신명기 32:28의 주석

כי FOR that nation גוי אבד עצות המה ואין בהם תבונה IS A NATION OF ERRING COUNSEL, NEITHER IS THERE ANY UNDERSTANDING IN THEM — for if they were wise (לו חכמו),‎ ישכילו זאת THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND THIS viz., איכה ירדף וגו׳ HOW COULD ONE PURSUE [A THOUSAND] etc.

FOR THEY ARE A NATION VOID OF COUNSEL. [This verse and] the entire section [further on] refers to the aforementioned enemy, according to the words of Rabbi Nechemyah.¹¹⁴Sifre, Ha’azinu 322. And, so too, the verse, For their Rock is not as our rock¹¹⁵Further, Verse 31. is to be understood as the words of the enemy. Scripture thus states, the enemy should have considered and understood that what was done with Israel had been brought about by G-d because of their sin, and from it they should have realized their own ultimate punishment, for He would do the same to all the nations since they rebel against G-d more than does Israel. They should have been wise and said: “How should one pursue a thousand from Israel except their Rock had given them over.¹¹⁶Verse 30. For their Rock is powerful and possesses the capability to help and save more than does our rock, and our enemies [i.e., the Israelites] were ‘pelilim’ (judges)¹¹⁵Further, Verse 31. over us originally to execute judgments upon us as they wished. And now, why do a thousand [of the Israelites] flee from before us at the shout of one man, except that their mighty Rock gave them over and sent a faintness into their heart¹¹⁷Leviticus 26:36. and they fell when there was no pursuer.”¹¹⁸See ibid., Verse 37. The term ‘pelilim’ (judges)¹¹⁵Further, Verse 31. is associated with the expressions: that ‘pilalt’ (thou hast given judgment) for thy sisters;¹¹⁹Ezekiel 16:52. Then stood up Phinehas ‘vayephaleil’ (and wrought judgment).¹²⁰Psalms 106:30.

כי גוי אובד עצות המה, Moses is quoting the gentiles’ assessment of the Jewish people at that point.

כי גוי אבד עצות המה, "for they are a people bereft of counsel;" As distinct from the Gentile neighbours, the Jews do not respond to being disciplined by their G'd and turn penitent. They are inherently unable to learn the lessons of history. ואין בהם תבונה, "and they do not possess discernment." They are unable to draw conclusions through unprejudiced observations. As Moses continues: "if they possessed wisdom they would use it intelligently." They would have understood that the outpouring of G'd's wrath upon them was not a natural disaster, a coincidence, but a warning to repent and to mend their ways. Moses elaborates on a few examples which should have demonstrated to the Israelites that G'd had been their support all along in the past.

כי גוי אובד עצות, the word גוי refers to the gentile nations here saying of the Jews that they are totally devoid of direction;

כי גוי אובד, “for a nation bereft, etc.” a reference to the Gentile nations [as a group, Ed.].

For if they were wise, etc. Rashi adds the letter shin [meaning “because”] to the word “לו (if)” because the phrase “לו, etc.” is not the beginning of the phrase, but is proof for the [preceding] statement “for they are a nation who squanders counsel” because if they were wise, etc.

V. 28. כי גוי אבד עצות המה, denn die Israel entgegenstehenden Völker gehen zusammen an selbstgeschaffenen Plänen, an dem Dünkel auf ihre politische Staatenweisheit zu Grunde und haben nicht die Einsicht, aus den Tatsachen und Ereignissen die rechten Schlüsse zu ziehen.

כי גוי אובד עצות המה, “for they are a nation void of sense;” this is a reference to the nation into whose hands I will deliver them. They are devoid of sense, so how could they have succeeded in wiping out My people?.

כי גוי אובד עצות המה , “for they are a people void of counsel;” There are two opposing interpretations in the Sifri concerning who are the subject in this phrase; according to Rabbi Yehudah, the subject are the Jewish people; according to Rabbi Nechemyah, the subject are the gentile nations, who have no concept of how G-d’s ways of educational punishment works. According to RabbiNechemyah the words refer to what the gentile nations were quoted as saying in verse 27. According to Rabbi Yehudah, the Jewish people had rejected all the sound advice G-d had given them about how to live their lives by following the rules of the Torah.

the construction ovad is similar to mispad in מספד תמרורים in Jeremiah 6,26, where instead of misped we find mispad, just as here we find ovad instead of oved. Genesis 30,37 makal instead of makel, is another example of such a construction. The reason for the patach instead of the tzeyreh is that in each instance listed the noun is in a construct mode. A fourth example of such a construction is found in Leviticus 27,32 ma-assar bakar vatzon, instead of ma-asser bakar vatzon.