Deuteronomy 4:27 kjv
And 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 4:27 nkjv
And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you.
Deuteronomy 4:27 niv
The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.
Deuteronomy 4:27 esv
And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you.
Deuteronomy 4:27 nlt
For the LORD will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive.
Deuteronomy 4 27 Cross References
Verse: Deuteronomy 4:27, "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you."
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:33 | "I will scatter you among the nations..." | Direct prophecy of scattering for disobedience. |
| Jer 9:16 | "I will scatter them among nations..." | Jeremiah echoing the Deuteronomic curse. |
| Ezek 12:15 | "I will scatter them among the nations..." | Ezekiel also prophesies the scattering. |
| Zech 7:14 | "...I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations..." | Divine agency in scattering due to unheeded warnings. |
| Deut 28:64 | "The LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other..." | Reinforces the wide scope of scattering as a covenant curse. |
| Neh 1:8 | "Remember the word... 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples'..." | Nehemiah recalling this exact promise to God. |
| Luke 21:24 | "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's scattering and Gentile domination until return. |
| Is 1:9 | "Unless the LORD of hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom..." | Emphasizes the remnant, similar to "few in number." |
| Is 10:22 | "For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will return..." | Highlights that despite great numbers, only a remnant survives judgment. |
| Rom 9:27 | "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved." | Paul quotes Isaiah to explain the remnant's role in salvation history. |
| Jer 29:18 | "I will scatter them among all the kingdoms of the earth for disaster..." | God's judgment leading to global dispersion. |
| Ps 106:27 | "...He would scatter their offspring among the nations and disperse them over the lands." | Fulfillment of the warning from a psalmist's perspective. |
| Ezek 5:10 | "Therefore fathers shall eat their sons... and I will scatter all your remnant to every wind." | Severe judgment resulting in utter scattering, including survivors. |
| Amos 9:9 | "For behold, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations..." | God's sovereign hand in the shaking and scattering of His people. |
| 2 Ki 17:18 | "Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from His presence; none was left but the tribe of Judah only." | Historical fulfillment: northern kingdom scattered, showing a reduction in numbers. |
| Is 43:5-6 | "Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east... and from the west." | The counter-promise of regathering from scattering. |
| Deut 30:3 | "...then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where He has scattered you." | Hope of future regathering and restoration after the scattering. |
| Jer 30:11 | "For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but I will not make a full end of you." | God's ultimate preservation of Israel despite scattering and judgment. |
| Is 6:13 | "And if a tenth remains in it, it will again be consumed... a holy seed." | A further diminished remnant, a core preserved through severe judgment. |
| Ezr 9:15 | "O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today." | Confession acknowledging their reduced state after return from exile. |
Deuteronomy 4 verses
Deuteronomy 4 27 Meaning
Deuteronomy 4:27 prophecies a severe consequence for Israel's disobedience to God's covenant: they will be dispersed from their land among numerous foreign peoples. This scattering will significantly diminish their numbers, leaving them as a small remnant among the vast Gentile nations, an act directly orchestrated by the LORD as judgment for their idolatry and unfaithfulness.
Deuteronomy 4 27 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 4 records Moses’ passionate exhortation to the Israelites on the plains of Moab before they enter the promised land. He reminds them of God's covenant at Horeb (Mount Sinai), emphasizing the singular nature of the LORD God and the dire consequences of disobedience, especially idolatry. Verses 25-26 warn that if they corrupt themselves with idolatry and make graven images, they will quickly perish from the land. Verse 27 follows, prophesying the specific judgment of being scattered and reduced in number. This forms part of the blessing and curse section inherent in covenant agreements, warning Israel about the future consequences of departing from Yahweh's exclusive worship and His commandments. Historically, this prophecy was profoundly fulfilled in the Assyrian exile (722 BCE) and the Babylonian exile (586 BCE), and further reinforced through the Roman destruction in 70 CE, leading to the long-standing Jewish diaspora.
Deuteronomy 4 27 Word analysis
- And the LORD: (וַיהוָה, waYHWH) - The active agent. YHWH, the covenant God of Israel, is directly responsible for this action. This highlights divine sovereignty and judgment. It is not a random occurrence, but God's deliberate intervention.
