The Meaning of Deuteronomy 32:4 Explained

Deuteronomy 32:4

KJV: He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

YLT: The Rock! -- perfect is His work, For all His ways are just; God of stedfastness, and without iniquity: Righteous and upright is He.

Darby: He is the Rock, his work is perfect, For all his ways are righteousness; A God of faithfulness without deceit, Just and right is he.

ASV: The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he.

What is the context of Deuteronomy 32:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[He is] the Rock,  his work  [is] perfect:  for all his ways  [are] judgment:  a God  of truth  and without iniquity,  just  and right  [is] he. 

What does Deuteronomy 32:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 32:1-14 - Moses' Song: The Lord's Favor Upon Israel
The song of Moses, like the fabled song of the swan, was his last and sweetest. It is probably the noblest ode in the whole compass of the Bible, and is the source from which subsequent singers derived suggestions for their noblest outbursts. The marginal references prove how deeply it dyed the national sentiment.
It excels in the names and designations of the Almighty. He is the Rock: Deuteronomy 31:4; Deuteronomy 31:15; Deuteronomy 31:18; Deuteronomy 31:30; Jehovah: Deuteronomy 31:6; Father: Deuteronomy 31:6; the Most High: Deuteronomy 31:8; God: El, the strong, Deuteronomy 31:15, etc. What a study are the names of God, scattered through the Bible! Each was coined to meet some need of the human soul. What the rocks of the desert are to its shifting sands God is amid the changes of this mortal existence.
This earlier part of the song is very tender. We are God's portion; the apple of His eye; as young eaglets, whom the mother-bird is carefully teaching to fly, the favored recipients of God's richest gifts, Deuteronomy 31:13, etc. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 32

1  Moses' song, which sets forth God's mercy and vengeance
46  He exhorts them to set their hearts upon it
48  God sends him up to mount Nebo to see the land, and to die

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 32:4 mean?

The [He is] Rock perfect His work [is] for all His ways [are] justice a God of truth and without injustice Righteous and upright [is] He
הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּעֳל֔וֹ כִּ֥י כָל־ דְּרָכָ֖יו מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אֵ֤ל אֱמוּנָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עָ֔וֶל צַדִּ֥יק וְיָשָׁ֖ר הֽוּא

הַצּוּר֙  The  [He  is]  Rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צוּר 
Sense: rock, cliff.
תָּמִ֣ים  perfect 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תָּמִים  
Sense: complete, whole, entire, sound.
פָּעֳל֔וֹ  His  work  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּעַל  
Sense: work, deed, doing.
דְּרָכָ֖יו  His  ways  [are] 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
מִשְׁפָּ֑ט  justice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
אֵ֤ל  a  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
אֱמוּנָה֙  of  truth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמוּנָה  
Sense: firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness.
וְאֵ֣ין  and  without 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
עָ֔וֶל  injustice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָוֶל 
Sense: injustice, unrighteousness, wrong.
צַדִּ֥יק  Righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
וְיָשָׁ֖ר  and  upright 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
הֽוּא  [is]  He 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.