Deuteronomy 32:39Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To Queen Eudoxia, the Almighty, who is the origin of all creation, stands above every authority and rule, and all humanity shares a common equality, even when individuals may seem to hold greater status. The royal scepter bestowed upon you was not meant to grant a sense of superiority, but rather to inspire you to uphold fairness and justice for all. It is not reputation, riches, or earthly status that will aid us on the momentous day of judgment, but the adherence to divine commandments coupled with a commitment to right beliefs.

God is real, which implies His compassion. He experiences both indignation and compassion. Indignant over defeat, compassionate towards healing. Indignant to bring death, compassionate to restore life. This all occurs in a single being. Not by condemning some while saving others, but with both anger and compassion directed at the same individuals. He is angered by sin yet shows mercy after repentance. I destroy and I restore. I strike down, and I heal. He brought down Saul, who would become Paul; he was both humbled and lifted up. The unbeliever was cast down while the believer was raised up. The persecutor was brought low, and the preacher was elevated.

In the grand hymn of Moses, it declares, ‘See, see, see, that I am I, and there is no God but Me: I will kill and I will make alive, I will smite and I will heal.’ The phrases ‘I will kill and I will make alive’ can be understood according to your perception. For the average person finds strength in fear, as conveyed by ‘I will smite, and I will heal.’ This holds true even in the literal interpretation; for defeat fosters trepidation while healing cultivates love. Nonetheless, a deeper interpretation can be gleaned from the passage. ‘I will put to death through sin, and I will grant life through truth.’ As it is written, ‘in what measure our outward man smoulders, in such measure our inward man is renewed’ (2 Cor. 4:16).

At the Final Judgment, rulers and leaders of all kinds, both affluent and less fortunate, will be held accountable for their actions. It is stated, ‘There shall no one escape from My hand.’

He further stated: Turn away your blows from me (Psalm 38:11). How can we reconcile these verses? In the previous psalm, he is open to wounds (Psalm 37:18). Eusebius of Caesarea notes that here he pleads for the scourging to be lifted, not because he has already received double punishment for his transgressions (Isaiah 40:2), enduring humiliation and shame. Guilt torments his heart and mind, causing him to suffer. However, we must consider—did he not assert that the essence of his soul is before the Lord, and that the adversary can only assail it with divine permission, for the Lord safeguards His creation? The angel stands beside the man to protect him from harm (Psalm 33:8), withdrawing only at the Lord’s command, allowing God's warrior to contend for himself.

What does God declare? I kill and I bring to life; I wound and I cure, and no one can rescue from My grasp. What is there to learn from this except that the body must first face death to be raised and made alive again? It is struck down and laid waste so that it can be restored and renewed later. In truth, nothing can extricate us from His mighty and powerful hand, whether it be fire, death, darkness, chaos, or decay. Who can divide us, asks the Apostle, from the love of Christ, who is referred to as the hand of the Father and the Word? Is it tribulation, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, peril, or the sword?

We can be confident in the reality of His power over death, as we witness it firsthand. Likewise, it is equally valid and deserving of our faith that He has the ability to grant life. Therefore, I urge you to embrace and trust that on the resurrection day, the body will be restored in its entirety, and from your Lord, you will be rewarded for your faith. In all that you have believed, you will experience joy and gladness.

Let them rise to assist you and serve as your guardians! Yet you will know, you will know that I am God. Here, He emphasizes the incarnation of the Son of God, revealing that we shall perceive Him not as a specter or an illusion, but in truth, as exemplified by the apostle who touched Him at the resurrection. There is no deity besides Me: I bring death and I give life, I wound and I heal, and no one can escape from My grasp. This declaration from the Lord refers to the slaying and subsequent healing of the Gentiles.

Oh, how the divine teachings of the Creator, who is all-knowing and ever-present, surpass all worldly understanding! ‘I will kill, and I will make alive; I will smite, and I will heal.’ This instills a profound fear in those who provoke the Lord, while simultaneously providing a powerful protection against the boldness of inciting His anger. Conversely, it offers a life-sustaining hope for those who find themselves troubled and at risk.

The One who brings death and grants life, who strikes and also restores, ‘and there is none that shall be cut off by His hand,’ ‘He that reigneth, and liveth for ever and ever, and evermore’ (Exodus 15:18), is the most glorious, the most mighty, and the most transcendent God. Before Him, all creation must submit, and nothing can withstand His sovereign will.

The commandment found in the Scriptures, "Thou shalt not kill," also prohibits self-murder; through this command, God reveals that He, the Creator of all beings, holds exclusive and absolute authority over life and death. He declares, "I will kill, and I will make alive." The Lord, who has brought us into existence, expects us to seek His guidance regarding the moment we depart from this earthly existence. Outside of His sovereign will, no individual has the right to determine the duration of their life on this earth or the moment of its conclusion.