Deuteronomy 28:28
Deuteronomy 28:28 in Multiple Translations
The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind,
The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
Jehovah will smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart;
He will make your minds diseased, and your eyes blind, and your hearts wasted with fear:
The Lord will drive you mad; he will blind you and confuse you
And ye Lord shall smite thee with madnes, and with blindnes, and with astonying of heart.
'Jehovah doth smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart;
The LORD will strike you with madness, with blindness, and with astonishment of heart.
The LORD shall smite thee with the madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
The Lord strike thee with madness and blindness and fury of mind.
Yahweh will cause some of you to become insane; he will cause some of you to become blind, and he will cause some of your minds to become confused.
Berean Amplified Bible — Deuteronomy 28:28
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 28:28 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
יַכְּ/כָ֣ה
יְהוָ֔ה
בְּ/שִׁגָּע֖וֹן
וּ/בְ/עִוָּר֑וֹן
וּ/בְ/תִמְה֖וֹן
לֵבָֽב
יַכְּ/כָ֣ה
nâkâh
H5221
to smite
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
יְהוָ֔ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
בְּ/שִׁגָּע֖וֹן
shiggâʻôwn
H7697
madness
Prep | N-ms
וּ/בְ/עִוָּר֑וֹן
ʻivvârôwn
H5788
blindness
Conj | Prep | N-ms
וּ/בְ/תִמְה֖וֹן
timmâhôwn
H8541
bewilderment
Conj | Prep | N-ms
לֵבָֽב
lêbâb
H3824
heart
N-ms
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 28:28
יַכְּ/כָ֣ה
nâkâh
H5221
"to smite"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Definition: 1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill 1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten 1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust 1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast) 1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage 1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy 1d) (Hophal) to be smitten 1d1) to receive a blow 1d2) to be wounded 1d3) to be beaten 1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain 1d5) to be attacked and captured 1d6) to be smitten (with disease) 1d7) to be blighted (of plants)
Usage: Occurs in 461 OT verses. KJV: beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound. See also: Genesis 4:15; Joshua 10:20; 1 Samuel 29:5.
יְהוָ֔ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
בְּ/שִׁגָּע֖וֹן
shiggâʻôwn
H7697
"madness"
Prep | N-ms
This noun means madness or craziness, describing a state of intense fury or insanity. It is used to convey extreme emotions in the Bible.
Definition: madness
Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: furiously, madness. See also: Deuteronomy 28:28; 2 Kings 9:20; Zechariah 12:4.
וּ/בְ/עִוָּר֑וֹן
ʻivvârôwn
H5788
"blindness"
Conj | Prep | N-ms
This word means blindness, either physical or spiritual. It is used in the Bible to describe the state of being unable to see, like in John 9:1 to describe the man born blind. The word is also used in 2 Peter 1:9 to describe spiritual blindness.
Definition: blindness Also means: av.ve.ret (עַוֶּ֫רֶת "blindness" H5788B)
Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: blind(-ness). See also: Leviticus 22:22; Deuteronomy 28:28; Zechariah 12:4.
וּ/בְ/תִמְה֖וֹן
timmâhôwn
H8541
"bewilderment"
Conj | Prep | N-ms
This word means bewilderment or astonishment, like when God's people are amazed by His power. It's used in Ezekiel 4:17 to describe the emotional state of God's people during a time of judgment.
Definition: astonishment, bewilderment, stupefaction
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: astonishment. See also: Deuteronomy 28:28; Zechariah 12:4.
לֵבָֽב
lêbâb
H3824
"heart"
N-ms
The heart is the innermost part of a person, including their mind, will, and emotions. In the book of Psalms, David talks about his heart being heavy with sorrow, while in the book of Proverbs, it discusses the importance of guarding one's heart.
Definition: 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage Aramaic equivalent: le.vav (לְבַב "heart" H3825)
Usage: Occurs in 230 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, ((faint), (tender-) heart(-ed), midst, mind, [idiom] unawares, understanding. See also: Genesis 20:5; 1 Chronicles 17:2; Psalms 4:5.
