Matthew Poole and continuators on Deuteronomy 32:17

17 They sacrificed unto devils , not to God : to gods whom they knew not , to new gods, that came newly up , whom your fathers feared not .

(i. e.) Unto Idols, which the Devils brought into the World in opposition to God, in and by which the Devils ofttimes manifested themselves unto men and gave them answers, and received their worship. Compare 1 Cor. 10. 20. The Gentiles pretended to worship God in these Idols, and the Devils which inspired them deluded the nations with false pretences that they were a sort of lower Gods. Moses therefore takes off this mask, and shews the Israelites that these pretended Gods were really Devils, those great enemies of mankind, and therefore that it was the height of madness to honour or worship them.

This he saith, either because though at first they joyned God and Idols together in worship, yet at last they quite forsook God and adhered to Idols onely: or because God utterly rejected those sacrifices which they offered to him together with Idols, and took them for no sacrifices. See 1 Cor. 10. 21.

Or, who never knew them, i. e. never shewed any kindness to them, or did them any good: for so words of knowledge are oft used, as Psal. 1. 6. Hos. 13. 5.

Not simply or absolutely, for some of these Gods had been worshipped for many generations and had a fair pretence of long antiquity, but comparatively to the true God, who is the antient of dayes, Dan. 7. 9. and who was worshipped from the beginning of the world. To this original and first antiquity Moses recals them; as also our Saviour doth recal the Iews to the first institution, Mat. 19. 8. And therefore we may safely follow both their patterns in despising all pretences of antiquity which are contrary to Gods first institutions contained (as all confess) in the holy Scriptures.

(i. e.) Served not, worshipped not, but justly despised and abhorred them.

Marginal references: Lev. 17. 7. Psal. 106. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 9. 20.; Or, which were not God.