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The words, "a God of truth", indicate much more than their ordinary English meaning.
The Hebrew word is emunah and is translated "faithfulness" 18 times; also as "faith",
"faithful" and "faithfully". The word occurs just 49 times in the O.T., a significant
number indicating perfection or completeness, and especially associated with the Jubilee
when all forfeited inheritances were restored. There is a marked contrast here between
the faithful Lord and His unfaithful people, for in verse 20 we read: "They are a very
froward generation, children in whom is no faith" (emun).
The word "work" in the statement, "His work is perfect", is the Hebrew poal. Now it
is of interest to know that the last occurrence of emunah, "truth", is in Hab. 2: 4; and the
last occurrence of poal, "work", is in Hab. 3: 2, where a revival is referred to. This
word "work" is in structural correspondence with the verb "to work" (Heb. paal) in
verse 27. There, the Lord says that He would make the remembrance of them to cease
from among men, were He not apprehensive lest their adversaries should become proud,
and imagine that by their own prowess they had destroyed Israel. The Lord takes the full
responsibility not only of Israel's blessing, but also of their scattering and punishment.
They are His people, even though under judgment; it is His land, even though desolate.
The work of the Lord is declared to be "perfect". The Hebrew word indicates
completeness, something finished; it looks forward , beyond failure and dispersion, to
the restoration and blessing with which the Song ends.
A title is given to the Lord in this opening section, which recurs throughout the Song.
The references to this title of "the Rock" are as follows:--
"He is the Rock, His work is perfect" (verse 4).
"He . . . . . lightly esteemed the Rock of His salvation" (verse 15).
"Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful" (verse 18).
"Except their Rock had sold them" (verse 30).
"Their rock is not as our Rock" (verse 31).
"Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted" (verse 37).
We have here five references to the Lord, and two to false gods; making a total of
seven occurrences.
Coming to the next section, we have the question, "Do ye requite the Lord?" And in
the structure there is a note to the effect that "requite" is connected with fruit-bearing.
The corresponding member speaks of their vine being "the vine of Sodom, and of the
fields of Gomorrah"; their grapes of gall; and their wine as the poison of asps. This is
the strange requital for all the Lord's goodness to them, and is the burden of the Song of
Isa. 5: Gamal, the word "requite", comes in Isa. 18: 5, where it speaks of the sour
grape "ripening". It comes also in Numb. 17: 8 where it speaks of the rod "yielding"
almonds.