Deuteronomy 28:15

The Curses of Disobedience

15 If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: ¹

Deuteronomy 28:15 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:15

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken to the
voice of the Lord thy God
As directed, exhorted, and encouraged to, ( Deuteronomy 28:1 )

to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes, which I
command thee this day;
both moral and ceremonial:

that all these curses shall come upon thee;
from the hand of God, certainly, suddenly, and unawares:

and overtake thee;
pursuing after thee, will come up to thee, and seize upon thee, though they may seem to move slowly; see ( Zechariah 5:3 Zechariah 5:4 ) ; namely, the curses which follow. Manasseh Ben Israel ^F6 divides them into two parts, the first from hence to ( Deuteronomy 28:45 ) ; which respects the destruction of the first temple, and the things that went before or related to that; and the second from thence to the end of the chapter, which he thinks refers to the destruction of the second temple, and their present case and circumstances; and it must be owned that for the most part the distinction may seem to hold good; what is prophesied of that should befall the Jews for their disobedience being more remarkably and distinctly fulfilled in the one than in the other; yet there are things in the whole which respect both, or that were fulfilled, some under one dispensation, and some under another, and some that were fulfilled in both; but chiefly and more manifestly at and since their dispersion by the Romans.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 De Termino Vitae, l. 3. sect. 3. p. 126.

Deuteronomy 28:15 In-Context

13 The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.

14 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.

15 If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

17 Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed.

Cross References

• 1. (Leviticus 20:1–9; Leviticus 26:14–39)