Deuteronomy 28:50

50 a nation bold in countenance, which shall not respect the person of the aged and shall not pity the young.

Deuteronomy 28:50 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:50

A nation of fierce countenance
Or, "strong of face" ^F25; which aptly describes the old Romans, who are always represented as such; and whereas it is said of the Chaldeans, that they were a nation dreadful and terrible, ( Habakkuk 1:7 ) ; the same is said of the fourth beast, or Roman empire, ( Daniel 7:7 ) ; who were a terror to all the world:

which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the
young:
cruel, unmerciful, and uncompassionate, to persons of whatsoever age or sex; which, as it was the character of the Chaldeans, ( 2 Chronicles 36:17 ) ; so of the Romans, who especially showed no mercy to the Jews, as Josephus ^F26, who was an eyewitness, testifies.

``The Romans (says he) showed no mercy to any age, out of hatred to the nation (of the Jews), and in remembrance of the injuries done to Cestius;''

one of their governors, when among them. And in another place he says {a},

``the Romans, remembering what they suffered in the siege, spared none, and showed no mercy.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mynp ze) "fortem faciebus", Montanus; "robustam facie", Vatablus.
F26 De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 7. sect. 1.
F1 Ibid. sect. 34.

Deuteronomy 28:50 In-Context

48 And thou shalt serve thine enemies, which the Lord will send forth against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in the want of all things; and thou shalt wear upon thy neck a yoke of iron until he shall have destroyed thee.

49 The Lord shall bring upon thee a nation from the extremity of the earth, like the swift flying of an eagle, a nation whose voice thou shalt not understand;

50 a nation bold in countenance, which shall not respect the person of the aged and shall not pity the young.

51 And it shall eat up the young of thy cattle, and the fruits of thy land, so as not to leave to thee corn, wine, oil, the herds of thine oxen, and the flocks of thy sheep, until it shall have destroyed thee;

52 and have utterly crushed thee in thy cities, until the high and strong walls be destroyed, in which thou trustest, in all thy land; and it shall afflict thee in thy cities, which he has given to thee.

Footnotes

• [a]. wonder at.