diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Validation/ValidationException.php b/src/Illuminate/Validation/ValidationException.php
index 460f959f1fc4..43c0d2c4c9b4 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Validation/ValidationException.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Validation/ValidationException.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 use Exception;
 use Illuminate\Support\Arr;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Validator as ValidatorFacade;
+use Illuminate\Support\Str;
 
 class ValidationException extends Exception
 {
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ class ValidationException extends Exception
      */
     public function __construct($validator, $response = null, $errorBag = 'default')
     {
-        parent::__construct('The given data was invalid.');
+        parent::__construct(static::summarize($validator));
 
         $this->response = $response;
         $this->errorBag = $errorBag;
@@ -77,6 +78,32 @@ public static function withMessages(array $messages)
         }));
     }
 
+
+    /**
+     * Create a summary error message from the validation errors.
+     *
+     * @param \Illuminate\Contracts\Validation\Validator      $validator
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    protected static function summarize($validator)
+    {
+        $messages = $validator->errors()->all();
+
+        if (!count($messages)) {
+            return 'The given data was invalid.';
+        }
+
+        $message = array_shift($messages);
+
+        if ($additional = count($messages)) {
+            $pluralized = 1 === $additional ? 'error' : 'errors';
+            $message .= " (and $additional more $pluralized)";
+        }
+
+        return $message;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get all of the validation error messages.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Validation/ValidationExceptionTest.php b/tests/Validation/ValidationExceptionTest.php
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..d54693c1dea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Validation/ValidationExceptionTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Illuminate\Tests\Validation;
+
+use Illuminate\Translation\ArrayLoader;
+use Illuminate\Translation\Translator;
+use Illuminate\Validation\ValidationException;
+use Illuminate\Validation\Validator;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+
+class ValidationExceptionTest extends TestCase
+{
+    public function testExceptionSummarizesZeroErrors()
+    {
+        $exception = $this->getException([], []);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('The given data was invalid.', $exception->getMessage());
+    }
+
+
+    public function testExceptionSummarizesOneError()
+    {
+        $exception = $this->getException([], ['foo' => 'required']);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('validation.required', $exception->getMessage());
+    }
+
+
+    public function testExceptionSummarizesTwoErrors()
+    {
+        $exception = $this->getException([], [ 'foo' => 'required', 'bar' => 'required' ]);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('validation.required (and 1 more error)', $exception->getMessage());
+    }
+
+    public function testExceptionSummarizesThreeOrMoreErrors()
+    {
+        $exception = $this->getException([], [
+            'foo' => 'required',
+            'bar' => 'required',
+            'baz' => 'required',
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertEquals('validation.required (and 2 more errors)', $exception->getMessage());
+    }
+
+    protected function getException($data = [], $rules = [])
+    {
+        $translator = new Translator(new ArrayLoader, 'en');
+        $validator = new Validator($translator, $data, $rules);
+
+        return new ValidationException($validator);
+    }
+}