Deuteronomy 28:20
in Deuteronomy 28The LORD will send curses upon you, confusion and reproof in all to which you put your hand, until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the wickedness you have committed in forsaking Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah will send upon thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that thou puttest thy hand unto to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the evil of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
KJV
The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 28
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But . . . if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord--Curses that were to follow them in the event of disobedience are now enumerated, and they are almost exact counterparts of the blessings which were described in the preceding context as the reward of a faithful adherence to the covenant.
This site's exposition
The LORD will send curses upon you
on Deuteronomy 28:20-22
Verse 20 gives the reason before the list runs, “the wickedness you have committed in forsaking Him”. There the Hebrew has God speak in the first person inside a speech of Moses. The person shifts back at verse 21 without any mark.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
13 , My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry. 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 ( Ezek. xiv.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Vexation - This seems chiefly to concern the mind, arising from the disappointment of hopes and the presages of its approaching miseries. Rebuke - Namely, from God, not so much in words as by his actions, by cross providences, by sharp and sore afflictions.
The Lord shall send upon thee cursing,.... Which is either a general word for all that follows, or rather, since that had been expressed before in various instances, this may denote some particular judgment.
The extent and efficacy of this curse. 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,"
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Cursing - This shall be thy state; vexation - grief, trouble, and anguish of heart; rebuke - continual judgments, and marks of God’s displeasure.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְשַׁלַּ֣ח | yeshalach | he will send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּ֠ךָ | bekha | on <the> you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמְּאֵרָ֤ה | hameerah | the curse | H3994 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמְּהוּמָה֙ | hamehumah | <the> confusion | H4103 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּגְעֶ֔רֶת | hamigeret | <the> rebuke | H4045 → | |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִשְׁלַ֥ח | mishlach | <the> undertaking of | H4916 → | 10 times |
| יָדְךָ֖ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂ֑ה | taaseh | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הִשָּֽׁמֶדְךָ֤ | hishamedkha | being destroyed you | H8045 → | 90 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲבָדְךָ֙ | ʾavadekha | perishing you | H6 → | 184 times |
| מַהֵ֔ר | maher | quickly | H4118 → | 14 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֛י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| רֹ֥עַ | roa' | [the] wickedness of | H7455 → | |
| מַֽעֲלָלֶ֖יךָ | maalaleikha | deeds your | H4611 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עֲזַבְתָּֽנִי׃ | ʾazavtani | you have forsaken me | H5800 → | 215 times |
יְשַׁלַּ֣חhe will send
yeshalachH7971 →845 times
יְהוָ֣ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּ֠ךָon <the> you
bekha
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמְּאֵרָ֤הthe curse
hameerahH3994 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמְּהוּמָה֙<the> confusion
hamehumahH4103 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַמִּגְעֶ֔רֶת<the> rebuke
hamigeretH4045 →
בְּכָל־in every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
מִשְׁלַ֥ח<the> undertaking of
mishlachH4916 →10 times
יָדְךָ֖hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תַּעֲשֶׂ֑הyou will do
taasehH6213 →2628 times
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הִשָּֽׁמֶדְךָ֤being destroyed you
hishamedkhaH8045 →90 times
וְעַד־and until
vead-H5704 →1261 times
אֲבָדְךָ֙perishing you
ʾavadekhaH6 →184 times
מַהֵ֔רquickly
maherH4118 →14 times
מִפְּנֵ֛י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
רֹ֥עַ[the] wickedness of
roa'H7455 →
מַֽעֲלָלֶ֖יךָdeeds your
maalaleikhaH4611 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עֲזַבְתָּֽנִי׃you have forsaken me
ʾazavtaniH5800 →215 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
John 3:36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
it leads to
- John 5:24
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
- John 1:12
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- 1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
- John 3:15–16
that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
- John 5:24
Through
Deuteronomy 4:26I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it,…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
- Micah 6:2
Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s indictment, you enduring foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against His people, and He will argue it against Israel:
- Jeremiah 22:29
O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
- Deuteronomy 32:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.