Deuteronomy 28:60-61
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The verse highlights that the diseases are not just any afflictions, but specifically those that the Israelites feared while in Egypt. This isn't about a random outbreak of sickness, but God bringing back their deepest anxieties, now clinging to them as a consequence of their disobedience.
And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon you, until you are destroyed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a long list of curses that God will bring upon Israel if they disobey His commands. These curses are not just general misfortunes but specific, severe afflictions that will follow them relentlessly. Following this verse, the list continues to describe the utter destruction and scattering of the people among all nations, emphasizing the pervasive and inescapable nature of God's judgment for their disobedience.
Imagine living with a constant fear of illness, not just from natural causes, but as a direct result of broken promises. This verse paints a stark picture of that reality.
In Deuteronomy 28, the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience are presented as direct covenant consequences. When Israel chose to break their covenant with God, the blessings were reversed. The very diseases that afflicted the Egyptians, which the Israelites had witnessed and likely feared, were brought upon them. This wasn't random; it was a deliberate act of God to demonstrate the seriousness of their covenant violation.
What does it mean for a curse to 'cling' to you? This verse suggests a persistent, inescapable affliction that marks those who have turned from God.
The phrase 'they shall cling to you' is powerful. It speaks of an unyielding attachment, a plague that doesn't just pass through but settles in. This speaks to the enduring nature of the consequences when a covenant is broken.
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Understand the original words
choli · Hebrew Noun
General term for physical or spiritual malady, weakness, or disease often viewed as a consequence of sin or a limitation of humanity.
makkah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to suffering, plague, or a devastating blow; in a covenant context, it often denotes divine judgment for disobedience.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, the covenant-keeping I AM, who reveals Himself to His people through His actions in history.
shamad · Hebrew Verb
To be brought to an end, wiped out, or perish; in legal contexts, it implies the total cessation of a nation or state.
This verse directly recalls the plagues experienced in Egypt, serving as a stark reminder that disobedience to God's commands would bring a return of similar suffering, but now with the added weight of God's judgment upon His own covenant people.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites escape slavery in Egypt, experiencing God's plagues and deliverance firsthand.
c. 1445 BC— this verse
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God establishes His covenant with Israel, outlining blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience in Deuteronomy.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, Israel enters and begins conquering the Promised Land.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy
The establishment of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah under Saul, David, and Solomon.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's reign, the united monarchy splits into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, scattering its people and leading to the loss of the ten tribes.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling much of the remaining population of Judah.
This passage contrasts the curses of Deuteronomy, highlighting God's promise to protect Israel from the 'diseases of Egypt' if they obey Him, underscoring the severity of falling under those same afflictions when they disobey.
Leviticus 26:16This verse is part of a similar covenantal warning, listing pestilence and fever as consequences of disobedience, which directly relates to the 'diseases' mentioned in Deuteronomy.
Jeremiah 5:15This prophetic passage echoes the theme of divine judgment, describing foreign nations with unintelligible languages coming against Israel, mirroring the idea of inescapable afflictions and judgment that 'cling' to the people.
Ezekiel 7:9This verse speaks of God's judgment through sickness and disease, stating that His eye will not spare and He will not pity, reinforcing the idea of inescapable and persistent afflictions that 'cleave' to 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 28:60: "Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee."
Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt,.... All that in a way of judgment were brought upon the Egyptians for refusing to let Israel go; or all such diseases as were peculiar to them, and common among them, as the leprosy, the itch, ulcers, &c. which thou wast afraid of; when living among them, lest they should catch them of them, or t…
The verse highlights that the diseases are not just any afflictions, but specifically those that the Israelites feared while in Egypt. This isn't about a random outbreak of sickness, but God bringing back their deepest anxieties, now clinging to them as a consequence of their disobedience.
This verse is part of a long list of curses that God will bring upon Israel if they disobey His commands. These curses are not just general misfortunes but specific, severe afflictions that will follow them relentlessly. Following this verse, the list continues to describe the utter destruction and scattering of the people among all nations, emphasizing the pervasive and inescapable nature of God's judgment for their disobedience.
This verse is part of a long list of curses that God will bring upon Israel if they disobey His commands. These curses are not just general misfortunes but specific, severe afflictions that will follow them relentlessly. Following this verse, the list continues to describe the utter destruction and scattering of the people among all nations, emphasizing the pervasive and inescapable nature of God's judgment for their disobedience.
"And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon you, until y…" — The verse highlights that the diseases are not just any afflictions, but specifically those that the Israelites feared while in Egypt. This isn't about a random outbreak of sickness, but God bringi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
