Devarim 28:50

50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not respect the zaken’s person, nor show favor to the na’ar;

Devarim 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.

Devarim 28:50 In-Context

48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which Hashem shall send against thee, in ra’av (hunger, famine), and in tzama (thirst), and in eirom (nakedness), and in choser (want) of all things; and He shall put an ol barzel (yoke of iron) upon thy tzavvar (neck), until He hath made thee shmad.

49 Hashem shall bring a nation against thee from afar, from the ketzeh ha’aretz, as swift as the nesher flieth; a nation whose lashon thou shalt not understand;

50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not respect the zaken’s person, nor show favor to the na’ar;

51 And he shall eat the pri of thy animals, and the pri of thy adamah, until thou be shmad; which also shall not leave thee either dagan, tirosh, or yitzhar, or the increase of thy livestock, or flocks of thy sheep, until it hath destroyed thee.

52 And it shall besiege thee in all thy she’arim, until thy high and fortified walls come down, wherein thou trusted, throughout all thy land; and it shall besiege thee in all thy she’arim throughout all thy land, which Hashem Eloheicha hath given thee.