(Devarim 32:42) "I will make My arrows drunk with blood": How is it possible to make arrows drunk? (The meaning is) rather: I shall make others drunk with what My arrows do.
"and My sword shall eat flesh": How is it possible for a sword to eat flesh? (The meaning is) rather: I shall make others eat from what My sword does. As it is written (Ezekiel 39:17-20) "Son of man, thus says the L-rd G-d: Say to every winged bird and to every beast of the field: Assemble and come, gather together from all around for the feast that I slaughter for you ... And you will eat flesh and you will drink blood. You will eat the flesh of warriors, and you will drink the blood of the princes of the land … And you will eat fats to satiety and you will drink blood to drunkenness … and you will be sated at My table," and (Isaiah 34:6) "The sword of the L-rd is full of blood, greased with fats." Why? (Ibid.) "For there is a sacrifice for the L-rd in Batzrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom."
(Devarim, Ibid.) "for the blood of the slain and its captivity": because of what they did with the slain of My people, as it is written (Jeremiah 8:23) "If only my head were water and my eyes a spring of tears, so that I could cry all day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"
(Devarim, Ibid.) "from the beginning of the breaches of the foe": When the Holy One Blessed be He brings punishment upon the foe, He brings it not only for what they did, but for what they and their fathers did — from (the time of) Abraham on.
Variantly: "from the beginning of the breaches" ("peraoth," like "Pharaoh"): Why are all the punishments pinned on Pharaoh's head? Because Pharaoh was the first to subjugate Israel.
(דברים לב מב) אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם, וְכִי אִפְשָׁר לָהֶם לְחִצִּים שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּכְּרוּ מִדָּם? אֶלָּא הֲרֵינִי מַשְׁכִּיר אֶת אֲחֵרִים מִמַּה שֶׁחִצַּי עוֹשִׂים.
(Devarim 32:42) "I will make My arrows drunk with blood": How is it possible to make arrows drunk? (The meaning is) rather: I shall make others drunk with what My arrows do.
וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר, וְכִי אִפְשָׁר לְחֶרֶב שֶׁתֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר? אֶלָּא הֲרֵינִי מַאֲכִיל אֲחֵרִים מִמַּה שֶׁחַרְבִּי עוֹשָׂה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל לט יז): ״וְאַתָּה בֶן אָדָם אֱמֹר לְצִפּוֹר כָּל כָּנָף״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַאֲכַלְתֶּם חֵלֶב לְשָׂבְעָה וּשְׁתִיתֶם דָּם״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״בְּשַׂר גִּבּוֹרִים תֹּאכֵלוּ״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם עַל שֻׁלְחָנִי סוּס וָרָכֶב״, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה לד ו): ״חֶרֶב לַה׳ מָלְאָה דָם הֻדַּשְׁנָה מֵחֵלֶב״, מִפְּנֵי מָה? ״כִּי זֶבַח לַה׳ בְּבָצְרָה וְטֶבַח גָּדוֹל בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם״.
"and My sword shall eat flesh": How is it possible for a sword to eat flesh? (The meaning is) rather: I shall make others eat from what My sword does. As it is written (Ezekiel 39:17-20) "Son of man, thus says the L-rd G-d: Say to every winged bird and to every beast of the field: Assemble and come, gather together from all around for the feast that I slaughter for you ... And you will eat flesh and you will drink blood. You will eat the flesh of warriors, and you will drink the blood of the princes of the land … And you will eat fats to satiety and you will drink blood to drunkenness … and you will be sated at My table," and (Isaiah 34:6) "The sword of the L-rd is full of blood, greased with fats." Why? (Ibid.) "For there is a sacrifice for the L-rd in Batzrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom."
מִדַּם חָלָל וְשִׁבְיָה. מִמַּה שֶׁעָשׂוּ בְּחַלְלֵי עַמִּי, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה ח כג): ״מִי יִתֵּן רֹאשִׁי מַיִם וְעֵינִי מְקוֹר דִּמְעָה וְאֶבְכֶּה יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה אֵת חַלְלֵי בַת עַמִּי״.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "for the blood of the slain and its captivity": because of what they did with the slain of My people, as it is written (Jeremiah 8:23) "If only my head were water and my eyes a spring of tears, so that I could cry all day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"
וְשִׁבְיָה, מִמַּה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ בִּשְׁבִי עַמִּי. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ישעיה יד ב): ״וְהָיוּ שֹׁבִים לְשֹׁבֵיהֶם וְרָדוּ בְּנֹגְשֵׂיהֶם״.
"and its captivity": for what they did with the captives of My people, viz. (Isaiah 14:2) "and they will be captors of their captors."
מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב, כְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵבִיא פֻּרְעָנוּת עַל אֻמּוֹת אֵין מֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלָּהֶם לְבַדָּם, אֶלָּא שֶׁלָּהֶם וְשֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם מִנִּמְרוֹד וָאֵילָךְ. כְּשֶׁמֵּבִיא טוֹבוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלָּהֶם וְשֶׁל אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם מֵאַבְרָהָם וָאֵילָךְ.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "from the beginning of the breaches of the foe": When the Holy One Blessed be He brings punishment upon the foe, He brings it not only for what they did, but for what they and their fathers did — from (the time of) Abraham on.
דָּבָר אַחֵר מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב, מָה רָאוּ לִתְלוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ פַּרְעֹה כָּל פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה תְּחִלָּה לְשִׁעְבּוּדָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Variantly: "from the beginning of the breaches" ("peraoth," like "Pharaoh"): Why are all the punishments pinned on Pharaoh's head? Because Pharaoh was the first to subjugate Israel.