Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The speaker addresses the heavens and the earth as witnesses while delivering his final covenant teaching before Israel's transition.
The words — The opening imperative הַאֲזִינוּ (ha.'a.Zi.nu) commands "give ear," while the parallel verb וְ/תִשְׁמַ֥ע (ve./tish.Ma') literally renders "and may it hear" regarding the earth.
The thread — This witness motif recurs in Isaiah 1:2, Deuteronomy 4:26, and Psalms 49:1, where cosmic or universal audiences are summoned to hear divine speech or judgment.
Why it lands — The text demands immediate attention by summoning creation itself to verify the coming message, requiring the reader to recognize the gravity of the spoken words.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
- Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
- Psalms 49:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
- Jeremiah 22:29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
- Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,
- Deuteronomy 31:28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
- Psalms 50:4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:
- Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.
- Jeremiah 2:12 Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD.