Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 31:17
Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us?
17. None of the clauses in this v. is characteristic of Deut. My anger shall be kindled against it, JE, Num 11:10; for in that day, as Dillm. points out, Deut. has elsewhere at that time; I will forsake them, contrast Deu 31:6 ; Deu 31:8, Deu 4:31; hide my face from them, in Pent. only here and Deu 31:18; it shall be devoured, cp. Deu 7:16; come upon me because my God is not in my midst, Deu 1:42. Note that in Deu 31:16-18 ; Deu 31:20 Israel is referred to in the Sg. Yet Sam. and LXX have many plurals here.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hide my face, i.e. withdraw my favour and help.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. Then my anger shall be kindled,. . . and I will hide my face from theman announcement of thewithdrawal of the divine favor and protection of which the Shekinahwas the symbol and pledge. It never appeared in the second temple;and its non-appearance was a prelude of “all the evils that cameupon them, because their God was not among them.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day,…. As the anger of a man is against his wife who has treacherously departed from him: and jealousy, which is the rage of such a man, is very cruel; and much more the wrath and anger of a jealous God, who is a consuming fire:
and I will forsake them; withdraw his favours from them, and his protection of them:
and I will hide my face from them; take no notice of them in a providential way for good, nor hear their cries, to deliver them from evil:
and they shall be devoured; by their enemies, or by the sore judgments of God, by famine, sword, pestilence, and evil beasts, they and their substance:
and many evils and troubles shall befall them; both in their own land, and in other countries, where they would be, and have been carried captive:
so that they will say in that day, are not these evils come upon us,
because our God [is] not amongst us? of which they would be sensible by their being exposed to their enemies for want of his protection, and by the evils upon them through his displeasure, and by their being deprived of the good things that came from him; but no intimation is given of their being sensible of their sins as the cause of all this.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them. By this denunciation of punishment, God undoubtedly desired to put a restraint upon the senselessness of the people; but since this was done without their profiting by it, there was another advantage in this lesson, viz., that, after having been seriously chastised according to their deserts, they should at length repent though it might be late. Otherwise these punishments would have been inflicted in vain; and it would have never suggested itself to their minds that they received the just recompense of their ingratitude and perfidiousness. This is indeed the first step of prudence, voluntarily to choose that which is right; but the second is to beware, when we have listened to admonition, and to make a stand against evil. But, if our minds are so blinded, that reproofs and threats profit us nothing, there is still a third, i.e., that those who have been careless in prosperity should at length begin to perceive that they are smitten by God’s hand, and thus be driven to acknowledge their guilt. Although, therefore, the simple admonition, as long as it was not followed by its consequences, was despised by the Israelites; still, when they were further instructed by its result, and by experience, it produced its fruit; and the same is daily the case with ourselves. There is scarcely one in ten of the godly, who, as long as God postpones His punishments, anticipates His judgment, but those who are aroused from their torpor, seriously consider the threats which they had hitherto passed over with indifference, and, being brought under conviction, condemn themselves.
By the word אפי, ephi, I here rather understand His face than His wrath; (243) for the expression is more appropriate; and then he sets forth the effect of His wrath, viz., that, being deprived of His aid, they shall be overtaken by all sorts of evils, until they are consumed and perish. Moreover, He affirms that they should be brought into such straits as should extort from them the confession, that the miseries which they suffered were tokens of God’s alienation from them. But He adds, that He would not then listen to their prayers. Hence are we taught that, as our happiness depends on God’s paternal favor, so there is nothing worse for us than to be forsaken by Him, as if He regarded us with no further care; and the lesson we are to learn is, that there is nothing more desirable for us than that He should honor us with His countenance. We read respecting all His creatures, in Psa 104:29, that they are troubled when He hides His face; but here it is more clearly perceived that nothing can be imagined more miserable than we are, when “our iniquities have separated between us and our God, and our sins have hid his face from us, that he will not hear,” as Isaiah says, (Isa 59:2.)
