Deuteronomy 28:56-57
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse highlights a terrifying inversion of natural order: the most pampered, delicate woman, who would never even touch the ground, is reduced to a state where she becomes a predator, even towards her own family. This illustrates the profound breakdown of love and societal bonds that occurs when a people forsakes God, plunging them into a desperation that eclipses all former sensitivities.
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, her afterbirth that comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears, because lacking everything she will eat them secretly, in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your towns.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears within a lengthy section detailing the severe curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's commands. Following warnings of defeat and loss of property, the text shifts to the devastating consequences of prolonged siege and famine. The passage describes a horrific breakdown of humanity, where the most pampered and sheltered individuals, who would normally recoil from any hardship, are driven to the most extreme acts of desperation to survive.
What happens when obedience is abandoned? Deuteronomy paints a stark picture, detailing curses that go beyond mere inconvenience to strike at the very heart of life.
Deuteronomy 28 lays out a chilling consequence for Israel's disobedience. These aren't just abstract warnings; they are graphic descriptions of what happens when a nation turns its back on God.
A comprehensive breakdown:
Imagine the deepest human bonds twisted into something horrific. This passage reveals a chilling transformation born from desperation.
The verse introduces a profound and disturbing consequence of the curses: the perversion of familial love. In the face of extreme famine, the tenderest affections curdle into self-preservation and even malice.
Ask a follow-up
The Breakdown of Bonds:
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.
shilyah · Hebrew Noun
The placenta or fetal membranes expelled after birth; considered a sign of reproductive fruitfulness and life.
matsor · Hebrew Noun
A state of extreme tightness or pressure, often caused by a blockade; figuratively used to describe the mental and physical agony resulting from divine judgment or oppression.
This verse describes the horrific conditions of siege and starvation, vividly illustrating the ultimate consequence of disobedience to God's covenant. Its fulfillment is tragically documented in multiple instances throughout Israel's history, most notably during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the Roman destruction of the city centuries later, demonstrating the severe and prolonged impact of turning away from God.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
The Israelites, led by Joshua, conquer and settle the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt. This marks the establishment of the covenant nation in their inheritance.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy Established
Saul, David, and Solomon rule as kings over a united Israel, a period of relative peace and prosperity, though the seeds of later division are sown.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united monarchy splits into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah, leading to increased political instability.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This serves as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and exile a significant portion of the population. This fulfills the dire warnings of Deuteronomy.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Under Cyrus the Great of Persia, many Jewish exiles are permitted to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple. This marks a new chapter, though with ongoing challenges.
AD 70
Destruction of Second Temple
The Roman Empire destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple after a Jewish revolt, leading to further dispersion and suffering for the Jewish people.
This passage directly echoes the horror of Deuteronomy 28, describing how mothers were forced to eat their own children due to the extreme famine during the siege of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 19:9This verse prophesies a similar horrific fate where people will eat the flesh of their sons and daughters during a siege, highlighting the devastating consequences of disobedience.
2 Kings 6:28-29This passage provides a historical account of two women resorting to cannibalism during the siege of Samaria, illustrating a fulfillment of the curses described in Deuteronomy 28.
Isaiah 3:16This verse speaks of arrogant women who walk with outstretched necks and alluring eyes, and it connects to the idea of spoiled and delicate women whose character deteriorates under judgment, although the specifics differ.
Matthew 24:29Jesus references a time of unprecedented tribulation, echoing the severity of curses found in Deuteronomy, and the idea that such extreme distress would lead to dire consequences for all people, not just the disobedient.
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…
The verse highlights a terrifying inversion of natural order: the most pampered, delicate woman, who would never even touch the ground, is reduced to a state where she becomes a predator, even towards her own family. This illustrates the profound breakdown of love and societal bonds that occurs when a people forsakes God, plunging them into a desperation that eclipses all former sensitivities.
This verse appears within a lengthy section detailing the severe curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's commands. Following warnings of defeat and loss of property, the text shifts to the devastating consequences of prolonged siege and famine. The passage describes a horrific breakdown of humanity, where the most pampered and sheltered individuals, who would normally recoil from any hardship, are driven to the most extreme acts of desperation to survive.
This verse appears within a lengthy section detailing the severe curses that will befall Israel if they disobey God's commands. Following warnings of defeat and loss of property, the text shifts to the devastating consequences of prolonged siege and famine. The passage describes a horrific breakdown of humanity, where the most pampered and sheltered individuals, who would normally recoil from any hardship, are driven to the most extreme acts of desperation to survive.
"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, her afterbirth t…" — The verse highlights a terrifying inversion of natural order: the most pampered, delicate woman, who would never even touch the ground, is reduced to a state where she becomes a predator, even toward…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
