Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 32:15
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked, etc.] This is undoubtedly a name of the people of Israel; it is to be met with only in three places more, in (<053305>Deuteronomy 33:5,26 <234402>Isaiah 44:2); it is generally thought to come from a word f589 which signifies upright and righteous, such these people ought to have been, and some among them were; and they generally professed themselves, and outwardly appeared to be upright, just, and righteous persons, and were desirous of being reckoned so; which was their character in the times of Christ, when they rejected him: others derive it from a word f590 which signifies to behold, to see, and so describes them as seeing ones; and such they had been in the times of Moses, saw extraordinary sights and wonders in Egypt, the great salvation at the Red sea, the Lord going before them in a pillar of cloud and life; the manna every day falling about their tents; twice rocks smitten, and waters flowing from them, and had often very uncommon sights of the glory of God: and in the times of Christ, to which this song refers, they saw him in the flesh, preaching in their synagogues, doing miracles, riding on an ass to Jerusalem, according to one of their prophecies, and expiring on the cross, and yet rejected him. They are said to “wax fat”, enjoy great outward prosperity, to abound in temporal good things, as they also did in spiritual, privileges; enjoying, or they might have enjoyed, such a ministry of the word, as never was before or since, the ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, of Christ himself, and of his apostles, yet they “kicked”; which may denote their disobedience to the laws of God, moral and ceremonial, (see <090229>1 Samuel 2:29 <160925>Nehemiah 9:25,26); and particularly the introduction of idolatry among them, which was kicking against God, and his worship; first among the ten tribes, in the times of Jeroboam, and among the two tribes, more especially in the times of Manasseh; and this kicking was particularly verified in Judas’s lifting up his heel against Christ, and betraying him; which was not merely the sin of him only, but what the whole body of the people were involved in, (see <194109>
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