Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 28:62
And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
62, 63. The only vv. in this ch. (except Deu 28:68 b) in which the Pl. address occurs. The text, including the change to Sg. in the final clauses of both vv., is on the whole confirmed by LXX. Sam., some LXX codd. and Luc. give Deu 28:62 b in Pl. The change to Pl. is explicable logically in Deu 28:62, where the number of the people is being dealt with; but this reason does not account for the Pl. in Deu 28:63. The Sg., whither thou goest in to possess it, is characteristic of the Sg passages, and therefore is not due to the attraction of the Sg. in the next v.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
62. ye shall be left few innumberThere has been, ever since the destruction of Jerusalem,only an inconsiderable remnant of Jews existing in that landaliensin the land of their fathers; and of all classes of the inhabitantsthey are the most degraded and miserable beings, dependent for theirsupport on contributions from other lands.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And ye shall be left few in number,…. There were but very few left in the land of Judea by Nebuchadnezzar’s general when Jerusalem was taken by him; and these were of the poorer sort, and were left for vinedressers and husbandmen, Jer 39:10; and how much they were reduced by the Romans will appear by the accounts Josephus gives of those that were slain, and made prisoners by them: he says i,
“there were 1,100,000 slain at the siege of Jerusalem and by the war, and 97,000 made prisoners;”
and it is computed that 1,240,490 were destroyed in Jerusalem and other parts of the nation k; and it is also said by their historian l, that of those that were transported from Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine into Spain, scarce a thousandth part remained and that an infinite number were slain in France and Germany; and though their number equalled those that came out of Egypt, yet scarce five thousand of them were left:
whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; and, as it is sometimes said, as the sand of the sea, as was promised to Abraham, Ge 15:5; and was fulfilled in the days of Solomon 1Ki 4:20;
because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God; in his law, and by his prophets; and especially by the voice of the true Messiah, in his everlasting Gospel; of whom it is said, “today if ye will hear his voice”; &c. Heb 3:7.
i De Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 9. sect. 3. k See Dr. Newton (Bp. of Bristol) on Prophecies, vol. 1. Dissert. 7. sect. 6. p. 186. l Shebet Judah, sect. 49. p. 316.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
62. And ye shall be left few in number. Since it had been promised to Abraham that his seed should be like the stars of heaven in multitude, it was a signal token of God’s wrath that his posterity should be reduced (252) to so small a number; thus the comparison which is here made for the purpose of heightening their calamity, must not simply be referred to the “multitude” or great band, and the “fewness in number,” but must be extended to the promise, the truth of which had been clearly manifested; so that, on the other hand, they might perceive that their former populousness could only have been put an end to, like waters dried up by the excessive heat of the sun, through the wrath of God.
(252) “A une pongnee de gens;” to a handful of people. — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Ver. 62. Ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars, &c. To mention no other of the calamities and slaughters which they have undergone, there was in the last siege of Jerusalem by Titus, an infinite multitude, who, according to Josephus, perished by famine: he computes that, during the whole siege, the number of those who were destroyed by that, and by the war, amounted to 1,100,000; the people being assembled from all parts to celebrate the passover. The same author hath given us an account of 1,240,490 destroyed in Jerusalem and other parts of Judea, besides 99,200 made prisoners. See Bell. Jud. lib. 6: cap. 3 sect. 3 and cap. 9 sect. 3. Basnage’s Hist. of the Jews, b. 1 Chronicles 8 sect. 19 and the conclusion of Usher’s Annals. Indeed, there is not a nation upon earth that hath been exposed to so many massacres and persecutions. Their history abounds with them. If God had not given them a promise of a numerous posterity, the whole race would at many a time have been extirpated. Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 28:62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
Ver. 62. And ye shall be left few in number. ] And so “shall know my breach of covenant,” because ye broke first.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
few in number: In the seige of Jerusalem there died 1,100,000 persons, and more than 90,000 were carried captive; and, having afterwards provoked the Romans by their crimes and rebellions, they persecuted them nearly to extirpation; to which, if the tens of thousands which were slaughtered year after year in every country be added, it appears wonderful that there were any remains left. Deu 4:27, Lev 26:22, 2Ki 13:7, 2Ki 24:14, Neh 7:4, Isa 1:9, Isa 24:6, Jer 42:2, Jer 52:28-30, Mar 13:20, Rom 9:27-29
as the stars: Deu 10:22, Neh 9:23, Rom 9:27
Reciprocal: Deu 1:10 – your God Amo 5:3 – The city Heb 11:12 – as the stars
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 28:62. Ye shall be left few in number Not to mention here any other of the calamities and slaughters which the Jews have undergone, there was in the last siege of Jerusalem, by Titus, an infinite multitude, saith Josephus, who perished by famine; and he computes that, during the whole siege, the number of those who were destroyed by that and by the war amounted to eleven hundred thousand, the people being assembled from all parts to celebrate the passover. And the same author hath given us an account of one million two hundred and forty thousand four hundred and ninety destroyed in Jerusalem and other parts of Judea, besides ninety-nine thousand two hundred made prisoners, as Basnage has reckoned them up from that historians account. Bp. Newton. Another Jewish writer relates that there were above one hundred and sixteen thousand dead bodies of the rich and honourable men of Jerusalem carried out at one gate of the city during the siege, besides those which were carried out at other gates, and thrown over the wall. But when the city was taken, the massacre was dreadful. Titus would have put an end to it, but could not. His men killed all, except the most vigorous, whom they shut up in the porch of the women. The youngest and most beautiful of these were reserved to grace Tituss triumph. Those above seventeen years of age were sent bound into Egypt, to be employed in some public works there; and great numbers of others were sent into several cities of Syria, and other provinces, to be exposed on the public theatres, to exhibit fights, or to be devoured by wild beasts. So that the whole number of Jews who perished in this war is computed at upward of one million four hundred thousand. Besides these, however, a vast number perished in caves, woods, wildernesses, common sewers, &c., of whom no computation could be made. Encycl. Brit. Add to the above, that the slaughter was very great which was afterward made of them in the wars of Julius Severus, sent against them by Adrian, when fifty of their strongest fortresses were razed, and nine hundred and eighty- five of their most noble and populous towns were sacked and consumed by fire, insomuch that, as Dion expresses it, all Judea was in a manner laid waste, and left as a desert. But indeed there is no nation on earth that hath been exposed to so many persecutions and massacres. Their history abounds with them. And if God had not given them a promise of a numerous posterity, the whole race would many times have been extirpated.