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DEUTERONOMY 28

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

BACKGROUND STUDY

This is part of a literary unit, Deut. 27-28, which is often referred to as "the cursing and blessing" section of the Covenant.

1. I think the whole OT can be seen as a consequence of Israel's inability to perform the Covenant stipulations, and thereby was visited with the curses of Deut. 27:15-26; 28:15-68 (also note Leviticus 26).
   
   
2. YHWH wanted Israel to be a revelatory channel for all the world to come to know Him. He wanted to bless Israel to gain the attention of the nations and thereby to attract the nations unto Himself.
   SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN.
   
   
3. The curses for disobedience are more numerous than the promised blessings.
   

   This same structure is paralleled in the treaties of the ANE (see Meredith G. Kline, Treaty of the Great Kings: The Covenant Structure of Deuteronomy and D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, Jr., Cracking Old Testament Codes, pp. 125-128.

4. This cursing and blessing section is parallel to Leviticus 26. This form of covenant consequences is often called "the two ways" (cf. Psalm 1).
   
   
5. This is the second sermon of Moses (i.e., Deut. 5-28). The first sermon looked back to YHWH's gracious, powerful extraction of Israel from Egypt and His presence and provision through the wilderness wandering period.
   

   The second sermon focuses on YHWH's will for national Israel in the Promised Land. He establishes Israel's distinctiveness so as to reveal Himself to the world.

   The third sermon (Deuteronomy 29-32) deal with covenant renewal and affirmation of Israel's loyalty and obedience to YHWH alone.

   See full outline of Deuteronomy by sermons in Introduction to Deuteronomy, VIII.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-2
 ¹"Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. ²All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:"

28:1,2,9,13 "if you will" This clearly shows the conditional nature of the Mosaic Law and for that matter, most OT covenants. This conditional aspect is also seen in the NT (cf. Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21 and Eph. 2:8-9 and 10). The "if you will . . .I will" nature of the covenant shows the needed response expected on the believer's part. The tragedy is that fallen humanity cannot and will not conform or perform, therefore, the OT demands the need for a NT (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32; Rom. 3:10-18,23; Gal. 3:15-29).

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

28:1,2,13 "diligently obey. . .being careful to do all His commandments" The first VERBAL "diligently obey" is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a Qal IMPERFECT of the same root (BDB 1033, KB 1570), which was a grammatical way of showing emphasis. This is followed by two Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTS:

1.  "being careful" ‒ BDB 1036, KB 1581
2.  "to do" ‒ BDB 793, KB 889

It must be stated that believers' ongoing covenant relationship with God is affected by their obedience.

SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP

▣ "commandments" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION.

▣ "which I command you today" This VERB (BDB 845, KB 1010, Piel PARTICIPLE) is repeated throughout this chapter (cf. Deut. 28:1,8,13,15,45). YHWH is sovereign. He always sets the limits and content of the covenant and initiates the encounter with humans. However, He also demands an initial and continuing human response!

28:1 "God will set you high above all the nations of the earth" The purpose of the elevation of Israel is the elevation of YHWH (cf. Deut. 26:19; 28:13)! God wants to draw the world to Himself through Israel (cf. Gen. 12:3; 22:18;Exod. 19:5-6).

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

28:2 "blessings" The term (BDB 139) is related to the root "to kneel" (BDB 138). YHWH offers Israel the choice (cf. Deut. 11:26-31; 30:1,19). This conformity to YHWH's covenant requirements determines their destiny!

SPECIAL TOPIC: BLESSING (OT)

▣ "will come upon you" This idiomatic phrase (BDB 97, KB 112, Qal PERFECT with waw) is used here for blessing, but in Deut. 28:15 for the curses.

