Deuteronomy 28:56
The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This passage paints a stark picture of desperation, revealing that the deepest bonds of love and family would be strained to the breaking point. It highlights how extreme hardship can erode even the most tender affections, turning a mother's fierce protectiveness into a horrifying instinct for survival.
This passage describes the horrific consequences of Israel's disobedience, outlining curses that will fall upon them if they break their covenant with God. Following a long list of afflictions, including disease, military defeat, and barrenness, this verse zeroes in on the extreme suffering brought on by famine during a siege, where even the most pampered and refined women would be driven to unthinkable acts to survive.
What happens when God's covenant promises of blessing are broken? Deuteronomy 28 lays out a terrifying picture of curses that follow disobedience.
This passage is part of the 'curses' section of Deuteronomy 28. Moses is warning the Israelites about the severe consequences of breaking their covenant with God. If they refused to listen to God and keep His commands, they wouldn't just face minor inconveniences; they would face utter devastation.
The Unleashed Wrath
Calvin highlights that these curses are not arbitrary punishments but direct consequences of forsaking God. They would impact every aspect of life: in the city and field, in their food, their families, and their journeys. The intensity of these curses is meant to serve as a severe, unforgettable warning.
Imagine the most tender, loving person you know. Now imagine that love twisting into something horrific. This verse describes a chilling transformation.
Deuteronomy 28:56 paints a stark picture of a woman so accustomed to luxury and delicacy that she couldn't even bear to touch the ground. This isn't just about being pampered; it's about a life shielded from hardship.
The Ultimate Degeneration
However, in the direst of circumstances—the siege—this extreme tenderness becomes a source of horror. The 'eye' that was once perhaps gentle towards her family now becomes 'evil,' not out of malice, but out of a desperate, all-consuming hunger. The natural bonds of love are broken, and the unimaginable happens: she 'begrudges' her own family the very food she might have, and the ultimate taboo is revealed – cannibalism.
Benson and Clarke both point out that this isn't just a hypothetical threat; it's a prophecy fulfilled literally throughout history, most notably during the sieges of Jerusalem.
What is the most fundamental human bond? This verse describes a curse so profound it tears apart the very fabric of family and life itself.
Understand the original words
rak · Hebrew Adjective
Describes someone who is dainty, pampered, or pampered due to wealth and social status; often implies a softness that lacks the resilience required for hardship.
ayin · Hebrew Verb
Refers to an action or intention of holding back something due to possessiveness or selfishness; in this context, it implies a desperate withholding out of starvation.
This verse paints a chilling picture of utter devastation, where the most extreme consequences of disobedience are revealed not in abstract threats, but in the breakdown of basic human relationships and the horrifying loss of life and dignity during prolonged sieges and famines.
~1400 BC
Israelites Receive the Law at Sinai
Moses delivers the covenant and the Law of God to the Israelites, including the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience detailed in Deuteronomy 28.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many and scattering them. This event serves as a historical precedent for the curses of Deuteronomy 28.
586 BC— this verse
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, besieges and destroys Jerusalem, exiling the southern Kingdom of Judah. The horrors of starvation and cannibalism described in Deuteronomy 28 are reported during this siege.
c. AD 70
Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
The Roman Empire, under Titus, lays siege to Jerusalem. Historical accounts detail the horrific famine and extreme acts of desperation, fulfilling the dire prophecies of Deuteronomy 28.
This passage echoes the horrors described in Deuteronomy, detailing mothers being driven to eat their own children due to extreme famine during the siege of Jerusalem, highlighting the fulfillment of such dire predictions.
2 Kings 6:28-29This account of the siege of Samaria depicts a similar unimaginable desperation where mothers resorted to cannibalism, showing that the severe curses in Deuteronomy were not isolated events but recurring consequences of disobedience.
Jeremiah 19:9The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that in the siege by their enemies, people would eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, directly mirroring the specific and gruesome curse detailed in Deuteronomy.
Isaiah 3:1-7This passage describes a society in collapse where the pillars of leadership and strength are removed, leading to chaos and a breakdown of normal order, much like the desperate measures a besieged people might take as described in Deuteronomy.
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 28:56: "The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,"
And the tender and delicate woman amongst you,.... Who is instanced in because of her sex, which is more pitiful and compassionate, and especially one that has been brought up genteelly, and has always lived deliciously, on the most d…
This passage paints a stark picture of desperation, revealing that the deepest bonds of love and family would be strained to the breaking point. It highlights how extreme hardship can erode even the most tender affections, turning a mother's fierce protectiveness into a horrifying instinct for survival.
This passage describes the horrific consequences of Israel's disobedience, outlining curses that will fall upon them if they break their covenant with God. Following a long list of afflictions, including disease, military defeat, and barrenness, this verse zeroes in on the extreme suffering brought on by famine during a siege, where even the most pampered and refined women would be driven to unthinkable acts to survive.
This passage describes the horrific consequences of Israel's disobedience, outlining curses that will fall upon them if they break their covenant with God. Following a long list of afflictions, including disease, military defeat, and barrenness, this verse zeroes in on the extreme suffering brought on by famine during a siege, where even the most pampered and refined women would be driven to unthinkable acts to survive.
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The curse described in Deuteronomy 28 doesn't just affect property or national status; it strikes at the heart of human existence and the most sacred relationships. The verse specifies the 'husband she embraces,' 'her son,' and 'her daughter' as the objects of this twisted affection born of desperation.
The Extreme of God's Judgment
This isn't merely about a lack of food; it's about the complete inversion of natural order and affection. As Poole notes, the 'evil eye' signifies a merciless desire for their destruction for her own sustenance. The commentators highlight the secrecy with which this act would be carried out, not to hide the shame, but to hoard the horrific 'food' for oneself, as observed by Benson and Josephus.
This extreme consequence serves as a testament to the severity of rejecting God's covenant. It shows that when the foundational relationship with God is broken, even the most basic human instincts and affections can be perverted.
"The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter," — This passage paints a stark picture of desperation, revealing that the deepest bonds of love and family would be strained to the breaking point. It highlights how extreme hardship can erode even the…
