Deuteronomy 28:62
And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
Original Language Analysis
וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙
And ye shall be left
H7604
וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙
And ye shall be left
Strong's:
H7604
Word #:
1 of 15
properly, to swell up, i.e., be (causatively, make) redundant
בִּמְתֵ֣י
in number
H4962
בִּמְתֵ֣י
in number
Strong's:
H4962
Word #:
2 of 15
properly, an adult (as of full length); by implication, a man (only in the plural)
תַּ֚חַת
H8478
תַּ֚חַת
Strong's:
H8478
Word #:
4 of 15
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
whereas
H834
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
whereas
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
5 of 15
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
הֱיִיתֶ֔ם
H1961
הֱיִיתֶ֔ם
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
6 of 15
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֥י
ye were as the stars
H3556
כְּכֽוֹכְבֵ֥י
ye were as the stars
Strong's:
H3556
Word #:
7 of 15
a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a prince
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם
of heaven
H8064
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם
of heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
8 of 15
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
כִּי
H3588
כִּי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
10 of 15
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
לֹ֣א
H3808
לֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
11 of 15
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
שָׁמַ֔עְתָּ
because thou wouldest not obey
H8085
שָׁמַ֔עְתָּ
because thou wouldest not obey
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
12 of 15
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
Cross References
Nehemiah 9:23Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.Deuteronomy 4:27And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.Deuteronomy 10:22Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.Isaiah 24:6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.Jeremiah 42:2And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)Nehemiah 7:4Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.Mark 13:20And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.2 Kings 24:14And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
Historical Context
Archaeological surveys show dramatic population decline after 586 BC—Judah's population dropped from ~250,000 to ~40,000. After AD 70, the Jewish population in Judea dropped by 80%. After the Bar Kokhba revolt (AD 135), Judea was renamed 'Syria Palaestina' to erase Jewish identity. The Holocaust reduced world Jewry by 40%.
Questions for Reflection
- How can God's promises be both certain and conditional?
- What does this passage teach about corporate versus individual election?
- How does the preservation of a remnant demonstrate both judgment and mercy?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude—this directly reverses God's Abrahamic promise (Genesis 15:5, 22:17). The Hebrew wǝnišʾartem bimtê mǝʿāṭ (וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט, 'you shall be left as men of fewness') contrasts painfully with as the stars of heaven (כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, kǝḵôḵǝḇê haššāmayim), the very language of God's covenant promise.
This predicts genocide and population collapse. From Solomon's empire of millions, Israel shrank to a remnant under Babylon, then further under Rome. By AD 135 (after Bar Kokhba's revolt), Judea was nearly depopulated. The phrase because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD gives the reason: disobedience inverts blessing to curse. Paul references this in Romans 9:27—even the remnant is saved only by grace.