Deuteronomy 28:18
Deuteronomy 28:18 in Multiple Translations
The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock.
A curse will be on the fruit of your body, and on the fruit of your land, on the increase of your cattle, and the young of your flock.
You will be cursed by not having children, and by not having good harvests, and by your cattle not having calves, and your sheep not having lambs.
Cursed shall be the fruite of thy body, and the fruite of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flockes of thy sheepe.
'Cursed [is] the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, increase of thine oxen, and wealth of thy flock.
The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed.
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
Cursed shall be the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy ground, the herds of thy oxen, and the flocks of thy sheep.
He will curse you by giving you only a few children [IDM], by causing you to have poor crops, and by not enabling you to have many cattle and sheep.
Berean Amplified Bible — Deuteronomy 28:18
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Deuteronomy 28:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אָר֥וּר
פְּרִֽי
בִטְנְ/ךָ֖
וּ/פְרִ֣י
אַדְמָתֶ֑/ךָ
שְׁגַ֥ר
אֲלָפֶ֖י/ךָ
וְ/עַשְׁתְּר֥וֹת
צֹאנֶֽ/ךָ
אָר֥וּר
ʼârar
H779
to curse
V-Qal-Inf-c
פְּרִֽי
pᵉrîy
H6529
fruit
N-ms
בִטְנְ/ךָ֖
beṭen
H990
belly
N-fs | Suff
וּ/פְרִ֣י
pᵉrîy
H6529
fruit
Conj | N-ms
אַדְמָתֶ֑/ךָ
ʼădâmâh
H127
land
N-fs | Suff
שְׁגַ֥ר
sheger
H7698
offspring
N-ms
אֲלָפֶ֖י/ךָ
ʼeleph
H504
cattle
N-mp | Suff
וְ/עַשְׁתְּר֥וֹת
ʻashtᵉrâh
H6251
young
Conj | N-proper
צֹאנֶֽ/ךָ
tsôʼn
H6629
Sheep (Gate)
N-cs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Deuteronomy 28:18
אָר֥וּר
ʼârar
H779
"to curse"
V-Qal-Inf-c
To curse someone or something, like God cursing the serpent in Genesis 3. It means to execrate or wish harm upon someone, often used in the context of punishment or judgment. This word appears in various biblical accounts.
Definition: 1) to curse 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to curse 1a2) cursed be he (participle used as in curses) 1b) (Niphal) to be cursed, cursed 1c)(Piel) to curse, lay under a curse, put a curse on 1d) (Hophal) to be made a curse, be cursed
Usage: Occurs in 52 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] bitterly curse. See also: Genesis 3:14; Deuteronomy 27:23; Psalms 119:21.
פְּרִֽי
pᵉrîy
H6529
"fruit"
N-ms
In the Bible, this word means the fruit that comes from the ground or from our actions. It is used in many books, including Genesis and Isaiah, to describe the results of our labor or the consequences of our choices.
Definition: 1) fruit 1a) fruit, produce (of the ground) 1b) fruit, offspring, children, progeny (of the womb) 1c) fruit (of actions) (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: bough, (first-)fruit(-ful), reward. See also: Genesis 1:11; Proverbs 18:20; Psalms 1:3.
בִטְנְ/ךָ֖
beṭen
H990
"belly"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to the belly or womb, and is used to describe the seat of hunger, emotions, and even the depths of the afterlife. It is used in the Bible to describe the body and its functions. The KJV translates it as belly, body, or womb.
Definition: : abdomen 1) belly, womb, body 1a) belly, abdomen 1a1) as seat of hunger 1a2) as seat of mental faculties 1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.) 1b) womb
Usage: Occurs in 72 OT verses. KJV: belly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb. See also: Genesis 25:23; Psalms 22:10; Psalms 17:14.
וּ/פְרִ֣י
pᵉrîy
H6529
"fruit"
Conj | N-ms
In the Bible, this word means the fruit that comes from the ground or from our actions. It is used in many books, including Genesis and Isaiah, to describe the results of our labor or the consequences of our choices.
Definition: 1) fruit 1a) fruit, produce (of the ground) 1b) fruit, offspring, children, progeny (of the womb) 1c) fruit (of actions) (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: bough, (first-)fruit(-ful), reward. See also: Genesis 1:11; Proverbs 18:20; Psalms 1:3.
אַדְמָתֶ֑/ךָ
ʼădâmâh
H127
"land"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to the earth or soil, often describing the ground as a source of sustenance. It is used to describe the physical earth, a plot of land, or even a whole country. The KJV translates it as 'country', 'earth', or 'land'.
