Deuteronomy 11:28 kjv
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:28 nkjv
and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:28 niv
the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:28 esv
and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:28 nlt
But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.
Deuteronomy 11 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 11:26-27 | "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey..." | Immediate context; choice of blessing or curse |
| Deut 28:15 | "But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God... all these curses shall come upon you" | Expands on the nature of curses for disobedience |
| Lev 26:14-43 | "But if you will not listen to me and will not obey all these commandments..." | Similar curses for covenant unfaithfulness |
| Deut 4:25-26 | "When you become corrupt and make carved images... you will soon perish..." | Idolatry leads to destruction from the land |
| Deut 13:6-11 | "If your brother, the son of your mother... entices you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods'" | Warnings against seduction to idolatry |
| Exo 20:3 | "You shall have no other gods before me." | First commandment; basis for the prohibition |
| Jos 24:19-20 | "If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and bring disaster upon you" | Echoes the conditional curse upon idolatry |
| 1 Sam 12:25 | "But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away." | Emphasizes collective consequences of sin |
| Isa 1:28 | "But rebels and sinners shall be broken together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed." | Prophetic warning against forsaking God |
| Jer 7:9-10 | "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely... and go after other gods..." | Highlights idolatry as part of broad sin |
| Jer 16:11-13 | "Because your fathers have forsaken me... and have gone after other gods" | Explains why God exiled Judah |
| Jer 25:6 | "Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, nor provoke me to anger..." | Clear instruction against idol worship |
| Zeph 1:4 | "I will cut off those who worship the host of heaven on the rooftops, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and yet swear by Malcam" | Condemns syncretism (serving two gods) |
| Gal 3:10 | "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'" | NT perspective on the curse for not fulfilling all law |
| Rom 1:21-25 | "Although they knew God, they did not honor him... exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images... exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" | Consequences of turning away from the true God |
| Heb 3:12-13 | "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." | Warning against apostasy and hardness of heart |
| 2 Tim 3:5 | "Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." | A form of turning away in NT times |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | NT admonition to avoid idol worship |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." | Broadens "idolatry" to include covetousness |
| Rev 22:18-19 | "If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away..." | Consequences for altering divine revelation |
Deuteronomy 11 verses
Deuteronomy 11 28 Meaning
This verse articulates the severe consequence of rejecting the Lord's commands: a divine curse. It highlights that this curse results from a deliberate act of disobedience, specifically turning away from God's established path to worship and serve other gods previously unknown to Israel. It emphasizes the foundational covenant principle of choice and accountability, where departure from God inevitably leads to detrimental outcomes.
Deuteronomy 11 28 Context
Deuteronomy 11 continues Moses' grand discourse to the generation poised to enter the promised land. Following a historical review of God's mighty acts (Deut 11:1-7) and a clear call to love and serve God alone (Deut 11:13-17), Moses presents the central choice between blessings and curses (Deut 11:26-28). This specific verse, Deut 11:28, acts as the counterpoint to the preceding verse about blessing, explicitly stating the conditions for the curse. The chapter sets the stage for the conditional nature of Israel's well-being in Canaan, directly linking prosperity and security to fidelity to the covenant and warns against adopting the spiritual practices of the surrounding Canaanite nations, which prominently featured polytheism and nature worship. It challenges the prevailing worldview of the time, which often involved appeasing multiple deities for prosperity, by asserting Yahweh as the one true, exclusive God who alone determines their destiny.
