Deuteronomy 28 43

Deuteronomy 28:43 kjv

The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.

Deuteronomy 28:43 nkjv

"The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

Deuteronomy 28:43 niv

The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower.

Deuteronomy 28:43 esv

The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

Deuteronomy 28:43 nlt

"The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker.

Deuteronomy 28 verses

Deuteronomy 28 43 Meaning

Deuteronomy 28:43 details a severe consequence of covenant disobedience for the nation of Israel: a radical reversal of fortunes. It declares that the alien (foreigner) living among them, who should ideally be under their protection and dominion, would steadily gain power and status, rising higher and higher. Conversely, Israel, God's chosen nation, would progressively decline, losing authority, influence, and even their intrinsic dignity, going lower and lower. This highlights a loss of national sovereignty and a reversal of the divine order intended for a faithful Israel, symbolizing a profound degradation and subjugation.

Deuteronomy 28 43 Context

Deuteronomy 28 is arguably the climactic chapter of the book, presenting a detailed and stark contrast between the blessings for obedience to the Mosaic Covenant and the curses for disobedience. It serves as a powerful warning and motivation for Israel before entering the Promised Land. Verses 1-14 list comprehensive blessings that cover every aspect of life – agriculture, offspring, defense, and international standing. From verse 15 onwards, the tone shifts dramatically to curses, which progressively intensify in severity, moving from physical ailments and agricultural failure to military defeat, famine, societal breakdown, and ultimately, exile and total national dissolution. Verse 43 falls within this section of curses, specifically illustrating the internal socio-economic and political degradation resulting from apostasy, where foreigners, typically vulnerable, would achieve dominance over God's own people. The historical context is Moses delivering his final exhortations to the new generation about to inherit the land, reiterating the terms of their covenant relationship with Yahweh and the direct consequences of breaking it. This serves as a strong polemic against any notion that Israel's favored status was automatic or based solely on ethnicity; instead, it was contingent on their faithfulness to God.

Deuteronomy 28 43 Word analysis

• The alien (הַגֵּר, hagēr): This term refers to a resident foreigner, a sojourner, distinct from a native-born Israelite. In Mosaic Law, the ger was generally afforded protection and rights (e.g., Ex 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; Dt 10:19), especially since Israel themselves had been aliens in Egypt. The reversal signifies a deep perversion of the social order intended by God, where the protected becomes the dominator, and the chosen nation becomes vulnerable. This inversion emphasizes the depth of Israel's fall due to sin.

• who is among you (אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבְּךָ, ’asher beqirbeka): "Among you" specifies that this reversal won't necessarily come from an invading army from outside (though that also comes, see v.49), but from those already living within their society, previously dependent upon Israel. This makes the humiliation more poignant and domestic, highlighting Israel's inability to even manage its own internal affairs.

• shall rise above you higher and higher (יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מַּעְלָה מָּעְלָה, ya‘aleh ‘aleikha ma‘lah ma‘lah): The doubling of "higher" (מָּעְלָה, ma‘lah) signifies a continuous, escalating ascent, indicating an increasing level of influence, authority, and prosperity. It suggests a relentless and unstoppable progression, a power dynamic that grows steadily more oppressive.

• but you (וְאַתָּה, ve’attah): The direct contrast indicated by "but you" highlights Israel's direct culpability for their impending state due to their actions.

• shall go down lower and lower (תֵּרֵד מַטָּה מָּטָּה, tered mattah mattah): Symmetrically, the doubling of "lower" (מַטָּה, mattah) depicts a consistent, deepening descent into degradation, powerlessness, and poverty. It portrays a loss of national dignity and autonomy, becoming increasingly subservient and humbled. This is the antithesis of the blessed status where Israel would be the "head" and not the "tail" (Dt 28:13).

• Words-group Analysis (Inversion of Status): The phrase "shall rise above you higher and higher, but you shall go down lower and lower" depicts a powerful and devastating inversion of fortunes. It illustrates the consequences of a broken covenant through a precise economic and social role reversal. Israel, designed to be preeminent, becomes subservient, while the foreigner, traditionally reliant, gains dominion. This progression implies not a sudden catastrophe but a sustained process of decline for Israel and ascendancy for the alien, indicating systemic weakening from within.

Deuteronomy 28 43 Bonus section

The repeated Hebrew words "ma'lah ma'lah" (higher and higher) and "mattah mattah" (lower and lower) are a literary device known as intensifiers, emphasizing the continuous and irreversible nature of the predicted ascent and descent. This highlights that the judgment is not a single event but a prolonged, incremental process. The passage thus speaks not only to physical subjugation but to a deeper spiritual and moral decay that allows for such a reversal of power dynamics to occur. It demonstrates how a nation can be destroyed from within through unfaithfulness, even before external enemies completely conquer it. This serves as a timeless warning that a people's true strength and security lie in their relationship with God, not merely in their geographical position or material resources.

Deuteronomy 28 43 Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:43 paints a grim picture of societal collapse and the reversal of divine blessings, serving as a severe warning against apostasy. This verse illustrates that God's covenant blessings are conditional; if Israel deviates from the path of obedience, the very structures of their national identity and sovereignty will unravel. The rise of the alien among them to a position of dominance signifies a deep national humiliation, where those once viewed as secondary become primary. This degradation would extend to every sphere, from economic control (Dt 28:44: "He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him") to political power, reducing Israel to servitude in their own land. Historically, this prophecy saw chilling fulfillment multiple times: during periods of judges when they were oppressed by their neighbors, throughout the monarchical era with tribute payments to empires like Assyria and Babylon, and most profoundly, in the exilic period and under later foreign occupations (e.g., Persian, Hellenistic, Roman). It reminds God's people that faithfulness, not ethnic heritage alone, secures His blessings and maintains their rightful standing. The principle holds true: spiritual declension leads to societal degradation, as a community's standing before God directly impacts its earthly fortunes.