32:11 Like an eagle that stirs up 1 its nest,
that hovers over its young,
so the Lord 2 spread out his wings and took him, 3
he lifted him up on his pinions.
32:12 The Lord alone was guiding him, 4
no foreign god was with him.
32:13 He enabled him 5 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, 6
and olive oil 7 from the hardest of 8 rocks, 9
32:14 butter from the herd
and milk from the flock,
along with the fat of lambs,
rams and goats of Bashan,
along with the best of the kernels of wheat;
and from the juice of grapes you drank wine.
1 tn The prefixed verbal form is an imperfect, indicating habitual or typical behavior. The parallel verb (cf. “hovers” in the next line) is used in the same manner.
2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
3 tn The form of the suffix on this and the following verb forms (cf. “lifted him up”) indicates that the verbs are preterites, not imperfects. As such they simply state the action factually. The use of the preterite here suggests that the preceding verb (cf. “spread out”) is preterite as well.
4 tn The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing guidance during the period in view.
5 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.
6 tn Heb “he made him suck honey from the rock.”
7 tn Heb “oil,” but this probably refers to olive oil; see note on the word “rock” at the end of this verse.
8 tn Heb “flinty.”
9 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.”