TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Deuteronomy 28:15–44. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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 28:19 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 28:19 serves as a stark and comprehensive declaration within the covenant curses, proclaiming an inescapable and pervasive judgment upon the nation of Israel should they fail to obey God's commands. This verse underscores that every facet of their existence, from their most mundane daily routines to their most significant undertakings, would be permeated by divine displeasure and adverse consequences, emphasizing the absolute totality of the repercussions for covenant unfaithfulness.
Context
Literary Context
Deuteronomy 28 stands as the climactic and pivotal chapter within Moses' second major address to the Israelites, delivered on the plains of Moab as they stood poised to enter the Promised Land. Chapters 27-30 collectively form a solemn covenant renewal ceremony, with chapter 28 serving as the central exposition of the blessings promised for obedience and the curses threatened for disobedience. The preceding verses, specifically Deuteronomy 28:1-14, meticulously detail the abundant and comprehensive blessings that would follow faithfulness, establishing a profound contrast with the severe and extensive curses that commence from Deuteronomy 28:15. Verse 19 is strategically placed within this latter section, amplifying the pervasive and inescapable nature of the impending divine judgment, directly mirroring the all-encompassing blessings described earlier in Deuteronomy 28:6.
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Deuteronomy, in its structure and content, closely mirrors the ancient Near Eastern treaty format, particularly the suzerainty treaties common in the second millennium BC. In these treaties, a powerful king (the suzerain) established terms with a lesser, vassal nation. In this divine covenant, Yahweh functions as the suzerain, and Israel is the vassal. The inclusion of detailed blessings and curses was a standard and crucial element in such treaties, designed to serve as powerful incentives for loyalty and potent deterrents against rebellion. For ancient Israel, an agrarian society heavily reliant on agricultural prosperity and national security, the specific curses—which often involved drought, famine, disease, and foreign invasion—directly targeted their very means of survival and well-being. The idiom "coming in and going out" (bôwʼ and yâtsâʼ) was deeply embedded in their daily lives, representing all movement, transactions, public and private life, and the general course of existence within their settled land, from the city gates to the boundaries of their territory.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several foundational themes within Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. It highlights the theme of Covenant Faithfulness and Consequences, unequivocally demonstrating that God's promises of blessing and warnings of judgment are not idle threats but carry real, tangible outcomes directly linked to obedience or disobedience. The comprehensive nature of the curse, encompassing all of life's movements ("coming in and going out"), emphasizes Divine Sovereignty and Omnipresence, illustrating that God's judgment, much like His blessing, can permeate and affect every single aspect of human experience. Furthermore, it reinforces the critical theme of Holiness and Separation, as the severity of the curses underscores the dire consequences of Israel's failure to maintain their distinct identity and exclusive devotion to Yahweh, especially in contrast to the idolatrous and abominable practices of the surrounding nations, as emphatically warned in passages like Deuteronomy 18:9-14. The choice presented to Israel, between life and prosperity or death and destruction, is a central motif throughout Deuteronomy 30:15-20.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root signifies a solemn, binding declaration of condemnation, malediction, or execration. Unlike a simple misfortune, a curse from God is a powerful pronouncement that actively brings about negative consequences, often involving divine intervention or the withdrawal of divine favor. It implies a state of being under God's profound disfavor, leading to hardship, barrenness, distress, and futility in all areas of life. The repetition of "cursed" in the verse emphasizes the certainty, intensity, and pervasive nature of this state.
A primitive root meaning "to go or come." In this context, it refers to entering one's home, city, or land, beginning a journey, or undertaking any new endeavor. It encompasses the initiation of daily activities, the arrival in a place, or the commencement of any significant life event. The use of this word signifies the initial phase of any action or presence.
A primitive root meaning "to go (causatively, bring) out." This word refers to leaving one's home, city, or land, concluding a journey, or finishing an endeavor. It encompasses the departure from a place, the completion of daily routines, or the culmination of any significant undertaking. Together with bôwʼ, it forms a comprehensive idiom.
Verse Breakdown
"Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in"
This clause pronounces a divine malediction upon the Israelites at the very beginning of any activity, upon their arrival in any place, or at the outset of their daily lives. It signifies that their entry into their homes, their fields, their cities, or any new endeavor would be met with divine disfavor, leading to failure, hardship, or lack of prosperity from the very start. This curse would permeate their domestic life, their agricultural pursuits, and their communal interactions, affecting every initial step and every new beginning.