Definition: : soil 1) ground, land 1a) ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance) 1b) piece of ground, a specific plot of land 1c) earth substance (for building or constructing) 1d) ground as earth's visible surface 1e) land, territory, country 1f) whole inhabited earth 1g) city in Naphtali
Usage: Occurs in 211 OT verses. KJV: country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land. See also: Genesis 1:25; 1 Kings 8:40; Psalms 49:12.
שְׁגַ֥ר
sheger
H7698
"offspring"
N-ms
This Hebrew word refers to the young of animals or people, like a fetus or offspring. It appears in the Bible to describe the miracle of new life. In the KJV, it is translated as 'that cometh of' or 'increase'.
Definition: offspring, young or offspring of beasts
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: that cometh of, increase. See also: Exodus 13:12; Deuteronomy 28:4; Deuteronomy 28:51.
אֲלָפֶ֖י/ךָ
ʼeleph
H504
"cattle"
N-mp | Suff
In the Bible, this word can mean a family or cattle, such as oxen or cows, highlighting their importance in farming and as possessions. It is often translated as 'family' or 'oxen'.
Definition: 1) cattle, oxen 1a) in farming 1b) as a possession
Usage: Occurs in 8 OT verses. KJV: family, kine, oxen. See also: Deuteronomy 7:13; Judges 6:15; Psalms 8:8.
וְ/עַשְׁתְּר֥וֹת
ʻashtᵉrâh
H6251
"young"
Conj | N-proper
This Hebrew word refers to a young female sheep or a flock of animals, like a group of ewes. It is used in the Bible to describe an increase in livestock.
Definition: ewe, flock, increase, young
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: flock. See also: Deuteronomy 7:13; Deuteronomy 28:18; Deuteronomy 28:51.
צֹאנֶֽ/ךָ
tsôʼn
H6629
"Sheep (Gate)"
N-cs | Suff
This word refers to a flock of sheep or goats, and is sometimes used to describe people in a figurative sense. It is also associated with the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, a significant location in biblical times.
Definition: This name means sheep and goats Also named: probatikos (προβατικός "Sheep Gate" G4262)
Usage: Occurs in 247 OT verses. KJV: (small) cattle, flock ([phrase] -s), lamb ([phrase] -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds). See also: Genesis 4:2; Deuteronomy 28:31; Psalms 44:12.
Study Notes — Deuteronomy 28:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Deuteronomy 28:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 28:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 28:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:18
- Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 28:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:18
- Sermons on Deuteronomy 28:18
Context — The Curses of Disobedience
16You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed.
18The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.
19You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out. 20The LORD will send curses upon you, confusion and reproof in all to which you put your hand, until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the wickedness you have committed in forsaking Him.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 26:26 | When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied. |
| 2 | Leviticus 26:19–20 | I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, and your strength will be spent in vain. For your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit. |
| 3 | Job 18:16–19 | The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away. The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. He is driven from light into darkness and is chased from the inhabited world. He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivor where he once lived. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 28:4 | The fruit of your womb will be blessed, as well as the produce of your land and the offspring of your livestock— the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 5:9 | You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, |
| 6 | Habakkuk 3:17 | Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, |
| 7 | Psalms 109:9–15 | May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes. May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children. May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out. May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth. |
| 8 | Lamentations 2:20 | Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? |
| 9 | Deuteronomy 28:16 | You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. |
| 10 | Luke 23:29–30 | Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’ At that time ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ |
Deuteronomy 28:18 Summary
This verse, Deuteronomy 28:18, is saying that if we disobey God, He will take away the good things He gives us, like children and food, as a result of our disobedience. This is a serious warning, but it's also a reminder of God's love and desire for us to follow Him, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37-40. We can avoid this curse by seeking to obey God's commands and trust in His goodness, as encouraged in Psalm 119:1-3 and Jeremiah 29:11. By doing so, we can experience the blessings of God, as promised in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and other passages like Psalm 37:3-7 and Proverbs 10:22.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for the fruit of our womb to be cursed?
This refers to the blessing of children being taken away, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:18, and is a consequence of disobedience to God's commands, as warned in Deuteronomy 28:1-68 and also in Leviticus 26:16-20.
Is this verse only talking about physical produce and livestock?
While it does mention the physical aspects of produce and livestock, it also encompasses the idea of God's blessing being removed from all areas of life, including family and provision, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:18 and supported by Jeremiah 5:25 and Hosea 9:11-14.
