John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 32:36

"For Jehovah will judge his people, And repent himself for his servants; When he seeth that [their] power is gone, And there is none [remaining], shut up or left at large." — Deuteronomy 32:36 (ASV)

For the Lord shall judge His people. Some connect this sentence with what precedes it, and thus take the word judge to mean to punish. The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews seems to support their opinion, since he proves by this testimony how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:30–31).

But there is no reason why the Apostle should not have applied to a different purpose what Moses set forth for the consolation of the godly, so that believers might be more attentive, the nearer they saw God reveal Himself as the Judge of His Church. Perhaps, however, it is preferred to interpret Moses' words this way: Although God may judge His people, yet He will eventually be propitiated, or moved to relent, so as to moderate the intensity of His anger.

Whichever way we understand them will make little difference to the main point. For after Moses has threatened those who despise God, and the apostates who desire to be considered members of His household, the Church, he now turns to the outsiders and proclaims against them that the cruelty they have exercised towards the Israelites will not go unpunished. This is because God will eventually remember His covenant and will pardon His elect people.

If you take the word judge to mean to govern, or to undertake their cause, the particle for must be rendered adversatively, as if it were said nevertheless or but. If we prefer the other sense, it will be equivalent to although, or even though. Undoubtedly, Moses' object is to encourage the hopes of the godly, who have benefited from God’s discipline, by showing that He will lessen His severity towards His elect people, and in His wrath will remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). Thus, Moses here teaches the same thing that God afterwards more clearly unfolded to David:

If thy children forsake my law,... I will visit their transgressions with the rod of man,... nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not take away from them, etc.²⁸⁷ (Psalms 89:30, 33; 2 Samuel 7:14–15).

For nothing is more suited to sustain us in afflictions than when God promises that there will be some limit to them, so that He will not utterly destroy those whom He has chosen. Whenever, therefore, the troubles we suffer tempt us to despair, let this lesson come to our minds: that the punishments with which God disciplines His children are temporary, since His promise will never fail that His anger endureth but a moment (Psalms 30:5), while the flow of His mercy is continual. Hence, too, that lesson which is especially directed to the Church:²⁸⁸

For a moment I afflicted thee, but I will pursue my mercies towards thee for ever (Isaiah 54:8).

He here calls them His servants, not because they had deserved His pardon by their obedience, but because He condescends to acknowledge them as His own. For this honor relates to His gratuitous election. As when David says, I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid (Psalms 116:16), he certainly claims nothing special for himself, but only boasts that he had been of God’s family from the womb, just as slaves are born in the house of their masters.

At the same time, we must observe that whenever God declares He will be merciful to His servants, He refers only to those who heartily seek reconciliation, and not to the reprobate, who are carried away to destruction by their desperate obstinacy. In short, so that God should relent from His severity, repentance is required from sinners, as He teaches elsewhere:

Turn ye unto me,... and I will turn unto you (Zechariah 1:3).

Instead of shall repent, some translate the word as shall console himself.²⁸⁹ Jerome, considering the overall meaning of the passage rather than the meaning of the word, translates it shall have mercy.

We must, however, note the time that God appoints for the exercise of His grace: namely, when all their power (virtus) has departed from them, and all are reduced to almost complete destruction. For the word hand is used for vigor,²⁹⁰ as if it were said that God would not be at all content with a light discipline, and consequently would not be appeased until they had reached extreme circumstances.

This circumstance is well worth noting, so that our hopes may not fail us even in the most severe afflictions of the Church. Instead, we may be assured that although all may be in the worst possible state, the proper time for restoration will still come.

That none should remain behind, or shut up or left, is almost a proverbial phrase in Hebrew. This is seen when it is said, I will cut off from Jeroboam,... him that is shut up and left in Israel (1 Kings 14:10)—that is, both in the city and in the country, or at home and abroad. This is again repeated concerning the posterity of Ahab (Ibid. 21:21).

Therefore, it is clear that they are mistaken²⁹¹ who explain this as referring to riches shut up in treasuries and cattle scattered in the fields. This will be still more apparent from another passage in which the Prophet undoubtedly referred to this: The Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was not any shut up, nor any left.

And since He had not determined to blot out His people, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam (2 Kings 14:26–27). This means that God, as He had promised, had pity on His people in their extreme destitution.

²⁸⁷ C. evidently quoted from memory, and amalgamated the two citations.. evidently quoted from memory, and amalgamated the two citations.

²⁸⁸ Here also the substance, and not the words of the passage, are given.

²⁸⁹ LXX Παρακληθήσεται V. ““miserebitur.” Addition in ” Addition in Fr., “Le mot de “Le mot de repentir s’accorde mieux au stile de l’Escriture;” the word s’accorde mieux au stile de l’Escriture;” the word repent accords best with the style of Scripture.accords best with the style of Scripture.

²⁹⁰ Vide margin, margin, A. V.

²⁹¹ This notion is attributed in Poole to “many of the Hebrews, and Malvenda.”