YHWH gave the song in Deuteronomy 32.00 as a witness against Israel (Deut 31:19). At the outset of Israel’s history, YHWH shows how the whole of their history will play out. This song summarizes the theology of Deuteronomy in poetic form, and anticipates that Israel will proceed from wealth to apostasy to judgment. But there is grace in the end: YHWH promises that wrath will give way to compassion and vindication for his people (32:36–43).
In this paper, we document no less than 29.00 allusions and echoes to Deuteronomy 32.00 in the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s dependence on the language of Deuteronomy is well known. But only one short essay by William Holladay (“Jeremiah and Moses,” JBL [1966]) has considered Jeremiah’s sustained use of Deuteronomy 32.00 in particular, and that in a cursory manner. What is the significance of this important connection to the Song of Moses?
This paper contends that Deuteronomy 32.00 frames the language and theology of the book of Jeremiah in a profound way. First, in keeping with Deuteronomy 32’s function as a witness against Israel, many of the allusions in Jeremiah highlight how Israel/Judah has fallen into precisely the apostasy that YHWH had predicted in the song. This connection serves two purposes: the conviction of Israel and the defense of YHWH. Second, Jeremiah uses Deuteronomy 32.00 to explain the judgment befalling Israel in 597/586 as the fulfillment of YHWH’s ancient plan. YHWH is sticking to his script. And third, Jeremiah uses Deuteronomy 32.00 to encourage Judah to hope in YHWH alone. The positive ending of the Song of Moses (featuring YHWH’s compassion, his capacity to heal and resurrect, and his promise to avenge his people) recurs in Jeremiah, greatly expanded. In each of these three appropriations, we consider how the text of Jeremiah resonates more deeply when one recognizes how it is appropriating Deuteronomy 32.
Just like with Deuteronomy’s prose, the concluding song in Deuteronomy has a profound influence on the book of Jeremiah, far surpassing the specific allusions or echoes. The paper concludes by considering how some of the motifs that Moses’ song introduces (e.g., YHWH wounding Israel and healing her) go on to become running metaphors and deep theological categories in the book of Jeremiah. The song was seminal for how the prophet conceived of and preached his vital message.