Deut 32:1–6: the summons, the Rock, and "your Father"

Says The Song opens by calling heaven and earth to listen: הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם … וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ (ha'azinu hashamayim … vetishma' ha'arets, "Give ear, O heavens … hear, O earth," BSB).

Says The text presents the Song as Moses' (31:22, 30): 32:44 says וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה (vayyavo moshe, "Then Moses came," BSB) וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה־הַזֹּאת (vaydabber et-kol-divre hashirah hazzot, "recited all the words of this song," BSB).

Uncertain Whether the Song follows a covenant-lawsuit form. The lean is that it echoes one: heaven and earth are summoned as hearers, and 32:5–6 charge the people with corruption against their Father. The alternative is a teaching poem, since 32:2 calls the Song לִקְחִי (liqkhi, "my teaching," BSB).

Says 32:4 begins with הַצּוּר (hatsur, "the Rock," BSB). "Rock" for God returns in 32:15, 18, 30, and 31 ("our Rock"); in 32:31 ("their rock") and 32:37 the word is used of the other gods.

Onqelos renders "Rock" with a word for strength in 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31, and 37 (e.g. תַּקִיפָא, "the Strong One," 32:4).

Says 32:5 is hard Hebrew: שִׁחֵת לוֹ לֹא בָּנָיו מוּמָם (shikhet lo lo banav mumam, "he has acted corruptly to him; not his sons, their blemish," literal). The BSB smooths it; the textual question is treated separately.

Uncertain Whether קָּנֶךָ (qanekha, 32:6) means "created you" or "acquired you." The lean is "created," beside עָשְׂךָ ('asekha, "made you") and וַיְכֹנְנֶךָ (vaykhonenekha, "established you"); BSB has "Creator." The alternative is "acquired," Israel as the Lord's own people (32:9).