Deuteronomy 28:30

30 1You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. 2You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. 3You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit.

Deuteronomy 28:30 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:30

Thou shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with
her
Espouse a woman in order to make her his wife, and before he can take her home, and consummate the marriage, through some calamity or another coming upon them, they should be set at a distance from each other, and she should fall into the hands of another man, who either should ravish her, or gain her consent to lie with her, or become his wife; which, when the marriage was so near being consummated, must be a grievous disappointment, and a great vexation:

thou shall build an house, and thou shall not dwell therein;
being, before it is quite finished, or however before he is got into it, carried captive, or obliged to flee to a distant place:

thou shall plant a vineyard, and shall not gather the grapes thereof;
or make it common, on the fourth year to eat the fruits of it, as Jarchi; which might not be done until sanctified and redeemed according to the law in ( Leviticus 19:23-25 ) ; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 20:6).

Deuteronomy 28:30 In-Context

28 The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind,
29 and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways. And you shall be only oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.
30 You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit.
31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat any of it. Your donkey shall be seized before your face, but shall not be restored to you. Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, but there shall be no one to help you.
32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Deuteronomy 20:5-7; Jeremiah 8:10
  • 2. Amos 5:11; Zephaniah 1:13
  • 3. Deuteronomy 20:6; Leviticus 19:23-25; [Micah 6:15]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.