King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 29:21 Mean?

“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”

Context

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

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.

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

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

And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(21, 22) **And the Lord shall separate him unto evil . . . so that the generation to come . . . shall say . . . of that land.**—It is not a little remarkable that the sin of one man is here represented as growing and spreading devastation over the whole land of Israel—the very thing which the man apparently regards as impossible in his inward reasonings, described in Deuteronomy 29:19. Yet is not this the true anticipation of what actually occurred? Comp. 1Kings 14:15-16 : “The Lord shall root up Israel out of this good land, which He gave to their fathers . . . and *He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin” *And what Jeroboam was to Israel, Manasseh was to Judah (Jeremiah 15:4): *“I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, *for that which he did in Jerusalem.”

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

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 29:21 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.