Deuteronomy28
English Standard Version
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1 And you the of the Lord your , being to his I you , the Lord your will you the of the .
2 And shall you and you, you the of the Lord your .
3 shall you be in the , and shall you be in the .
4 shall be the of your and the of your and the of your , the of your and the of your .
5 shall be your and your .
6 shall you be when you , and shall you be when you .
7 The Lord will your who you to be . They shall against you and you .
8 The Lord will the on you in your and in that you . And he will you in the the Lord your is you.
9 The Lord will you as a to himself, he has to you, you the of the Lord your and in his .
10 And the of the shall you are by the of the Lord, and they shall be you.
11 And the Lord will make you in , in the of your and in the of your and in the of your , within the the Lord to your to you.
12 The Lord will to you his , the , to the to your in its and to the of your . And you shall to , but you shall .
13 And the Lord will you the and the , and you shall and , you the of the Lord your , I you , being to them,
14 and if you do of the I you , to the or to the , to to them.
15 But you will the of the Lord your or be to his and his I you , then shall you and you.
16 shall you be in the , and shall you be in the .
17 shall be your and your .
18 shall be the of your and the of your , the of your and the of your .
19 shall you be when you , and shall you be when you .
20 The Lord will on you , , and in that you to , you are and account the of your , you have me.
21 The Lord will the to you he has you the you are to take possession of .
22 The Lord will you with and with , and , and with and with and with . They shall you you .
23 And the your shall be , and the you shall be .
24 The Lord will the of your . shall come you you are .
25 The Lord will you to be your . You shall against them and them. And you shall be a to the of the .
26 And your shall be for of the and for the of the , and there shall be no to frighten them .
27 The Lord will you with the of , and with and and , of you be .
28 The Lord will you with and and of ,
29 and you shall at , the in , and you shall in your . And you shall be and , and there shall be no to you.
30 You shall a , but shall her. You shall a , but you shall in it. You shall a , but you shall enjoy its .
31 Your shall be , but you shall of it. Your shall be your , but shall be to you. Your shall be to your , but there shall be no to you.
32 Your and your shall be to , while your and fail with for them long, but you shall be .
33 A you have shall the of your and of your , and you shall be and ,
34 so that you are by the that your .
35 The Lord will you the and the with of you be , the of your the crown of your .
36 The Lord will you and your you you to a you nor your have . And you shall of and .
37 And you shall become a , a , and a among the the Lord will you .
38 You shall into the and shall , the shall it.
39 You shall and them, but you shall of the gather the , the shall them.
40 You shall have throughout your , but you shall with the , your shall .
41 You shall and , but they shall be yours, they shall into .
42 The shall your and the of your .
43 The is you shall and you, and you shall come and .
44 He shall to you, and you shall to him. He shall be the , and you shall be the .
45 shall you and you and you you are , you did the of the Lord your , to his and his he you.
46 They shall be a and a against you and your .
47 you did the Lord your with and of , because of the of all ,
48 therefore you shall your the Lord will against you, in and , in , and . And he will a of your he has you.
49 The Lord will a you , the of the , the , a you do ,
50 a shall the or to the .
51 It shall the of your and the of your , you are ; also shall you , , or , the of your or the of your , they have caused you to .
52 They shall you in your , your and , in you , come throughout your . And they shall you in your throughout your , the Lord your has you.
53 And you shall the of your , the of your and , the Lord your has you, in the and in the with your shall you.
54 The who is the and among you will food to his , to the he , and to the of the he has ,
55 so that he will to of them of the of his he is , he has , in the and in the with your shall you in your .
56 The and woman among you, would to the of her the she is so and , will to the she , to her and to her ,
57 her that her and her she , she will them , in the and in the with your shall you in your .
58 you are to the of that are in , that you may and , the Lord your ,
59 then the Lord will on you and your , and , and and .
60 And he will upon you again the of , of you were , and they shall to you.
61 and is in the of , the Lord will you, you are .
62 you were as as the of , you shall be in , you did the of the Lord your .
63 And as the Lord in doing you and you, the Lord will in you and you. And you shall be the you are to take of it.
64 And the Lord will you among , one of the the , and you shall of and , you nor your have .
65 And among you shall find , and there shall be for the of your , but the Lord will you a and and a .
66 Your shall in doubt you. and you shall be in and have of your .
67 In the you shall , it ! and at you shall , it ! because the that your shall , and the that your shall .
68 And the Lord will bring you in to , a I that you should ; and you shall offer yourselves for to your as and female , but there will be .
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Deuteronomy 28Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 28. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The blessings for obedience. (1–14). The curses for disobedience. (15–44). Their ruin, if disobedient. (45–68).
vv1-14
This chapter is a very large exposition of two words, the blessing and the curse. They are real things and have real effects. The blessings are here put before the curses. God is slow to anger, but swift to show mercy. It is his delight to bless. It is better that we should be drawn to what is good by a child-like hope of God's favour, than that we be frightened to it by a slavish fear of his wrath. The blessing is promised, upon condition that they diligently hearken to the voice of God. Let them keep up religion, the form and power of it, in their families and nation, then the providence of God would prosper all their outward concerns.
