48 Therefore shalt thou serve H5647 thine enemies H341 which the LORD H3068 shall send H7971 against thee, in hunger, H7458 and in thirst, H6772 and in nakedness, H5903 and in want H2640 of all things: and he shall put H5414 a yoke H5923 of iron H1270 upon thy neck, H6677 until he have destroyed H8045 thee.
Go H1980 and tell H559 Hananiah, H2608 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 Thou hast broken H7665 the yokes H4133 of wood; H6086 but thou shalt make H6213 for them yokes H4133 of iron. H1270 For thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 I have put H5414 a yoke H5923 of iron H1270 upon the neck H6677 of all these nations, H1471 that they may serve H5647 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon; H894 and they shall serve H5647 him: and I have given H5414 him the beasts H2416 of the field H7704 also.
Nevertheless they shall be his servants; H5650 that they may know H3045 my service, H5656 and the service H5656 of the kingdoms H4467 of the countries. H776
For they have not served H5647 thee in their kingdom, H4438 and in thy great H7227 goodness H2898 that thou gavest H5414 them, and in the large H7342 and fat H8082 land H776 which thou gavest H5414 before H6440 them, neither turned H7725 they from their wicked H7451 works. H4611 Behold, we are servants H5650 this day, H3117 and for the land H776 that thou gavest H5414 unto our fathers H1 to eat H398 the fruit H6529 thereof and the good H2898 thereof, behold, we are servants H5650 in it: And it yieldeth much H7235 increase H8393 unto the kings H4428 whom thou hast set H5414 over us because of our sins: H2403 also they have dominion H4910 over our bodies, H1472 and over our cattle, H929 at their pleasure, H7522 and we are in great H1419 distress. H6869
I was wroth H7107 with my people, H5971 I have polluted H2490 mine inheritance, H5159 and given H5414 them into thine hand: H3027 thou didst shew H7760 them no mercy; H7356 upon the ancient H2205 hast thou very H3966 heavily H3513 laid thy yoke. H5923
And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, H559 Wherefore H8478 H4100 doeth H6213 the LORD H3068 our God H430 all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer H559 them, Like as ye have forsaken H5800 me, and served H5647 strange H5236 gods H430 in your land, H776 so shall ye serve H5647 strangers H2114 in a land H776 that is not yours.
And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue H8058 from thine heritage H5159 that I gave H5414 thee; and I will cause thee to serve H5647 thine enemies H341 in the land H776 which thou knowest H3045 not: for ye have kindled H6919 a fire H784 in mine anger, H639 which shall burn H3344 for H5704 ever. H5769
I spake H1696 also to Zedekiah H6667 king H4428 of Judah H3063 according to all these words, H1697 saying, H559 Bring H935 your necks H6677 under the yoke H5923 of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 and serve H5647 him and his people, H5971 and live. H2421 Why will ye die, H4191 thou and thy people, H5971 by the sword, H2719 by the famine, H7458 and by the pestilence, H1698 as the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 against the nation H1471 that will not serve H5647 the king H4428 of Babylon? H894
But we will certainly H6213 do H6213 whatsoever thing H1697 goeth forth H3318 out of our own mouth, H6310 to burn incense H6999 unto the queen H4446 of heaven, H8064 and to pour out H5258 drink offerings H5262 unto her, as we have done, H6213 we, and our fathers, H1 our kings, H4428 and our princes, H8269 in the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and in the streets H2351 of Jerusalem: H3389 for then had we plenty H7646 of victuals, H3899 and were well, H2896 and saw H7200 no evil. H7451 But since we left off H2308 to burn incense H6999 to the queen H4446 of heaven, H8064 and to pour out H5258 drink offerings H5262 unto her, we have wanted H2637 all things, and have been consumed H8552 by the sword H2719 and by the famine. H7458
So that the LORD H3068 could H3201 no longer bear, H5375 because H6440 of the evil H7455 of your doings, H4611 and because H6440 of the abominations H8441 which ye have committed; H6213 therefore is your land H776 a desolation, H2723 and an astonishment, H8047 and a curse, H7045 without an inhabitant, H3427 as at this day. H3117
Behold, I will watch H8245 over them for evil, H7451 and not for good: H2896 and all the men H376 of Judah H3063 that are in the land H776 of Egypt H4714 shall be consumed H8552 by the sword H2719 and by the famine, H7458 until there be an end H3615 of them.
