TRV
Study This Verse
Commentary on Deuteronomy 28 verses 15–44
Having viewed the bright side of the cloud, which is towards the obedient, we have now presented to us the dark side, which is towards the disobedient. 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 is as comprehensive of all misery as the blessing is of all happiness. Observe,
I. The equity of this curse. It is not a curse causeless, nor for some light cause; God seeks not occasion against us, nor is he apt to quarrel with us. That which is here mentioned as bringing the curse is, 1. Despising God, refusing to hearken to his voice (Deu 28:15), which bespeaks the highest contempt imaginable, as if what he said were not worth the heeding, or we were not under any obligation to him. 2. Disobeying him, not doing his commandments, or not observing to do them. None fall under his curse but those that rebel against his command. 3. Deserting him. "It is because of the wickedness of thy doings, not only whereby thou hast slighted me, but whereby thou hast forsaken me," Deu 28:20. God never casts us off till we first cast him off. It intimates that their idolatry, by which they forsook the true God for false gods, would be their destroying sin more than any other.
II. The extent and efficacy of this curse.
1.In general, it is declared, "All these curses shall come upon thee from above, and shall overtake thee; though thou endeavour to escape them, it is to no purpose to attempt it, they shall follow thee whithersoever thou goest, and seize thee, overtake thee, and overcome thee," Deu 28:15. It is said of the sinner, when God's wrath is in pursuit of him, that he would fain flee out of his hand (Job 27:22), but he cannot; if he flee from the iron weapon, yet the bow of steel shall reach him and strike him through. There is no running from God but by running to him, no fleeing from his justice but by fleeing to his mercy. See Psa 21:7, Psa 21:8. (1.) Wherever the sinner goes, the curse of God follows him; wherever he is, it rests upon him. He is cursed in the city and in the field, Deu 28:16. The strength of the city cannot shelter him from it, the pleasant air of the country is no fence against these pestilential steams. He is cursed (Deu 28:19) when he comes in, for the curse is upon the house of the wicked (Pro 3:33), and he is cursed when he goes out, for he cannot leave that curse behind him, nor get rid of it, which has entered into his bowels like water and like oil into his bones. (2.). Whatever he has is under a curse: Cursed is the ground for his sake, and all that is on it, or comes out of it, and so he is cursed from the ground, as Cain, Gen 4:11. The basket and store are cursed, Deu 28:17, Deu 28:18. All his enjoyments being forfeited by him are in a manner forbidden to him, as cursed things, which he has no title to. To those whose mind and conscience are defiled every thing else is so, Tit 1:15. They are all embittered to him; he cannot take any true comfort in them, for the wrath of God mixes itself with them, and he is so far from having any security of the continuance of them that, if his eyes be open, he may see them all condemned and ready to be confiscated, and with them all his joys and all his hopes gone for ever. (3.) Whatever he does is under a curse too. It is a curse in all that he sets his hand to (Deu 28:20), a constant disappointment, which those are subject to that set their hearts upon the world, and expect their happiness in it, and which cannot but be a constant vexation. This curse is just the reverse of the blessing in the former part of the chapter. Thus whatever bliss there is in heaven there is not only the want of it, but the contrary to it, in hell. Isa 65:13, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry.
2.Many particular judgments are here enumerated, which would be the fruits of the curse, and with which God would punish the people of the Jews for their apostasy and disobedience. These judgments threatened are of divers kinds, for God has many arrows in his quiver, four sore judgments (Eze 14:21), and many more. They are represented as very terrible, and the descriptions of them are exceedingly lively and affecting, that men, knowing these terrors of the Lord, might, if possible, be persuaded. The threatenings of the same judgment are several times repeated, that they might make the more deep and lasting impressions, and to intimate that, if men persisted in their disobedience, the judgment which they thought was over, and of which they said, "Surely the bitterness of it is past," would return with double force; for when God judges he will overcome. (1.) Bodily diseases are here threatened, that they should be epidemical in their land. These God sometimes makes use of for the chastisement and improvement of his own people. Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. But here they are threatened to be brought upon his enemies as tokens of his wrath, and designed for their ruin. So that according to the temper of our spirits, under sickness, accordingly it is to us a blessing or a curse. But, whatever sickness may be to particular persons, it is certain that epidemical diseases raging among a people are national judgments, and are so to be accounted. He here threatens, [1.] Painful diseases (Deu 28:35), a sore botch, beginning in the legs and knees, but spreading, like Job's boils, from heat to foot. [2.] Shameful diseases (v. 27), the botch of Egypt (such boils and blains as the Egyptians had been plagued with, when God brought Israel from among them), and the emerods and scab, vile diseases, the just punishment of those who by sin had made themselves vile. [3.] Mortal diseases, the pestilence (v. 21), the consumption (put for all chronical diseases), and the fever (for all acute diseases), v. 22. See Lev 26:16. And all incurable, Deu 28:27. (2.) Famine, and scarcity of provisions; and this, [1.] For want of rain (Deu 28:23, Deu 28:24): Thy heaven over thy head, that part that is over thy land, shall be as dry as brass, while the heavens over other countries shall distil their dews; and, when the heaven is as brass, the earth of course will be as iron, so hard and