I have already stated, that the greatness of their miseries is expressed, when the people shall confess that they are thus grievously afflicted, because God is departed from them; for it was by no light punishments that they would be brought to this state of feeling, especially considering their great hardness of heart and blind obstinacy. It follows then, that severe punishments are indicated, that should compel them, though unwillingly, to reflect on God’s anger, which they had previously taken no account of. Still, this confession is not referred to as the fruit or sign of sincere repentance; for, if the sinner sincerely flies to God, God will be sure to meet him, since he is inclined to mercy. But in this place He declares that He will not be favorable to them, but will suffer them to pine away in their wretchedness, for God says of Himself that He will “hide His face from them,” in the 18 verse, with a deeper meaning than just before, in that He will take no notice of their groans and lamentations, and by the very continuance of their punishments will show how greatly wroth with them He is.
(243) A. V., “Then my anger shall be kindled.” C., ”Itaque irascetur vultus meus.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?A confession made freely by them at this present day.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 31:17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us?
Ver. 17. And many evils and troubles. ] As it befell Samson and Saul, when God was gone; , all miseries came trooping and treading one in the heels of another. So Eze 9:10-11 . God makes many moves, and as he goes out, some judgment comes in upon the land.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
shall be kindled. Compare 2Ki 22:17. Hos 5:3-6. Mic 3:4.
hide My face. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum of Onkelos, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel Septuagint, and Syriac, add “from them”. Compare Deu 32:20. Isa 8:17; Isa 54:8; Isa 59:2; Isa 64:7. See also Gen 4:14.
evils. See App-44.
befall = find. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia (App-6).
Are not. ? &c. Should be “Have not these evils found me out, because my God is not in my midst? “
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
my anger: Deu 29:20, Deu 32:21, Deu 32:22, Jdg 2:14, Jdg 2:15, Psa 2:12, Psa 90:11
I will forsake: 1Ch 28:9, 2Ch 15:2, Jer 23:33, Jer 23:39, Hos 9:12
hide my face: Though this may allude to the withdrawing of the Shechinah, or visible appearance of Jehovah, yet the general meaning of the expression in Scripture is, the withdrawing of his approbation and protection, of which his visible appearance was formerly the sign and pledge. Deu 32:20, Job 13:24, Psa 27:9, Psa 30:7, Psa 89:46, Psa 104:29, Isa 8:17, Isa 64:7, Eze 39:23, Eze 39:24, Eze 39:29
befall them: Heb. find them, Neh 9:32, *marg. Job 34:11
Are not these: Deu 29:24-27, Num 14:42, Jdg 6:13, Isa 63:17
Reciprocal: Gen 19:19 – lest some Gen 44:29 – sorrow Exo 17:7 – Is the Lord Num 14:34 – breach of promise Deu 4:30 – are come upon thee Deu 28:59 – General Deu 31:18 – General Deu 31:20 – then Jos 3:10 – among Jdg 2:12 – forsook 1Sa 12:22 – the Lord 2Ki 17:7 – sinned 2Ki 18:12 – they obeyed not 2Ki 21:14 – And I will 2Ki 22:13 – great 2Ch 28:6 – because Ezr 5:12 – he gave Psa 13:1 – wilt thou hide Psa 69:24 – Pour Isa 2:6 – Therefore Isa 5:25 – the anger Isa 9:12 – devour Israel Isa 54:11 – thou afflicted Isa 59:2 – hid Jer 3:25 – for we have sinned Jer 9:13 – General Jer 11:8 – therefore Jer 16:5 – I have Jer 18:17 – show Jer 28:8 – prophesied Jer 32:24 – what Jer 33:5 – I have hid Lam 2:17 – done Dan 9:11 – the curse Mic 3:4 – he will even Zep 1:18 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 31:17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them So it was upon their first defection to idolatry, (Jdg 2:14,) and so it continued to be in all ages, as we read in that and the following sacred books. I will hide my face from them A metaphor borrowed from kings, who will not allow those who have offended them to come into their presence and see their face. It signifies, I will withdraw my favour and my help. Whatever outward troubles we are in, if we have but the light of Gods countenance, we are safe. But if God hide his face from us, then we are undone. Are not these evils come upon us because God is not among us? Here we see the true source of most national, domestic, and personal troubles, the absence of God, or his withdrawing his power, protection, and blessing. This made so remarkable a change in their affairs, that it could not but at last make them reflect on the cause of it. See Jdg 3:9-15; Jdg 4:3.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
31:17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will {h} hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us?
(h) That is, I will take my favour from them; as turning his face toward us shows his favour.