Deuteronomy 32 13

Deuteronomy 32:13 kjv

He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

Deuteronomy 32:13 nkjv

"He made him ride in the heights of the earth, That he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock;

Deuteronomy 32:13 niv

He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag,

Deuteronomy 32:13 esv

He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock.

Deuteronomy 32:13 nlt

He let them ride over the highlands
and feast on the crops of the fields.
He nourished them with honey from the rock
and olive oil from the stony ground.

Deuteronomy 32 verses

Deuteronomy 32 13 Meaning

Deuteronomy 32:13 comprehensively describes the extraordinary blessings and unparalleled provision Yahweh bestowed upon Israel. It portrays God elevating His chosen people to a position of prominence and privilege, providing them with abundant resources and sustenance beyond natural means. This verse highlights divine enablement and miraculous provision, emphasizing God's ability to supply even from seemingly barren sources, demonstrating His complete sovereignty and loving care over Israel, setting them apart among all nations.

Deuteronomy 32 13 Context

Deuteronomy 32:13 is part of "The Song of Moses" (Deuteronomy 32:1-43), a poetic and prophetic sermon delivered by Moses to the Israelites just before his death and their entry into the Promised Land. The song serves as both a retrospective account of God's faithful dealings with Israel and a prophetic warning concerning their future rebellion and subsequent judgment, followed by ultimate restoration. Verse 13, specifically, is found in the initial section of the song (vv. 7-14), which describes God's gracious and abundant provision for Israel, particularly during their wilderness wandering and upon their settlement in the land. The song vividly contrasts God's unfailing love and provision with Israel's impending apostasy. Culturally, the song operates within an ancient Near Eastern treaty-covenant framework, emphasizing blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, while setting Yahweh apart as the unique and supreme God over all pagan deities often associated with natural fertility and resources.

Deuteronomy 32 13 Word analysis

• He made him ride (וַיַּרְכִּבֵהוּ - vayarkivehu): From the root רכב (rakav), meaning "to ride," "to mount." The causative Hiphil form emphasizes that God Himself actively enabled or caused Israel to ascend. This depicts not just Israel's journey, but their elevation and dominance, often associated with a king riding triumphantly or a chieftain being honored, signifying security, ease, and mastery rather than arduous travel.
• on the high places (עַל בָּמֳתֵי - al bamotei): The term בָּמָה (bamah, plural bamot) generally refers to "high places." While often later associated with pagan worship sites, in this context, it refers to elevated, strategic, and secure positions on the earth, implying sovereignty, advantage, and a privileged status among nations. It denotes safety, prominence, and easy access to superior resources or viewpoints, not struggle.
• of the earth (אָרֶץ - aretz): Refers to the land, specifically here the Promised Land, but also the broader world, signifying their favored status globally.
• he ate (וַיֹּאכַל - vayokhal): Standard Hebrew verb "to eat," signifying partaking of food. The implied subject is Israel, indicating their effortless enjoyment of abundant produce.
• the produce (תְּנוּבַת - t’nuvat): From the root נוב (nuv), meaning "to yield fruit," "to bud forth." It denotes the yield or fruit of the ground, implying rich agricultural bounty.
• of the field (שָׂדָי - sady): Standard word for cultivated ground, field, or open country. It refers to the ordinary, expected blessings of a fruitful land.
• He made him draw (וַיֵּנִקֵהוּ - vayenikehu): From the root ינק (yanaq), literally "to suckle" or "to nurse." In the causative Hiphil, it means "to cause to suckle," or here, metaphorically, "to draw sustenance from." It highlights the intimate, life-giving, and often miraculous way God provided, as if nurturing an infant. This denotes the miraculous effortlessness of the provision.
• honey (דְּבַשׁ - devash): Refers to honey, a precious commodity and symbol of sweetness and abundance. Its source being a rock is profoundly miraculous.
• from the rock (מִסֶּלַע - mislav): A standard word for a crag, cliff, or solid rock. The implication is obtaining something sweet and desirable from an unyielding, seemingly barren source.
• oil (וָשֶׁמֶן - vashemen): Olive oil, a staple, valuable commodity used for food, fuel, light, medicine, and anointing. It represents prosperity and blessing.
• from the flinty rock (מֵחַלְמִישׁ צוּר - meḥal·mish tzur): חַלְמִישׁ (ḥalmiš) refers to "flint," a very hard, impenetrable stone. צוּר (tzur) also means "rock," often specifically a massive, firm rock. The combination "flinty rock" intensifies the hardness, signifying an absolutely impossible natural source. The ability to extract oil from such a substance points to God's omnipotent power.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "He made him ride on the high places of the earth": This phrase encapsulates God's active role in elevating Israel to a position of triumph, security, and preeminence. It speaks of divine favor and protection that sets them above nations and dangers, enabling them to navigate the world with ease and authority, rather than struggling on low paths. It implies divine guidance leading them to the best, most advantageous places.
• "he ate the produce of the field": While seemingly ordinary, in this context, it is juxtaposed with the extraordinary, suggesting that even the common agricultural blessings they would enjoy in the Promised Land were a direct, effortless result of God's abundant provision, freely given to His privileged people. It signifies full provision for their natural needs.
• "He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock": These two parallel clauses are hyperbole, signifying God's ability to provide sustenance and luxury from utterly impossible, barren sources. "Honey from the rock" recalls the miraculous provision in the wilderness (e.g., water from the rock), while "oil from the flinty rock" pushes the miraculous even further, demonstrating God's power to create wealth and blessing where nature would yield nothing but barrenness. It signifies the miraculous and super-abundant nature of God's provision beyond human expectation or natural limitation, making the impossible possible.

Deuteronomy 32 13 Bonus section

This verse employs vivid hyperbole, characteristic of poetic and prophetic speech, to underscore the extent of God's blessings. The phrases "high places of the earth" and drawing "honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock" are not meant to be taken literally as Israel riding atop mountains or physically extracting oil from granite, but rather signify a qualitative, rather than merely quantitative, difference in God's provision for them. It symbolizes Israel’s elevation above all other peoples (exaltation), their abundant, even luxurious, sustenance, and the miraculous nature of God’s care. It highlights that Israel’s blessed status was entirely due to God’s unilateral divine action and power, demonstrating that His resources are limitless and His methods are beyond human comprehension. This sets up the stark contrast later in the song, where Israel's unfaithfulness directly clashes with such a giving and powerful God.

Deuteronomy 32 13 Commentary

Deuteronomy 32:13 offers a potent portrayal of Yahweh's unparalleled care and supernatural provision for Israel. It describes Israel's elevation by God Himself, placing them in positions of eminence and security, as if carried on high by divine favor. This is contrasted with other nations who might struggle. The imagery of eating the "produce of the field" speaks to God ensuring their fundamental sustenance, establishing them in a land flowing with natural abundance. More remarkably, the verse escalates to highlight God's power to provide beyond all natural limits: drawing "honey from the rock" and "oil from the flinty rock." Honey from a rock points to unexpected sweetness and miraculous sustenance from barren places, akin to the water from a rock in the wilderness. Oil from flint, an impenetrable stone, underscores God's ability to extract richness and essential resources from utter barrenness, symbolizing superabundant prosperity that defies natural explanation. This verse fundamentally declares God as the sole, omnipotent source of Israel's elevated status, security, and astonishing wealth, setting them apart and demonstrating His covenant faithfulness through extraordinary means, assuring them that nothing, not even barrenness, could prevent His lavish provision. This also serves as a polemic against reliance on false gods for prosperity, firmly establishing Yahweh as the one true provider.