King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 28:67 Mean?

Deuteronomy 28:67 in the King James Version says “In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fe...” — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 28 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.”

Deuteronomy 28:67 · KJV

Fear & Courage

Context

65

And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

66

And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

67

In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

68

And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

Read Deuteronomy 28 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning!—this captures the psychology of despair: wishing away the present moment, unable to find relief. The Hebrew mî-yitten ʿereḇ... mî-yitten bōqer (מִי־יִתֵּן עֶרֶב... מִי־יִתֵּן בֹּקֶר, 'who will give evening... who will give morning') is literally 'O that it were evening/morning!' The idiom expresses desperate longing for escape. For the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see—both internal terror and external horrors make life unbearable.

This is clinical depression and trauma—inability to find peace at any time. Morning brings fresh fears; evening brings no rest. The 'fear of thine heart' is anxiety; the 'sight of thine eyes' is witnessing atrocities. Holocaust survivors describe exactly this experience—waking hoping to wake from the nightmare, sleeping hoping not to wake to reality. Time becomes an enemy rather than a blessing.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Job expressed similar despair (Job 7:4). Lamentations echoes this (Lamentations 3:1-20). Josephus records that during the Roman siege, death was preferable to life. Holocaust testimonies repeatedly describe this psychological state—preferring death to continued suffering but unable to die.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does this passage describe the hell of living under God's wrath?
  2. What does the inability to find rest at any time teach about the nature of judgment?
  3. How does Christ's experience of God-forsakenness on the cross mean we never need fear this condition?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 18 words
בֹּ֑קֶר1 of 18

“In the morning”

H1242

properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning

תֹּאמַ֖ר2 of 18

“thou shalt say”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

מִֽי3 of 18
H4310

who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix

יִתֵּ֣ן4 of 18

“Would God it were”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

וּבָעֶ֥רֶב5 of 18

“and at even”

H6153

dusk

וּבָעֶ֥רֶב6 of 18

“and at even”

H6153

dusk

תֹּאמַ֖ר7 of 18

“thou shalt say”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

מִֽי8 of 18
H4310

who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix

יִתֵּ֣ן9 of 18

“Would God it were”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

בֹּ֑קֶר10 of 18

“In the morning”

H1242

properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning

מִפַּ֤חַד11 of 18

“for the fear”

H6343

a (sudden) alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the feeling)

לְבָֽבְךָ֙12 of 18

“of thine heart”

H3824

the heart (as the most interior organ)

אֲשֶׁ֣ר13 of 18
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

תִּפְחָ֔ד14 of 18

“wherewith thou shalt fear”

H6342

to be startled (by a sudden alarm); hence, to fear in general

וּמִמַּרְאֵ֥ה15 of 18

“and for the sight”

H4758

a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks),

עֵינֶ֖יךָ16 of 18

“of thine eyes”

H5869

an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

אֲשֶׁ֥ר17 of 18
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

תִּרְאֶֽה׃18 of 18

“which thou shalt see”

H7200

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Deuteronomy 28:67 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Deuteronomy 28:67 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deuteronomy 28:34Job 7:3-4Revelation 9:6

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