▣ "overtake" The VERB (BDB 673, KB 727, Hiphil PERFECT with waw) is used of:

1.  blessing, pursuing, and overtaking Israel because of her obedience, Deut. 28:2
2.  cursing, pursuing, and overtaking Israel because of her disobedience, Deut. 28:15,45

▣ "obey" In Deut. 28:1 this term (BDB 1033, KB 1570) was an intensified Qal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a Qal IMPERFECT. Here it is a Qal IMPERFECT (cf. Deut. 28:15,49; 30:10,12,13,17; 31:12) and in Deut. 28:45, 62 a Qal PERFECT (cf. Deut. 30:8).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:3
 ³"Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country."

28:3 "Blessed shall you be in the city. . .in the country" This is imagery of expressing a nation wide blessing (cf. Deut. 28:4-6, 8).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:4
 ⁴"Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock."

28:4 "Blessed. . .offspring of your body. . .the herd. . .crops. . .flock" Many and healthy cattle and children were a sign of covenant prosperity and wealth. The man with large families, large herds, was one who was blessed by God (cf. Deut. 7:13; 28:4,11; 30:9). These were physical signs of God's blessings to obedient covenant members (cf. Gen. 1:22,28).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:5
 ⁵"Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl."

28:5 "Blessed. . .basket" This basket was used to carry fruit or grain (cf. Deut. 26:2). This speaks of prosperity in agriculture.

▣ "Blessed. . .kneading bowl" This was a bowl used to prepare family meals (i.e., daily bread). This was a way of saying, "there will always be food on the table." The opposite is stated in Deut. 28:17.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:6
 ⁶"Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out."

28:6 "Blessed. . .when you come in. . .when you go out" This is a Hebraic idiom (cf. Deut. 31:2; Ps. 121:8; Isa. 37:28) for a blessed life in all areas (cf. contrast in Deut. 28:19).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:7-14
 ⁷"The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. ⁸The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. ⁹The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. ¹⁰So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. ¹¹The Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. ¹²The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. ¹³The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, ¹⁴and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them."

28:7 "enemies" This PARTICIPLE (BDB 33, KB 38 Qal PARTICIPLE) is used eight times in this chapter (cf. Deut. 28:7,25,31,48,53,55,57,68). It refers to the active hostility of a person or group against a person or group. YHWH promised to be an enemy to Israel's enemies (cf. Exod. 23:22), but because of covenant disobedience He is now an enemy to Israel!

If Israel is obedient YHWH will fight her enemies (i.e., Divine Warrior, "holy war" terminology, cf. Deut. 30:7; 33:27-29).

▣ "will flee before you seven ways" This idiom refers to the fearful, unorganized retreat of Israel's enemies (cf. Deut. 28:20, 25).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4

28:8 "blessing upon. . .barns" This refers to grain storehouses (cf. Prov. 3:10). Later Judaism says this refers to YHWH blessing one in secret.

▣ "in the land which the Lord your God gives you" This goes back to the promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3. The land was God's special promise fulfilled in the exodus/conquest.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS

28:9 "the Lord will establish you" This VERB (BDB 877, KB 1086, Hiphil IMPERFECT) basically means "to raise up." It is used in several different senses in Deuteronomy in the Hiphil.

1. confirm a covenant, cf. Deut. 8:18
2. being on the scene, cf. Deut. 18:15,18
3. raise up fallen livestock, cf. Deut. 22:4
4. to set up memorial stones, cf. Deut. 27:3)

Here it is used as imagery in the sense of "establish," as in Deut. 25:7 and 29:13.

▣ "a holy people" The word "holy" means "set apart for God's service" (BDB 871 and 872). Israel was meant to be a kingdom of priests to bring all the nations to YHWH.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY

▣ "walk" This is a biblical metaphor for lifestyle faith and obedience (cf. Deut. 5:33; 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 30:16).

SPECIAL TOPIC: WAY. . .PATH

28:10 "So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord" The phrase "called by the name of the Lord" (BDB 894, KB 1128, Niphal PERFECT) denotes YHWH's ownership of Israel (cf. 2 Sam. 6:2; Isa. 43:7; Jer. 7:10-12; 14:9; 15:16; 32:34; Dan. 9:18,19; Amos 9:12).

