Deuteronomy 29:22-29

22 And the generation following shall see, and the sons that shall be born afterward, and pilgrims that shall come from [a]far, seeing the vengeances of that land, and the sicknesses by which the Lord tormented that land, (And the generation following, and the descendants who shall be born afterward, and the foreigners who shall come from afar, shall all see the plagues that be in the land, and the sicknesses with which the Lord hath tormented it,)

23 burning that land with brimstone, and heat of the sun, so that it be no more sown, neither bring forth any green thing, into ensample of [the] destroying of Sodom, and Gomorrah, of Admah, and of Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his wrath, and strong vengeance. (burning up that land with brimstone, and the heat of the sun, so that it can no more be sown, nor bring forth any green thing, following the examples of the destruction of Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboiim, all of which the Lord destroyed in his anger, and his strong vengeance.)

24 And all folks shall say, Why did the Lord so to this land? What is the great wrath of his strong vengeance? (And all the nations shall say, Why hath the Lord done so to this land? What is the reason for his great anger and strong vengeance?)

25 and they shall answer, For they forsook the covenant of the Lord, which he covenanted with their fathers, when he led them out of the land of Egypt,

26 and they served alien gods, and worshipped them, which they knew not, and to which they were not given; (and they served foreign, or other, gods, and worshipped them, which they knew not, and which he had not given them;)

27 therefore the strong vengeance of the Lord was wroth against this land, that he brought in upon it all the curses that be written in this book; (and so with strong vengeance the Lord was angry against this land, and he brought in on it all the curses that be written in this book;)

28 and he casted them out of their land, in wrath and strong vengeance, and in full great indignation; and he casted forth them into an alien land, as it is proved today. (and he threw them out of their land, in his anger and strong vengeance, and very great indignation; and he threw them forth into a foreign land, where they still be today.)

29 Diverse things be hid, or privy, of our Lord God, that is, in his before-knowing, which things be showed to us, and to our sons (into) without end, that we do all the words of this law. (Some things be hid, or known only, by the Lord our God, that is, in his foreknowing, but other things be shown to us, and to our descendants into without end, so that we can do all the words of this law.)

Deuteronomy 29:22-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 29

This chapter begins with an intimation of another covenant the Lord was about to make with the people of Israel, De 29:1; and, to prepare their minds to an attention to it, various things which the Lord had done for them are recited, De 29:2-9; the persons are particularly mentioned with whom the covenant would now be made, the substance of which is, that they should be his people, and he their God, De 29:10-15; and since they had seen the idols in Egypt and other countries, with which they might have been ensnared, they are cautioned against idolatry and idolaters, as being most provoking to the Lord, De 29:16-21; which would bring destruction not only on particular persons, but upon their whole land, to the amazement of posterity; who, inquiring the reason of it, will be told, it was because they forsook the covenant of God, and particularly were guilty of idolatry, which, whether privately or openly committed, would be always punished, De 29:22-29.