Deuteronomy 28:38 kjv
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
Deuteronomy 28:38 nkjv
"You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in, for the locust shall consume it.
Deuteronomy 28:38 niv
You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.
Deuteronomy 28:38 esv
You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it.
Deuteronomy 28:38 nlt
"You will plant much but harvest little, for locusts will eat your crops.
Deuteronomy 28 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:16 | ...you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. | Covenant curse: efforts rendered futile for disobedience |
| Lev 26:20 | Your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield... | Labor expended without any produce, divinely withheld |
| Deut 28:22 | The Lord will strike you with wasting disease... | Part of the comprehensive curses for disobedience |
| Deut 28:42 | All your trees and the fruit of your ground the locust will possess. | Specific detail: locusts consuming all vegetation |
| Deut 28:51 | They shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land. | Judgment affecting all sources of sustenance |
| Exod 10:1-19 | The Lord brought locusts upon the land of Egypt, and they rested... | Historical precedent of God using locusts as a severe plague |
| 1 Ki 8:37 | If there is famine in the land, if there is plague, blight, mildew, locust. | Solomon's prayer recognizes locusts as divine judgment |
| Joel 1:4 | What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten... | Prophetic description of complete devastation by locusts |
| Joel 2:25 | "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..." | God's promise of restoration after judgment by locusts |
| Hag 1:5-6 | "Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little..." | Similar imagery of futile labor due to misplaced priorities |
| Hag 1:9-11 | "You looked for much, and behold, it came to little... because of My house." | God withholding blessings due to Israel's neglect |
| Amos 4:9 | "I struck you with blight and mildew... your many gardens... locust." | God directly orchestrating agricultural plagues |
| Mal 3:10-11 | "...I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy..." | Promise of protection from "devourer" (locust) for obedience (tithing) |
| Jer 12:13 | They have sown wheat and reaped thorns; they have toiled in vain... | Labor yielding a painful or useless harvest |
| Ps 78:46 | He gave over their crops to the grasshopper, and their labor to the locust. | God sending locusts as an act of judgment |
| Matt 13:22 | ...the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word. | Spiritual analogy: external factors hindering fruitfulness |
| John 15:2 | Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away... | Consequences of spiritual barrenness |
| Gal 6:7-8 | For whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | General principle of spiritual cause and effect |
| Prov 28:27 | Whoever gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides...will get curses. | Contrast: blessings for generosity (no lack) |
| Isa 65:21-23 | They shall build houses and inhabit them...plant vineyards and eat... | Prophecy of a future where labor is not in vain, but fruitful |
| Deut 11:14 | ...I will give the rain for your land...you may gather your grain... | Blessing for obedience: timely rain and abundant harvest |
| Ps 126:5-6 | Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. | Assurance of joyful harvest after suffering/effort |
Deuteronomy 28 verses
Deuteronomy 28 38 Meaning
Deuteronomy 28:38 describes a severe consequence of disobedience to God's covenant: despite considerable effort in agriculture, the resulting harvest will be minimal or completely consumed, specifically by locusts. This curse highlights the futility of human labor when divine favor is withheld, illustrating God's judgment over a disobedient people and His absolute sovereignty over nature and agricultural productivity.
Deuteronomy 28 38 Context
Deuteronomy 28 stands as a pivotal chapter, delineating the covenant blessings for obedience and severe curses for disobedience. It is part of Moses' farewell address to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, reminding them of the conditional nature of their inheritance and prosperity. This particular verse falls within the section enumerating the consequences of a breach of covenant with God. For an agriculturally-based society like ancient Israel, the threat of destroyed harvests, especially by the pervasive and devastating locust plague, represented utter ruin. The verse communicates that agricultural failure would not be mere misfortune but a direct, divinely enacted consequence of their rebellion against the Lord. It served as a stark warning emphasizing God's complete authority over their sustenance and the land's productivity.
Deuteronomy 28 38 Word analysis
You will sow much seed:
sow(Hebrew: זרע, zara): To scatter, to plant. Implies purposeful, strenuous human effort.much(Hebrew: רַב, rav): Signifies a large quantity, abundant. Highlights that the people invested significant effort, time, and resources into their agriculture.seed(Hebrew: זֶרַע, zera): The literal planting material, representing potential future sustenance.- Significance: Despite diligent and considerable preparations for a bountiful harvest, the desired outcome will be tragically absent. It underlines the sheer waste of labor and resources.
in the field:
field(Hebrew: שָׂדֶה, sadeh): Cultivated land, the very locus of their agricultural toil and hope for provision.- Significance: Pinpoints the specific domain of their failed efforts, making the curse acutely personal and directly impacting their livelihood.
but gather little:
gather(Hebrew: אָסַף, asaf): To collect, to bring in the harvest. This is the culmination of all the previous labor.little(Hebrew: מְעַט, me'at): A small or insufficient amount, emphasizing the meager, disproportionate return compared to the "much" seed sown.- Significance: Highlights the profound failure to achieve expected productivity. The outcome is not merely insufficient but indicative of deep futility, leading to hardship.
because locusts will devour it:
locusts(Hebrew: אַרְבֶּה, arbeh): A specific and notoriously devastating type of insect swarm, capable of rapid and complete annihilation of crops, often cited in Scripture as an instrument of divine judgment.devour(Hebrew: אָכַל, akhal): To eat completely, consume, destroy thoroughly. This verb conveys total ruination, leaving nothing salvageable.- Significance: Identifies the direct, overpowering, and specific agent of destruction. The agency of locusts points to a supernatural dimension, as they were recognized in the ancient Near East as instruments of divine judgment (e.g., the plagues on Egypt). This specifies that the agricultural failure is not accidental or natural bad luck, but a direct consequence orchestrated by God's will.
Deuteronomy 28 38 Bonus section
This curse holds particular weight for an agrarian society like ancient Israel, where survival was intimately tied to the success of each harvest. A locust plague, unlike a mere drought, brought about a total, immediate devastation, leaving fields barren within hours. The terror evoked by such a phenomenon would have been profound, directly connecting the physical suffering to the divine withdrawal of favor. Furthermore, this verse stands as a powerful counter-polemic against the Canaanite fertility cults, which promised agricultural abundance. Deuteronomy consistently teaches that only Yahweh, the God of Israel, truly controls the rains and the earth's bounty, and His blessings (or curses) are based on the nation's faithfulness to Him alone. In a spiritual sense, this curse also mirrors the principle that labor expended outside of God's will, or in rebellion against Him, will ultimately be fruitless or barren, regardless of the effort invested.
Deuteronomy 28 38 Commentary
Deuteronomy 28:38 powerfully illustrates how divine judgment for covenant disobedience permeates and affects the most fundamental aspects of daily life. The image of expending immense effort to sow plentifully, only to reap virtually nothing due to the destructive force of locusts, conveys a deep sense of frustration, despair, and futile toil. This curse asserts God's ultimate sovereignty over creation, revealing that even natural phenomena like insect plagues serve as instruments of His will to bring about justice and enforce His covenant. It served as a dire warning to the Israelites that relying on their own strength, or on the fertility gods of the land they were entering, would render their labors unproductive. The message is clear: true prosperity—both material and spiritual—stems from obedience and humble reliance on God. The ultimate aim of such severe warnings was to lead the disobedient nation back to repentance, reminding them that their very survival and well-being depended on their covenant relationship with the Lord, the true source of all provision.