Deuteronomy 28

A catalogue which Moseh promiseth the people from God if they obey him verse 1 &c. on the contrary a catalogue of curses which he threateneth them with and foretelleth them of if they turn aside from God and forsake his commandments 15.

1. And it shall come to pass an dif thou shalt obey diligently [Heb. Obey shalt obey] the voice of the Lord thy God observing to do all his commandments which I command thee this day then shall the Lord thy God set thee on high above all nations of the earth [see above chapter 26 on verse 19.]

2. And all these blessing shall come upon thee and hit thee when thou shalt be obedient unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

3. Blessed shalt thou be in the city and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

4. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy land and the fruit of thy beasts and the propagation of thy kine and the flocks of thine small cattle.

5. Blessed shall be thy basket [to wit wherein thou puttest thy bread or fruits of thy ground it shall never be empty see above chapter 26.2, 10] and thy baking-though [that is thou shalt have dough and bread enough.]

6. Blessed shalt thou be in thy coming in and blessed shalt thou be in thy going out[that is at home and abroad in all thy dealing commence and conversation see below verse 19 compare numbers 27.17 and below chapter 31.2]

7. The Lord shall give thine enemies that rise up against the to be smitten before thy face [compare above chapter 1 on verse 8 so below verse 25] they shall march forth towards thee one way but they shall flee before thy face seven ways.

8. The Lord shall command the blessing to be with thee [see Leviticus 25 on verse 21 Heb. Command the blessing with thee] in thy barns and with all that thou setteth thine hand unto [Heb. And in all setting to or all putting forth of thine hand] and he shall bless thee in the Land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.

9. The Lord shall establish thee [or make set thee up] an holy people unto himself [see above chapter 7 on verse 6 and compare below chapter 29 on verse 13] according as he swore unto thee when thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God and walk in his ways.

10. And all nations of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon thee [or that the name of the Lord is proclaimed upon thee or thou art called by the name of the Lord compare Genesis 48. Verse 6 and 16.] And they shall be afraid of thee.

11. And the Lord shall make thee to abound in gods in the fruits of thy womb and in the fruits of thy beasts and in the fruits of thy land in the land which the Lord swear unto the fathers that he would give thee.

12. The Lord shall open unto his gods treasures the heaven to give rain unto his land in his time [that is so rule and govern the air which is as it were his treasure and store house that seasonable rain shall come down thence for thee] and to bless thine hand and thou shalt land unto many nations but thou shalt not borrow.

13. And the Lord shall make the head and the tail [that is thou shalt have priority or preeminence in countenance honor and power as the following words likewise declare a phrase that is taken from the place and esteem of the members in beasts compare Isaiah 9:13,14 an d19.15] and thou shalt be above only and not be beneath when thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day to observe and to do

14. And shall not turn aside from all the words which I command you this day to the right hand or to the left to walk after other gods to serve them.

15. On the contrary it shall come to pass if thou shalt not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day then all these curse shall come upon thee and bit thee.

16. Cursed shalt thou be in the city and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

17. Curse shalt be thou baking trough.

18. Cursed shall be the fruits of the womb and the fruits of thy land the propagation of thy kine and the flocks of the small cattle.

19. Cursed shall thou be in thy coming in and cursed shalt be thou in thy going out.

20. The Lord shall send among ye the curse disturbance and destruction in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do [the meaning is that all the enterprises shall be disturbed and spoiled or hindered and set backward] until thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly because of the wickedness of thy works whereby thou haft forsaken me.

21. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee until he [to wit the lord] destroy thee from off thy land [compare below verse 48] wither thou goest to inherit it.

22. The Lord shall smite thee with consumption and with fever and with fieriness [or inflammation that is with fiery and hot swellings] and with heat [inflammation of the air some understand it of inward burning of the body whereupon followeth continual thirst] and with drought [that is shall not rain in a long time see 1samuel chapter 1 verse 10 1 Kings 17:18 others sword] and with blasting [a plague in corn where it scorcheth and withereth by a long continuing drought or by a easterly wind some understand by these two words certain diseases as the black jaundice and the yellow jaundice] and with mildew[another plague in corn when by too much moisture is putrifieth and rotteth see of this plague 1 Kings 8:37 2 Chronicles 6:28 Amos 4:9 Haggai 2:17] which shall pursue thee until thou perish.

23. And thine heaven [that is the air] that is above thine head shall be coppere [see Leviticus 26 on verse 13] and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

24. The lord thy god shall give powder an dust for the rain of thy land [others shall make the rain of thy powder and dust that is the rain shall be unfit and unserviceable to moisten the earth [from heaven shall it come down upon thee until thou be destroyed [the dust being driven up by the wind shall fall down again from above upon thee as if it rained upon the and that shall be thy rain.]

