Deuteronomy 28 64

Deuteronomy 28:64 kjv

And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

Deuteronomy 28:64 nkjv

"Then the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known?wood and stone.

Deuteronomy 28:64 niv

Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods?gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known.

Deuteronomy 28:64 esv

"And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.

Deuteronomy 28:64 nlt

For the LORD will scatter you among all the nations from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship foreign gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods made of wood and stone!

Deuteronomy 28 verses

Deuteronomy 28 64 Meaning

Deuteronomy 28:64 prophesies that as a consequence of national disobedience to God's covenant, the Lord would scatter the people of Israel across the entire earth, dislocating them from their land and among all other nations. In these foreign lands, they would be compelled, through circumstances or cultural pressure, to worship foreign deities made of wood and stone, gods previously unknown to them or their ancestors, emphasizing their spiritual and geographical alienation from the God of Israel.

Deuteronomy 28 64 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 28 presents a pivotal moment in the Mosaic Covenant, laying out in stark detail the blessings for obedience (verses 1-14) and the curses for disobedience (verses 15-68). Verse 64 falls within the section of curses, specifically detailing the ultimate consequences of national apostasy and rebellion against God. These curses are presented as an escalating series of judgments designed to move Israel back to faithfulness. Historically, this chapter serves as a profound prophetic warning given by Moses to the Israelites just before they enter the promised land, outlining the trajectory of their future based on their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to Yahweh. The entire chapter emphasizes God's holiness, His justice, and the inviolable nature of His covenant. This verse describes a radical spiritual and physical uprooting, serving as a dire warning against breaking their exclusive allegiance to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 28 64 Word analysis

• And the LORD: This emphasizes divine agency; the judgment comes directly from Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel. It highlights His sovereignty over all nations and events.
• will scatter you (וְהֵפִיצְךָ v'hefitz'cha, from פּוּץ puwts): The Hebrew word puwts denotes violent dispersal, scattering, or breaking apart. It suggests a loss of unity, identity, and security, implying an aggressive act of judgment rather than a gentle dispersal. It is a reversal of God's gathering of Israel from Egypt.
• among all peoples: Implies not just neighboring nations but a comprehensive, universal distribution. It means Israel would lose its distinct identity as a united, peculiar people set apart by God and instead be absorbed or subjugated by various foreign cultures and nations.
• from one end of the earth to the other: This hyperbolic phrase emphasizes the extreme, far-reaching, and pervasive nature of the dispersion. No corner of the globe would be untouched, signifying total lack of refuge within their homeland or amongst sympathetic nations.
• and there: Points to the foreign lands of their exile as the location where the following consequences would unfold.
• you shall serve (וְעָבַדְתָּ v'avad'ta, from עָבַד 'avad): The verb avad can mean "to serve," "to work," or "to worship." In this context, it carries both nuances. It implies being compelled to serve other nations and their interests, potentially including labor or subservience. Crucially, it also signifies being compelled, by circumstance or cultural assimilation, into acts of worship toward foreign deities, a complete abandonment of their covenant with Yahweh. This service is not willing but enforced by their captive state.
• other gods of wood and stone: This common biblical polemic refers to idols, which are depicted as lifeless, man-made objects. They are contrasted sharply with the living, true God, Yahweh. This phrase underscores the utter futility and blasphemy of idolatry, marking the spiritual degradation resulting from Israel's disobedience.
• which neither you nor your fathers have known: This highlights the foreignness and spiritual emptiness of these false gods. It emphasizes the profound spiritual alienation that comes from their disobedient path, leading them away from the historic covenant with Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to unknown, powerless deities. It signifies a complete break from their ancestral spiritual heritage.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples": This phrase underlines God's direct involvement in the judgment of dispersion. It reveals His sovereign control over nations and their destinies, initiating Israel's global dispersal as a consequence of their sin, turning what was a chosen people concentrated in a promised land into a dispersed people across diverse Gentile cultures.
• "from one end of the earth to the other": This hyperbole signifies the completeness and far-reaching extent of the exile. There would be no geographical sanctuary from God's judgment; the covenant curses would pursue them across continents, emphasizing the magnitude of their disobedience.
• "and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone": This paints a picture of compelled apostasy, not necessarily out of sincere devotion but due to the overwhelming influence of foreign cultures and the dire circumstances of their captivity. It reveals the ironic and just consequence: they rejected the living God for idols, so they will be forced to serve literal idols.
• "which neither you nor your fathers have known": This highlights the ultimate estrangement from their covenant heritage. Their punishment fits their sin: by "forgetting" the LORD (as prophesied elsewhere), they are condemned to serve "unknown" gods, erasing their unique identity rooted in the knowledge of the true God. This also demonstrates God's consistent message regarding His unique identity throughout generations.

Deuteronomy 28 64 Bonus section

This prophetic warning found profound and long-term fulfillment, notably during the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, and most devastatingly, in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which led to the vast and prolonged Jewish Diaspora. The experience of the scattered Israelites worshipping "gods of wood and stone" in exile was often not willing conversion, but rather an enforced conformity within foreign lands where the very concept of the God of Israel seemed irrelevant or powerless to their captors, leading to internal struggles for maintaining identity. Despite the severe warning, this very dispersion, in God's broader plan, would later become a means for the knowledge of the one true God, and later Christ, to spread among the nations, turning a curse into a wider platform for divine purpose.

Deuteronomy 28 64 Commentary

Deuteronomy 28:64 serves as a potent warning about the profound spiritual and physical consequences of breaking covenant with God. It reveals that the ultimate judgment for national disobedience would be a complete reversal of God's redemptive work. Instead of dwelling securely in the Promised Land under His blessing, they would be violently dispersed worldwide. This scattering (diaspora) would strip them of their national unity and compel them into environments where they would be forced or heavily influenced to worship powerless idols—a direct antithesis to their foundational commandment of exclusive worship of Yahweh. This service of "gods of wood and stone" symbolizes their total spiritual disorientation and loss of identity, representing a fitting outcome for a people who abandoned the living God for inanimate objects. The verse underscores that even in judgment, God maintains His sovereignty and brings about consequences that directly reflect the nature of the transgression.