Deuteronomy 32:37

Hebrew Bible

35 I will get revenge and pay them back at the time their foot slips; for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending judgment is rushing upon them!” 36 The Lord will judge his people, and will have compassion on his servants;62 when he sees that their power has disappeared, and that no one is left, whether confined or set free. 37 He will say, “Where are their gods, the rock in whom they sought security, 38 who ate the best of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise and help you; let them be your refuge! 39 “See now that I, indeed I, am he!” says the Lord, “and there is no other god besides me. I kill and give life, I smash and I heal, and none can resist my power.

Jeremiah 2:28

Hebrew Bible

26 Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets. 27 They say to a wooden idol, ‘You are my father.’ They say to a stone image, ‘You gave birth to me.’ Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ 28 But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them save you when you are in trouble. The sad fact is that you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah. 29 Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me,”says the Lord. 30 “It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion.”

 Notes and References

"... The depiction in Deuteronomy 32:32-33 of the vine of Israel, 'For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom, and from the fields of Gomorrah, their grapes are grapes of poison, their clusters are bitter; their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of asps' along with Isaiah 5:1-7, may be the antecedents for Jeremiah 2:21, 'But it was I who planted you choice grapes, wholly sound stock, so how could you turn putrid?' 'Retribution and recompense is mine' (Deuteronomy 32:35) may have stimulated the association of those two roots in Jeremiah 20:10 (though see the exegesis of that verse: I have suggested the revocalization of the word referred to). Finally, Deuteronomy 32:35 mentions the 'day of their calamity', in the context of which 'he [Yahweh] will say, 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge, who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them arise and help you, let them be your protection!' (Deuteronomy 32:37-38); Jeremiah uses the material ironically, perceiving Yahweh to put some of this in the mouth of Judah, 'But in the time of their disaster they will say, 'Arise and save us!' Where are your gods which you made for yourself? Let them arise if they can save you in the time of your disaster!' (Jeremiah 2:27-28) ..."

Holladay, William Lee Jeremiah 2: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapters 26-52 (p. 91) Fortress Press, 1989

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.