Deuteronomy 28:32 kjv
Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.
Deuteronomy 28:32 nkjv
Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand.
Deuteronomy 28:32 niv
Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.
Deuteronomy 28:32 esv
Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless.
Deuteronomy 28:32 nlt
You will watch as your sons and daughters are taken away as slaves. Your heart will break for them, but you won't be able to help them.
Deuteronomy 28 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:33 | "And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out a sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste." | Dispersion of people |
| 2 Kgs 24:14 | "He carried away all Jerusalem... ten thousand exiles, and all the craftsmen and the smiths..." | Exiles taken captive to Babylon |
| 2 Kgs 25:7 | "They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah..." | Children killed before parent's eyes |
| Jer 15:2 | "Those who are for captivity, to captivity, and those who are for the sword, to the sword..." | Categories of judgment by various means |
| Jer 20:5 | "Moreover, I will give all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its valuables..." | Possessions given to enemies |
| Jer 22:24-26 | "...I would tear you off... and give you into the hand of those who seek your life... into a land where you were not born, and there you shall die." | King Jeconiah and family exiled |
| Lam 1:5 | "Her foes have become her masters; her enemies prosper... her children have gone away, captives before the foe." | Children lost to captivity |
| Lam 2:19 | "Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street." | Anguish over starving children |
| Lam 4:10 | "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food in the destruction..." | Extreme famine leading to cannibalism |
| Eze 6:8 | "But I will leave some of you alive, that you may have survivors among the nations, when you are scattered among the countries." | Remnant scattered abroad |
| Dan 1:3-6 | "Then the king commanded Ashpenaz... to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish..." | Noble youths taken captive |
| Hos 9:11-12 | "Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird... Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left." | Children taken away |
| Joel 1:16 | "Is not food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?" | Witnessing deprivation and sorrow |
| Zech 10:10 | "I will gather them from the land of Egypt and assemble them from Assyria... till there is no room for them." | Future gathering from dispersion |
| Mt 23:37-38 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets... See, your house is left to you desolate." | Lament over spiritual desolation |
| Rom 1:24 | "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves..." | God abandoning to their sins |
| Rom 1:28 | "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." | God giving up to depravity |
| Judg 2:14 | "So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them..." | God hands over to enemies |
| 1 Kgs 8:46 | "If they sin against you... and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive..." | Taken captive by an enemy |
| Isa 1:5 | "Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." | Describes widespread physical weakness |
| Isa 17:11 | "...but the harvest will flee away in a day of sickness and incurable pain." | Loss and pain that cannot be healed |
| Jer 4:31 | "For I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth... the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath..." | Anguish and helplessness in distress |
Deuteronomy 28 verses
Deuteronomy 28 32 Meaning
Deuteronomy 28:32 warns the people of Israel that, as a severe consequence of their disobedience to God's covenant, their beloved children would be seized and taken captive by a foreign nation. The agonizing aspect of this curse is the prolonged suffering experienced by the parents, who would be forced to helplessly witness their children's removal and continually pine away with intense longing for them, utterly without any power or means to intervene or rescue.
Deuteronomy 28 32 Context
Deuteronomy 28 provides a comprehensive framework of the covenant between God and Israel, laying out the consequences of obedience and disobedience. This chapter is central to the book's purpose, which is to instruct the second generation of Israelites before they enter the Promised Land, reminding them of God's law and the profound implications of adhering to or straying from it. Verse 32 is a powerful curse located within the broader section of curses (verses 15-68), which dramatically describes the various forms of divine judgment Israel would endure for breaking their covenant vows. Specifically, this verse warns of the utter desolation and deep personal grief that would result from national rebellion, where the very lineage and future of families would be stripped away through forced captivity, under the parents' agonizingly watchful, yet utterly powerless, gaze.
Deuteronomy 28 32 Word analysis
- Your sons and daughters (בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנֹתֶיךָ, baneykha uv'noteikha): This direct address specifies the beloved offspring, highlighting the deeply personal and generational devastation. In ancient Israel, children were a vital part of one's legacy and future hope, making their loss a profound national and personal tragedy.
- shall be given (נִתָּנִים, nittanim): The Niphal passive participle of נָתַן (nathan), "to give," emphasizes that the children are "handed over" or "delivered" against the parents' will. This indicates a complete lack of agency or control on the part of Israel, suggesting divine ordination in their fate.
- to another people (לְעַם אַחֵר, l'am akher): This phrase emphasizes the foreign, non-Israelite nature of the captors, signaling not just loss but forced assimilation into an alien culture, religion, and way of life. It implies the shattering of identity and covenant uniqueness.
- while your eyes look on (וְעֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת, v'eineykha ro'ot): This specific detail intensifies the psychological torment. The parents are forced witnesses, unable to turn away from the horrific sight of their children being taken. It signifies an inescapable, observed suffering rather than mere knowledge of it.
- and long for them (וְכָלוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם, v'khalot aleihem): From the verb כָלָה (kalah), meaning "to pine away," "to consume," or "to yearn intensely." This is more than mere sadness; it's a consuming, debilitating grief and incessant craving for their lost children, suggesting a state of profound emotional and physical exhaustion due to despair.
- all day long (כָּל־הַיּוֹם, kol-hayom): This temporal phrase denotes the continuous and unceasing nature of the agony. The longing and helplessness are not transient but constant, perpetual burdens, ensuring sustained suffering without respite.
- but you shall be helpless (וְאֵין לְיָדְךָ כֹּחַ, v'ein l'yadekh kha khoach): Literally "and there is no strength/power to your hand." This is an idiom signifying absolute impotence, an inability to intervene, resist, or reclaim what has been lost. It underscores the complete subjection of Israel to their enemies, by divine judgment, removing all human capacity for action or rescue.
Deuteronomy 28 32 Bonus section
The precise wording of Deuteronomy 28:32 reveals the sophistication of the Deuteronomic curse formulary, mirroring patterns found in ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties but infused with distinctly Yahwistic theological depth. The focus on witnessing the suffering ("your eyes look on") elevates the punishment from simple loss to psychological torment, distinguishing it as particularly cruel and enduring. This also stands as a potent polemic against any notion that false gods could protect their worshippers, as Yahweh Himself orchestrates the removal of the very cornerstone of the family unit, showing His unmatched power and justice.
Deuteronomy 28 32 Commentary
Deuteronomy 28:32 is a chilling articulation of one of the covenant curses for Israel's disobedience, powerfully emphasizing the utter and soul-crushing anguish that accompanies national calamity when God's favor is withdrawn. The verse underscores that the consequences of abandoning God extend beyond mere physical hardship or material loss to the most intimate and sacred aspect of family—children. It is a profound portrayal of emotional and psychological torture: the agony of witnessing the irrevocable abduction of one's offspring, coupled with a gnawing, perpetual longing and an absolute inability to rescue them. This state of "helplessness" is not simply human weakness but a divine ordination, demonstrating God's sovereign hand in judgment. This curse was fulfilled historically during periods of exile, notably the Babylonian captivity, when families were indeed torn apart and taken into foreign lands. It serves as a timeless reminder of the profound cost of spiritual infidelity and the supreme value God places on obedience to His covenant.