Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 32:33
Their wine [is] the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
33. venom of dragons ] Or, foam of.
pitiless poison of asps ] Poison, rsh, as in Deu 29:17; asps, or according to some, cobras, the hooded kind, in Egypt and the lower parts of Syria, especially S. of Beersheba, Heb. p e thanm, Isa 11:8, etc.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 33. Their wine] Their system of doctrines and teaching, is the poison of dragons, &c., fatal and destructive to all them who follow it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The poison of dragons; for although some write that the dragons of Greece have no poison in them, yet that the African and Arabian dragons, of which Moses here writes, have poison in them, is confessed by ancient heathen authors.
The cruel venom of asps; whose poison kills certainly and speedily, as Aristotle and others write.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Their wine [is] the poison of dragons,…. Of these creatures, both land and sea dragons, [See comments on Mic 1:8];
[See comments on Mal 1:3]; Pliny says l the dragon has no poison in it; yet, as Dalechamp, in his notes on that writer observes, he in many places prescribes remedies against the bite of the dragon; but Heliodorus m expressly speaks of some archers, whose arrows were infected with the poison of dragons; and Leo Africanus n says, the Atlantic dragons are exceeding poisonous: and yet other writers o besides Pliny have asserted that they are free from poison. It seems the dragons of Greece are without, but not those of Africa and Arabia; and to these Moses has respect, as being well known to him. The Targum of Jerusalem is,
“the poison of this people is like the poison of dragons as they drink wine;”
and the Targum of Jonathan,
“as the poison of dragons, when they are at or from their wine;”
that is, after and as soon as they have drank it; for, according to natural historians, serpents, though they need and use but little drink, yet are very fond of wine: and it seems that thereby their poison becomes more sharp and intense, as Bochart p observes; wherefore the allusion is very proper and pertinent, and denotes the wine of fornication of the apostate church of Rome, frequently spoken of Re 14:8; which is no other than her corrupt doctrines, intoxicating, enticing, and leading to idolatry and superstition; and as the true Gospel of Christ is sometimes compared to wine, so the false doctrines of this church; but then it is such that is not only loathsome and abominable, but poisonous and pernicious to the souls of men, damnable and ruinous, and brings upon them swift destruction, 2Pe 2:1; and may well be compared to the poison of dragons for such reasons; as also because they are doctrines of devils, and come from the great dragon, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, 2Ti 4:1;
and the cruel venom of asps; which, of all kind of serpents, Pliny q says is the least curable; nay, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions of this clause, it is incurable; and so Aristotle says r there is no remedy for it; and so says Aelianus s, who also observes t, that the mark it makes is so small, that it is scarcely discerned by the sharpest eye. Pliny u represents it as a most revengeful creature; when its mate is killed by any, it will pursue the slayer, flee where he will, and as far and fast as he can: it breaks through all difficulties, and is not to be stopped by rivers, or any obstacles, and will attack the person, whom it presently knows, let him be in ever such a crowd: and therefore it and its poison may well be called cruel; and as the poison of this creature lies under its tongue, this is a fit simile to express the poisonous and pernicious doctrines of the apostate church.
l Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 4. m Ethiopic. l. 9. c. 19. p. 438. n Descriptio Africae, l. 9. p. 763. o Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 4. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 72. p Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 3. c. 14. col. 438, 439. q Nat. Hist. l. 29. c. 4. r Hist. Animal. l. 8. c. 29. s De Animal. l. 1. c. 54. & l. 6. c. 38. t Ibid. l. 9. c. 61. u Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 23.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
33. Their wine is the poison of dragons The wine that this vine of Sodom bears is as the poison of deadly serpents. The figures employed suggest that the nation will become utterly corrupt. The chosen people of God will deserve to perish as the inhabitants of Sodom.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Deu 32:33 Their wine [is] the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
Ver. 33. Their wine, ] i.e., Their works, yea, their best works, prove pernicious to them; not their own table only, but God’s table becomes a snare to the unprepared communicant; he sucks there the poison of asps, &c., Job 20:16 he eats his bane and drinks his poison: as Henry VII, Emperor, was poisoned in the sacramental bread by a monk; Pope Victor II, by his sub-deacon in his chalice; and one of our Bishops of York, by poison put into the wine at the eucharist.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wine. Hebrew. yayin. See App-27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the poison: Job 20:14-16, Psa 58:4, Psa 140:3, Jer 8:14, *marg. Rom 3:13
Reciprocal: Isa 5:2 – wild grapes Eze 15:2 – What Hos 4:18 – drink Act 8:23 – the gall Jam 3:8 – full Jam 5:3 – Ye have Rev 14:19 – and cast
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 32:33. Their vine is the poison of dragons An expression of the same import with the former, signifying their fruits or works to be most depraved and pernicious, (Rev 17:2,) and so resembling the poison of dragons. The cruel venom of asps The venom of asps is called cruel, because it is accounted the most subtile and acute of all poisons, instantly penetrating into the vital parts.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
32:33 Their {r} wine [is] the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
(r) The fruit of the wicked are as poison, detestable to God, and dangerous for man.