Deuteronomy 11:28
in Deuteronomy 11but a curse if you disobey the commandments of the LORD your God and turn aside from the path I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the curse, if ye shall not hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
KJV
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 11
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I am setting before you a blessing and a curse
on Deuteronomy 11:26-28
The book's close is laid out here: a choice between a blessing and a curse. Chapters 27 and 28 stage them at length, fourteen verses of blessing against fifty-four of curse, and 30:19 puts the choice last as life and death. The words "today" and "this day" fall eight times in this chapter and seventy in the book, so the covenant binds the generation that hears it.
This site's exposition
turn aside from the path
Turn aside from the path is the charge Moses laid against Israel at the golden calf, at 9:12 and 9:16, where they turned quickly from the way the LORD had commanded. Verse 28 makes that same act the ground of the curse. Clarke treats the turning as a free choice.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God,....
Say you to the righteous (for God has said it, and all the world cannot unsay it) that it shall be well with them: but woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה | vehakelalah | and the curse | H7045 → | 33 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ | tishmeu | you will obey | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִצְוֹת֙ | mitzvot | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם | vesartem | and you will turn aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ | haderekh | the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֛י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מְצַוֶּ֥ה | metzaveh | [am] commanding | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיּ֑וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לָלֶ֗כֶת | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֛י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֖ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ ס | yeda'tem | you have known | H3045 → | 945 times |
וְהַקְּלָלָ֗הand the curse
vehakelalahH7045 →33 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִשְׁמְעוּ֙you will obey
tishmeuH8085 →1159 times
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מִצְוֹת֙[the] commandments of
mitzvotH4687 →181 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְסַרְתֶּ֣םand you will turn aside
vesartemH5493 →299 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַדֶּ֔רֶךְthe way
haderekhH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֛יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מְצַוֶּ֥ה[am] commanding
metzavehH6680 →494 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
הַיּ֑וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
לָלֶ֗כֶתto walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
אַחֲרֵ֛יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
אֱלֹהִ֥יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִ֖יםother
ʾacherimH312 →166 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ סyou have known
yeda'temH3045 →945 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Galatians 3:10All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 27:26
‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Romans 8:7
because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
- Romans 3:19–20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
- Deuteronomy 11:26–28
See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—
- James 2:9–11
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
- Deuteronomy 27:26
Through
Matthew 25:41Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- Jude 1:6–7
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,
- 2 Peter 2:4
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
