Deuteronomy 28:8-18

8 Yahweh will command {concerning you} the blessing [to be] in your barns and {in all your endeavors}; and he will bless you in the land that Yahweh your God [is] giving to you.

9 Yahweh will establish you for {himself} as a holy people as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of Yahweh your God and you walk in his ways.

10 And all of the peoples of the earth shall see that {by the name of Yahweh you are called}, and {they shall fear you}.

11 And {Yahweh will make you successful and prosperous}, in the fruit of your womb and on the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors to give to you.

12 Yahweh shall open for you his {rich} storehouse, [even] the heavens, to give the rain for your land in its time and to bless all of the work of your hand, and you will lend to many nations; you will not borrow [from them].

13 And Yahweh shall make you as head and not the tail, and you shall be only at the top [of the nations], and you shall not be at the bottom, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God that I [am] commanding you {today} {and diligently observe them}.

14 And you [shall] not turn aside from {any of} the words that I [am] commanding you {today} [to the] right or left by going after other gods to serve them.

15 "{And then} if you do not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God {by diligently observing} all of his commandments and his statutes that I [am] commanding you {today}, then all of these curses shall come upon you, and they shall overtake you:

16 "You [shall] be cursed in the city, and [you shall] be cursed in the field.

17 "Your basket [shall] be cursed and your kneading trough.

18 "The fruit of your womb [shall] be cursed and the fruit of you ground, the calves of your cattle and the lambs of your flock.

Deuteronomy 28:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 28

In this chapter Moses enlarges on the blessings and the curses which belong, the one to the doers, the other to the transgressors of the law; the blessings, De 28:1-14; the curses, some of which concern individual persons, others the whole nation and body of people, and that both under the former and present dispensations, and which had their fulfilment in their former captivities, and more especially in their present dispersion, De 28:15-68.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "with you"
• [b]. Literally "in all of the sending [forth] of your hand"
• [c]. Literally "to/for him"
• [d]. Literally "that the name of Yahweh is called/assigned upon you"
• [e]. Literally "they shall be afraid/fearful from you"
• [f]. Literally "Yahweh will cause for you goodness"
• [g]. Or "fathers"
• [h]. Literally "good"
• [i]. Hebrew "of"
• [j]. Literally "place/set you up"
• [k]. Literally "the day"
• [l]. Literally "to observe them and to do them"
• [m]. Literally "all of"
• [n]. Literally "the day"
• [o]. Literally "and it will happen"
• [p]. Literally "to observe and to do"
• [q]. Literally "the day"
• [r]. All of these curses have a future orientation that points to Israel in the land of Canaan