YHWH wanted Israel to be a revelatory channel for all the world to come to know Him. He wanted to bless Israel to gain the attention of the nations and thereby to attract the nations unto Himself (cf. Deut. 28:25, 37).

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH

▣ "afraid of you" The blessings of YHWH, both in domestic and military areas, will cause fear/reverence (BDB 431, KB 432, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Deut. 7:19; 17:13) on the part of superstitious pagans of the surrounding nations.

Israel was not to fear (BDB 431, KB 432) because YHWH was with them, for them, and fought on their behalf (e.g., Deut. 1:21,29; 3:2,22; 7:18; 20:1,3; 31:6,8).

28:11 This is a summary verse of God's blessing to an obedient covenant people (e.g., Deut. 11:14).

28:12 "His good storehouse" This (BDB 373 II and 69) was a symbol of heaven and rain (cf. Deut. 28:23-24; Ps. 85:12; Mal. 3:10). It is possibly a sarcastic reference to Ba'al worship. Ba'al was the Canaanite god of prosperity (i.e., rain, cf. 1 Kings 17-18). Yet, it was YHWH who provided all blessings to His people (cf. Deut. 28:47; 11:14; Lev. 26:4).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN

▣ "to give rain to your land in its season" This VERB (BDB 678, KB 733) is used regularly in this chapter for YHWH's covenant gifts of blessing (cf. Deut. 28:1,7,8,11,12,13).

Not only will YHWH open the windows of heaven and send rain, but He will do it at the appropriate time (i.e., early and later rains, the time of planting and the time of maturing crops).

SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS

▣ "you shall lend to many nations but you shall not borrow" This was another sign of God's blessing that they had surplus to loan (cf. Deut. 23:20)! The results of disobedience are sharply contrasted in Deut. 28:44!

28:13 This verse has two idioms of prosperity and power:

1.  the head and not the tail
2.  you only shall be above, not be underneath

But note the conditional element. The same idiom was used in Deut. 28:1, "being careful to do" (two INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTS). The reversal caused by disobedience is seen in Deut. 28:44.

28:14 "do not turn aside. . .to the right or to the left" It is used literally in Num. 20:17; 22:26; Deut. 2:27, but usually it is a Hebrew idiom for "any deviation from the standard or clearly marked path is sin" (cf. Deut. 5:32; 17:11,20; Josh. 1:7; 23:6; 2 Kgs. 22:2). Notice here, idolatry is specifically referenced (cf. Deut. 5:7-9; 27:15; Exod. 20:23; 34:17).

SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY

This phrase seems to imply a special day of giving the law (cf. Deut. 28:1,13,14,15). However, 'olam can refer to a period of time. The reason for the question is exactly to what does "the book" of Deut. 28:58 and 61 refer?

1.  all of Deuteronomy
2.  one of Moses' sermons in Deuteronomy
3.  larger body of legislation including parts of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:15
 ¹⁵"But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:"

28:15-37 This section of cursings does not demand a literal interpretation. Rather, they were to build up an impression of disaster. These kinds of blights will follow if disobedience occurs. It was a way of building up a mindset on what will happen if Israel violates YHWH's law.

28:15 "to observe to do" This is the exact terminology and grammatical form found in Deut. 28:1,13; 32:46. Similar forms of the same terms are found in Deut. 28:58 and 29:8. Obedience is crucial. Obedience is not the foundation of the covenant, but its natural outflow! The covenant is established in the love and sovereignty of YHWH, but its continuance and fruitfulness is maintained by obedience.

SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP

▣ "His commandments and His statutes" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION.

▣ "curses" This is a NOUN form from the root "to be small" (BDB 886-887, cf. Deut. 27:15-26, 28:15-68). These curses were meant to cause Israel to return to YHWH.

▣ "overtake" See note at Deut. 28:2.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:16
 ¹⁶"Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country."

28:16-19 These verses parallel completely. Verses 3-6 are the blessings; Deut. 28:16-19 are the cursings.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:17
 ¹⁷"Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:18
 ¹⁸"Cursed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock."

