Deuteronomy 28:21 kjv
The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
Deuteronomy 28:21 nkjv
The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess.
Deuteronomy 28:21 niv
The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess.
Deuteronomy 28:21 esv
The LORD will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
Deuteronomy 28:21 nlt
The LORD will afflict you with diseases until none of you are left in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Deuteronomy 28 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:25 | "I will bring a sword upon you that will execute vengeance... then I will send pestilence among you..." | Plague as covenant consequence. |
| Num 14:12 | "I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them..." | Divine judgment leading to disinheritance. |
| Num 16:46-49 | Moses sends Aaron to make atonement to stop a plague from the Lord after Korah's rebellion. | Plague as direct divine judgment for rebellion. |
| Deut 4:26 | "you will surely perish quickly from the land...you will utterly be destroyed." | Perishing from the land as ultimate judgment. |
| Deut 29:20-21 | "the anger of the LORD...will cling to that man...every curse...shall settle on him." | Curses clinging, severe punishment. |
| Josh 23:15-16 | "the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things...He will destroy you from off this good land." | God destroying people from the land for disobedience. |
| 1 Sam 6:4 | Philistines struck with "tumors" and "rats" as a plague from God related to the ark. | God's power to send specific plagues. |
| 2 Sam 24:15 | David chooses pestilence as judgment for his census, and 70,000 die. | Pestilence as an immediate, severe divine tool. |
| 1 Kgs 8:37 | Solomon prays concerning "pestilence, mildew, locusts" when God's people sin. | Plague among list of national judgments. |
| 2 Chr 7:13 | "If I send pestilence among My people..." | God's direct agency in sending pestilence. |
| Psa 38:2 | "Your arrows have sunk deep into me, and Your hand has pressed down on me." | Imagery of affliction "clinging." |
| Psa 78:50 | "He cleared a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, but delivered their life to the plague." | God unleashing plagues for His wrath. |
| Psa 90:7 | "For we have been consumed by Your anger, and by Your wrath we have been dismayed." | Consumed by God's anger. |
| Isa 5:13 | "Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge..." | Exile/loss of land due to disobedience. |
| Jer 14:12 | "If they fast, I will not hear their cry; and if they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” | God using multiple forms of judgment, including pestilence, to consume. |
| Jer 24:10 | "I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence upon them..." | Sword, famine, pestilence as instruments of judgment. |
| Ezek 14:19-21 | "if I send a plague into that land...how much more when I send My four severe judgments: sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague." | Plague as one of four severe judgments. |
| Amos 4:10 | "I sent pestilence among you after the manner of Egypt..." | God intentionally sends pestilence. |
| Zech 14:12 | "Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem." | Future plague as divine judgment against enemies. |
| Luke 21:24 | "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." | Echoes loss of land and foreign subjugation. |
| Rev 6:8 | "authority was given to them...to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence..." | Pestilence as a global instrument of judgment. |
| Rev 18:8 | "in one day her plagues will come: death and mourning and famine..." | Plagues of Babylon for sin. |
Deuteronomy 28 verses
Deuteronomy 28 21 Meaning
Deuteronomy 28:21 pronounces a severe judgment, stating that YHWH Himself will inflict an unyielding epidemic, "the plague," upon the disobedient Israelites. This divinely orchestrated pestilence will persist and intensify, relentlessly clinging to them, until they are utterly destroyed and consumed from the land that was promised to them, thereby losing their divinely granted inheritance.
Deuteronomy 28 21 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 28 presents a pivotal moment in Israel's covenant with YHWH, explicitly outlining the blessings for obedience (Deut 28:1-14) and the curses for disobedience (Deut 28:15-68). Verse 21 falls within the lengthy and increasingly severe list of curses that will befall Israel if they disregard God's commands and break their covenant. The historical context is the Israelites standing on the threshold of the Promised Land, about to inherit a sacred trust. This passage serves as a dire warning and a foundational understanding of the conditional nature of their continued enjoyment of God's blessings, especially their dwelling in the land. The intensity of these curses, including plague and consumption, contrasts sharply with the polytheistic beliefs of surrounding nations who attributed fortune and misfortune to capricious deities. Deuteronomy asserts YHWH's absolute sovereignty over health, life, death, and national destiny, reinforcing that He, the one true God, controls even disease as a means of divine judgment for covenant infidelity.
