Deuteronomy 32 · Verse 4

Deuteronomy 32:4

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.
Deuteronomy 32:4, King James Version

Deuteronomy 32:4 in other translations

BSBHe is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
WEBThe Rock: his work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A God of faithfulness who does no wrong, just and right is he.
ASVThe Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he.
YLTThe Rock! --perfect is His work, For all His ways are just; God of stedfastness, and without iniquity: Righteous and upright is He.
DARBYHe is the Rock, his work is perfect, For all his ways are righteousness; AGod of faithfulness without deceit, Just and right is he.
BBEHe is the Rock, complete is his work; for all his ways are righteousness: a God without evil who keeps faith, true and upright is he.
WebsterHe 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?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. He is the Rock--a word expressive of power and stability. The application of it in this passage is to declare that God had been true to His covenant with their fathers and them. Nothing that He had promised had failed; so that if their national experience had been painfully checkered by severe and protracted trials, notwithstanding the brightest promises, that result was traceable to their own undutiful and perverse conduct; not to any vacillation or unfaithfulness on the part of God (Jas 1:17), whose procedure was marked by justice and judgment, whether they had been exalted to prosperity or plunged into the depths of affliction.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 He is the Rock - The word צור tsur is rendered Creator by some eminent critics; and khalyk is the reading in the Arabic Version. Rab. Moses ben Maimon, in his valuable work, Moreh Nebochim, observes that the word צור tsur, which is ordinarily translated rock, signifies origin, fountain, first cause, etc., and in this way it should be translated here: "He is the first principle, his work is perfect." As he is the cause of all things, he must be infinitely perfect; and consequently all his works must be perfect in their respective kinds. As is the cause, so must the effect be. Some think the word rock gives a very good sense: for, as in those lands, rocks were the ordinary places of defense and security, God may be metaphorically represented thus, to signify his protection of his followers. I prefer the opinion of Maimon.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:3-6

"He is a Rock." This is the first time God is called so in Scripture. The expression denotes that the Divine power, faithfulness, and love, as revealed in Christ and the gospel, form a foundation which cannot be changed or moved, on which we may build our hopes of happiness. And under his protection we may find refuge from all our enemies, and in all our troubles; as the rocks in those countries sheltered from the…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 32:3-6 →

Deuteronomy 32:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הַצּוּר֙ha.Tzurthe rockH6697
תָּמִ֣יםta.Mim[is] perfectH8549
פָּעֳל֔וֹpo.'o.Lowork hisH6467
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
כָל\־khol-allH3605
דְּרָכָ֖יוde.ra.Khavways hisH1870
מִשְׁפָּ֑טmish.Pat[are] justiceH4941
אֵ֤ל'ela God ofH410
אֱמוּנָה֙'e.mu.NahfaithfulnessH530
וְאֵ֣יןve.'Einand there notH369
עָ֔וֶל'A.vel[is] injusticeH5766
צַדִּ֥יקtza.Dik[is] righteousH6662
וְיָשָׁ֖רve.ya.Sharand uprightH3477
הֽוּא\׃Hu'heH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 32:4

  • Psalms 18:30-31

    As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?

  • Psalms 92:15

    To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

  • Isaiah 26:4

    Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

  • Psalms 18:2

    The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

  • 2 Samuel 22:31-32

    As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?

  • Daniel 4:37

    Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

  • Revelation 15:3-4

    And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

  • Deuteronomy 32:30-31

    How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:4

    And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

  • 2 Samuel 22:2-3

    And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

  • Matthew 5:48

    Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

  • Psalms 100:5

    For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Rock.
18,30,31; 1Sa 2:2; 2Sa 22:2,3,32,47; 23:3; Ps 18:2,31,46; 61:2-4
Ps 92:15; Isa 26:4; 28:16; 32:2; Mt 16:16-18; 1Co 10:4; 1Pe 2:6
his work.
Ge 1:31; 2Sa 22:31; Ps 18:30; 19:7; 138:8; Ec 3:14; Mt 5:48
Jas 1:17
all his.
10:18; Ge 18:25; Job 35:14; Ps 9:16; 97:2; 99:4; Isa 30:18; Jer 9:24
Da 4:37; Joh 5:22; Ro 1:32; 2:2,5; Jas 4:12; Re 15:3,4
a God.
Ex 34:6; Ps 31:5; 98:3; 100:5; 146:6; Isa 25:1; Jer 10:10
Joh 1:14,17; 14:6
without.
Job 34:10; Ps 92:15; Hab 1:13; Ro 3:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 32:3

    Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

  • Deuteronomy 32:4

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 32:5

    They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

Read all of Deuteronomy 32

Deuteronomy 32:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El es la Roca, cuya obra es perfecta, porque todos sus caminos son rectitud: Dios de verdad, y ninguna iniquidad en él: es justo y recto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Il est le Rocher, son œuvre est parfaite; car toutes ses voies sont justice. C’est un ✶Dieu fidèle, et il n’y a pas d’iniquité en lui; il est juste et droit.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Der Fels: Vollkommen ist sein Tun; denn alle seine Wege sind recht. Ein Gott der Treue und sonder Trug, gerecht und gerade ist er!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dei perfecta sunt opera, et omnes viæ ejus judicia: Deus fidelis, et absque ulla iniquitate, justus et rectus.