- will scatter you: (יְפִיץְךָ, y'fîṣəḵā) - From the root פּוּץ (putz), meaning to break up, disperse, spread out. This verb emphasizes forced dispersion, as seeds scattered by the wind. It denotes a punitive scattering, indicating a loss of cohesion, unity, and geographical homeland, leading to the breaking apart of the community.
- among the peoples: (בַּֽעַמִּים, ba‘ammîm) - Refers to Gentile nations. This signifies removal from the sacred land and integration, often forcibly and without privilege, among foreign cultures and religions, highlighting Israel's vulnerability and alien status.
- and you will be left: (וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם, w'nish'artem) - From the root שָׁאַר (sha'ar), meaning to remain, be left over. It suggests survival, but specifically a remnant, emphasizing what little is left after severe culling.
- few in number: (מְתֵי מִסְפָּר, m'tê mispār) - Literally "men of number" or "counted men." This idiom emphasizes a very small, quantifiable number. It signifies a drastic reduction in population, a state of weakness and marginalization, reflecting a judgment that drastically cuts down their multitude.
- among the nations: (בַּגּוֹיִם, baggoyim) - Another term for Gentile nations, reinforcing the idea of exile and being outsiders in foreign lands.
- where the LORD: (אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה, asher YHWH) - Again, emphasizes God's direct agency and control over this punitive displacement.
- will drive you: (יִנְהַגְךָ, yinhag'kha) - From the root נָהַג (nahag), meaning to drive, lead, guide, push along. Here, it denotes being forcefully propelled or herded into exile, like cattle being driven, underlining their powerlessness and the divine hand in their dispersion.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples": This phrase firmly establishes Yahweh's sovereign initiative in the judgment. It highlights the direct divine action that brings about their geographical displacement and breakdown of national unity. It serves as a stern warning against their failure to keep the covenant.
- "and you will be left few in number": This is a direct statement of demographic devastation. It’s a vivid depiction of national diminution. This "remnant" motif, though here presented as a curse, later becomes central to themes of future hope and divine preservation in prophetic literature, hinting at God's ultimate faithfulness despite severe judgment.
- "among the nations where the LORD will drive you": This completes the picture of their punitive exile. It reiterates the divine orchestration of their dispersion and loss of homeland. It means being subjugated, dispersed, and assimilated, living as strangers rather than inheritors of the promise, directly due to God’s intervention.
Deuteronomy 4 27 Bonus section
The fulfillment of Deut 4:27 in the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, and later Jewish diaspora, establishes a profound biblical principle: God is faithful to His covenant promises, both blessings and curses. The few in number (remnant) motif becomes a crucial theological concept. Even in judgment, God always preserves a faithful minority through whom His redemptive plan continues. This partial survival serves not only as a stark reminder of their transgression but also as a testament to God's enduring commitment and the future hope of restoration (Deut 30:1-5). The diaspora, while a consequence of sin, ironically served to spread knowledge of the one true God among the nations, preparing the way for Christ's universal gospel.
Deuteronomy 4 27 Commentary
Deuteronomy 4:27 serves as a poignant prophetic warning embedded within Moses' final exhortations to Israel. It articulates the precise punitive outcome of idolatry: national dispersion and demographic reduction. This isn't just a consequence; it is a divinely ordained judgment. The verb "scatter" (פּוּץ, putz) implies a violent, disruptive breaking up of national unity, forcing Israel to exist as fragments among hostile or indifferent foreign peoples. The phrase "few in number" (מְתֵי מִסְפָּר, m'tê mispār) underscores the severe demographic decline resulting from war, famine, and oppression typical of exile, highlighting the stark contrast to God’s earlier promise of countless offspring. Crucially, the verse explicitly attributes this entire process—the scattering and the driving into foreign lands—to "the LORD." This emphasizes God's ultimate control and justice, reinforcing the principle that covenant infidelity yields inevitable divine discipline. While a severe judgment, this warning also inherently preserves the possibility of a remnant and eventual restoration, themes explored later in Deuteronomy and throughout the prophetic books.
- Example: A people once promised to be as numerous as the stars, are now warned they will become a mere handful due to unfaithfulness.