Deuteronomy 28 21 Word analysis
- The Lord (YHWH - יְהוָה): Refers to the covenant God of Israel. The use of YHWH underscores that this is not an arbitrary natural disaster but a direct, intentional act of their specific, holy God, emphasizing His sovereign power and justice in upholding the covenant He established.
- will make...cling (דָּבַק - dabaq): Literally "to cling," "to cleave," "to stick fast," "to be joined to." This word denotes an intense, inseparable bond. When applied to the plague, it conveys an image of the pestilence tenaciously holding onto the people, pursuing them relentlessly, and refusing to depart. It implies inescapability and persistent presence.
- the plague (הַדֶּבֶר - ha-deber): Specifically "the pestilence," or an epidemic disease. In the Old Testament, deber often refers to divinely sent plagues, not merely naturally occurring illnesses. It is a judgment from God, frequently linked with famine and the sword (war). Its definitive article "the" suggests a specific, recognized form of divine affliction.
- to you: Personalizes the curse. It's directed specifically at the covenant people for their specific transgressions.
- until He has consumed (לְכַלֹּתְךָ - l'kallote'kha): From the root kalah (כָּלָה), meaning "to be finished," "to be completed," "to be at an end," "to be exhausted," or "to be utterly destroyed." Here, it signifies a devastating, complete, or near-complete eradication of the population. The plague will not stop until its destructive work is fully accomplished.
- from the land (מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה - me'al ha'adamah): The Promised Land, a central blessing of the covenant. Losing access to or being removed from this land is the ultimate reversal of the covenant blessings and the symbol of utter divine displeasure.
- which you go to possess: Emphasizes the irony and tragedy. The very land they were on the verge of inheriting as a divine gift and a symbol of their election would become the site of their destruction and expulsion due to their rebellion. The punishment perfectly counteracts the blessing.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "The Lord will make the plague cling to you": This phrase asserts divine authorship and control over the calamity. The "plague" is not a random occurrence but an instrument directly wielded by God, with intentionality and persistence. The imagery of clinging portrays an inescapable and relentless judgment, deeply intertwined with the very fabric of their existence until its purpose is fulfilled.
- "until He has consumed you from the land which you go to possess": This defines the scope and ultimate purpose of the plague: the complete removal or destruction of the people from their divinely appointed inheritance. It underscores the severity of the covenant breach, where the very blessing of the land turns into the arena of judgment and expulsion. It is the antithesis of flourishing in the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 28 21 Bonus section
- Progressive Nature of Curses: This verse is part of a progressively escalating series of curses in Deut 28, where judgments become increasingly severe, prolonged, and encompassing, ultimately leading to total dispersion and desolation.
- Prophetic Fulfillment: The curses of Deuteronomy, including plagues and expulsion from the land, found historical fulfillment in the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, demonstrating the historical accuracy and prophetic weight of these warnings. The persistent "clinging" and "consumption" were vividly experienced by the scattered generations of Israel.
- Ultimate Stakes: The mention of "the land which you go to possess" raises the stakes dramatically. This was their future, their security, their identity, and the fulfillment of God's promise. Losing it due to the plague emphasizes the catastrophic consequences of covenant infidelity, more severe than mere hardship.
- Divine Initiative: The active verbs "will make...cling" and "has consumed" powerfully affirm that YHWH is the active agent in bringing these calamities. They are not random misfortunes but intentional, righteous judgments.
Deuteronomy 28 21 Commentary
Deuteronomy 28:21 stands as a stark testament to the inviolable nature of YHWH's covenant and His unyielding justice. The "plague" is not merely a consequence but a divinely sent agent, meticulously described as "clinging" to the people, implying an unavoidable and sustained affliction. This persistent nature of the curse signifies that God's judgment, once initiated, will not relent until its full purpose is achieved. That purpose, "consuming" the people from "the land," is the ultimate covenant curse—the forfeiture of the promised inheritance and a reversal of the Abrahamic blessing. This highlights the foundational principle that Israel's tenancy in the land was strictly conditional upon their obedience. The verse serves as a powerful theological statement about God's sovereignty over life and death, health and disease, and the national destiny of His people. It teaches that covenant rebellion inevitably leads to comprehensive and systemic breakdown, culminating in severe physical suffering and loss of the spiritual inheritance.