Study Notes — Deuteronomy 28:28
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Deuteronomy 28:28 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
- Sermons on Deuteronomy 28:28
Context — The Curses of Disobedience
26Your corpses will be food for all the birds of the air and beasts of the earth, with no one to scare them away.
27The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.
28The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind,
29and at noon you will grope about like a blind man in the darkness. You will not prosper in your ways. Day after day you will be oppressed and plundered, with no one to save you. 30You will be pledged in marriage to a woman, but another man will violate her. You will build a house but will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but will not enjoy its fruit.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11 | The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, |
| 2 | Isaiah 19:11–17 | The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”? Where are your wise men now? Let them tell you and reveal what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt. The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. The cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray. The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit. There is nothing Egypt can do— head or tail, palm or reed. In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them. The land of Judah will bring terror to Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble over what the LORD of Hosts has planned against it. |
| 3 | Isaiah 6:9–10 | And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed. ” |
| 4 | 1 Samuel 16:14 | After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 4:9 | “In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be astounded.” |
| 6 | Ezekiel 4:17 | So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity. |
| 7 | Acts 13:41 | ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’ ” |
| 8 | Psalms 60:3 | You have shown Your people hardship; we are staggered from the wine You made us drink. |
| 9 | Isaiah 43:19 | Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert. |
| 10 | Luke 21:25–26 | There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. |
Deuteronomy 28:28 Summary
[This verse is telling us that if we disobey God, He may allow us to experience madness, blindness, and confusion of mind, which means we will not be able to think clearly or make good decisions. This is a result of God's judgment, similar to what happened to King Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14-15. To avoid this, we need to turn to God and obey His commands, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 and Proverbs 3:1-12. By following God's ways, we can experience His blessings and guidance, rather than His judgment and discipline.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of madness is being referred to in Deuteronomy 28:28?
The madness mentioned in this verse is a result of God's judgment, similar to what is described in 1 Samuel 16:14-15, where King Saul is tormented by an evil spirit, and in Proverbs 23:29-35, which describes the effects of drunkenness and sin on a person's life.
Can a Christian experience the kind of blindness and confusion of mind mentioned in this verse?
While this verse is specifically addressing the Israelites under the Old Covenant, the principles of God's judgment and discipline can still apply to believers today, as seen in Hebrews 12:5-11, where we are reminded that God disciplines those He loves, and in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where Paul describes his own struggles with a thorn in the flesh.
How can we avoid experiencing the afflictions mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:28?
To avoid these afflictions, we must turn to God and obey His commands, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:1-2, where we are promised blessings for obedience, and in Proverbs 3:1-12, where we are encouraged to trust in God and follow His ways.
Is this verse still relevant to us today?
Yes, this verse serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of following God's commands, as seen in Romans 11:22, where we are reminded of the kindness and severity of God, and in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, where we are told that all Scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking, and training in righteousness.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I may be experiencing spiritual blindness or confusion, and how can I seek God's guidance and clarity?
- How can I cultivate a deeper trust in God's sovereignty and provision, even in the midst of uncertainty or hardship?
- What are some ways I can practically obey God's commands and follow His ways, as described in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 and Proverbs 3:1-12?
- How can I balance the idea of God's judgment and discipline with His love and mercy, as seen in Hebrews 12:5-11 and 1 John 4:8-10?
Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 28:28
The Lord shall smite thee with madness,.... At the calamities befallen them, and through the force of diseases on them: and blindness; not of body, but of mind; with judicial blindness and hardness
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 28:28
The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: Madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart - they "would be bewildered and paralyzed with terror at extent of their calamities.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
Blindness, to wit, of mind, so that they shall not know what to do; see ,14; so as they shall commonly choose and follow the worst counsels and courses, to their own ruin. Astonishment of heart; they shall be filled with wonder and horror, because of the strangeness and soreness of their calamities.
Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
Deuteronomy 28:28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:Ver. 28. With madness and blindness.] Spiritual, especially; such as befell the Jews of old, the chief priests and scribes especially, who, being questioned by Herod about the King of the Jews, could answer directly out of the Scriptures, and give such signs of the Messiah as did evidently agree to Jesus Christ. And yet because they discerned not their day of grace, but winked hard with their eyes, and shut the windows, lest the light should come in, they were by a special judgment so besotted and infatuated, that when God shows them the man, to whom their own signs agree, they cannot allow of him, nor will yield to be saved by him upon any terms. How shamefully they were deluded by Barchocab, is notoriously known. And after this, when they saw Mohammed arising in such power, they were straight ready to cry him up for their Messiah. But when they saw him eat of a camel, they were as blank as when they saw the hoped issue of their late Jewish virgin turned to a daughter. They are generally light, aerial, and fanatical brains, apt to work themselves into the fool’ s paradise of a sublime dotage. Howbeit God, we trust, will at length cure them of this spiritual ophthalmy and frenzy. Their dispersion for this one thousand six hundred years is such, as that one of their own Rabbins concludes from thence that their Messiah must needs be come, and they must needs suffer so much for killing him. "Oh that the salvation of Israel were once come out of Zion!
When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, then shall Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad."
Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
(28) Madness, and blindness, and astonishment.—The three words are all found in Zechariah 12:4 But in that place the threat seems directed against the enemies of Jerusalem (see Deuteronomy 30:7).
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
Verse 28. The Lord shall smite thee with madness] שגעון shiggaon, distraction, so that thou shalt not know what to do. And blindness] ivvaron, blindness, both physical and mental; the גרב garab, (Deuteronomy 28:27), destroying their eyes, and the judgments of God confounding their understandings. Astonishment] תמהון timmahon, stupidity and amazement. By the just judgments of God they were so completely confounded, as not to discern the means by which they might prevent or remove their calamities, and to adopt those which led directly to their ruin. How true is the ancient saying, Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat! "Those whom God is determined to destroy, he first infatuates." But this applies not exclusively to the poor Jews: how miserably infatuated have the powers of the continent of Europe been, in all their councils and measures, for several years past! And what is the result? They have fallen - most deplorably fallen!
Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 28:28
28. Cp. Zechariah 12:4; astonishment, better, dismay.
Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:28
28. Madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart — Overwhelmed with their calamities, the people will go on blindly in their course of disobedience.
Sermons on Deuteronomy 28:28
| Sermon | Description | |
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(Christian Leadership) Lovers of the Truth by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that the Bible is not written in a logical or mathematical way, but rather speaks to the heart. He shares an anecdote about preaching in a se |
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Beware of False Prophets by Sandeep Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the importance of recognizing the problem of sin in all individuals, both Christians and non-Christians. It highlights Jesus as the solution to the problem o |
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Eight Ways of Deceiving Ourselves - Part 1 by Zac Poonen | This sermon delves into the theme of deception as highlighted in 2 Corinthians 11 and Revelation, emphasizing how deception has been a tool of the enemy from the beginning with Eve |
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Signs of Second Coming of Jesus by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the importance of being vigilant against deception in the last days, warning against false prophets, counterfeit gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the need to co |
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Honest People Will Not Go to Hell by Rolfe Barnard | The sermon transcript discusses a man in Detroit, Michigan who had a near-death experience but was saved by God. The preacher emphasizes the importance of not deceiving oneself and |
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Antichrist Unmasked - John Rhys Watkins by From the Pulpit & Classic Sermons | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He compares the church's focus on worldly knowledge to the mistake made by Adam and |
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Deception Through False Signs and Wonders by Zac Poonen | Zac Poonen warns about the prevalent deception in Christendom through false signs and wonders, echoing the warnings of Jesus and Paul regarding 'another Jesus,' 'another spirit,' a |