The literal phrase is, "the fruit of your womb." Many healthy, happy children were one of the blessings (cf. Deut. 28:4,11), but disobedience brought covenant promise reversal!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:19
 ¹⁹"Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out."

This is imagery for one's entire life (cf. v. 6).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:20-24
 ²⁰"The Lord will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke, in all you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me. ²¹The Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until He has consumed you from the land where you are entering to possess it. ²²The Lord will smite you with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew, and they will pursue you until you perish. ²³The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. ²⁴The Lord will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed."

28:20 "confusion" This is a word (BDB 223) that is used of defeat in battle (cf. Deut. 7:23). It is opposite of Deut. 28:7 and 25. The confusion will be upon Israel if she disobeys God's word.

This root, מגערת (BDB 172, KB 546) is found only here. It is similar to the root for "rebuke," גערה, found mostly in Job and Psalms. It relates to YHWH's destruction of disobedient Israel in battle. For these rare words, modern interpreters look at

1. context
2. related Hebrew roots
3. cognate roots

▣ "until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly" Notice the parallelism:

1. "destroyed" ‒ BDB 1029, KB 1552, Niphal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Deut. 4:26; 6:15
2. "perish" ‒ BDB 1, KB 2, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Lev. 26:38; Deut. 4:26; 8:19-20; 11:17; 30:18-20; Josh. 23:13,16 plus the ADVERB "quickly" (BDB 555 II)

▣ "on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me" Notice that deviation from the commandments is seen as forsaking YHWH!

28:21 "pestilence" This (BDB 184) refers to a plague (cf. Lev. 26:25; Num. 14:12) like YHWH sent on Egypt (cf. Exod. 5:3; 9:15).

▣ "cling" The VERB (BDB 179, KB 209, Hiphil) is JUSSIVE in form. YHWH's judgment will stick close to them until it has finished its task (i.e., "consumed you," BDB 477, KB 476, Piel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT).

The same term is used for what Israel should do to YHWH (i.e., cling to Him, cf. Deut. 10:20; 11:22; 30:20). What irony!

28:22 Note the list of things YHWH will send against a disobedient Israel:

1. consumption (BDB 1006, cf. Lev. 26:16), a disease of the lungs
2. fever (BDB 869, cf. Lev. 26:16)
3. inflamation (BDB 196)
4. fiery heat (BDB 359, #2,3, and 4 all involve heat; this one seems to imply drought conditions, cf. NRSV)
5. sword (BDB 352; see note below)
6. blight (BDB 995, smut on crops, cf. 1 Kgs. 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28; Amos 4:9)
7. mildew (BDB 439, cf. 1 Kgs. 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28; Amos 4:9; Hag. 2:17; the word means "green," therefore, a "green mildew")

Both humans and agriculture will suffer and die! Notice the symbolic number of afflictions (i.e., seven; there are also seven blessings listed in this chapter).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4

The Hebrew root, חרב, has several meanings

1. drought ‒ BDB 351 I
2. desolation ‒ BDB 351 II
3. sword ‒ BDB 352

Number 3 has the Masoretic vowel marks, but UBS Text Project, p. 295, gives "drought" a "C" rating (considerable doubt). The list itself suggests an agricultural judgment.

Remember, the Masoretic notes are not inspired. They were added to a Hebrew consonantal text much later in Israel's history (i.e., started in A.D. 70 and finished in A.D. 900). They codify Israel's ancient traditions.

28:23 "iron" Iron is often imagery for difficulties:

1. the land will not produce, because of no rain it turns as hard as metal, Deut. 28:23, cf. Lev. 26:19
2. the yoke of iron is placed on Israel's neck, Deut. 28:48
3. Egypt as an iron furnace of affliction, cf. Deut. 4:20

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:25-26
 ²⁵"The Lord shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. ²⁶Your carcasses will be food to all birds of the sky and to the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away."

