites by their frequent lapses and their inveterate attachment to idolatry.
their spot is not the spot of his children--This is an allusion to the marks which idolaters inscribe on their foreheads or their arms with paint or other substances, in various colors and forms--straight, oval, or circular, according to the favorite idol of their worship.
6 is not he thy father that hath bought thee--or emancipated thee from Egyptian bondage.
and made thee--advanced the nation to unprecedented and peculiar privileges.
8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance--In the division of the earth, which Noah is believed to have made by divine direction (
Gen 10:5;
Deut 2:5-
Deut 2:9;
Acts 17:26-
Acts 17:27), Palestine was reserved by the wisdom and goodness of Heaven for the possession of His peculiar people and the display of the most stupendous wonders. The theater was small, but admirably suited for the convenient observation of the human race--at the junction of the two great continents of Asia and Africa, and almost within sight of Europe. From this spot as from a common center the report of God's wonderful works, the glad tidings of salvation through the obedience and sufferings of His own eternal Son, might be rapidly and easily wafted to every part of the globe.
he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel--Another rendering, which has received the sanction of eminent scholars, has been proposed as follows: "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam and set the bounds of every people, the children of Israel were few in numbers, when the Lord chose that people and made Jacob His inheritance" (compare
Deut 30:5;
Gen 34:30;
Ps 105:9-
Ps 105:12).
10 found him in a desert land--took him into a covenant relation at Sinai, or rather "sustained," "provided for him" in a desert land.
a waste howling wilderness--a common Oriental expression for a desert infested by wild beasts.
11 As an eagle . . . fluttereth over her young--This beautiful and expressive metaphor is founded on the extraordinary care and attachment which the female eagle cherishes for her young. When her newly fledged progeny are sufficiently advanced to soar in their native element, she, in their first attempts at flying, supports them on the tip of her wing, encouraging, directing, and aiding their feeble efforts to longer and sublimer flights. So did God take the most tender and powerful care of His chosen people; He carried them out of Egypt and led them through all the horrors of the wilderness to the promised inheritance.
13 He made him ride on the high places, &c.--All these expressions seem to have peculiar reference to their home in the trans-jordanic territory, that being the extent of Palestine that they had seen at the time when Moses is represented as uttering these words. "The high places" and "the fields" are specially applicable to the tablelands of Gilead as are the allusions to the herds and flocks, the honey of the wild bees which hive in the crevices of the rocks, the oil from the olive as it grew singly or in small clumps on the tops of hills where scarcely anything else would grow, the finest wheat (
Ps 81:16;
Ps 147:14), and the prolific vintage.
15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked--This is a poetical name for Israel. The metaphor here used is derived from a pampered animal, which, instead of being tame and gentle, becomes mischievous and vicious, in consequence of good living and kind treatment. So did the Israelites conduct themselves by their various acts of rebellion, murmuring, and idolatrous apostasy.
17 They sacrificed unto devils--(See on
Lev 17:7).
21 those which are not a people--that is, not favored with such great and peculiar privileges as the Israelites (or, rather poor, despised heathens). The language points to the future calling of the Gentiles.
23 I will spend mine arrows upon them--War, famine, pestilence (
Ps 77:17) are called in Scripture the arrows of the Almighty.
29 Oh, . . . that they would consider their latter end--The terrible judgments, which, in the event of their continued and incorrigible disobedience, would impart so awful a character to the close of their national history.
32 vine of Sodom . . . grapes of gall--This fruit, which the Arabs call "Lot's Sea Orange," is of a bright yellow color and grows in clusters of three or four. When mellow, it is tempting in appearance, but on being struck, explodes like a puffball, consisting of skin and fiber only.
44 Moses . . . spake all the words of this song in the ears, &c.--It has been beautifully styled "the Song of the Dying Swan" [LOWTH]. It was designed to be a national anthem, which it should be the duty and care of magistrates to make well known by frequent repetition, to animate the people to right sentiments towards a steadfast adherence to His service.
48 Get thee up . . . and die . . . Because ye trespassed . . . at Meribah--(See on
Num 20:13).
52 thou shalt see the land, but thou shalt not go thither-- (
Num 27:12). Notwithstanding so severe a disappointment, not a murmur of complaint escapes his lips. He is not only resigned but acquiescing; and in the near prospect of his death, he pours forth the feelings of his devout heart in sublime strains and eloquent blessings.