Deuteronomy 28 56

Deuteronomy 28:56 kjv

The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,

Deuteronomy 28:56 nkjv

The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and sensitivity, will refuse to the husband of her bosom, and to her son and her daughter,

Deuteronomy 28:56 niv

The most gentle and sensitive woman among you?so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot?will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter

Deuteronomy 28:56 esv

The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter,

Deuteronomy 28:56 nlt

The most tender and delicate woman among you ? so delicate she would not so much as touch the ground with her foot ? will be selfish toward the husband she loves and toward her own son or daughter.

Deuteronomy 28 verses

Deuteronomy 28 56 Meaning

This verse describes an extreme manifestation of God's covenant curses, predicting a famine so severe that a previously pampered and delicate woman will descend into unimaginable depravity. She will lose all natural affection, grudging even basic sustenance to her family members, and will resort to the abhorrent act of consuming her own afterbirth and even her newborn children due to extreme hunger. It illustrates the complete breakdown of societal norms, familial bonds, and human dignity under the dire judgment brought by sustained disobedience.

Deuteronomy 28 56 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 28 presents a comprehensive outline of the blessings and curses dependent on Israel's obedience or disobedience to the covenant established with God. Verses 1-14 detail abundant blessings for obedience, while verses 15-68 list escalating curses for disobedience. Verse 56 falls within the section describing the most severe curses, culminating in unimaginable horrors that reflect the complete collapse of human society and moral order. This prophecy was addressed to the Israelites on the plains of Moab before their entry into Canaan, serving as a solemn warning against idolatry and unfaithfulness. The vivid, almost unbelievable, nature of these curses was designed to instill a profound sense of gravity regarding their covenant obligations. Historically, this prophecy found gruesome fulfillment in subsequent sieges of Israelite cities, particularly Samaria (2 Kings 6:24-30) and Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:20, 4:10), demonstrating God's faithfulness even in enacting judgment.

Deuteronomy 28 56 Word analysis

• The most tender (רַכָּה - rakkâ) and delicate (הָעֲנֻגָּה - hāʿănuqqâ) woman:
  • "tender" (rakkâ): Conveys physical softness, fragility, and possibly a life free from hard labor or suffering.
  • "delicate" (hāʿănuqqâ): Implies someone pampered, living in luxury and pleasure, unused to any discomfort or scarcity.
  • Significance: This initial description creates a stark, shocking contrast with the abhorrent acts she later commits. It highlights that the curses will spare no one, not even those most sheltered, and will utterly degrade all aspects of society.
• among you (בָּכֶם - bākhem):
  • Meaning: A direct address to the Israelites, making the warning personal and immediate to the covenant people.
  • Significance: It emphasizes that these judgments are specific consequences for their collective unfaithfulness.
• who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground:
  • Meaning: Hyperbolic language indicating extreme daintiness or luxury; she avoids even minimal discomfort or impurity by walking barefoot on the ground.
  • Significance: Reinforces the woman's privileged background, making her subsequent degradation into cannibalism even more horrific and illustrative of the famine's extremity.
• because of her daintiness (מֵהִתְעַנֵּג - mēhitʿannēg) and delicacy (וּמֵרֹךְ - ūmēroḵ):
  • Meaning: Literally, "from being delicate" and "from softness." Reiterates and emphasizes the life of comfort and refinement she previously enjoyed.
  • Significance: Underlines the profound psychological and physical transformation forced by severe famine, leading to the perversion of natural human behavior.
• will begrudge (תַּבִּיט - tabbīṭ):
  • Meaning: Literally, "will look upon" but often with an "evil eye," implying covetousness, envy, resentment, or a reluctance to share even the slightest bit.
  • Significance: It signifies a profound loss of natural affection and the deepest level of desperation, where survival overrides all family bonds and generosity. She doesn't just eat what is left; she jealously guards it from those closest to her.
• her husband, her son, and her daughter:
  • Meaning: Her immediate family members, those with whom the strongest natural bonds exist.
  • Significance: The family unit, divinely ordained, utterly collapses under this extreme curse, demonstrating the destructive power of divine judgment and the severity of disobedience.
• their afterbirth (בְּשִׁלְיָתָהּ - bəšilyātāh):
  • Meaning: The placenta, which is normally discarded and ritually unclean (Num 19).
  • Significance: Its inclusion emphasizes the utter depths of starvation and the complete abandonment of social and religious taboos. It’s an explicit and repulsive detail highlighting total desperation.
• that comes from between her legs:
  • Meaning: A graphic, explicit anatomical detail.
  • Significance: Emphasizes the immediate, biological, and horrifying origin of the substance, further underscoring the unnaturalness and depravity of its consumption.
• and her children whom she bears (וּבְבָנֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד - ūvəvānèhā ʾăšer tēlēd):
  • Meaning: Refers to newborn or young children. Some interpretations understand this to mean consuming the very flesh of her offspring.
  • Significance: This points to the ultimate horror of maternal cannibalism, an unthinkable act that represents the peak of desperation, the perversion of natural motherly love, and the severity of God's covenant judgment for rejecting His path. It serves as a stark warning of what extreme famine could lead to.