28:25 "you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them" This is imagery describing Israel's military planning as being totally useless. Seven is a numerical symbol for "perfection." Israel will be in total retreat. The promises of "holy war" have been reversed!

▣ "you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth" Israel will be used by YHWH to reveal Himself to the world; either positively (i.e., the blessings) or negatively (i.e., the curses, cf. Deut. 28:37; 2 Chr. 29:8; Jer. 15:4). YHWH wanted to use Israel to reach all mankind. This is a reversal of His purposes!

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

28:26 "Your carcasses shall be food" For Israel it was a great tragedy to be unburied and thus able to be picked apart by animals (cf. 1 Sam. 17:44-46). Because of the mentioning of "birds," many see this as an eschatological reference (cf. Isa. 18:14; Jer. 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezek. 29:5; 32:4; 39:4).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:27-37
 ²⁷"The Lord will smite you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. ²⁸The Lord will smite you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart; ²⁹and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways; but you shall only be oppressed and robbed continually, with none to save you. ³⁰You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit. ³¹Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey shall be torn away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you will have none to save you. ³²Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and yearn for them continually; but there will be nothing you can do. ³³A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually. ³⁴You shall be driven mad by the sight of what you see. ³⁵The Lord will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils, from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. ³⁶The Lord will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. ³⁷You shall become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the Lord drives you."

28:27 "with the boils of Egypt" Notice the list of plagues and problems (plagues of Egypt now on Israel are a reversal of covenant blessings) YHWH will visit on Israel if they do not obey His covenant. To whom much is given, much is required (e.g., Luke 12:48).

This VERB (BDB 624 I, KB 675, Piel IMPERFECT) is used of leading livestock (e.g., Exod. 3:1). It became imagery of

1. leading people in judgment (e.g., 4:27; 1 Sam. 30:2,22; Isa. 20:4)
2. YHWH leading as a caring shepherd (cf. Ps. 48:14; 78:26,52; 80:1)

Humans will be led (shepherd) or driven (judge) by their faith obedience.

This list reminds Israel of the YHWH's plagues on the Egyptians. These plagues are now visited on disobedient Israel (cf. Deut. 7:15; 28:60,61).

28:32 Notice the plight of these Israeli parents:

1. children given to other people (BDB 678, KB 733, Qal PASSIVE PARTICIPLE)
2. they see it happening (BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE)
3. their eyes fail with longing all the day (the term, BDB 479, is found only here in the OT)
4. they have no power to stop it (BDB 34 II, CONSTRUCT BDB 43)

I can only imagine the horror and pain!

28:33 "oppressed" This term was used regularly of the wealthy taking advantage of the poor and socially ostracized, but here it is used of YHWH breaking His disobedient people.

28:35 "from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head" This is imagery for widespread sickness of which one cannot be healed (cf. Job 2:7; in Isa. 1:5-6 it is a symbol of sin).

28:36 "your king" Moses recognized that there would be a king someday (cf. Deut. 17:14-20). The Israelites were a tribal society. There was no king until Saul (cf. 1 Samuel 8).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:38-44
 ³⁸"You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. ³⁹You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm will devour them. ⁴⁰You shall have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off. ⁴¹You shall have sons and daughters but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity. ⁴²The cricket shall possess all your trees and the produce of your ground. ⁴³The alien who is among you shall rise above you higher and higher, but you will go down lower and lower. ⁴⁴He shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail."

28:38-42 Again notice the list of Israel's attempts at prosperity, which will be thwarted by YHWH:

The promised prosperity of YHWH is negated by the covenant disobedience of Israel!

28:40 "anoint yourself" The people of the ANE put olive oil on their faces as a symbol of prosperity and joy (e.g., Ruth 3:3; 2 Sam. 12:20; 14:2).

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANOINTING IN THE BIBLE

28:43-44 These two verses describe the role reversal of Israelites and resident aliens (sojourners, BDB 158):

1.  aliens shall rise above you
   1.  they higher and higher (BDB 751)
   2.  you lower and lower (BDB 641) [the reversal of Deut. 28:13]
2.  alien shall lend to you [the reversal of Deut. 28:12]
3.  alien shall be the head [the reversal of Deut. 28:13]

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:45-46
 ⁴⁵"So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. ⁴⁶They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever."

