Deuteronomy 28:27
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)
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This verse isn't just a list of diseases; it points to the intimate connection between physical well-being and obedience to God. The specific mention of "the boils of Egypt" highlights diseases that God had previously used as a sign of His power against oppressors, now turning them as a consequence of Israel's disobedience. It underscores that even common afflictions become divine judgments when tied to a covenant relationship with God.
This passage is part of an extensive list of curses detailing the severe consequences of Israel's disobedience. Following the blessings promised for obedience, these curses serve as a stark warning of what awaits them if they turn away from God's commands. This specific verse, and the ones immediately following it, focus on debilitating and incurable diseases, emphasizing God's power to afflict the body as a result of breaking the covenant.
The text describes devastating skin diseases, described as 'boils of Egypt.' What does this specific affliction reveal about God's judgment?
The mention of the 'boils of Egypt' (shechin) isn't just a random skin ailment. It directly recalls the plagues God brought upon Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let Israel go (Exodus 9:9).
This deliberate reference signifies that the curses upon disobedient Israel are a continuation, or even a reversal, of the very judgments God used to deliver them from Egypt.
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Deuteronomy 28 lists numerous curses. Why does this specific verse focus on physical ailments, and what does it imply about the totality of judgment?
This verse, while focusing on physical suffering, is part of a much larger tapestry of curses detailed in Deuteronomy 28. The detailed list of diseases serves as a stark example of the physical consequences of disobedience, but it's not the end of the story.
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 severe skin diseases mentioned here, recalling the plagues of Egypt, are presented as a dire consequence of Israel's disobedience. These afflictions serve as a stark reminder of God's power to bring judgment, even through physical suffering, when His people turn away from Him.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Israelites depart from slavery in Egypt, experiencing God's miraculous deliverance and judgment upon the Egyptians.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wilderness Wandering
The Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years, during which God's covenant blessings and curses are articulated by Moses.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites begin to conquer the Promised Land, a process marked by obedience to God's commands and warnings.
c. 1400-1050 BC
Period of the Judges
Following Joshua's death, Israel experiences cycles of faithfulness, apostasy, and divine discipline, often through foreign oppression.
c. 1050 BC
Establishment of the Monarchy
Israel demands a king, transitioning from a theocracy led by judges to a monarchy with Saul, David, and Solomon.
c. 975 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After Solomon's reign, the united kingdom splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, leading to increased idolatry.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers and exiles the Northern Kingdom of Israel, a fulfillment of the curses for disobedience.
This passage describes the plague of boils that afflicted the Egyptians, directly linking the 'boils of Egypt' mentioned in Deuteronomy to a specific historical instance of God's judgment.
1 Samuel 5:6This passage recounts the Philistines being struck with emerods after capturing the Ark of the Covenant, showing a similar divine affliction for disobedience and sacrilege.
Job 2:7Job is afflicted with painful sores from head to foot, illustrating the severe and debilitating physical suffering that can be a consequence of God's judgment, even on the righteous.
Jeremiah 25:17This verse describes the nations drinking the cup of God's wrath and staggering, paralleling the overwhelming and inescapable nature of the curses described in Deuteronomy, including severe affliction.
Revelation 16:2This passage speaks of painful sores afflicting those who worship the beast, demonstrating that severe bodily afflictions can be a recurring theme of divine judgment against rebellion throughout Scripture.
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 points to the intimate connection between physical well-being and obedience to God. The specific mention of "the boils of Egypt" highlights diseases that God had previously used as a sign of His power against oppressors, now turning them as a consequence of Israel's disobedience. It underscores that even common afflictions become divine judgments when tied to a covenant relationship with God.
This passage is part of an extensive list of curses detailing the severe consequences of Israel's disobedience. Following the blessings promised for obedience, these curses serve as a stark warning of what awaits them if they turn away from God's commands. This specific verse, and the ones immediately following it, focus on debilitating and incurable diseases, emphasizing God's power to afflict the body as a result of breaking the covenant.
This passage is part of an extensive list of curses detailing the severe consequences of Israel's disobedience. Following the blessings promised for obedience, these curses serve as a stark warning of what awaits them if they turn away from God's commands. This specific verse, and the ones immediately following it, focus on debilitating and incurable diseases, emphasizing God's power to afflict the body as a result of breaking the covenant.
"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 points to the intimate connection between physical well-being and obedience to God. The specific mention of "the boils of Egypt" highlights diseases that…
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