"and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out"
This parallel clause extends the curse to the conclusion of any activity, upon their departure from any place, or at the end of their daily routines. It means that their leaving, their expeditions, their battles, or the culmination of their labors would also be met with divine judgment. There would be no escape from the curse by simply changing location or activity; the effects of disobedience would follow them and manifest in every outcome, leading to defeat, loss, or futility. This ensures the curse is inescapable and affects the results of all their efforts.
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 28:19 powerfully employs several Literary Devices to convey its message of pervasive and inescapable judgment. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, where the two clauses "Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in" and "and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out" express the same overarching idea of comprehensive judgment through slightly different but reinforcing phrases. This deliberate repetition also serves as Emphasis, highlighting the absolute certainty, severity, and inescapable nature of the curse. Furthermore, the phrase "when thou comest in, and when thou goest out" is a classic example of Merism, a figure of speech where two contrasting parts or extremes are named to represent a complete whole. By mentioning the extremes of entry and exit, the text signifies the totality of life's experiences, implying that every single moment, every single action, and every aspect of their existence—from dawn to dusk, from birth to death, from private to public—would be under the pervasive weight of the curse. This all-encompassing imagery also borders on Hyperbole, exaggerating the scope of the curse to impress upon the audience its truly universal and inescapable reach.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Deuteronomy 28:19 profoundly reveals God's unyielding commitment to the terms of His covenant, demonstrating that His character encompasses both immense blessing for obedience and severe, comprehensive judgment for rebellion. This verse underscores the foundational biblical truth that sin has pervasive, detrimental consequences that affect every area of life, not just isolated incidents. It highlights the principle of divine justice, where God faithfully executes the terms of His covenant, demonstrating that He is both a God of love and a God of righteous wrath. The comprehensive nature of this curse serves as a stark reminder of humanity's inherent inability to perfectly uphold God's righteous standards and the dire need for a different kind of intervention—a divine act of redemption—to escape such a comprehensive state of condemnation and enter into true blessing.
Reflection and Application
Deuteronomy 28:19 serves as a sobering and profound reminder that our choices, particularly in relation to God's revealed will, have far-reaching and pervasive consequences, not just for isolated moments but for the entire trajectory of our lives. While believers today no longer live under the specific legalistic terms of the Mosaic Covenant, the underlying spiritual principle remains eternally true: disobedience to God's revealed will invites spiritual and often tangible hardship, while alignment with His ways brings blessing and flourishing. This verse compels us to consider the totality of our walk with God—are we seeking to honor Him in every "coming in" and "going out," in every decision, every interaction, every private thought, and every public action? It challenges us to examine areas where we might be subtly or overtly resisting God's design, recognizing that even seemingly small deviations can contribute to a pervasive sense of spiritual barrenness, relational brokenness, or inner disquiet. Ultimately, this comprehensive warning drives us to a deeper appreciation for God's boundless grace, which offers the ultimate escape from the curse and enables a life of true blessing and communion with Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean that every misfortune I experience is a direct curse from God for my sin?
Not necessarily in the direct, covenantal sense of Deuteronomy 28. While sin does have natural, often pervasive, consequences, and God is sovereign over all things, the Mosaic Covenant curses were specific, divinely ordained judgments upon the nation of Israel for their corporate and persistent unfaithfulness to a unique covenant. For believers today, the relationship with God is mediated through the New Covenant in Christ, where the ultimate curse of the law has been borne by Jesus. Galatians 3:13 clearly states, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." While we still experience natural consequences for sin, live in a fallen world, and may face God's loving discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11), our misfortunes are not automatically direct covenantal curses in the same way they were for Old Testament Israel. The verse primarily serves as a powerful illustration of the serious, all-encompassing nature of disobedience to God's commands and points to our need for a Savior.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 28:19, with its stark declaration of a pervasive, inescapable curse for disobedience, powerfully sets the stage for understanding the profound necessity and triumph of Christ's redemptive work. Humanity, through the fall and its inherent sinfulness, found itself universally "cursed" in its "coming in and going out"—every aspect of life tainted by sin and subject to God's righteous judgment. The Law, as exemplified by the Mosaic Covenant, meticulously revealed the depth and breadth of this curse, demonstrating unequivocally that "all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse" (Galatians 3:10). However, the glorious good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, willingly became a curse for us. As Galatians 3:13 proclaims, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.'" Through His crucifixion, Jesus absorbed the full, comprehensive weight of the curse that Deuteronomy 28:19 so vividly describes, ensuring that those who believe in Him are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1). Instead of a curse permeating every "coming in and going out," believers are now blessed in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), experiencing His favor, presence, and redemptive power in every facet of their lives, from beginning to end, as they walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).