• Words-Group Analysis:
  • "The most tender and delicate woman... who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her daintiness and delicacy": This extensive opening phrase is critical for setting the scene. It powerfully contrasts the woman's prior life of luxury and privilege with her horrifying future state. The deeper her former comfort, the more shocking and impactful is her descent into cannibalism, underscoring the extreme, undiscriminating nature of God's judgment on disobedient Israel.
  • "will begrudge her husband, her son, and her daughter their afterbirth... and her children whom she bears": This entire phrase is the devastating culmination of the curse. It signifies the complete breakdown of every human bond and societal norm. Not only is the natural order perverted, but maternal love – considered the most powerful natural affection – is consumed by hunger and despair. The inclusion of the "afterbirth" as well as the "children" indicates an unparalleled level of degradation and the most extreme form of human suffering and moral decay.

Deuteronomy 28 56 Bonus section

This verse stands as one of the Bible's most graphic and horrific depictions of suffering, intentionally so to emphasize the catastrophic results of national apostasy and rejection of God's commands. It highlights that God's judgment is not merely external affliction but can lead to a profound internal collapse, perverting human nature and breaking the deepest familial bonds. The "delicate woman" is a key element: she represents the pinnacle of society's ease and presumed security, yet she becomes the emblem of its ultimate degradation. This emphasizes the universality of the coming judgment – no one would be exempt, and even those least likely to suffer would endure the unimaginable. The severity is a testament to the holiness of God and the seriousness of His covenant. It serves as a prophetic foreshadowing for later biblical texts, affirming God's warning always comes with true, albeit terrible, consequences.

Deuteronomy 28 56 Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:56 is a chilling climax within the catalogue of curses for Israel's disobedience, describing the dire and gruesome consequences of breaking God's covenant. It paints a picture of a society reduced to absolute primal desperation during a siege, where even the most privileged are driven to acts that utterly violate human dignity and natural affection. The imagery of a "delicate" woman, one shielded from hardship, resorting to cannibalism—first, potentially her afterbirth, and then her own newborn children—underscores the devastating extremity of the famine and God's judgment. This is not mere hunger, but a complete perversion of all that is humane. The text implicitly critiques any reliance on self-indulgence or material comfort as protection from divine judgment. This prophecy was tragically fulfilled during various sieges, notably the siege of Samaria by Aram (2 Ki 6:28-29) and Jerusalem by Babylon (Lam 2:20; 4:10), demonstrating the reliability of God's word, whether in blessing or curse. The verse serves as a sober reminder of the gravity of covenant faithfulness and the terrifying consequences of persistent rebellion against the Most High God.