Lexical Summary kamas: To store up, to hoard, to gather Original Word: כָּמַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lay up in store A primitive root; to store away, i.e. (figuratively) in the memory -- lay up in store. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to store up NASB Translation laid up in store (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָּמַס] verb store up (si vera 1.), in Qal Passive participle כָּמֻס Deuteronomy 32:34 is not this stored up (laid up in store) with me ("" חָתוּם בְּאוֺצְרֹתָ֑י); but read probably כָנֻס in same. meaning (see כנס, and DrDeuteronomy 32:34). Topical Lexicon Root Concept and Imagery The verb behind “is it not laid up” in Deuteronomy 32:34 communicates the deliberate placing of something where it will remain unseen yet entirely secure. The image is of valuables packed away in a strong room or a scroll rolled tight and sealed—untouchable, unforgettable. Instead of riches, however, Moses sings of God storing the record of Israel’s rebellion and the retribution that will surely follow. The single use of the verb heightens its force: the Lord’s catalogue of human sin is neither lost nor overlooked; it is carefully preserved until the appointed moment. Context in the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) The Song of Moses rehearses covenant history, exposes Israel’s future apostasy, and proclaims divine justice. Within that song, verse 34 functions like a ledger entry: the wrongs done against the Lord are not dismissed in real time but “laid up … sealed in My storehouses” (Berean Standard Bible). The sealing imagery recalls ancient Near-Eastern legal practice, in which documents were folded, secured with a lump of clay, and impressed with a signet. Only the rightful owner could break the seal and execute its contents. In the same manner, God alone determines the day when the record will be opened and judgment dispensed (Deuteronomy 32:35–36). Theological Significance 1. Divine Omniscience and Memory Human forgetfulness never impairs divine recompense. Scripture repeatedly affirms that the Lord remembers His covenant love (Genesis 9:15–16), yet here He also remembers human infidelity. The term thus supports the doctrine that nothing escapes God’s notice (Hebrews 4:13). 2. Certainty of Judgment By portraying sin as a treasure that accrues interest, Moses emphasizes inevitability. Centuries later the Apostle Paul echoes the language: “you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath” (Romans 2:5). The New Testament thus confirms the Old Testament principle that unrepentant evil stockpiles divine anger rather than exhausting it. 3. Covenant Faithfulness God’s storage of Israel’s sins is the necessary counterpart to His storage of blessings for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:12). Both mercy and justice reside in His treasury, released in perfect proportion and timing. Literary Connections • Job 14:17: “My transgression is sealed up in a bag.” The same motif of sealed record underscores a universal human concern—what becomes of my guilt? Historical Perspective In Israel’s history the song functioned as both witness and warning. Prophets such as Hosea and Jeremiah later drew on its language to indict the nation, demonstrating that the “sealed” record had not been forgotten. The Babylonian exile ultimately revealed the opening of those divine archives. Yet even in exile the faithful remnant took comfort that the same Lord who stored wrath also stored mercy, promising restoration (Jeremiah 31:31–34). Practical and Ministry Application • Preaching and Teaching: Deuteronomy 32:34 urges congregations to embrace both the kindness and severity of God. The verse enables balanced proclamation—neither presuming upon grace nor neglecting hope. Christological Fulfillment The treasury of judgment was not simply opened; it was poured out on Christ. At the cross, the sealed indictment against humanity found full expression, satisfying righteousness while unveiling grace. Thus the single Old Testament use of כָּמַס foreshadows the Gospel: what was laid up against us has been laid upon Him (Isaiah 53:6), and in Him the believer’s ledger is now empty. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 3647 illustrates the meticulous justice of God—sin carefully archived until the precise hour of reckoning. Its solitary appearance in Deuteronomy 32:34 reverberates across Scripture, reinforcing themes of divine memory, certain judgment, and ultimate redemption. The word summons every generation to sober reflection, confident hope, and wholehearted devotion to the Lord who both stores and forgives. Forms and Transliterations כָּמֻ֣ס כמס kā·mus kaMus kāmusLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:34 HEB: הֲלֹא־ ה֖וּא כָּמֻ֣ס עִמָּדִ֑י חָתֻ֖ם NAS: Is it not laid up in store with Me, Sealed KJV: [Is] not this laid up in store with me, [and] sealed up INT: not he laid Me Sealed |
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