Week 11 Deuteronomy 32
Chapter 31 ends with the lead-in to 32: Moses spoke…the words of this song. Two other versions say Moses recited the song. So what Moses didn’t do was sing the song.
It’s a very long song – 43 verses – but I took the time to go back and quickly re-read it. I was looking for structural tips. It’s a song so I wondered if I could break it down. Find verses or a chorus. But no luck.
I realized I was at least three steps removed from making any sense of it. A) Moses composed it in a different language. B) I’m totally out of tune with Hebrew tribal life & art & culture. And C) I know zero about ancient near eastern musicology. Bringing my Canadian assumptions about verses & choruses & bridges to Deuteronomy 32 was basically useless.
I guess someone could compose a long musical line that the words could be sung to (that would take some creativity). Alternately the text could be abbreviated (for instance I could select content and then re-write & format it into short verses and a chorus). And as far as that goes the 43-verses could just be read to a background soundtrack.
Anyway at the end Moses added: take to heart all the words I have given you today…These instructions are not mere words – they are your life!
So not having the musical score isn’t necessarily the end of the world. Not having the words is a different story.
Note: quotes from Deuteronomy 31:20 (NASB NIV NLT) & 32:46-47 (NIV)