John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 28:30

"Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not use the fruit thereof." — Deuteronomy 28:30 (ASV)

You shall betroth a wife, and another man. He here denounces that all they possessed would be ransacked and plundered by their enemies. He, however, puts the most painful thing of all first, namely, that they will be stripped of their wives, and he magnifies the enormity of the evil by saying that not only will the wife be torn from her husband’s bosom, but the betrothed virgin will be defiled.

The same denunciation is extended to their houses and vineyards. It is grievous indeed to see the fruit of our labors seized by our enemies before we have been permitted to enjoy them, since the frustration of our hope considerably increases our pain.

He then passes on to their flocks and herds, then to their children; and in their case, he heightens the calamity by stating that their sons and daughters would be taken from them in their very sight, so that their eyes would fail with grief, and their hands, as if dead, would be unable to offer them assistance.

He says that the robbers, who will strip them of everything, would be unknown to them for two reasons: first, because they could expect less consideration and kindness from strangers and barbarians than from neighbors; and second, so that the Jews might be alarmed by this threat, not supposing they only had to deal with neighboring nations, since it was in God’s power to bring nations from afar.

Finally, He adds that there will be no end to their affliction, until the magnitude of their calamities ²⁴⁵ will stupefy them.

²⁴⁵ Ver. 34. “Obstupesces.” — . “Obstupesces.” — Lat. “Thou shalt be mad.” — . “Thou shalt be mad.” — A..V. The former is the rendering of Pagninus, the Samaritan text, and . The former is the rendering of Pagninus, the Samaritan text, and LXX.; the latter of Vatablus, Munster, Oleaster, Malvenda, and the Arabic Version. See Poole’s Synopsis, .; the latter of Vatablus, Munster, Oleaster, Malvenda, and the Arabic Version. See Poole’s Synopsis, in loco..