unfruitful. Instead of rain, the dust shall be blown out of the highways into the field, and spoil the little that there is of the fruits of the earth. [2.] By destroying insects. The locust should destroy the corn, so that they should not have so much as their seed again, Deu 28:38, Deu 28:42. And the fruit of the vine, which should make glad their hearts, should all be worm-eaten, Deu 28:39. and the olive, some way or other, should be made to cast its fruit, Deu 28:40. The heathen use many superstitious customs in honour of their idol-gods for preserving the fruits of the earth; but Moses tells Israel that the only way they had to preserve them was to keep God's commandments; for he is a God that will not be sported with, like their idols, but will be served in spirit and truth. This threatening we find fulfilled in Israel, Kg1 17:1; Jer 14:1, etc.; Joe 1:4. (3.) That they should be smitten before their enemies in war, who, it is likely, would be the more cruel to them, when they had them at their mercy, for the severity they had used against the nations of Canaan, which their neighbours in after-ages would be apt to remember against them, Deu 28:25. It would make their flight the more shameful, and the more grievous, that they might have triumphed over their enemies if they had but been faithful to their God. The carcases of those that were slain in war, or died in captivity among strangers, should be meat for the fowls (Deu 28:26); and an Israelite, having forfeited the favour of his God, should have so little humanity shown him as that no man should drive them away, so odious would God's curse make him to all mankind. (4.) That they should be infatuated in all their counsels, so as not to discern their own interest, nor bring any thing to pass for the public good: The Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness, Deu 28:28, Deu 28:29. Note, God's judgments can reach the minds of men to fill them with darkness and horror, as well as their bodies and estates; and those are the sorest of all judgments which make men a terror to themselves, and their own destroyers. That which they contrived to secure themselves by should still turn to their prejudice. Thus we often find that the allies they confided in distressed them and strengthened them not, Ch2 28:20. Those that will not walk in God's counsels are justly left to be ruined by their own; and those that are wilfully blind to their duty deserve to be made blind to their interest, and, seeing they loved darkness rather than light, let them grope at noon-day as in the dark. (5.) That they should be plundered of all their enjoyments, stripped of all by the proud and imperious conqueror, such as Benhadad was to Ahab, Kg1 20:5, Kg1 20:6. Not only their houses and vineyards should be taken from them, but their wives and children, Deu 28:30, Deu 28:32. Their dearest comforts, which they took most pleasure in, and promised themselves most from, should be the entertainment and triumph of their enemies. As they had dwelt in houses which they built not, and eaten of vineyards which they planted not (Deu 6:10, Deu 6:11), so others should do by them. Their oxen, asses, and sheep, like Job's, should be taken away before their eyes, and they should not be able to recover them, v. 31. And all the fruit of their land and labours should be devoured and eaten up by the enemy; so that they and theirs would want necessaries, while their enemies were revelling with that which they had laboured for. (6.) That they should be carried captives into a far country; nay, into all the kingdoms of the earth, v. 25. Their sons and daughters, whom they promised themselves comfort in, should go into captivity (v. 41), and they themselves at length, and their king in whom they promised themselves safety and settlement, v. 36. This was fully accomplished when the ten tribes first were carried captive into Assyria (Kg2 17:6), and not long after the two tribes into Babylon, and two of their kings, Kg2 24:14, Kg2 24:15; Kg2 25:7, Kg2 25:21. That which is mentioned as an aggravation of their captivity is that they should go into an unknown country, the language and customs of which would be very uncouth, and their treatment among them barbarous, and there they should serve other gods, that is, be compelled to do so by their enemies, as they were in Babylon, Dan 3:6. Note, God often makes men's sin their punishment, and chooses their delusions. You shall serve other gods, that is, "You shall serve those that do serve them;" a nation is often in scripture called by the name of its gods, as Jer 48:7. They had made idolaters their associates, and now god made idolaters their oppressors. (7.) That those who remained should be insulted and tyrannized over by strangers, Deu 28:43, Deu 28:44. So the ten tribes were by the colonies which the king of Assyria sent to take possession of their land, Kg2 17:24. Or this may be meant of the gradual encroachments which the strangers within their gates should make upon them, so as insensibly to worm them out of their estates. We read of the fulfilling of this, Hos 7:9, Strangers have devoured his strength. Foreigners ate the bread out of the mouths of trueborn Israelites, by which they were justly chastised for introducing strange gods. (8.) That their reputation among their neighbours should be quite sunk, and those that had been a name, and a praise, should be an astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word, Deu 28:37. Some have observed the fulfilling of this threatening in their present state; for, when we would express the most perfidious and barbarous treatment, we say, None but a Jew would have done so. Thus is sin a reproach to any people. (9.) To complete their misery, it is threatened that they should be put quite out of the possession of their minds by all these troubles (Deu 28:34): Thou shalt be mad for the sight of thy eyes, that is, quite bereaved of all comfort and hope, and abandoned to utter despair. Those that walk by sight, and not by faith, are in danger of losing reason itself, when every thing about them looks frightful; and their condition is woeful indeed that are mad for the sight of their eyes.
