Deuteronomy 28 54

Deuteronomy 28:54 kjv

So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:

Deuteronomy 28:54 nkjv

The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest of his children whom he leaves behind,

Deuteronomy 28:54 niv

Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children,

Deuteronomy 28:54 esv

The man who is the most tender and refined among you will begrudge food to his brother, to the wife he embraces, and to the last of the children whom he has left,

Deuteronomy 28:54 nlt

The most tenderhearted man among you will have no compassion for his own brother, his beloved wife, and his surviving children.

Deuteronomy 28 verses

Deuteronomy 28 54 Meaning

Deuteronomy 28:54 vividly portrays the horrific depths of depravity and selfishness that would grip Israel during severe famine and siege, specifically due to disobedience to God's covenant. A man who was once accustomed to luxury and tender living would become so desperate and consumed by hunger that his compassion would utterly vanish. His "evil eye" or extreme miserliness would extend to his closest relations—his brother, the wife he cherishes intimately, and even the few children still clinging to life. He would begrudge them even scraps of food or anything he possessed, indicating a complete breakdown of natural affection and societal bonds, driven by an overwhelming urge for self-preservation.

Deuteronomy 28 54 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 28 presents a comprehensive exposition of blessings for obedience to the Lord's covenant and terrifying curses for disobedience. Moses, nearing the end of his life, addresses the Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land, recounting God's Law and emphasizing the critical choice before them: life through faithful adherence to the covenant or death and destruction through rebellion.

Verses 15-68 detail the severe consequences of disobedience, describing a progressively escalating series of judgments from disease and crop failure to defeat in battle, exile, and eventually, unspeakable horrors like cannibalism during prolonged sieges. Deuteronomy 28:54 is situated within this "curses" section, particularly focusing on the ultimate societal breakdown caused by extreme famine during enemy siege. The specific scenarios depicted in this verse and the surrounding verses (53-57) illustrate the absolute lowest point of human depravity imaginable, a direct result of God's judgment allowing His people to experience the full terror of abandoning Him. It serves as a stark warning, stressing that their covenant relationship with Yahweh dictates not only their spiritual well-being but their very physical survival and moral integrity.

Deuteronomy 28 54 Word analysis

• The man (הָאִישׁ, ha'ish): Refers to any male individual. The definite article emphasizes a specific type of man described next, making it more personal and vivid—that kind of man.
• tender (הָרַךְ, ha'rak): Implies delicacy, refinement, softness, and someone unaccustomed to hardship or labor. This individual would have been raised in comfort, perhaps affluent, denoting a deep irony that such a person, typically known for being gentle, would descend to such brutality.
• and very delicate (וְהֶעָנוֹג מְאֹד, v'he'anog me'od): Intensifies the previous word, meaning exceedingly pampered, luxurious, or effeminate in the sense of being soft and easily broken by discomfort. The emphasis highlights that even those furthest from savage instinct would resort to the most unthinkable acts under divine judgment.
• his eye will be evil (תֵּרַע עֵינוֹ, tera' eyno): This is a critical Hebrew idiom. An "evil eye" signifies extreme meanness, selfishness, ill-will, greed, stinginess, and lack of compassion. It does not simply mean looking badly, but actively begrudging or withholding. The opposite, a "good eye," implies generosity and liberality (Prov 22:9, Deut 15:9). In this context, it means he will begrudge giving even a morsel of food, hoarding it even from his closest family.
• toward his brother (בְּאָחִיו, be'achiv): Indicates the complete breakdown of communal and fraternal bonds, a core tenet of the covenant people's relationship with one another. Kinship ties, which were sacred, would dissolve.
• and toward the wife of his bosom (וּבְאֵשֶׁת חֵיקוֹ, uv'eshet cheyqo): Refers to his most intimate and cherished companion, the one held closest (literally "wife of his lap" or "bosom"). This speaks to the betrayal of the deepest marital affection and covenant within a family. The individual would abandon their spouse to unimaginable suffering for personal survival.
• and toward the remnant of his children whom he leaves (וּבְיֶתֶר בָּנָיו אֲשֶׁר יוֹתִיר, uv'yeter banav asher yotir): "Remnant" (yeter) refers to the few children who have survived the famine and siege so far. "Whom he leaves" (asher yotir) signifies those who are still left alive to endure, implying a dire state where survival is already tenuous. This is the ultimate depravity: the parent, a natural protector, would withhold life-sustaining food from his own surviving offspring, abandoning the most fundamental natural affection for self-preservation.

Deuteronomy 28 54 Bonus section

The horrific scene depicted in this verse emphasizes God's faithfulness in executing both His blessings and His curses. While challenging to read, it highlights the immense gravity of the covenant between God and His people, demonstrating that rebellion against Him brings about profound and devastating consequences, even impacting the most sacred human bonds. The intensity of this warning serves to underscore the life-giving nature of obedience and dependence on God's provision. It also serves as a polemic against reliance on human systems or one's own comfort/affluence; when God removes His hand of protection, even the most self-sufficient become utterly vulnerable and morally bankrupt. This passage foreshadows the complete spiritual and physical desolation that would repeatedly befall Israel when they turned from the Lord, serving as a powerful lesson for all generations about the absolute necessity of living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Deuteronomy 28 54 Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:54 serves as a horrifying premonition of the extent to which human nature can degenerate when divine favor is withdrawn due to persistent disobedience. It illustrates not merely hunger, but a complete obliteration of morality and natural affection, reducing even the most refined individual to a primal state of extreme selfishness. The man who once lived in tenderness would, under God's judgment in the context of siege, guard every last morsel with a "malevolent eye," unwilling to share even with his closest family members—his own brother, his cherished wife, and his remaining children. This verse predicts the ultimate breakdown of human relationships and societal order, fulfilled tragically during subsequent sieges of Israelite cities by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans (e.g., 2 Kgs 6:28-29, Lam 2:20; 4:10). It is a stark warning that spiritual rebellion leads to a profound decay of the human soul, making unthinkable acts inevitable.