25. The Lord shall give thee to be smitten before the face of thine enemies [see above verse 7] thou shalt march forth one way against him [to wit the enemy] and thou shalt flee seven way before his face and thou shalt be troubled by all the kingdoms of the earth [that is thou shalt be continually disquieted and have no rest by reason of the fallen power or shalt be tosted to and fro among the kingdoms round about thee see 2 Chronicles 29:8 Jeremiah 15:4 and 24.9 and 29.18 and 34.17.]

26. And thy carcass shall be for meat unto all the fowls of heaven and unto the beasts of all the earth and no man shall scare them away.

27. The Lord shall smite thee with the botches of Egypt [which God sent upon men and beast in all the land of Egypt Exodus 8:9] and with erodes and with the dry skirt and with the scab [or itch] whereof thou canst not be healed.

28. The Lord shall smite thee with madness and with blindness and with astonishment of the heart [or soottishness drowsiness blockishness [compare job 5.13, 14]

29. Thou shalt grope about at noon day according to the blind gropeth about in the darkness an shall not make the ways prosperous but thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled all days or evermore and there shall be no redeemer.

30. Thou shalt betroth a wife but another man shall lie with her thou shalt blind an house but not dwell in it thou shalt plant a vineyard but not make it common [that is not enjoy any fruits of it for thy self see above chapter 20 on verse 6 compare chapter 22.9.]

31. Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes but thou shalt not eat thereof thine ass shall be stolen away from before thy face and not return to thee again thy small cattle shall be given to thine enemies and there shall be no deliverer for thee.

32. Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people that thine eyes shall look on it or shall fall after them all the day long [the meaning is thine eyes shall faint and wax dim with gazing about and longing for thy sons and daughters] but it shall not be in the power of thine hand [thou shalt not have the power to rescue them or to recover them again others there shall no might in thine hand.]

33. The fruits of the land and all thy labor shall nation which thou hast not known eat up [see Job 20:18, 19] and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed all days always.

34. And thou shalt be mad by reason of the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see [that is by reason of the things which thou shalt be constrained to behold with thine eyes so below verse 67.]

35. The Lord shall smite thee on the knees and on the legs with evil botches of which thou canst not be healed from the sole of thy foot to the crown of thine head.

36. The Lord shall cause neither thee together with king which thou shalt have set over thee to go unto a people whom thou hast known nor thy fathers and there shalt be thou serve other gods wood and stone.

37. And thou shalt be a terror [that is the nation shall be astonished at thy plague and misery others a desolation] a proverb and a by word [or fable scorn reproach] among all nations wither the Lord shall lead thee.

38. Thou shalt carry much seed into the field but thou shalt gather in the little for the locust shall consume it.

39. Thou shalt plant vineyard and dress them but shalt drink no wine nor gather anything for the worm shall eat it off.

40. Thou shalt have olive trees in all thy borders but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil for thine olive tree shall cast away his fruit.

41. Thou shalt beget sons and daughters but they shall not be for thee for they shall go into captivity.

42. All thy trees and the fruits of thy land shall the evil worms [others the flam blow drop] hereditarily possess [a plague in trees and fruits of the ground accessioned by vapor which are dried and inflamed from above especially in the dog days and do sing wither and corrupt the trees and fruits.]

43. The stronger that is in the midst of thee shall climb up high, high above thee [that is very high increasing and going to height above thee as thou goest on in sin] and thou shalt come down low, low.

44. He shall land unto thee but thou shalt not lend unto him he shall be the head and thou shalt be the tail [see above verse 13.]

45. And all these curses shall come upon thee and pursue the and hit thee until thou be destroyed because thou hast not been obedient unto the voice of the Lord they God to keep the commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee.

46. And they [to wit these curses] shall be among ye for a token and for a wonder yea among thy seed forever.

47. because thou hast not served the Lord thy God [or for that instead that thou wouldst not serve the Lord in prosperity therefore thou shalt be fain to serve strange nations in great adversity as is threatened in the next verse] with joyfulness and godliness of the heart [with delight and willingness] by reason of the multitude [or abundance] of all things [whereby thou wilt become voluptuous and wanton see below chapter 31.0 an d32.15 the fulfilling hereof see Nehemiah 9:25,26 and elsewhere.]

48. Therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send among ye in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put an iron yoke upon thy neck [a phrase taken from the yoke of beast which was wont to be of wood contrarily God threateneth to put an iron yoke upon his people that is a hard heavy burthensome and long lasting bondage so Jeremiah 28:13.14] until he destroy thee.

49. The Lord shall lift up a nation against thee from far the end of the earth according as the eagle flieth [so swiftly and unexpectedly shall come upon thee as an eagle is used to fly] a people whose language thou shalt not understand [Heb. Bear see Genesis 11 on verse 7.]

50. A people stiff of countenance [Heb. Properly strong of face or countenance undaunted hard unmovable that will not be afraid or spare any man or moved at any man whether he be old or young as is cleared in the sequel so Daniel 8:23] which shall not accept the face [compare above chapter 1 on verse 17] of the old nor favorable of the young.

