Deuteronomy 32:42

32:39-43 This conclusion of the song speaks, 1. Glory to God. No escape can be made from his power. 2. It speaks terror to his enemies. Terror indeed to those who hate him. The wrath of God is here revealed from heaven against them. 3. It speaks comfort to his own people. The song concludes with words of joy. Whatever judgments are brought upon sinners, it shall go well with the people of God.

(42) My sword shall devour flesh. —Comp. Isaiah 66:16 : “For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many” With blood.—Literally, from the blood of the slain and of the captivity, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Judgment must begin at the house of God, as it did in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 9:6), “and begin at my sanctuary;” but it will not end there.

Verse 42. - My sword shall devour flesh ; literally, shall eat flesh ; "the edge of the sword is called its mouth, because, like a mouth, it is said to eat and devour" (Gesenius). From the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Different renderings of this have been given: LXX., ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς ἀρχόντων ἐχθρῶν , "from the head of the hostile princes;" "from the head of the chiefs of the enemy" (Geseuius, Furst, Rosenmüller); "from the hairy head of the foe" (Keil, Herxheimer, Knobel). פְרַעות , the plural of פֶרַע , hair, locks, signifies primarily hairs, and a head of hairs, and may be taken as equivalent to "a hairy head;" but the word is also used in the sense of "princes" or "chiefs" (probably because such were distinguished by copious flowing locks; cf. Judges 5:2 ); hence the rendering, "head of the chiefs." The former is to be preferred here, for why chiefs or princes should be referred to in this connection does not appear (cf. Psalm 68:22 ). The rendering of the Authorized Version is wholly unauthorized.

This verse presents an instance of alternate parallelism; each half falls into two members, and of the four members thus constituted, the third corresponds to the first, and the fourth to the second; thus - a "I will make my arrows drunk with blood, b And my sword shall devour flesh; a' With the blood of the slain and the captives, b' From the hairy head of the foe." Deuteronomy 32:42Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old TestamentThe Lord will show Himself as the only true God, who slays and makes alive, etc. He will take vengeance upon His enemies, avenge the blood of His servants, and expiate His land, His people. With this promise, which is full of comfort for all the servants of the Lord, the ode concludes. "For I lift up My hand to heaven, and say, As truly as I live for ever, if I have sharpened My flashing sword, and My hand grasps for judgment, I will repay vengeance to My adversaries, and requite My haters. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword will eat flesh; with the blood of the slain and prisoners, with the hairy head of the foe." Lifting up the hand to heaven was a gesture by which a person taking an oath invoked God, who is enthroned in heaven, as a witness of the truth and an avenger of falsehood (Genesis 14:22). Here, as in Exodus 6:8 and Numbers 14:30, it is used anthropomorphically of God, who is in heaven, and can swear by no greater than Himself (vid., Isaiah 45:23; Jeremiah 22:5; Hebrews 6:17).

Of the captives; whom my sword hath sorely wounded, though not utterly killed. From the beginning of revenges upon the enemy, i.e. when once I begin to revenge myself and my people upon mine and their enemies, I will go on and make a full end. Or, with the head , or with the blood of the head , i.e. of the chief or chiefs, of the revenges of the enemy, i. e. of the revengeful or malicious enemy of God and of his people. The noun substantive is oft put for the adjective; as Genesis 17:5 , a multitude of nations is put for many nations , Romans 4:17 Genesis 45:22 , changes of raiment , i.e. changeable raiment; and Psalm 99:4 , the king’s strength , i.e. the strong and mighty king; and so here, the revenges of the enemy , i.e. the revengeful enemy. And by the head may be here understood either the devil, or the beads and rulers of those empires which were enemies to God’s people. Or, of the head shall be the revenges upon the enemies , i.e. I will take vengeance upon all mine enemies, yea, upon the head or heads of them.

42 . and the captives ] Assigned to death later. leaders ] So LXX ἀρχόντων , Heb. para‘ôth , Ar. fara‘, to excel ; A.V. beginning of revenges from the analogy of Aram. phara . In Numbers 6:5 , Ezekiel 44:20 , pere‘ = flowing locks . Cp. W. R. Smith on Jdg 5:2 , in Black’s Judges , in Smaller Cambridge Bible for Schools . 43 Sing, O ye nations, His people, For His servants’ blood He avengeth, And vengeance He wreaks on His foes, And assoils the land of His people.