Sifrei Devarim 326

כי ידין ה' עמו - כשהמקום דן את האומות שמחה היא לפניו, שנ' כי ידין ה' עמו, וכשהמקום דן ישראל - כביכול יש תהות לפניו, שנאמר ועל עבדיו יתנחם; ואין נחמה אלא תהות, שנאמר (בראשית ו׳:ז׳) כי נחמתי כי עשיתים. ואומר (שמואל א טו) נחמתי כי המלכתי את שאול למלך:

(Devarim 32:36) "For the L-rd will judge His people, and over His servants yithnecham": When the L-rd judges (i.e., punishes) the nations, it is "joy" to Him, viz. (Proverbs 11:10) "and in the destruction of the wicked is rejoicing." And when the L-rd judges the righteous, there is "bethinking" before Him, as it is written "and over His servants, yithnecham," "nechamah" connoting "bethinking," viz. (Genesis 6:7) "for I (the L-rd) have bethought Myself (nichamti) for having made them," and (I Samuel 15:11) "I have bethought myself (nichamti) for having made Saul king."

כי יראה כי אזלת יד - כשרואה הכל מהלכים לפניו בגולה.

(Devarim, Ibid.) "when He sees the hand going": when He sees one's strength waning in the exile, as in (Daniel 12:7) "and at the climax of the breaking of the hand (i.e., the strength) of the holy people," (the exile will come to an end).

ד"א כשיתייאשו מן הגאולה, כשתכלה פרוטה מן הכיס, שנ' (דניאל י״ב:ז׳) וככלות נפץ ידי עם קודש תכלנה כל אלה.

Variantly: when they despair of salvation, when a perutah (small coin) "ends" from the pocket.

ד"א כי יראה כי אזלת יד - כשהוא רואה שאין בהם אדם שמבקש עליהם רחמים כמשה, שנא' (תהלים קו) ויאמר להשמידם לולי משה בחירו.

Variantly: "when He sees the hand going": when He sees that there is no one who implores mercy for them as Moses had done, viz. (Psalms 106:23) "He would have destroyed them had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, etc."

ד"א כי יראה - כשהוא רואה שאין בהם שמבקש עליהם כאהרן, שנאמר (במדבר יז) ויעמד בין המתים ובין החיים.

Variantly: "when He sees": when He sees that there is no one who implores mercy for them as Aaron had done, viz. (Bamidbar 17:13) "and he stood between the dead and the living."

ד"א כי יראה - כשהוא רואה שאין בהם אדם שמבקש עליהם כפינחס, שנא' (תהלים קו) ויעמד פנחס ויפלל ותעצר המגפה.

Variantly: when He sees that there is no one who implores mercy for them as Pinchas had done, viz. (Psalms 106:30) "And Pinchas arose and prayed, and the plague ceased."

ד"א כי יראה - כי אין עוזר; שנא' ואפס עצור ועזוב, ואין עוזר לישראל.

"and there is no one who is restrained (from coming to harm) or strengthened, as in (II Kings 14:26) "For the L-rd saw the affliction of Israel … with none restrained and none strengthened, and no help for Israel," and (Isaiah 59:16) "And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no intercessor."