51. And they [to wit the nation whereof is spoken in the foregoing verse] shall eat up the fruits of thy beasts and the fruits of thy land until thou shalt be destroyed which [namely nations] shall leave thee no corn new wine nor oil propagation of the kine nor flocks of thy small cattle until hw [namely the Lord] destroy thee.

52. And they shall distress [or besiege] thee in all thy gates [that is city so in the sequel] until thy high and fenced walls fall down wherein thou trusted in all thy land which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

53. Thou shalt eat the fruits of thy womb the flesh of thy sons and thy daughters which the Lord thy God shall have given thee in the siege and in the straightness wherewith thine enemies shall straighten thee [See Leviticus 26:29 2Kings 6.29 Lamentations 4:10.]

54. As for he man that hath been tender among ye and very voluptuous [delicate dainty wanton] his eyes shall be evil [that is his eyes shall be unpleasant envious grudging as also below verse 56 see above chapter 15 on verse 9] against his brother against the wife of his bosom [see above chapter 13 on verse 6]] and against the rest of his sons which he shall have served.

55. So that he shall not give to one of them of the flesh of his sons whom he shall eat because he hath reserved nothing for himself in the siege and in the straightness wherewith thine enemies shall straighten thee in all thy gates.

56. As for the tender and voluptuous woman among you who attempted not to set the sole of her foot upon the ground because she kept herself voluptuous and tender her eye shall be evil towards the husband of her bosom and towards her son and towards her daughter.

57. And that for hereafter birth which shall come forth from between her feet and for her sons [that were elder and greater] which she shall have born for she shall eat them secretly for wants of all things [that is by reason of her new born child as also the after birth that followeth which the delicate woman shall judge her husband &c. of and in or by an abominable judgments of God eat it secretly herself see 2Kings 6.28] in the siege in the straightness wherewith thine enemy shall straighten the in thy gates.

58. If thou shalt observe to do all the words of his law which are written in this book to fear this glorious and fearful name of the Lord thy God [compare Genesis 4 verse 4 and Leviticus 24 on verse 11 2 Samuel 6 on verse 2 the name of the Lord that is the Lord himself to whom alone this name JEHOVAH doth belong to wit the father the son and the holy ghost as being the only true God in essence attributes as being the only true God in essence attributes working &c.]

59. Then the Lord will make thy plague wonderful [that is he will send thee such great strange and fearful plagues that everyone shall wonder and marvel at them] together with the plague of thy seed they shall be great and sure plagues [Heb. Faithful plagues that is which shall surely hit and stick long upon a man] and evil and sure sickness.

60. And he shall cause all the maladies of Egypt to return upon thee [that is he shall lay upon thee the strange evil disease wherewith God plagued the Egyptians see Exodus 8:9 compare above chapter 7.15] which thou wast afraid of they shall cleave unto thee.

61. Also all [that is all manner of] sickness and all [that is all manner of] plagues which is not written in the book of this law will the Lord cause to come upon thee until thou be destroyed.

62. And ye shall be left with few men [Heb. In or with men of fewness compare Genesis 34 on verse 30 and Numbers 9:20 see also Isaiah chapter 1.9] in stead that ye were as the stars of heaven in multitude [see above chapter 10.22] because thou wast obedient unto the Lord thy God.

63. And it shall come to pass that according as the Lord rejoice over ye doing good multiplying you so shall the Lord rejoice over you destroying you and bringing you to nought and thou shalt be plucked out from off the land wither thou goest to inherit it.

64. And the Lord shall scatter thee amongst all nations from one end of the earth unto the other end of the earth [Heb. From the end of the earth to the end &c. compare above chapter 4.27 Nehemiah 1:8] and there thou shalt serve other gods which thou hast not known nor thy fathers wood and stones.

65. Moreover among those nations thou shalt not be at ease neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest for the Lord shall give thee a trembling heart failing of eyes and weariness [or faint sorrow] of soul.

66. And thy life shall hang over against thee [this promise is expounded by the following words thou shalt not be sure of thy life as when anything hanged before our eye so slender by a thin thread that we are always afraid that it will suddenly fall now and then] and thou shalt fear night and day and shalt not be sure of thy life [Heb. Not believe or trust thy life.]

67. In the morning thou shalt say oh that it were evening and in the evening thou shalt say oh that it were morning[Heb. Who shall give the evening? Likewise who shall give the morning? See and compare this phrase with above chapter 5 on verse 29] for the terror of thine heart wherewith thou shalt be terrified and for the sight of thine eyes thou shalt see [see above verse 34]

68. And the Lord shall cause thee to return into Egypt in ships by a way [meaning which landeth into the land of Egypt see above chapter 17.16 as if the Lord should have said I will bring thee thither again from whence I have carried thee away with a promise of perpetual freedom on condition of obedience see Jeremiah chapter 44 and Hosiah 8.13 and 9.6] and there ye shall desire to sell yourselves for bondmen and for bondwoman but there shall be no buyer [that is ye shall be so hated and so despised that no man shall have a mind to buy for to use you as slaves.]