Deuteronomy 28 Footnotes

28:36 The reference to a king does not prove that Deuteronomy was written in the period of the monarchy, as the critical view holds. It affirms prophetically what God had already promised to the patriarchs, that a line of kings would issue from them (Gn 17:6,16).

28:53 The allegation that resorting to cannibalism reflects a primitive ethic not worthy of a “high religion” or a “cultured people” fails to understand that this gruesome practice is hardly being sanctioned here. The point is exactly the opposite; consuming one’s offspring is so out of keeping with civilized behavior that it provides a shocking example of the result of covenant disobedience. In the reign of Jehoram, a faithless king of Israel, an incident of this kind did occur during a famine brought about by siege (2Kg 6:25-29).