Deuteronomy 28:56

56 A tender woman and delicate, that might not go upon the earth, neither set a step of [the] foot, for her most softness and tenderness, shall have envy to her husband that lieth in her bosom, on the flesh of her son, and daughter, (A delicate and tender woman, who, because of her great softness and tenderness, need not walk, nor even put a step of her foot upon the ground, shall be stingy toward her husband who lieth in her bosom, and toward her son and her daughter,)

Deuteronomy 28:56 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:56

And the tender and delicate woman amongst you
Who is instanced in because of her sex, which is more pitiful and compassionate, and especially one that has been brought up genteelly, and has always lived deliciously, on the most delicate fare, and nicest dainties, and used to all the delights of nature:

which would not venture to set her foot upon the ground for
delicateness and tenderness;
for fear of taking cold, or defiling her feet:

her eye shall be evil towards the husband of her bosom, and towards
her son, and towards her daughter;
begrudge them every bit they eat, and restrain food from them as much as in her lies, and even snatch it out of their mouths; so Josephus ^F5 relates, that

``women snatched the food out of the mouths of their husbands, and sons out of the mouths of their fathers; and, what is most miserable, mothers out of the mouths of their infants.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. l0. sect. 3.

Deuteronomy 28:56 In-Context

54 A man delicate of life, and full lecherous, shall have envy greatly to his brother, and to his wife that lieth in his bosom, (and also toward the remnant of his children, that he hath left,) (A delicate and tender man among you, shall be stingy toward his brother, and toward his wife who lieth in his bosom, and even toward the remnant of his children, who be left,)

55 lest he give to them of the flesh of his sons which he shall eat; for he hath none other thing in [the] besieging, and (the) poverty, by which thine enemies shall waste thee within all thy gates. (lest he give them any of the flesh of his other children which he shall eat; for he hath nothing left amidst the anguish and the destruction, with which thy enemies shall oppress thee within all thy gates.)

56 A tender woman and delicate, that might not go upon the earth, neither set a step of [the] foot, for her most softness and tenderness, shall have envy to her husband that lieth in her bosom, on the flesh of her son, and daughter, (A delicate and tender woman, who, because of her great softness and tenderness, need not walk, nor even put a step of her foot upon the ground, shall be stingy toward her husband who lieth in her bosom, and toward her son and her daughter,)

57 and on the filth of [the] skins, wherein the child is wrapped in the mother's womb, that go out of the midst of her hip bones, or loins, and on [the] free children that be born in the same hour. They shall eat those children privily, for the scarcity of all things in besieging and destroying, by which thine enemy shall oppress thee within thy gates. (and she shall keep for herself all the filthy skins, in which the child is wrapped in its mother's womb, that goeth out of the midst of her hip bones, and the children who be born at that same hour. And she shall secretly eat those skins, and those children, for the scarcity of all things amidst the anguish and the destruction, with which thy enemies shall oppress thee within thy gates.)

58 No but thou shalt keep and do all the words of this law, that be written in this volume, either book, and shalt dread his glorious name and fearful, that is, thy Lord God, (No, unless thou obey and do all the words of this law, that be written in this book, and fear his glorious and fearful name, that is, The Lord Thy God,)