Continue studying Deuteronomy 28:16 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 28:16 delivers a profound and stark warning, asserting that disobedience to God's covenant would result in a pervasive and inescapable curse affecting every dimension of Israelite life. This verse initiates a comprehensive enumeration of divine judgments, emphasizing the absolute and inescapable nature of divine disfavor when the nation turned away from the Lord. It underscores the severity of covenant infidelity and the totality of the resulting divine judgment, impacting both their urban and agricultural existence without exception.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Deuteronomy 28:16 is strategically positioned within Moses' climactic address to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, immediately preceding their entry into the Promised Land. The book of Deuteronomy itself functions as a covenant renewal document, meticulously structured to echo ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties. Chapter 28 serves as the covenant's definitive conclusion, presenting an exhaustive list of blessings for obedience (verses 1-14) and, conversely, an extensive and terrifying catalog of curses for disobedience (verses 15-68). Verse 16 marks the precise commencement of these curses, establishing the severe tone for the consequences that follow. It stands in direct and deliberate antithesis to the blessings articulated in Deuteronomy 28:3, which promises, "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field." This immediate juxtaposition powerfully highlights the existential choice presented to Israel: life, prosperity, and flourishing through covenant fidelity, or death, desolation, and ruin through rebellion.
Historical & Cultural Context: The setting for this discourse is the plains of Moab, approximately 1406 BC, as the generation that endured the wilderness wanderings stands poised to cross the Jordan River and inherit Canaan. Moses, acting as God's divinely appointed mediator, is reiterating and adapting the Mosaic Covenant, originally established at Sinai, for this new generation. The inclusion of detailed blessings and curses was a standard, legally binding feature of ancient Near Eastern treaties, wherein a suzerain (a superior king) would outline the terms of loyalty and the severe repercussions for disloyalty to a vassal (a subordinate kingdom). For Israel, Yahweh was unequivocally the divine Suzerain, and they were His chosen vassal. Consequently, the curses were not arbitrary punishments but the stipulated legal and spiritual consequences of breaching a solemn covenant with a holy God. The specific emphasis on "city" and "field" reflects the two primary and all-encompassing spheres of Israelite life: urban centers representing commerce, social order, community, and governance, and agricultural fields representing sustenance, labor, and the very source of their livelihood derived from the land God promised.