vv15-44
If we do not keep God's commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay ourselves under the curse, which includes all misery, as the blessing all happiness. Observe the justice of this curse. It is not a curse causeless, or for some light cause. The extent and power of this curse. Wherever the sinner goes, the curse of God follows; wherever he is, it rests upon him. Whatever he has is under a curse. All his enjoyments are made bitter; he cannot take any true comfort in them, for the wrath of God mixes itself with them. Many judgments are here stated, which would be the fruits of the curse, and with which God would punish the people of the Jews, for their apostacy and disobedience. We may observe the fulfilling of these threatenings in their present state. To complete their misery, it is threatened that by these troubles they should be bereaved of all comfort and hope, and left to utter despair. Those who walk by sight, and not by faith, are in danger of losing reason itself, when every thing about them looks frightful.
vv45-68
If God inflicts vengeance, what miseries his curse can bring upon mankind, even in this present world! Yet these are but the beginning of sorrows to those under the curse of God. What then will be the misery of that world where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched! Observe what is here said of the wrath of God, which should come and remain upon the Israelites for their sins. It is amazing to think that a people so long the favourites of Heaven, should be so cast off; and yet that a people so scattered in all nations should be kept distinct, and not mixed with others. If they would not serve God with cheerfulness, they should be compelled to serve their enemies. We may justly expect from God, that if we do not fear his fearful name, we shall feel his fearful plagues; for one way or other God will be feared. The destruction threatened is described. They have, indeed, been plucked from off the land, verse 63. Not only by the Babylonish captivity, and when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans; but afterwards, when they were forbidden to set foot in Jerusalem. They should have no rest; no rest of body, verse 65, but be continually on the remove, either in hope of gain, or fear of persecution. No rest of the mind, which is much worse. They have been banished from city to city, from country to country; recalled, and banished again. These events, compared with the favour shown to Israel in ancient times, and with the prophecies about them, should not only excite astonishment, but turn unto us for a testimony, assuring us of the truth of Scripture. And when the other prophecies of their conversion to Christ shall come to pass, the whole will be a sign and a wonder to all the nations of the earth, and the forerunner of a general spread of true christianity. The fulfilling of these prophecies upon the Jewish nation, delivered more than three thousand years ago, shows that Moses spake by the Spirit of God; who not only foresees the ruin of sinners, but warns of it, that they may prevent it by a true and timely repentance, or else be left without excuse. And let us be thankful that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us, and bearing in his own person all that punishment which our sins merit, and which we must otherwise have endured for ever. To this Refuge and salvation let sinners flee; therein let believers rejoice, and serve their reconciled God with gladness of heart, for the abundance of his spiritual blessings.
Key Words
אִם: used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
קוֹל: a voice or sound
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
שָׁמַר: properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
מִצְוָה: a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin
Cross References
Deuteronomy 28The primary Levitical counterpart detailing covenant blessings for obedience.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The primary Levitical counterpart outlining the covenant curses for national disobedience.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Tragic historical fulfillment of mothers eating their own children during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Literal fulfillment of the siege-cannibalism curse during the Syrian siege of Samaria.
Contrast with God's law that the king shall not cause the people to return to Egypt.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Establishes the foundation of the covenant relationship: obeying God's voice makes Israel a peculiar treasure.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Repeats the promise that God will set Israel high above all nations in praise and honor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel covenant threat of wasting disease and burning ague/fevers.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel covenant warning of heavens made like brass and earth like iron.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jeremiah uses the literal 'yoke of iron' metaphor to describe subjugation under Nebuchadnezzar.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jeremiah echoes Moses by predicting a distant nation of ancient origin and incomprehensible language.
The Levitical covenant parallel threatening scattering among the nations and a drawn-out sword.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Prophetic fulfillment of the threat of returning to Egypt as a judgment for sin.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates the Hebrew idiom 'going out and coming in' as representing all life's activities and undertakings.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The formal covenant declaration that Israel is established as God's peculiar and holy people.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Prophetic use of the 'head and tail' idiom for political and moral leadership or degradation.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Covenant curse of being smitten and fleeing before enemies.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical fulfillment of the plague of emerods smiting the Philistines.
Supported by JFB
The 'botch of Egypt' refers back to the plague of boils in Exodus.
Supported by JFB
Fulfillment when the king and people of Israel were carried away to Assyria.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Prophetic fulfillment of becoming a reproach, a proverb, and a byword.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Directly contrasts the blessing of being a lender with the curse of becoming the borrower.
The parallel covenant warning in Leviticus that predicts cannibalism under extreme siege conditions.
Contrasts the curse of returning Egyptian diseases with God's original promise of immunity for obedience.
Earlier Mosaic warning that Israel would be left few in number after being scattered.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Contrasts their reduction to 'few' with their increase as the stars of heaven.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Internal reference within the curse sequence regarding serving other gods of wood and stone.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Levitical parallel describing the faintness and fear of heart in the land of exile.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Historical fulfillment where Jews were sold as slaves to the Grecians.
Supported by JFB
Exact structural counterpart where curses overtake the disobedient just as blessings overtake the obedient.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Poetic description of the heavens as God's storehouse or treasury of natural forces.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Direct contrast within the same chapter: under the curse, the stranger lends and Israel borrows.
Supported by JFB
Paul cites the curse of the law, pointing to Christ who redeemed believers from it.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Historical fulfillment of agricultural devastation by blasting, mildew, and locusts.
Supported by JFB
Job smitten with sore boils from sole of foot to crown of head.
Supported by JFB
Internal Deuteronomy parallel regarding exile and serving other gods of wood and stone.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB