SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:68
Y el SEÑOR te hará volver a Egipto en navíos por el camino del cual te ha dicho: Nunca más volverás a verlo; y allí os venderán a vuestros enemigos por esclavos y por esclavas, y no habrá quien os compre.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 28:68
Verse 68. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again] That is, into another state of slavery and bondage similar to that of Egypt, out of which they had been lately brought. And there ye shall be sold, that is, be exposed to sale, or expose yourself to sale as the word µtrkmth hithmaccartem may be rendered; they were vagrants, and wished to become slaves that they might be provided with the necessaries of life. And no man shall buy you; even the Romans thought it a reproach to have a Jew for a slave, they had become so despicable to all mankind. When Jerusalem was taken by Titus, many of the captives, which were above seventeen years of age, were sent into the works in Egypt. See Josephus, Antiq., b. xii, c. 1, 2, War b. vi., c. 9, s. 2; and above all, see Bp.
Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies.
THE first verse of the next chapter, in some of the most correct Hebrew Bibles, makes the 69th of this; and very properly, as the second verse of the following chapter begins a new subject.
This is an astonishing chapter: in it are prophecies delivered more than 3, 000 years ago, and now fulfilling.
O God, how immense is thy wisdom, and how profound thy counsels! To thee alone are known all thy works from the beginning to the end. What an irrefragable proof does this chapter, compared with the past and present state of the Jewish people, afford of the truth and Divine origin of the Pentateuch!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 68. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships , etc.] Either into a state of hard bondage and slavery, like that their fathers were in, in Egypt; or rather, strictly and literally, should be brought into Egypt again, since it is said to be “with” or “in ships”. This does not respect the going of those Jews into Egypt who were left in the land of Judea, after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; for that was against the express command of God, ( Jeremiah 42:13-22 43:4-7). There were several movings of them into Egypt after that time; an Heathen historian f534 tells us, that not a few thousands of Jews went into Egypt and Phoenicia, because of the sedition in Syria after the death of Alexander; and where, it seems, in process of time, they became slaves: for we are told by Josephus f535 , that 120,000 slaves were set free by Ptolemy Philadelphus; but what is chiefly respected here is their case in the times of the Romans, and by their means. Now when Jerusalem was taken by Titus, those above seventeen years of age were sent by him to the works, or mines, in Egypt, as the same historian relates f536 ; and after their last overthrow by Adrian many thousands were sold, and what could not be sold were transported into Egypt, and perished by “shipwreck”, or famine, or were slaughtered by the people whereby this prophecy was literally and exactly fulfilled, and which is owned by the Jews themselves. Manasseh Ben Israel observes, that though Vespasian banished the Jews into various countries, Egypt is only mentioned by way of reproach, as if it had been said, ye shall go captives into the land from which ye went out triumphant: by the way whereof I spake unto thee, thou shall see it no more again ; the Targum of Jonathan is, “the Word of the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again in ships;” even the same divine Word, the Son of God, that brought them out of it, and went before them in a pillar of cloud and fire, now provoked by their rejection of him, would lead them back again thither; the paraphrast adds, “through the midst of the Red sea, in the path in which ye passed;” as if they were carried over into Egypt in ships, just in that part of the sea in which they had passed before; but that was an unknown and unseen path, after the waters were closed up, and never to be seen more, and which is here meant; for not Egypt, but the way in which they passed, was to be seen no more: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwomen, and no man shall buy [you] ; that is, there in Egypt they would be offered to sale, and so many would be sold until the market was glutted with them, and there would be no buyers. The Targum of Jonathan is, “ye shall be sold there at first to your enemies, at a dear price, as artificers, and afterwards at a mean price as servants and handmaids, until ye become despised, and be brought to serve for nothing, and there be none to take you in.”
Jarchi interprets it of they themselves being desirous, and seeking to be sold, to avoid cruelties and death; which agrees with the sense of the word, which may be rendered, “ye shall offer yourselves for sale”; but there will be no buyer, because their enemies will determine upon the slaughter and consumption of them; and to the same purpose Aben Ezra. There were such numbers of them to be sold both at Egypt and at Rome, that the sellers of them had but a poor market for them; and it seems not only because of their number, but the ill opinion had of them as servants.
Hegesippus says, “there were many to be sold, but there were few buyers; for the Romans despised the Jews for service, nor were there Jews left to redeem their own.”
It is said f540 , that thirty were sold for a penny; a just retaliation to them, who had sold their Messiah for thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 45-68 - If God inflicts vengeance, what miseries his curse can bring upo mankind, even in this present world! Yet these are but the beginning of sorrows to those under the curse of God. What then will be the miser of that world where their worm dieth not, and their fire is no quenched! Observe what is here said of the wrath of God, which shoul come and remain upon the Israelites for their sins. It is amazing to think that a people so long the favourites of Heaven, should be so cas off; and yet that a people so scattered in all nations should be kep distinct, and not mixed with others. If they would not serve God with cheerfulness, they should be compelled to serve their enemies. We ma justly expect from God, that if we do not fear his fearful name, we shall feel his fearful plagues; for one way or other God will be feared. The destruction threatened is described. They have, indeed been plucked from off the land, ver. #(63). Not only by the Babylonis captivity, and when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans; but afterwards, when they were forbidden to set foot in Jerusalem. The should have no rest; no rest of body, ver. 65, but be continually of the remove, either in hope of gain, or fear of persecution. No rest of the mind, which is much worse. They have been banished from city to city, from country to country; recalled, and banished again. Thes events, compared with the favour shown to Israel in ancient times, an with the prophecies about them, should not only excite astonishment but turn unto us for a testimony, assuring us of the truth of Scripture. And when the other prophecies of their conversion to Chris shall come to pass, the whole will be a sign and a wonder to all the nations of the earth, and the forerunner of a general spread of tru christianity. The fulfilling of these prophecies upon the Jewis nation, delivered more than three thousand years ago, shows that Mose spake by the Spirit of God; who not only foresees the ruin of sinners but warns of it, that they may prevent it by a true and timel repentance, or else be left without excuse. And let us be thankful tha Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made curse for us, and bearing in his own person all that punishment whic our sins merit, and which we must otherwise have endured for ever. To this Refuge and salvation let sinners flee; therein let believer rejoice, and serve their reconciled God with gladness of heart, for the abundance of his spiritual blessings __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
והשׁיבך 7725 יהוה 3068 מצרים 4714 באניות 591 בדרך 1870 אשׁר 834 אמרתי 559 לך לא 3808 תסיף 3254 עוד 5750 לראתה 7200 והתמכרתם 4376 שׁם 8033 לאיביך 341 לעבדים 5650 ולשׁפחות 8198 ואין 369 קנה׃ 7069
