Deuteronomy 32 5

Deuteronomy 32:5 kjv

They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

Deuteronomy 32:5 nkjv

"They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation.

Deuteronomy 32:5 niv

They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.

Deuteronomy 32:5 esv

They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation.

Deuteronomy 32:5 nlt

"But they have acted corruptly toward him;
when they act so perversely,
are they really his children?
They are a deceitful and twisted generation.

Deuteronomy 32 verses

Deuteronomy 32 5 Meaning

Deuteronomy 32:5 presents a profound divine indictment against the people of Israel, proclaiming that they have willfully engaged in self-corruption and moral defilement against God. This internal blemish, or "spot," indicates a spiritual condition so marred that it fundamentally contradicts their divinely bestowed identity as His covenant children. The verse definitively describes them as a generation marked by perversion and spiritual distortion, a testament to their deep-seated departure from God's righteous and straightforward ways.

Deuteronomy 32 5 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 32, known as the Song of Moses, is a powerful prophetic address delivered by Moses just prior to his death. This song functions as a covenant lawsuit, summoning heaven and earth to witness God's righteous character contrasted with Israel's future apostasy and the ensuing divine judgment, culminating in ultimate redemption. Within the broader context of Deuteronomy, which recounts Moses' farewell speeches reiterating the Mosaic Law to the second generation of Israelites before their entry into the Promised Land, this song acts as a dire warning.

Verse 5, early in the song, immediately strikes a polemical chord against any notion of inherent righteousness or unconditional privilege. While the surrounding cultures often depicted their deities with human-like flaws, this song consistently portrays Yahweh as the perfect, just, and faithful God (Dt 32:4) in direct opposition to Israel's expected imperfection. The original audience would have understood "spot" or "blemish" in light of priestly and sacrificial purity laws, where physical defects disqualified participants or offerings. Moses here extends that concept to the moral realm, indicating that Israel's moral blemish renders them spiritually unacceptable despite their unique covenant status.

Deuteronomy 32 5 Word analysis

• They have corrupted themselves: Hebrew: Shikhet (שִׁחֵת). Derived from the root shachath, meaning to destroy, spoil, or ruin. Used in the Hiphil stem, this verb implies an active, causative, and often reflexive sense, indicating that Israel caused itself to be corrupt or acted corruptly. It is not a passive decay but a deliberate and active defilement, often referring to actions like idol worship (Ex 32:7) that ruin their spiritual standing and relationship with God.

• Their spot is not the spot of his children:

  • Spot: Hebrew: Mum (מוּם). Primarily a term for a physical defect or blemish, crucial in purity laws for animals (Lev 22:21) or priests (Lev 21:17-23). Here, it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual or moral defect. It signifies an inherent imperfection or defilement that renders one unacceptable.
  • His children: Hebrew: Banayv (בָּנָיו). This refers to Israel's unique status as God's chosen "sons" or "children" through covenant adoption and redemption (Dt 32:6). The phrase "their spot is not the spot of his children" signifies a complete dissimilarity between the blamelessness characteristic of a perfect God's children and the blemished reality of Israel. Their moral impurity starkly contrasts with the holiness befitting a child of God, essentially disqualifying them from bearing that pure resemblance.

• They are a perverse and crooked generation:

  • Perverse: Hebrew: Iqesh (עִקֵּשׁ). This adjective describes something twisted, distorted, morally depraved, or indirect. It conveys a deep-seated spiritual and moral aberration, a deviation from the straight and right path of God's commands and character.
  • Crooked: Hebrew: Petaltol (פְּתַלְתֹּל). This intensive adjective (from a root meaning "to twist, wind") strongly reinforces "perverse," suggesting winding, deceitful, and tortuous behavior. The pairing vividly portrays an intentional, ingrained departure from moral rectitude.
  • Generation: Hebrew: Dor (דּוֹר). Refers to an age group, but contextually, a collective entity that manifests specific characteristics. It implies that this corruption is not merely isolated acts but a widespread, prevailing moral quality within the people throughout different epochs of their history, showing a continuous pattern of rebellion.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children": This segment delivers a stinging indictment on Israel's self-inflicted spiritual harm. Their deliberate actions have resulted in a deep moral blemish, a pervasive flaw that stands in direct opposition to the pure, unblemished nature expected of God's true covenant children. It underscores a fundamental breach in their identity and relationship with God, where external privilege does not align with internal moral condition.
  • "they are a perverse and crooked generation": This clause amplifies the description of their corruption, defining its essence as profound moral and spiritual distortion. It signifies a collective and habitual inclination to deviate from righteousness, implying a treacherous and unstraightforward character that contrasts sharply with the integrity of God's ways. This emphasizes that their corruption is not merely incidental but a deeply ingrained characteristic of their collective disposition.

Deuteronomy 32 5 Bonus section

• The Song of Moses employs legal covenant language, and this verse functions as a part of the prosecution's opening statement against Israel for breaching the covenant. The "spot" and "crookedness" are the evidence presented.
• The severity of the indictment is heightened by the personal nature of the offense: "They have corrupted themselves," placing the full responsibility squarely on Israel's choices.
• This verse contributes to the overarching Deuteronomic theology of choice and consequence, where covenant faithfulness leads to life and blessing, while defection leads to spiritual death and judgment.
• While initially referring to historical Israel, the spiritual principles of corruption, blemish, and perversity transcend time, applying to any community or individual that deviates from God's perfect standard.

Deuteronomy 32 5 Commentary

Deuteronomy 32:5 acts as a sharp and concise prophecy within Moses' grand song, condemning Israel's future spiritual degeneration. Despite their unique standing as God's covenant "children," their deliberate acts of moral corruption would introduce an intrinsic "blemish," rendering their identity paradoxical to their actions. This internal "spot" directly contrasts with the perfect holiness required by God and implicitly warns against spiritual unacceptability, paralleling the disqualifying physical blemishes in Levitical purity laws. The descriptors "perverse and crooked generation" powerfully illustrate a deep, ingrained spiritual deformity and a pervasive tendency to stray from divine truth and righteousness. This verse teaches that God demands internal integrity over mere external privilege and warns that deviation from His ways results in profound self-corruption. This divine observation finds resonance throughout biblical history, as various generations of Israel are called "perverse and crooked," even culminating in the generation that rejected Christ (Matt 17:17, Phil 2:15). It serves as a timeless reminder that true sonship is defined by conformity to God's character, not simply by ancestral claim.