Deuteronomy 28:27
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This verse isn't just a list of diseases; it highlights that these ailments are a specific judgment tied to Egypt, the very place from which God delivered them. It underscores that their disobedience would plunge them back into the very afflictions they were rescued from, but this time, they would be incurable, demonstrating the severe consequences of rejecting God's covenant.
The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a long list of curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's covenant. These curses serve as a stark warning, detailing severe afflictions that will come upon them for forsaking the LORD. Immediately following these descriptions of physical torment, the text moves on to curses affecting their minds and their societal standing, highlighting a comprehensive judgment for their disobedience.
Why would God specifically mention the diseases of Egypt as a curse? What does this particular plague signify for Israel?
The 'botch of Egypt' wasn't just any skin disease; it carried deep symbolic weight.
The curses in Deuteronomy are often described in broad strokes. How do these specific physical afflictions make the judgment feel intensely personal?
The physical descriptions in Deuteronomy 28 move beyond abstract consequences to very real, intimate suffering.
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Understand the original words
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel, who reveals Himself through His redemptive actions and holiness. The name signifies His self-existence and eternal nature as the I AM.
shechin · Hebrew Noun
An inflammatory, painful swelling or ulcer often associated with divine judgment or plague in the biblical context. It represents physical corruption and the manifestation of physical distress under the curse.
The diseases mentioned here, particularly the 'botch of Egypt,' directly recall the plagues God sent upon Egypt during the Exodus. This verse serves as a stark reminder that the same God who delivered Israel from Egypt would also inflict devastating, incurable plagues upon them if they disobeyed His covenant.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites leave Egypt after centuries of slavery, experiencing God's power through plagues and miracles. This event serves as a foundational memory of God's deliverance and judgment.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wilderness Wanderings
After the Exodus, the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years due to their disobedience and lack of faith. This period is marked by God's provision and their continued testing.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites enter and begin conquering the Promised Land, a process that takes several years and involves significant battles and divine intervention.
c. 1400-1050 BC
Period of the Judges
A cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance characterizes this era, where Israel repeatedly turns away from God and faces consequences.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy
Israel is united under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon, a time of national strength and expansion, but also of growing spiritual compromise.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united monarchy splits into two kingdoms: Israel (North) and Judah (South), leading to increased idolatry and division.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and leading to the loss of the ten tribes.
This passage describes the 'boils' (shechin) that afflicted the Egyptians, the very affliction God threatens Israel with in Deuteronomy 28:27, linking these curses directly to the plagues of Egypt.
Leviticus 26:16This verse is part of the parallel 'curses' section in Leviticus, listing 'fever' and 'consuming sickness' which echo the severe, incurable physical afflictions threatened in Deuteronomy 28:27.
2 Kings 20:7Here, a poultice of figs is used to heal Hezekiah's boil. This shows that while some boils could be treated, the diseases threatened in Deuteronomy 28:27 were specifically those that would defy all healing, highlighting God's direct intervention.
Job 2:7Job is struck with painful sores from head to foot. This passage parallels the severe, incurable skin afflictions described in Deuteronomy 28:27, illustrating the devastating physical consequences of severe divine judgment.
calvinDeuteronomy 28:15-68: "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:"
- But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake th…
gillDeuteronomy 28:27: "The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed."
The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt,.... Which some understand of the leprosy, Of that sort of it called "elephantiasis", frequent among the Egyptians; See Gill on Leviticus 13:2 . Thevenot (i) relates, that when the time of the increase of the Nile expires, the Egyptians are attended with sharp prickings in their skin…
This verse isn't just a list of diseases; it highlights that these ailments are a specific judgment tied to Egypt, the very place from which God delivered them. It underscores that their disobedience would plunge them back into the very afflictions they were rescued from, but this time, they would be incurable, demonstrating the severe consequences of rejecting God's covenant.
This passage is part of a long list of curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's covenant. These curses serve as a stark warning, detailing severe afflictions that will come upon them for forsaking the LORD. Immediately following these descriptions of physical torment, the text moves on to curses affecting their minds and their societal standing, highlighting a comprehensive judgment for their disobedience.
This passage is part of a long list of curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's covenant. These curses serve as a stark warning, detailing severe afflictions that will come upon them for forsaking the LORD. Immediately following these descriptions of physical torment, the text moves on to curses affecting their minds and their societal standing, highlighting a comprehensive judgment for their disobedience.
"The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, and with tumors and scabs and itch, of which you cannot be healed." — This verse isn't just a list of diseases; it highlights that these ailments are a specific judgment tied to Egypt, the very place from which God delivered them. It underscores that their disobedience…
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Last reviewed October 2026