Key Themes: This verse contributes profoundly to several pivotal themes woven throughout Deuteronomy and the broader Old Testament narrative. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the theme of Covenant Fidelity and its Consequences. The blessings and curses are presented as the direct and inevitable outcomes of Israel's faithfulness or unfaithfulness to the covenant stipulations. Secondly, it highlights God's Justice and Holiness. God's immutable character demands that sin and rebellion be met with righteous judgment; His holiness cannot tolerate persistent disobedience, even from His chosen people. This is a recurring motif, vividly illustrated in events such as the judgment on the rebellious generation in the wilderness (Numbers 14) and the eventual exiles of both the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 17) and the southern kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 25). Thirdly, the verse emphatically conveys the Pervasiveness of God's Judgment. The inclusion of "city" and "field" represents the totality of human existence, signifying that no aspect of life—public or private, economic or domestic, social or agricultural—would remain untouched by the curse of disobedience. This comprehensive nature of judgment serves as a profound and solemn warning, designed to instill a deep reverence for God's commands and a compelling motivation for unwavering obedience.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 28:16 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of pervasive and inescapable judgment. The most prominent is Repetition, specifically the anaphora of "Cursed shalt thou be." This insistent and emphatic repetition underscores the absolute, comprehensive, and inescapable nature of the curse, reinforcing that divine disfavor would be a constant, undeniable reality for the disobedient nation. Furthermore, the verse masterfully utilizes Merism, a rhetorical device where two contrasting or complementary parts are used to represent a complete whole. "In the city" and "in the field" together encompass all spheres of human activity and existence, signifying that the curse would be universal and comprehensive, affecting every single aspect of their lives, from their public, urban interactions to their private, agricultural endeavors. This creates a powerful and unsettling sense of totality. Finally, the verse implicitly employs Antithesis by standing in stark and direct opposition to the blessings promised in Deuteronomy 28:3, which states, "Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field." This dramatic contrast highlights the two divergent paths presented to Israel and their diametrically opposed outcomes, thereby underscoring the profound gravity of the choice before them.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 28:16 stands as a stark and unyielding testament to the profound seriousness of covenant relationship with God and the dire consequences of breaking faith. It reveals a God who is not only merciful and gracious but also immutably just and holy, one who upholds His covenant terms with unwavering integrity and divine fidelity. The pervasive nature of the curse—affecting "city" and "field," every conceivable aspect of existence—underscores that sin is not a compartmentalized issue but has far-reaching, destructive implications, impacting every dimension of human life and the created order itself. This foundational principle resonates throughout biblical theology, demonstrating that rebellion against the Creator inevitably leads to disorder, suffering, and a comprehensive reversal of the divine order of blessing. The verse thus serves as a foundational warning, illustrating the dire and cursed state from which humanity, through its persistent sin, desperately needs redemption.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 28:16, while deeply rooted in the specific context of the Mosaic Covenant, offers timeless and profound principles for reflection and application in the life of faith today. It serves as a powerful and sobering reminder that our actions, particularly our obedience or disobedience to God's revealed will, carry significant spiritual weight and inevitable consequences. While New Testament believers are indeed redeemed from the curse of the Law through Christ, the underlying theological truth remains: sin is profoundly serious, and it invariably disrupts the flourishing, abundant life God intends for us. Persistent disobedience, whether individual or corporate, can lead to spiritual barrenness, relational breakdown, a sense of being estranged from God's favor, and a diminished experience of His blessings. This verse challenges us to engage in honest self-examination, to identify areas of our lives—both our "city" (public/social interactions) and our "field" (private/personal endeavors)—where we might be neglecting God's commands. It urges us toward a posture of humble submission, fervent repentance, and a deep, abiding desire to walk in His righteous ways. Ultimately, it cultivates a healthy and reverent fear of the Lord, not a terror of arbitrary punishment, but a profound awe for His holiness and a recognition that His ways are always for our ultimate good, flourishing, and eternal joy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "city" and "field" in this verse?
Answer: The phrases "in the city" and "in the field" are a profound literary device known as merism. This rhetorical technique uses two contrasting or complementary parts to represent a complete and exhaustive whole. "City" symbolizes the urban sphere of life, encompassing commerce, social interaction, public order, and communal security. "Field" represents the agricultural and rural dimensions of life, signifying sustenance, labor, and the provision derived directly from the land. Together, these two terms signify the totality of human existence and activity. Therefore, the declaration that the Israelites would be "cursed in the city" and "cursed in the field" means that every single aspect and sphere of their lives—public, private, economic, social, domestic, and personal—would be comprehensively affected by God's judgment if they disobeyed the covenant. There would be no escape, no untouched area from the pervasive and devastating consequences of their rebellion, standing in stark contrast to the comprehensive blessings promised in Deuteronomy 28:3.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 28:16, with its chilling and comprehensive pronouncement of pervasive curse, powerfully sets the stage for understanding the profound necessity and unparalleled glory of Christ's redemptive work. The all-encompassing nature of the curse—affecting "city" and "field," every conceivable aspect of human life—underscores the totality of humanity's fallen condition under the crushing weight of sin and the Law's righteous demands. This verse paints a vivid and unsettling picture of the spiritual bondage, desolation, and utter hopelessness from which only a divine deliverer could possibly rescue us. The glorious good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, fully entered into this cursed state on our behalf. As Galatians 3:13 resoundingly declares, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.'" He bore the full, pervasive, and crushing weight of the curse that Deuteronomy 28:16 so vividly describes, enduring the ultimate separation from God on the cross. Through His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, He absorbed the divine judgment that was rightfully due to us, thereby breaking the power of the curse and opening the way for us to receive the spiritual blessings of Abraham, which are poured out upon us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). Thus, Deuteronomy 28:16, while a terrifying and sobering warning, ultimately serves as a stark and essential backdrop against which the boundless grace, complete redemption, and glorious freedom found in our Lord Jesus Christ shine all the more brightly, transforming curse into blessing for all who believe.