Deuteronomy 32:1

 Deuteronomy 32:1

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

a. ASV: Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: 'Give ear, O heavens, and I speak; And thou dost hear, O earth, sayings of my mouth!  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Give ear, O heavens, and I [Moses] will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say!  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: Give ear, O heavens, and i will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. The Israel Bible: Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words i utter!  [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

1. “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.”

a. Give ear [Strong: 238 'azan aw-zan' a primitive root; probably to expand; but used only as a denominative from 241; to broaden out the ear (with the hand), i.e. (by implication) to listen:--give (perceive by the) ear, hear(-ken).]

b. [O ye] heavens [Strong: 8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).]

c. [and I will] speak [Strong: 1696 dabar daw-bar' a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.]

d. [and] hear [Strong: 8085 shama` shaw-mah' a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.]

e. [O] earth [Strong: 776 'erets eh'-rets from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

f. [the] words [Strong: 561 'emer ay'-mer from 559; something said:--answer, X appointed unto him, saying, speech, word.]

g. [of my] mouth [Strong: 6310 peh peh from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to:--accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, + file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk, tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word.]

1). Louis Goldberg, Deuteronomy: The introduction to Moses' song is in prose form (Deuteronomy 31:30), while the song itself is in poetic form (Deuteronomy 32). Verse 30 tells us that Moses recited the words of the song to the whole assembly (the music to the song was introduced at a later date. One can imagine the strong impact the words (and music) could have had on the listeners. The setting was designed to remind the people of their covenant relationship with their God and to encourage them to be faithful to His commandments and statutes. Another interesting feature of this song is its literary form, which follows the pattern of the Middle Eastern treaties between suzerain leaders and their subject-vassals. The pattern followed in these treaties is known as the riv or legal suit pattern. The subdivisions of the song reflect the different parts of the treaty. The song, therefore is a lawsuit itself, reflecting the covenant relationship as a very important witness between God and His people. The treaty form is not followed exactly, but Moses adapted it for his own purposes, as we shall note.