32:13 He enabled him 4 to travel over the high terrain of the land,
and he ate of the produce of the fields.
He provided honey for him from the cliffs, 5
and olive oil 6 from the hardest of 7 rocks, 8
1 tn The words “he promises” do not appear in the Hebrew text but are needed in the translation to facilitate the transition from the condition (v. 13) to the promise and make it clear that the Lord is speaking the words of vv. 14-15.
2 tn Heb “the rain of your land.” In this case the genitive (modifying term) indicates the recipient of the rain.
3 sn The autumn and the spring rains. The “former” (יוֹרֶה, yoreh) and “latter” (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) rains come in abundance respectively in September/October and March/April. Planting of most crops takes place before the former rains fall and the harvests follow the latter rains.
4 tn The form of the suffix on this verbal form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. Note as well the preterites with vav (ו) consecutive that follow in the verse.
5 tn Heb “he made him suck honey from the rock.”
6 tn Heb “oil,” but this probably refers to olive oil; see note on the word “rock” at the end of this verse.
7 tn Heb “flinty.”
8 sn Olive oil from rock probably suggests olive trees growing on rocky ledges and yet doing so productively. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 415; cf. TEV “their olive trees flourished in stony ground.”