Deuteronomy 28:53 kjv
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
Deuteronomy 28:53 nkjv
You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you.
Deuteronomy 28:53 niv
Because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you.
Deuteronomy 28:53 esv
And you shall eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemies shall distress you.
Deuteronomy 28:53 nlt
"The siege and terrible distress of the enemy's attack will be so severe that you will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you.
Deuteronomy 28 53 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:29 | You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. | Parallel curse of cannibalism |
| Deut 28:56 | The tender and delicate woman... shall eat them secretly for lack of all things. | Continuation of the curse, specific details |
| Deut 28:57 | ...her young one... she will eat them secretly... | Further elaboration on the act's depravity |
| 2 Kgs 6:28-29 | "Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow." | Fulfillment during the siege of Samaria |
| Jer 19:9 | I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters... in the siege... | Prophetic reiteration for Judah |
| Lam 2:20 | Shall women eat their offspring, children of their tender care? | Lament during Jerusalem's fall, fulfillment |
| Lam 4:10 | The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children... | Fulfillment during the fall of Jerusalem |
| Ezek 5:10 | Therefore fathers among you shall eat their sons... | Prophecy for Jerusalem's destruction |
| Deut 32:24-25 | I will heap disasters upon them... their children in the street. | General comprehensive curses/judgments |
| Jer 14:16 | For thus says the Lord: “I will pour out their wickedness on them." | God's active role in severe judgment |
| Ezek 14:21 | Four sore judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence—to cut off... | Severity of multiple divine judgments |
| Matt 24:19 | Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants... | Jesus' warning about extreme suffering during future tribulation/siege (Jerusalem AD 70) |
| Mk 13:17 | Parallel to Matt 24:19 | |
| Lk 21:23 | Parallel to Matt 24:19 | |
| Ps 127:3 | Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. | Biblical understanding of children as a blessing (contrast) |
| Gen 30:2 | "Have I taken the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" | Emphasizes children as a divine gift (contrast) |
| Isa 49:15 | "Can a woman forget her nursing child?" | Highlights natural maternal compassion (contrast) |
| Hos 9:16 | Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit... | Loss of offspring as a direct curse |
| Amos 4:6 | "I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread..." | God sending famine as a judgment |
| Rev 6:8 | ...power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. | Eschatological judgments including famine and death |
| Jer 52:6 | "The famine was so severe in the city that there was no food..." | Description of extreme famine during siege |
| 1 Kgs 8:37 | If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence... | Recognition of famine as a divine punishment |
Deuteronomy 28 verses
Deuteronomy 28 53 Meaning
Deuteronomy 28:53 vividly describes a horrifying consequence of Israel's national disobedience to God's covenant: in conditions of extreme siege and starvation, parents would resort to eating their own children—the very offspring that the Lord had gifted them. This grim prophecy illustrates the utter desperation, the complete collapse of natural human and familial bonds, and the depths of depravity that would engulf the nation as a result of divine judgment for forsaking God's laws. It paints a picture of ultimate suffering and a severe reversal of blessing.
Deuteronomy 28 53 Context
Deuteronomy 28 is the covenant conclusion in Moses' farewell address to Israel. It explicitly details the blessings that will accompany obedience to God's commandments (verses 1-14) and, in stark contrast, the curses that will follow disobedience (verses 15-68). Verse 53 falls within this lengthy list of escalating curses, particularly those related to the devastating consequences of siege warfare against cities. The intent of these vivid, severe warnings was to impress upon the Israelites the solemnity of the covenant they were about to enter and the horrific repercussions of apostasy, urging them toward unwavering loyalty to YHWH. This specific curse, leading to cannibalism, is among the most extreme, emphasizing the total societal breakdown and unimaginable suffering that awaited them if they strayed far from God. It serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of their choice between life and death (Deut 30:19).
Deuteronomy 28 53 Word analysis
- And you shall eat (וְאָכַלְתָּ, wə-’āḵaltā): The verb "to eat" here carries immense weight. Normally an act of sustenance, here it signifies a desperate, abominable act driven by extreme starvation. It represents the reversal of life-giving provision into life-sustaining horror.
