King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 29:20 Mean?

Deuteronomy 29:20 in the King James Version says “The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the c... — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 29 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

Deuteronomy 29:20 · KJV


Context

18

Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; gall: or, a poisonous herb: Heb. rosh

19

And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: imagination: or, stubbornness drunkenness: Heb. the drunken to the thirsty

20

The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

21

And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law: are: Heb. is

22

So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it; which: Heb. wherewith the LORD hath made it sick


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man (לֹא־יֹאבֶה יְהוָה סְלֹחַ לוֹ)—The emphatic negation lo yoveh YHWH seloach lo ("the LORD will not be willing to forgive him") contradicts the apostate's self-absolution. God's qin'ah ("jealousy," covenant zeal) and af ("anger") will 'ashan ("smoke")—imagery of volcanic fury or smoking nostrils (Psalm 18:8).

All the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him (וְרָבְצָה בּוֹ כָּל־הָאָלָה)—The verb ravatz ("lie upon") pictures curse as a crouching predator ready to spring (compare Genesis 4:7, where sin "crouches" at Cain's door). Every 'alah enumerated in Deuteronomy 27-28 will seize the presumptuous apostate.

The LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven (וּמָחָה יְהוָה אֶת־שְׁמוֹ)—Machah ("blot out") signifies complete erasure from covenant records and collective memory. Ancient Near Eastern treaty curses threatened name obliteration—the ultimate dishonor. This echoes Exodus 32:33 ("Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book") and contrasts with faithful remembrance in God's book of life (Revelation 3:5).

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient covenant curses weren't merely punitive but covenant-enforcement mechanisms. Hittite, Assyrian, and Aramaic treaties conclude with elaborate curse formulas for treaty violation. Israel's covenant structure mirrors these, but with crucial distinction: Yahweh himself enforces terms, not impersonal fate or pantheon consensus. The smoking anger imagery may reference Mount Sinai's theophany (Exodus 19:18), where God's presence appeared in smoke and fire. Covenant making and covenant breaking both involve divine fire—one for sealing promises, the other for executing judgment.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does God's refusal to spare the presumptuous sinner inform our understanding of Hebrews 10:26-31?
  2. What's the relationship between having one's name blotted out here and Jesus's promise in Revelation 3:5?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 26 words
לֹֽא1 of 26
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

יֹאבֶ֣ה2 of 26

will

H14

to breathe after, i.e., (figuratively) to be acquiescent

יְהוָה֙3 of 26

The LORD

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

סְלֹ֣חַֽ4 of 26

not spare

H5545

to forgive

לוֹ֒5 of 26
H0
כִּ֣י6 of 26
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

אָ֠ז7 of 26
H227

at that time or place; also as a conjunction, therefore

יֶעְשַׁ֨ן8 of 26

shall smoke

H6225

to smoke, whether literal or figurative

אַף9 of 26

him but then the anger

H639

properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire

יְהוָה֙10 of 26

The LORD

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

וְקִנְאָתוֹ֙11 of 26

and his jealousy

H7068

jealousy or envy

בָּאִ֣ישׁ12 of 26

against that man

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

הַה֔וּא13 of 26
H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

וְרָ֤בְצָה14 of 26

shall lie

H7257

to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal); by implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed

בּוֹ֙15 of 26
H0
כָּל16 of 26
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

הָ֣אָלָ֔ה17 of 26

and all the curses

H423

an imprecation

הַכְּתוּבָ֖ה18 of 26

that are written

H3789

to grave, by implication, to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe)

בַּסֵּ֣פֶר19 of 26

in this book

H5612

properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book

הַזֶּ֑ה20 of 26
H2088

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

וּמָחָ֤ה21 of 26

shall blot out

H4229

properly, to stroke or rub; by implication, to erase; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e., grease or make fat

יְהוָה֙22 of 26

The LORD

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֶת23 of 26
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

שְׁמ֔וֹ24 of 26

his name

H8034

an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character

מִתַּ֖חַת25 of 26
H8478

the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc

הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃26 of 26

from under heaven

H8064

the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r


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 29:20 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 29:20 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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