Deut 32:15–18: Jeshurun, the demons, and the Rock forgotten
Says 32:15 names Israel יְשֻׁרוּן (yeshurun) and switches to "you" in mid-line: שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ (shamanta 'avita kasita, "you grew fat, thick, gorged," literal), three Qal perfects, second person.
Says The same verse says he וַיִּטֹּשׁ אֱלוֹהַ עָשָׂהוּ (vayyittosh eloah 'asahu, "abandoned the God who made him," BSB) and scorned צוּר יְשֻׁעָתוֹ (tsur yeshu'ato, "the Rock of his salvation," BSB).
Says 32:17 says יִזְבְּחוּ לַשֵּׁדִים לֹא אֱלֹהַ (yizbekhu lashedim lo eloah, "They sacrificed to demons, not to God," BSB), and calls these אֱלֹהִים לֹא יְדָעוּם (elohim lo yeda'um, "gods they had not known," BSB).
BDB (pp. 993–994, s.v. shed) takes the noun as apparently "demon," a loanword from Assyrian, and lists this verse with Ps 106:37.
Says 32:18 says צוּר יְלָדְךָ תֶּשִׁי (tsur yeladekha teshi, "You ignored the Rock who brought you forth," BSB). OSHB parses תֶּשִׁי as a Qal imperfect, second person. In the parallel line God is מְחֹלְלֶךָ (mekholelekha, "who gave you birth," BSB).
BDB (p. 1009) enters תֶּשִׁי under the root [שָׁיָה].
Claims
- Says32:15 names Israel יְשֻׁרוּן and shifts to second person: שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ (three Qal perfects, 2ms).
- Says32:15 he וַיִּטֹּשׁ אֱלוֹהַ עָשָׂהוּ and scorned צוּר יְשֻׁעָתוֹ.
- Says32:17 יִזְבְּחוּ לַשֵּׁדִים לֹא אֱלֹהַ, אֱלֹהִים לֹא יְדָעוּם.
- Says32:18 צוּר יְלָדְךָ תֶּשִׁי; OSHB parses תֶּשִׁי as Qal imperfect 2ms; God מְחֹלְלֶךָ "who gave you birth."
Citations
- BDB CC BY 4.0 pp. 993–994, s.v. shed (frozen BDB excerpt in the Deut 32 baseline inputs, read on the page images)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 p. 1009, s.v. [שָׁיָה] (frozen LOCATORS.md row in the Deut 32 baseline inputs, read on the page image; locator only)
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Deut 32:15–18 (morph HVqp2ms; HVqi2ms) (frozen input inputs/oshb/Deut.32.oshb-morph.jsonl)
- BSB public domain Deut 32:15, 17–18 (frozen input inputs/bsb/Deut.32.bsb.jsonl)
2026-11-04
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