Deuteronomy 11 28 Word analysis
- and a curse (
וְקְלָלָה, v'q'lālāh): From the Hebrew rootקלל(qalal), meaning "to be slight, trifling, light," implying a negative outcome, disrespect, or condemnation from God, resulting in distress or adversity. This stands in stark opposition to the blessing. The term highlights a deliberate divine declaration of negative consequence. - if you do not obey (
אִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ, ʾim loʾ tishmeʾū): Emphasizes conditionality.לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ(loʾ tishmeʾū) signifies not "hearing" in just an auditory sense, but a deliberate unwillingness to heed, listen, or apply instructions. This implies conscious refusal rather than mere ignorance, showing volitional departure from God's word. - the commandments (
מִצְוֹת, mitzvot): Refers to the divine commands, instructions, and ordinances given by Yahweh. These are not arbitrary rules but divine principles for holy living and maintaining relationship with God and community. - of the Lord your God (
יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, YHWH ʾEloheikhem):YHWH(the unpronounceable divine name, often rendered "the LORD") stresses God's covenant faithfulness and self-revelation.אֱלֹהֵיכֶם(Eloheikhem) emphasizes His absolute authority as God and Israel's personal relationship with Him. The combination signifies Israel's unique, covenantal God. - but turn aside (
וְסַרְתֶּם, v'sartem): From the rootסור(sur), meaning "to turn away, deviate, depart, remove." It denotes a straying from a direct path. This "turning aside" is a willful choice to deviate from the established "way." It's an active act of spiritual apostasy or spiritual meandering. - from the way (
מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ, min haderekh): "The way" (Derekh) here is a profound biblical metaphor representing a prescribed manner of life, a moral or spiritual path, or a course of conduct. In this context, it refers specifically to God's chosen path for Israel—His laws and principles. - that I am commanding you today (
אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם, ʾasher ʾānōḵî mitsavveh ʾetkem hayyôm): "Today" highlights the immediacy, urgency, and present responsibility of the covenant for that specific generation entering Canaan. It's a living command, not merely an ancient historical record. - to go after other gods (
לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, lāleḵet ʾaḥărê ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm):לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי(lāleḵet ʾaḥărê) literally means "to walk after" or "to follow after," implying active pursuit and service. This is the epitome of breaking the first commandment.אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים(ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm) "other gods" directly addresses the polytheistic context of Canaan. This phrase is a powerful polemic against the pervasive worship of foreign deities, emphasizing that Yahweh alone is God. - that you have not known (
אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדַעְתֶּם, ʾasher lōʾ yedaʾtem): "Known" (ידע, yadaʾ) implies not just intellectual understanding, but experiential, personal, and relational knowledge. Israel knew Yahweh through His acts of deliverance and sustenance. The "other gods" were not gods that had demonstrated power or care for them. Their worship would be based on superficiality or fear, not relational history or genuine knowledge.
Deuteronomy 11 28 Bonus section
The repeated emphasis on "today" throughout Deuteronomy underscores that the covenant demands an immediate, continuous, and active commitment. It highlights that the choice for blessings or curses is perpetually before them. Furthermore, the explicit warning against "other gods that you have not known" directly combats the pervasive Canaanite religious system which tempted Israel. These were not abstract threats, but gods associated with fertility cults and violent rituals. By associating their worship with a "curse," God emphasizes His incomparability and the danger of syncretism. This divine warning served as a profound reminder that true worship involved knowing and acknowledging Yahweh's unique identity as the deliverer and sustainer, contrasting Him sharply with the empty promise of false deities.
Deuteronomy 11 28 Commentary
Deuteronomy 11:28 succinctly crystallizes the gravest warning of the Deuteronomic covenant: that the greatest threat to Israel's blessings is their turning from God to idolatry. The verse is not merely a statement of cause and effect but a theological principle underscoring divine justice. Disobedience, particularly manifested as seeking alternative gods, is seen as an act of fundamental betrayal of the unique relationship Israel has with the Lord. The curse is not arbitrary; it is a natural spiritual consequence of disconnecting from the source of life and truth and pursuing non-existent, ineffective "gods." This foundational truth teaches that true well-being comes from exclusive devotion and obedience to the One true God, while turning aside leads to emptiness, brokenness, and ruin. For believers today, this echoes the spiritual danger of pursuing worldly desires, false ideologies, or anything that supplants God's rightful place in one's life, leading to a diminished spiritual reality, even if not an immediate material curse.