Parashat Haazinu
18th September 2026
Week of 13-19 September 2026
Torah portion: Deuteronomy 32 :1 -52 Haftarah: Hosea 14 :2-10/ Micah 7 :18-20
Theme: Give ear, O heavens, while I speak; (Deut.32:1)
Parashat Haazinu consists largely of the Song of Moses (Shirat Haazinu, vv. 1-43) and according to “The Women’s Commentary” can be divided as follows: A. Introductory Invocation (vv. 1-3); B. Recollection of God’s early relationship with Israel (vv. 4-14); C. Accusation of insubordination and idolatry (vv.15-18); D. Punishment proposed (vv. 19-25); E. Punishment reconsidered (vv. 26-42); F. Concluding invocation (v. 43).
Moses recites a prophetic song for the people which serves as a warning to future generations. Because of the archaic language and the divine name used, scholars regard this to be older than the rest of Deuteronomy. The name used for God, “Most High” (Hebrew “Elyon”) was how the ancient Canaanites referred to the highest gods in the Pantheon. Scholars note that this name appears a few times in reference to the God of Israel. It is further thought that ‘Elyon’ and ‘YHWH’ might have become synonymous n Israel. In Genesis 14:18-21 the Canaanite, Melchizedek, seems to mention ‘El’, ‘Elyon’ as his own deity; but Abraham apparently identifies this god as the God of Israel. The song makes no mention of Abraham or Isaac, which seems to suggest that Israel first encountered God in the wilderness after the Exodus (verse 10) a theme echoed in Hosea 2:14-15 and Jeremiah 2:2.
Verses 8 and 9 of the Song speak about the “Most High” (Elyon) dividing up the human population into different nations and allotting each its own territory. The “Most High” did so in accordance with the total number of the ‘sons of God’ (sons of El). Each of the lesser gods would have their own nations to guide and protect; but God kept Israel as God’s own “the LORD’s own portion is His people, Jacob, God’s allotted share.”
The fact that this is titled “Song of Moses” does not prove that it was written by Moses – in fact its origin is unknown. The only fact we do know is that is that a number of Biblical passages indicate that women were responsible for crafting and reciting similar poetic compositions. Various women in the Bible perform songs to celebrate military victories. Examples of these are as follows: Miriam (Ex.15: 20-21); Deborah in Judges 5 (said to be the oldest of the recorded songs); Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11:34; and the women welcoming the heroes in 1 Samuel 18:6-7.
In the Haftarah from the prophet Hosea, we read how Hosea wishes to prepare his people for conversion. Now he announces a kind of liturgy of repentance. God responds with a grand promise of grace. He desires the profound return of his people, ties of true and loyal love. He wants people to uproot sin, idolatry, and self-sufficiency; the last word will remain about salvation. After such sadness, what a moving promise! From Micah 7 we read: “What god can compare with you, / the God who takes away guilt/ and forgives the transgressions/ of the remnant of your people?”
For Reflection and Discussion:
1) Father Richard Rohr: “the entire Bible is true and some things actually happened.” Does this affect how you approach Parashat Haazinu and how it speaks to you about your life?
Bibliography: Eskenazi, T. C. Weiss, A.L. A Women’s Commentary (New York: 2008); Kugel, James L. How to Read the Bible (New York:2007); https://www.bing.com/search?q=bible+gateway+official+site; https://medium.com/@dpassmore54/father-richard-rohr
This week’s Parasha Commentary was prepared by,
Bernadette Teresa Chellew, KZN, South Africa, Bat Kol Alumna 2008
[Copyright © 2026]
Comments are closed