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Deuteronomy 32:3–4

Moses sings of God as the Rock: all his ways are just

3For the name of YHWH I will proclaim; ascribe greatness to our Elohim.

4The Rock: his work is blameless, for all his ways are justice. An El of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is he.

Study it word by word

In its context

1“Give ear, heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the sayings of my mouth.

2Let my teaching drip like the rain, let my saying distill like the dew, like showers on the vegetation and like downpours on the grass.

…

5They have acted corruptly toward him; they are not his children, because of their defect, a crooked and twisted generation.

6Is it to YHWH you repay this, foolish and unwise people? Is he not your father, who acquired you? He made you and established you.

Read all of Deuteronomy 32

Its words in the original

  • שֵׁםshem· name

    Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.

  • יְהוָהyehva· YHWH

    The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

  • אֶקְרָאekra· call, proclaim

    Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.

  • הָבוּhavu· give, come!

    Give. In the imperative it is used to urge: "come!", "come on!"

  • גֹדֶלgodel· greatness

    Greatness.

  • אלֹהֵיlohe· Elohim, God, gods

    The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.

  • צּוּרtsur· rock

    Rock, a large crag. It is also an image of God as a firm refuge.

  • תָּמִיםtamim· blameless

    Complete, whole, without defect. Said of a person, blameless: of one piece, without falseness. It does not mean that he has never sinned.

  • פָּעֳלpaol· deed, work

    Deed, work, what someone does.

  • דְּרָכָיderachay· way

    Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.

  • מִשְׁפָּטmishpat· justice, judgment

    What is right and the decision that establishes it: the judgment of a judge, someone's right, a rule or ordinance, a custom. "Do righteousness and justice" is to treat each one as is due.

  • אֵלel· El, God, god

    "El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".

  • אֱמוּנָהemuna· faithfulness, steadiness

    Steadiness; from there faithfulness, being trustworthy.

  • עָוֶלavel· injustice, wrong

    Injustice; what is crooked, what is not right.

  • צַדִּיקtsadik· righteous

    Righteous: one who does what is right before God and before others; just, innocent.

  • יָשָׁרyashar· upright, right

    Upright: what is right and just; straight.

Holiness