Deuteronomy 4:27

4:27 scatter you: One of the curses directed against Israel if it violated the terms of the covenant was the dispersion of the people to the ends of the earth (28:64). This judgment later came to pass repeatedly, especially when the Assyrians occupied the northern kingdom in 722 BC, when the Babylonians conquered Judah in 605–586 BC, and when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So that his curse shall make his former blessings of none effect.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 27. The Lord shall scatter you among the nations] This was amply verified in their different captivities and dispersions.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(27) And the Lord shall scatter you.—Our familiarity with this fact in history must not blind us to its force when uttered as a prophecy. The fact that the Jews were taken captive for idolatry, and dispersed for the rejection of JESUS, is a remarkable proof that the real reason why they were brought into Canaan, and kept there, was to be witnesses for Jehovah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27. few in number] Heb. idiom men of a number, easily counted, instead of being innumerable, as the stars in heaven for multitude.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations,.... As they were by both captivities; the ten tribes were dispersed among the cities of the Medes, and the two tribes throughout the empire of Babylon:

and ye shall be left few in number among the Heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you; or be "men of number" (i), so few that they might be easily numbered; which intimates that it should be other wise with them than when in Egypt; there they were multiplied and increased the more they were afflicted, but in these captivities they should be greatly diminished.

(i) "viri numeri", Montanus, Drusius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Nations. This prediction we see verified at the present day. They are despised by all. No one of their numerous masters embraces their religion. No one of their numerous masters embraces their religion. They are so few, as to hardly possess a single town. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

27. The Lord shall scatter you — How clearly this was fulfilled in the nation’s history! Assyrians, Babylonians, the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties, and finally the Romans, scattered the rebellious people.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Few in number; literally, men of number, i.e. that may be counted; few as compared with the heathen among whom they should be dispersed. (Gen_34:30) Shall lead you. The verb here (gheni, Piel of ghn) is frequently used in the sense of conducting gently and kindly (Isa_49:10 Isa_63:14; Psa_48:14 Psa_78:52) but it also means to drive, to carry off, to convey forcibly (Exo_14:25; Exo_10:13; Psa_78:26) the connection shows that it is in the latter sense it is to be taken here. Dispersed among the heathen, they, who had dishonored God by making an image to represent him, should be compelled to do service to mere dead idols, the work of men"s hands, which not only could not hear or see, as God can, but also could not-perform even such animal functions as eating and smelling (Psa_115:4-7; Jer_10:3-9) These idols are called "gods" by Moses,because they were so counted by those who worshipped them; elsewhere he stigmatizes them as "abominations," things to be loathed and abhorred ( (Deu_27:15 Deu_29:17) As had been their sin, so should be their punishment; as they had dishonored God, so should they be themselves dishonored; as they had worshipped by an image him who is spirit and without form, they should be made to sink down to an utterly materialized worship, that of mere idols, the work of men"s hands; as they had apostatized from the one holy and true God, they should be degraded to become the servants of abominations, objects of loathing and abhorrence (Jer_16:13; Act_7:42) God, however, would not utterly cast them off: if, in their misery and degradation, they should repent and turn again to him and seek him sincerely and earnestly, they should find him; for he is a merciful God, and mindful of the covenant which he swam unto their fathers (cf. Lev_26:39, etc.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.

Yahweh will scatter you among the peoples

Moses speaks as if the people were seeds that Yahweh would scatter around a field. AT: "Yahweh will send you to many different places and force you to live there" (See: Metaphor)

will lead you away

"will send you" or "will cause your enemies to take you away"

the work of men's hands, wood and stone

Here "men's hands" refers the men themselves, and "the work ... wood and stone" to the idols that they have created. AT: "the wood and stone idols that men have made" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

Yahweh

people group

nation

servant

false god

works

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

AND YE SHALL BE LEFT FEW IN NUMBER. He is stating that we will be left as a minority among any of the nations whereto G-d will lead us, for He will scatter us as the four winds of the heaven, but in our totality we are many [i.e., Israel will remain a large nation, but because of our dispersion we are in a minority in each of the many countries] — praise be to G-d [that in our totality we are many]!

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.