Deuteronomy 32:13
He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about God providing a fertile land; it's about a sovereign God intentionally elevating Israel to places of advantage. "Riding on the high places" signifies not just possession, but dominion and triumph, while "sucking honey out of the rock" and "oil out of the flinty rock" illustrates God’s power to bring abundance from the most unpromising circumstances.
This passage comes at the end of Moses' farewell song to Israel, a powerful and prophetic piece that recounts God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness. Just before this, the song has described God's anger and judgment against His people for turning to other gods and forsaking Him. This verse, however, shifts to a description of the abundant blessings God provided them, highlighting the richness and fertility of the land He gave them.
Imagine being given the keys to a kingdom, not just for survival, but for thriving. This verse paints a picture of God granting Israel ultimate advantage.
The phrase 'He made him ride on the high places of the earth' signifies more than just physical elevation. It speaks of dominion, a position of power and control over the land. It's about God placing Israel in a strategic, elevated position, from which they could survey, conquer, and possess. This wasn't just about reaching the peaks, but about ruling from them.
This elevated position directly led to sustenance: 'that he might eat the increase of the fields.' God didn't just give them a vantage point; He ensured it was a land rich with produce, a land that would nourish and sustain them. The picture is one of God's active enablement for His people to not just survive, but to flourish and enjoy the fruits of the land He gave them.
What if the most unexpected places yielded the sweetest rewards? This verse uses vivid imagery to show God's power to provide even from the most barren-seeming resources.
The imagery of 'suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock' is remarkable. Rocks and flinty ground are typically associated with barrenness, not abundance. Yet, God promises that even these unlikely sources would yield rich sustenance.
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This speaks to the extraordinary nature of God's blessing on the land of Canaan. It wasn't just that the fields would be fertile, but that even the seemingly unproductive parts of the landscape would burst forth with provision. The 'honey out of the rock' likely refers to wild honey from bees nesting in rock crevices, and 'oil out of the flinty rock' points to olive trees thriving in rocky soil. It’s a testament to God’s ability to superabundantly bless, turning the impossible into provision.
Understand the original words
tsur · Hebrew Noun
A symbolic title for God, emphasizing His unchanging nature, dependability, strength, and role as a refuge and foundation for His people. It contrasts with the shifting, unreliable idols of the nations.
This verse describes the promised prosperity and security God would give Israel in the land of Canaan. The "high places" refer to their ability to conquer and possess the strongest parts of the land, while the "honey out of the rock" and "oil out of the flinty rock" are poetic expressions for the land's incredible fertility, even in seemingly barren areas, a direct result of God's blessing.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, leading them through the Red Sea and into the wilderness.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, begin their military campaign to conquer the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Division of Canaan
The land of Canaan is systematically divided among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance.
c. 1400 BC - 1050 BC
Period of the Judges
A cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance characterizes Israel's history as they gradually settle and govern the land.
This psalm echoes Deuteronomy's theme of God giving fruitful lands to His people, recounting how God granted them the lands of the nations and the produce of the fields, mirroring the bounty described in Deuteronomy 32:13.
Isaiah 58:14This verse promises that those who follow God's ways will 'ride on the high places of the earth,' which directly parallels the imagery in Deuteronomy 32:13 and suggests a spiritual or elevated state of victory and provision.
Ezekiel 27:7This passage describes the fine linen and blue sails of Tyre, indicating advanced trade and prosperity derived from their resources, which serves as a parallel to the rich produce and abundance Israel was given from the land.
Jeremiah 2:7This verse speaks of God bringing Israel into a 'fruitful land' to 'eat its produce and its good fruits,' directly aligning with the idea of God providing abundant sustenance from the land as described in Deuteronomy 32:13.
calvinDeuteronomy 32:1-52: "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth."
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
Ipsi ad zelum provocaverunt me, in eo quod non est Deus, ad iracundiam me provocaverunt in vanitatibus suis: et ego ad zelum provocabo eos in eo qui non…
barnesDeuteronomy 32:13: "He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;"
i. e., God gave Israel possession of those commanding positions which carry with them dominion over the whole land (compare Deuteronomy 33:29 ), and enabled him to draw the richest provision out of spots naturally unproductive.
This verse isn't just about God providing a fertile land; it's about a sovereign God intentionally elevating Israel to places of advantage. "Riding on the high places" signifies not just possession, but dominion and triumph, while "sucking honey out of the rock" and "oil out of the flinty rock" illustrates God’s power to bring abundance from the most unpromising circumstances.
This passage comes at the end of Moses' farewell song to Israel, a powerful and prophetic piece that recounts God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness. Just before this, the song has described God's anger and judgment against His people for turning to other gods and forsaking Him. This verse, however, shifts to a description of the abundant blessings God provided them, highlighting the richness and fertility of the land He gave them.
This passage comes at the end of Moses' farewell song to Israel, a powerful and prophetic piece that recounts God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness. Just before this, the song has described God's anger and judgment against His people for turning to other gods and forsaking Him. This verse, however, shifts to a description of the abundant blessings God provided them, highlighting the richness and fertility of the land He gave them.
"He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock." — This verse isn't just about God providing a fertile land; it's about a sovereign God intentionally elevating Israel to places of advantage. "Riding on the high places" signifies not just possession…
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