28:45-48 Notice the cause and effect of YHWH's covenant judgments:

1.  the cause
   1.  Israel would not listen (BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal PERFECT) and keep (BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUST) YHWH's commandments and statutes, Deut. 28:45
   2.  Israel did not serve (BDB 712, KB 773, Qal PERFECT [twice]) YHWH, Deut. 28:47:
      (1) with joy
      (2) with a glad heart
      (3) thankfully for the abundance of all things
2.  the effect
   1.  curses
      (1) shall come on you, Deut. 28:45, BDB 97, KB 112, Qal PERFECT with waw
      (2) pursue you, Deut. 28:45, BDB 922, KB 1191, Qal PERFECT with waw
      (3) overtake you, Deut. 28:45, BDB 673, KB 727, Hiphil PERFECT with waw
      (4) until you are destroyed, Deut. 28:45, BDB 1029, KB 1552, Niphal INFINITIVE CONSTRUST, cf. Deut. 4:25-26
   2.  enemies
      (1)  you shall serve your enemies, Deut. 28:48
        (a) in hunger (BDB 944)
        (b) in thirst (BDB 854)
        (c) in nakedness (BDB 735)
        (d) lack of all things
        (e) put iron yoke on you
        (f) until destroyed (BDB 1029, KB 1552, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUST, cf. Deut. 4:25-26)

28:46 "forever" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:47-48
 ⁴⁷"Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; ⁴⁸therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:49-57
 ⁴⁹"The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand, ⁵⁰a nation of fierce countenance who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. ⁵¹Moreover, it shall eat the offspring of your herd and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed, who also leaves you no grain, new wine, or oil, nor the increase of your herd or the young of your flock until they have caused you to perish. ⁵²It shall besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout your land, and it shall besiege you in all your towns throughout your land which the Lord your God has given you. ⁵³Then you shall eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the Lord your God has given you, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you. ⁵⁴The man who is refined and very delicate among you shall be hostile toward his brother and toward the wife he cherishes and toward the rest of his children who remain, ⁵⁵so that he will not give even one of them any of the flesh of his children which he will eat, since he has nothing else left, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in all your towns. ⁵⁶The refined and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and refinement, shall be hostile toward the husband she cherishes and toward her son and daughter, ⁵⁷and toward her afterbirth which issues from between her legs and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of anything else, during the siege and the distress by which your enemy will oppress you in your towns."

28:49-57 The consequences of disobedience are continued. This paragraph lists the problems related to siege warfare in the Ancient Near East:

1. The invaded described:
   1. invader brought by YHWH, Deut. 28:49
   2. a nation from afar, Deut. 28:49
   3. a nation with a strong and swift army, Deut. 28:49
   4. a nation with an unknown language, Deut. 28:49
   5. a nation with no respect for those whom they invade, Deut. 28:50
   6. a nation that will consume all the produce and livestock of Israel for food, Deut. 28:51
   7. a nation who will besiege every fortified city in Israel, Deut. 28:52
2. The consequences for Israel:
   1. they will perish for lack of food, Deut. 28:51
   2. Israel shall eat her own young, Deut. 28:53 (cf. Lev. 26:29) and not share even this food (cf. Deut. 28:57)
   3. gentle (BDB 940) men and women will lose their natural and family affections and turn hostile, Deut. 28:54,56
   4. they will not share their children as food, Deut. 28:57

28:49 "The Lord will bring a nation against you" This refers to Assyria (cf. Hos. 8:1) and/or Babylon (cf. Jer. 5:15).

28:50 "no respect for the old; nor show favor to the young" The Assyrians especially, but also the Babylonians, would kill the elderly (opposite of Lev. 19:32) and the very young children as a way of demoralizing the population before they were deported to a distant region and resettled in someone else's houses.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HUMAN AGING

28:51 In this verse the invading nations are described in terms of a total devastation of resources similar to the locust plagues of Joel, Amos, and Micah.