Our inheritance H5159 is turned H2015 to strangers, H2114 our houses H1004 to aliens. H5237 We are orphans H3490 and fatherless, H369 H1 our mothers H517 are as widows. H490 We have drunken H8354 our water H4325 for money; H3701 our wood H6086 is sold H935 H4242 unto us. Our necks H6677 are under persecution: H7291 we labour, H3021 and have no rest. H5117 We have given H5414 the hand H3027 to the Egyptians, H4714 and to the Assyrians, H804 to be satisfied H7646 with bread. H3899
Moreover he said H559 unto me, Son H1121 of man, H120 behold, I will break H7665 the staff H4294 of bread H3899 in Jerusalem: H3389 and they shall eat H398 bread H3899 by weight, H4948 and with care; H1674 and they shall drink H8354 water H4325 by measure, H4884 and with astonishment: H8078 That they may want H2637 bread H3899 and water, H4325 and be astonied H8074 one H376 with another, H251 and consume away H4743 for their iniquity. H5771
And say, H559 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 A great H1419 eagle H5404 with great H1419 wings, H3671 longwinged, H83 H750 full H4392 of feathers, H5133 which had divers colours, H7553 came H935 unto Lebanon, H3844 and took H3947 the highest branch H6788 of the cedar: H730
There was also another H259 great H1419 eagle H5404 with great H1419 wings H3671 and many H7227 feathers: H5133 and, behold, this vine H1612 did bend H3719 her roots H8328 toward him, and shot forth H7971 her branches H1808 toward him, that he might water H8248 it by the furrows H6170 of her plantation. H4302
Say H559 now to the rebellious H4805 house, H1004 Know H3045 ye not what these things mean? tell H559 them, Behold, the king H4428 of Babylon H894 is come H935 to Jerusalem, H3389 and hath taken H3947 the king H4428 thereof, and the princes H8269 thereof, and led H935 them with him to Babylon; H894
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 28
Commentary on Deuteronomy 28 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 28
This chapter is a very large exposition of two words in the foregoing chapter, the blessing and the curse. Those were pronounced blessed in general that were obedient, and those cursed that were disobedient; but, because generals are not so affecting, Moses here descends to particulars, and describes the blessing and the curse, not in their fountains (these are out of sight, and therefore the most considerable, yet least considered, the favour of God the spring of all the blessings, and the wrath of God the spring of all the curses), but in their streams, the sensible effects of the blessing and the curse, for they are real things and have real effects.
Deu 28:1-14
The blessings are here put before the curses, to intimate,
Deu 28:15-44
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,
Deu 28:45-68
One would have thought that enough had been said to possess them with a dread of that wrath of God which is revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. But to show how deep the treasures of that wrath are, and that still there is more and worse behind, Moses, when one would have thought that he had concluded this dismal subject, begins again, and adds to this roll of curses many similar words: as Jeremiah did to his, Jer. 36:32. It should seem that in the former part of this commination Moses foretells their captivity in Babylon, and the calamities which introduced and attended that, by which, even after their return, they were brought to that low and poor condition which is described, v. 44. That their enemies should be the head, and they the tail: but here, in this latter part, he foretels their last destruction by the Romans and their dispersion thereupon. And the present deplorable state of the Jewish nation, and of all that have incorporated themselves with them, by embracing their religion, does so fully and exactly answer to the prediction in these verses that it serves for an incontestable proof of the truth of prophecy, and consequently of the divine authority of the scripture. And, this last destruction being here represented as more dreadful than the former, it shows that their sin, in rejecting Christ and his gospel, was more heinous and more provoking to God than idolatry itself, and left them more under the power of Satan; for their captivity in Babylon cured them effectually of their idolatry in seventy years' time; but under this last destruction now for above 1600 years they continue incurably averse to the Lord Jesus. Observe,