- the fruit of your own body (פְּרִי בִטְנְךָ, pěrî biṭněḵā): This Hebrew idiom directly means "the offspring of your womb." "Fruit" (pĕrî) usually denotes a blessing and abundance, particularly in reference to children (Ps 127:3; Deut 7:13). Its use here highlights a horrifying perversion, transforming the greatest blessing into a cursed sustenance.
- the flesh of your sons and of your daughters: This phrase explicitly details the "fruit of your own body," removing any ambiguity. It specifies the targets of this abhorrent act – one's own children – underscoring the ultimate breakdown of familial love, natural instincts, and societal taboos under conditions of unparalleled suffering.
- whom the Lord your God has given you (אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, ’ăšer nāṯan-ləḵā YHWH ’ĕlōheḵā): This is a critical clause. It identifies the Giver of these children as the sovereign Lord God. This emphasizes that these blessings, initially bestowed by God, can become objects of such horrific despair when the covenant with that very God is violated. It underlines divine authority over life and its circumstances, asserting that what God provides, He can also, through His judgment, allow to be horribly desecrated. It also subtly critiques pagan beliefs that promise fertility through other gods; only YHWH ultimately controls life and blessing, and only He can remove it in such a terrifying manner.
- in the siege (בַּמָּצוֹר, bamāṣôr): This word signifies a military blockade or siege, a common tactic in ancient warfare used to starve a city into submission. It depicts the extreme external pressure that traps a populace and cuts off all provisions.
- and straitness (וּבַמָּצוֹק, ūvamāṣôq): This term reinforces the "siege," conveying severe distress, anguish, and a crushing sense of confinement or oppression. It implies a situation where all escape routes are closed and all resources are exhausted, leading to immense psychological and physical suffering.
- wherewith your enemies shall distress you (אֲשֶׁר יָצִיק לְךָ אֹיְבֶךָ, ’ăšer yāṣîq ləḵā ’ōyvěḵā): This clarifies that the "siege and straitness" are directly imposed by their enemies. The word yāṣîq is related to māṣôq (straitness), creating a strong verbal link. It shows that Israel's enemies act as agents of God's judgment, bringing about the prophesied distress and horrific circumstances due to Israel's covenant disloyalty.
Deuteronomy 28 53 Bonus section
The shock and revulsion evoked by Deuteronomy 28:53 highlight the severe nature of the curses, illustrating how deeply God views covenant loyalty. The passage emphasizes that there are no bounds to the despair that results from God's abandonment when His people utterly forsake Him. The inclusion of such a disturbing detail served a powerful psychological function for the original Israelite audience, intending to imprint upon them the unfathomable costs of idolatry and disobedience. This verse is not arbitrary cruelty but a stark revelation of the extent to which human depravity can sink and the comprehensive judgment God might allow as a consequence of His people’s hardened hearts and persistent rebellion against His perfect law. It underscores the preciousness of God's blessings and the devastating impact of their loss due to sin.
Deuteronomy 28 53 Commentary
Deuteronomy 28:53 paints a chilling picture of God's most extreme judgment against His people for prolonged and defiant disobedience to His covenant. It prophesies that conditions of siege and starvation would become so utterly dire that parents would resort to the unthinkable act of cannibalism, consuming their own beloved children, who were gifts from God. This passage goes beyond merely physical suffering; it speaks to the ultimate breakdown of all that is human and sacred – the shattering of natural love, familial bonds, and moral inhibitions under the weight of divine wrath. The specificity that these children were "whom the Lord your God has given you" intensifies the horror, turning what God intended as a blessing into an instrument of despair. This dire prophecy served as an overwhelming deterrent, emphasizing the profound seriousness of Israel's covenant relationship with God and the catastrophic consequences of turning away from Him. Tragically, these very acts of cannibalism were later recorded as fulfilled during the sieges of Samaria (2 Kgs 6:28-29) and Jerusalem (Lam 2:20, 4:10).