The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: The Lord shall smite thee with madness - שגעון shiggaon, distraction, so that thou shalt not know what to do.
And blindness - עורון ivvaron, blindness, both physical and mental; the גרב garab, (Deuteronomy 28:27), destroying their eyes, and the judgments of God confounding their understandings.
Astonishment - תמהון timmahon, stupidity and amazement. By the just judgments of God they were so completely confounded, as not to discern the means by which they might prevent or remove their calamities, and to adopt those which led directly to their ruin. How true is the ancient saying, Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat! "Those whom God is determined to destroy, he first infatuates." But this applies not exclusively to the poor Jews: how miserably infatuated have the powers of the continent of Europe been, in all their councils and measures, for several years past! And what is the result? They have fallen - most deplorably fallen!