How does this verse relate to the concept of God's judgment?
This verse is part of a larger passage in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 that describes the consequences of disobedience to God's laws, and serves as a reminder of God's holiness and justice, as also seen in Isaiah 13:11 and Revelation 20:12-13.
Can we apply this verse to our lives today?
While the specific context of Deuteronomy 28:18 is addressed to the Israelites, the principle of God's blessing being contingent on obedience is still relevant today, as seen in Romans 2:6-11 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, and should motivate us to seek a life of faithfulness to God.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I ensure that my life is aligned with God's will, so that I can avoid the curse and instead receive His blessing?
- How can I trust God's sovereignty and provision, even when I face difficulties or uncertainties, as described in Deuteronomy 28:18 and other passages like Psalm 23:1-4 and Matthew 6:25-34?
- What are some areas in my life where I may be experiencing a 'curse' due to disobedience or neglect, and how can I repent and seek God's restoration, as encouraged in 1 John 1:9 and Proverbs 28:13?
- How can I balance the fear of God's judgment with the knowledge of His love and mercy, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:18 and other passages like Psalm 103:8-12 and Romans 8:1-2?
Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 28:18
Cursed [shall be] the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. [See comments on Deuteronomy 28:4]. [See comments on Deuteronomy 28:16].
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 28:18
Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:18
Deuteronomy 28:18 Cursed [shall be] the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Ver. 18.
Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:18
(16-19) Cursed. . . .—Here we have the counterpart of Deu 28:3-6, inclusive. The only difference is in the position of “the basket and the store” which come one place earlier in the curses than in the blessings.
Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 28:18
15–46. The Curses The opening Deuteronomy 28:15-20, correspond to the blessings in Deuteronomy 28:1-7, except that there are no antitheses to Deuteronomy 28:1 b and Deuteronomy 28:2 b, and that the curse on basket and kneading-bowl precedes that on fruit of thy body, etc. Then the Discourse leaves the limits it had observed in the remainder of the blessings, Deuteronomy 28:8-14, and while here and there it gives the exact contrast of these blessings (cp. Deuteronomy 28:23 f. with Deuteronomy 28:12 a, Deuteronomy 28:25 with Deuteronomy 28:7 b, Deuteronomy 28:37 and Deuteronomy 28:46 with Deuteronomy 28:10, Deuteronomy 28:43 f. with Deuteronomy 28:12 b, Deuteronomy 28:13 a), the rest is a detailed antithesis to the summary blessing in 11; and diseases, calamities to man and beast, failures of seed and harvest, losses of children and property, and even exile, are set forth in detail. The opinion that Deuteronomy 28:26-37 and Deuteronomy 28:41 are later additions is plausible, not because they contain predictions of exile but because they elaborate the rest; and this rest, Deuteronomy 28:21-25 (or 26), Deuteronomy 28:38-40 and Deuteronomy 28:42-46, more nearly corresponds to Deuteronomy 28:8-14. In view of the repeating style of D it is impossible to say whether some even of those vv. are original or expansions; there are no sufficient grounds for the detailed analysis by Steuernagel.
Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:18
16-19. Cursed… in the city… field… basket… store… fruit of body… land… kine… sheep… comest in… goest out — The curses here enumerated stand in contrast with the blessings in 3-6.
Sermons on Deuteronomy 28:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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If My People Humble Themselves - Part 2 by Shane Idleman | This sermon delves into the destructive nature of pride, highlighting personal struggles with pride and the impact it has on relationships, families, and spiritual life. It emphasi |
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Hannah - an Epoch Making Vessel by Stephen Kaung | This sermon focuses on the story of Hannah from 1 Samuel, highlighting the power of travailing prayer and the importance of being a vessel for God's purposes. It emphasizes the nee |
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A Startling Statement by J. Wilbur Chapman | J. Wilbur Chapman preaches on the consequences of sin, emphasizing that the wicked shall not go unpunished, as seen in various Bible passages. He highlights the certainty of reapin |
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Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of standing still and trusting in the salvation of the Lord, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. He encourages the |
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The Vine and the Branches by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that only God can enable us to live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in all respects. He dismisses the idea of relying on formulas or |
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Death of a Promise - Part 1 by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the principle of the death of a promise. He explains that when God intends to fulfill a promise or bring about a special blessing, He first p |
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All These Things Will Be Added to You? by John Piper | This sermon emphasizes the true meaning behind seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, clarifying that the promise of 'all these things will be added to you' in Mat |