Deuteronomy 32:18-19, 20, 21
Chapter 32
18
They have disowned the Rock who fathered them;
they have forgotten the God who gave them birth.
19
The Lord saw this and, in his anger, rejected his sons and daughters.
20
He said, “I will hide my face from them
and see what will become of them.
They are so perverse, so unfaithful!
21
They made me jealous with their false gods
and angered me with their idols.
I will, therefore, make them envious of foolish people,
I will provoke them to anger with an empty-headed nation.
Commentaries
Canticle of Moses.
This song resembles a “judicial process,” a literary style often used in prophetic writing: calling witnesses (1-4); explaining guilt (5f); trial (7-14); accusation (15-18); sentencing (19-25). The entire song contains wisdom elements (1f.6f.19f.28f) and may include a later addition from the postexilic period (38f), reflecting Jewish theological development: it discusses an absolute or theoretical monotheism: “there is no other besides me” (39; cf. Is 43:11,13; 45:5f.18,21f; 48:12, etc.).
From a theological perspective, verses 7-14 highlight God’s care and compassion in creating and nurturing his people, which Moses uses to help Israel understand the character of their God. However, Israel neither fully comprehends nor openly recognizes this; they have sought independence and turned to other gods that proved to be false (15-18). As a result, God abandons them to the forces they trusted. Soon, the shame and power of their enemies threaten to wipe them out (20:26). The only thing capable of saving Israel is God’s love, which confounds the hostility of the prideful (27-35, 37-42) and restores his people, rejoicing over them once again (36-43).