28:52 "high and fortified walls in which you trusted" Israel would be trusting (BDB 105, KB 120, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) in their military preparations (cf. 2 Chr. 32:7-8)!

28:53-57 "you shall eat the offspring of your own body" This shows the desperate nature of a siege (i.e., cannibalism, cf. Lev. 26:29; 2 Kgs. 6:24-30; Jer. 19:9; Lam. 2:20; 4:10; Ezek. 5:10).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 28:58-68
 ⁵⁸"If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God, ⁵⁹then the Lord will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses. ⁶⁰He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you. ⁶¹Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the Lord will bring on you until you are destroyed. ⁶²Then you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the Lord your God. ⁶³It shall come about that as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it. ⁶⁴Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. ⁶⁵Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. ⁶⁶So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. ⁶⁷In the morning you shall say, 'Would that it were evening!' And at evening you shall say, 'Would that it were morning!' because of the dread of your heart which you dread, and for the sight of your eyes which you will see. ⁶⁸The Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way about which I spoke to you, 'You will never see it again!' And there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer."

28:58-68 "if. . .then" Notice the covenant obligations and the consequences for disobedience:

1. "if you"
   1. "are not careful to observe all the words of this law" (BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal IMPERFECT and BDB 793, KB 889, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT)
   2. "to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God" (BDB 431, KB 432, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT, cf. Deut. 4:10; 5:29; 6:2,13,24; 10:12,20; 13:4; 14:23; 17:19; 28:58; 31:12,13); see SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH
   3. note Deut. 28:1,13,15,58; 29:9; 31:12; 32:46. Obedience is crucial!
2. "then"
   1. YHWH will bring plagues, Deut. 28:59
      (1) extraordinary (BDB 810, KB 927, Hiphil PERFECT with waw)
      (2) severe (BDB 152)
      (3) lasting (BDB 52, KB 63, Niphal PARTICIPLE with waw)
      (4) miserable, (BDB 948)
      (5) chronic (BDB 52, KB 63, Niphal PARTICIPLE with waw)
   2. YHWH will bring back the plagues (BDB 188, cf. Deut. 7:15), of which the Israelites were afraid (BDB 388, KB 386, Qal PERFECT), of Egypt to cling (BDB 179, KB 209, Qal PERFECT with waw) to them, Deut. 28:60
   3. YHWH will bring every sickness (BDB 315) and every plague (BDB 646, cf. Lev. 26:21) not mentioned in the book of the law, Deut. 28:61
   4. YHWH will reverse His promise of prosperity and abundance, Deut. 28:62-63
   5. YHWH will reverse the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land and scatter (BDB 806, KB 918, Hiphil PERFECT with waw) His covenant people, Deut. 28:64
      (1) serve other gods, Deut. 28:64
      (2) find no rest, Deut. 28:65
      (3) have trembling heart, Deut. 28:65
      (4) failing eyes, Deut. 28:65
      (5) despair of soul, Deut. 28:65
      (6) be in dread night and day, Deut. 28:66,67
      (7) no assurance of life, Deut. 28:66
      (8) slavery, Deut. 28:68

The "name" stands for the person and character of YHWH (see SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH, e.g., Job 1:21; Isa. 48:9-11; Ezek. 20:44; Amos 2:7). He is described by the two Niphal PARTICIPLE:

1. BDB 457, KB 455, from the VERB, "to be heavy or weighty," used metaphorically for honorable or glorious (cf. Isa. 26:15; 66:5; Ezek. 28:22; 39:13)
2. BDB 431, KB 432, from the VERB, "to fear," used in the sense of reverential awe of YHWH and His redemptive acts (e.g., Deut. 7:21; 10:17,21; Neh. 1:5; 4:14; 9:32; Ps. 145:6)

28:61 "the words of this law which are written in this book" It is uncertain what this refers to specifically:

1. the entire Torah
2. the laws of Exodus ‒ Numbers
3. all of Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 31:24)
4. parts of Deuteronomy
   1. law codes
   2. cursing and blessing

Of course "book" means scroll, but this does assert that Moses wrote or had someone record YHWH's law dictated through him (cf. Deut. 27:3,8; 28:58; 29:21,29; 30:10).

SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSAIC AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH

28:62 "few in number" This was a reversal of the Abrahamic promises. God promised that they would be (1) like the "stars of heaven" (cf. Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4); (2) like "the sand" (cf. Gen. 22:17; 32:12); and (3) like "the dust" (cf. Gen. 13:16; 28:14; Num. 23:10).

The full list can be seen at Gen. 13:16.

28:63 "the Lord delighted over you" This VERB (BDB 965, KB 1314) is used in two ways:

1. to bless (Qal PERFECT, cf. Deut. 30:9)
   1. prosper you (BDB 405, KB 408, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT)
   2. multiply you (BDB 915 I, KB 1176, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT)
2. to curse (Qal IMPERFECT)
   1. perish (BDB 1, KB 2, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT)
   2. destroy (BDB 1029, KB 1552, Hiphil INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT)
   3. torn from the land (BDB 650, KB 702, Niphal PERFECT)

YHWH both rewards and disciplines His children. The discipline is for the purpose of restoration and inclusion.

▣ "you will be torn from the land" The VERB (BDB 650, KB 702, Niphal PERFECT with waw) is often used of YHWH's judgment (cf. Ps. 52:5; Pro. 15:25). This was a total reversal of the Abrahamic promises (cf. Gen. 12:1-3).

28:64 "the Lord will scatter you among all peoples" This refers to exile, a reverse exodus (cf. Deut. 28:68.)

SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY

SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW

▣ "no resting place" This (BDB 629 I) was also used twice for the Genesis 8 account of the flood of Noah's day:

1. the Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, Deut. 28:4
2. the dove sent out to find dry land could not find a place to rest, Deut. 28:9

YHWH wants His people to have a place of rest (i.e., the Promised Land, cf. Deut. 3:20; 12:9-10; 25:19; Josh. 1:13,15; 21:44), but their willful covenant disobedience brought a reverse exodus (i.e., exile, cf. Ps. 95:11).

28:65 "failing of eyes" This chapter mentions loss of sight several times:

1. blindness as YHWH's judgment on covenant disobedience, Deut. 28:28-29
2. judgment seen before your eyes, Deut. 28:30-33
3. what you see will drive you mad, Deut. 28:34
4. imagery for premeditated violence against another family member (i.e., "eye shall be evil toward"), Deut. 28:54-56
5. Egyptian plagues, one of which was utter darkness, Deut. 28:60-61
6. "failing eyes," a metaphor for fear and despair, utter hopelessness, Deut. 28:65-66
7. sight caused further dread, Deut. 28:67

This term (BDB 808 I) means "trembling," or "shaking," caused by fear or joy! Here it is fear (cf. Isa. 33:14). YHWH wanted to cause "dread" in Israel's enemies (cf. Deut. 2:25; 11:25), but because of their disobedience they were the fearful ones!

28:68 "the Lord will bring you back to Egypt" The reversal of the Exodus. The re-captivity of Israel! Here it denotes the exiles of Assyria and Babylon.

▣ "by the way about which I spoke to you" The reference to this statement by YHWH is uncertain.

▣ "there will be no buyer" The VERB "to buy" (BDB 888, KB 1111, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) was often imagery of YHWH purchasing Israel out of Egyptian bondage (cf. Exod. 15:16; Ps. 74:2), but here it is used of the fate of Israel whereby even Egypt would not buy them back as slaves. They were totally rejected by God and man.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why is the cursing section so much longer than the blessing?
2. What is the purpose of this chapter?
3. How is works-righteousness related to the blessing enjoined here?
4. Why is God's judgment so severe?
5. Have these things occurred in Israel's history?

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