Deuteronomy 28:63-64
And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. “And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss is the mirrored language: God's delight in blessing Israel is directly contrasted with His "delight" in their destruction. This isn't about God enjoying their suffering, but about His satisfaction in executing justice when His chosen people turn away from Him, just as He found satisfaction in blessing them when they obeyed.
This verse concludes a lengthy and severe list of curses detailing the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. After God had previously rejoiced in blessing and multiplying them, He now declares He will "rejoice" in their destruction, emphasizing the complete reversal of fortune that awaits them as they are violently removed from the land they were promised.
The Bible describes God 'rejoicing' in both blessing and judgment. How can we understand this seemingly contradictory expression of God's heart?
This verse uses powerful language to describe God's relationship with His people. It's not that God needs to feel delight, but this phrasing emphasizes the intensity and purpose behind His actions.
A Source of Joy
When God brought Israel out of Egypt, blessed them, and multiplied them, it was a delight to Him. This delight stemmed from His faithfulness to His promises and His desire to see His people flourish. It was an expression of His goodness and power.
A Stern Warning
Conversely, when Israel disobeys and turns away from Him, God will 'rejoice' in bringing ruin. This isn't a sadistic pleasure, but a holy, righteous delight in executing justice and upholding the holiness of His covenant. His justice must respond to sin, and in that response, there is a divine 'satisfaction' in seeing His character upheld. It's a stark reminder that God’s justice is as real and as purposeful as His mercy.
The finality of being 'plucked from the land' is a severe consequence. What does this removal signify beyond just physical displacement?
The promise of the land was central to God's covenant with Israel. It was a tangible sign of His blessing, His presence, and their unique relationship with Him.
Loss of Inheritance
Being 'plucked' signifies a violent and complete expulsion. It's not just losing a place to live; it's the loss of God's promised inheritance, a forfeiture of the blessings secured by covenant faithfulness. It represents a severance from the very place where God had chosen to dwell with His people.
A Sign of Judgment
This expulsion served as a powerful, visible sign to Israel and the surrounding nations that disobedience had severe consequences. It demonstrated that God's favor was conditional on their adherence to His law, and that defying Him meant losing the most precious thing He had given them: His presence in their land.
Understand the original words
sus · Hebrew Verb
To take pleasure or joy in a person or a course of action; it characterizes God's disposition toward His people, both in blessing and in righteous judgment.
nasach · Hebrew Verb
To be rooted out or violently removed from a place; often used metaphorically for the removal of a people from the land promised to them.
putz · Hebrew Verb
To disperse or drive away; often used in the context of judgment where a population is scattered as punishment for covenant breaking.
ets va-aven · Hebrew Noun phrase
Used in Scripture to describe inanimate idols fashioned by human hands, highlighting their impotence and lack of divinity compared to the Creator God.
This verse powerfully encapsulates the consequences of persistent disobedience. The 'rejoicing' of God in judgment mirrors the 'rejoicing' in blessing, highlighting the seriousness with which He upholds His covenant and holds His people accountable for their actions, particularly the devastating loss of their promised land.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
After wandering in the desert, the Israelites conquer and settle the Promised Land, a period marked by God's faithfulness and the people's initial obedience.
c. 1000 BC
United Monarchy
Under kings like David and Solomon, Israel experiences a period of stability, prosperity, and expansion, marked by increased blessings and national pride.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah, leading to increased division and unfaithfulness.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its inhabitants and scattering them, fulfilling earlier warnings of judgment.
This passage speaks of God's anger and wrath being stirred up against His people because of their persistent evil, leading to their destruction and abandonment, mirroring the severity of Deuteronomy 28:63.
Hosea 11:8This verse expresses God's internal conflict, His heart turning over and His compassion stirred, when contemplating the utter destruction of His people, highlighting the immense sorrow and gravity of the judgment described in Deuteronomy 28:63.
Psalm 106:41This psalm recounts how God gave hostile nations power over His people when they angered Him, leading to their subjugation and scattering, which directly illustrates the 'plucked from the land' consequence in Deuteronomy 28:63.
Leviticus 26:17This verse describes the enemies overcoming God's people and the people hating each other, showing a pattern of societal collapse and distress that flows from disobedience, similar to the devastating outcomes in Deuteronomy 28.
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 28:63: "And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it."
And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good,.... The Word of the Lord, as the Targum of Jonathan; who with great delight and pleasure in them brought them out of Egypt, conducted them through…
What's easy to miss is the mirrored language: God's delight in blessing Israel is directly contrasted with His "delight" in their destruction. This isn't about God enjoying their suffering, but about His satisfaction in executing justice when His chosen people turn away from Him, just as He found satisfaction in blessing them when they obeyed.
This verse concludes a lengthy and severe list of curses detailing the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. After God had previously rejoiced in blessing and multiplying them, He now declares He will "rejoice" in their destruction, emphasizing the complete reversal of fortune that awaits them as they are violently removed from the land they were promised.
This verse concludes a lengthy and severe list of curses detailing the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. After God had previously rejoiced in blessing and multiplying them, He now declares He will "rejoice" in their destruction, emphasizing the complete reversal of fortune that awaits them as they are violently removed from the land they were promised.
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586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Neo-Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining people of Judah. This marks the fulfillment of Deuteronomy's severe curses, including being "plucked from off the land."
AD 135
Bar Kokhba Revolt Crushed
Following a major Jewish rebellion against Roman rule, Emperor Hadrian expels most Jews from Jerusalem and Judea, reinforcing the scattering predicted in Deuteronomy.
"And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. “And the…" — What's easy to miss is the mirrored language: God's delight in blessing Israel is directly contrasted with His "delight" in their destruction. This isn't about God enjoying their suffering, but abo…
