Deuteronomy 28:68
And the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse contains a subtle, almost ironic twist: after their ancestors were miraculously led out of Egypt with a mighty hand, these descendants will be forced back by sea, a journey they were told they’d never make again. The ultimate humiliation is not just returning to their former place of bondage, but to be so despised and numerous that no one will even buy them as slaves.
This verse concludes a long section of curses detailing the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. Moses has been painting a grim picture of a nation plagued by famine, disease, war, and internal strife. This final curse describes a humiliating return to Egypt, the very place from which God miraculously delivered their ancestors, not as a free people but as slaves with no buyers, signifying utter despair and loss of dignity.
Imagine the unthinkable: after a miraculous exodus from slavery, you're destined to return to that very place, but this time, not as a liberated people, but as property.
This verse describes a profound reversal of fortune. Israel's identity was forged in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. To be brought back to Egypt 'with ships' signifies not just a physical return, but a spiritual and societal collapse. It underscores God's judgment: a return to the very place they were freed from, highlighting the depth of their disobedience and the severity of its consequences. This wasn't just a punishment; it was a painful, public undoing of God's grace, serving as a stark reminder of their covenant failure.
What could be worse than being sold into slavery? Being so worthless that no one will even buy you.
The final phrase, 'and no man shall buy you,' speaks volumes about the depth of Israel's fallen state. It signifies not only a loss of freedom but a complete stripping away of dignity and value. They are so despised and broken that even those who profit from human chattel have no interest. This isn't merely about being unwanted; it's about being rendered utterly contemptible in the eyes of the world. It paints a picture of absolute despair, where even the potential for a meager existence as a slave is denied.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God (YHWH). It reveals His self-existence, eternal nature, and His faithfulness to the covenant He established with His people.
Mitsrayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
Refers to the land of bondage from which God delivered Israel in the Exodus. Symbolically, it often represents a place of slavery, idolatry, and a return to the bondage from which God has redeemed His people.
oyeb · Hebrew Noun
Those who are hostile, opposing, or adversaries to God's people. This term can refer to political, military, or spiritual enemies who seek to oppress the covenant community.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
Individuals forced into servitude, lacking personal freedom and rights. Slavery in the Bible is a condition often associated with judgment, oppression, and the loss of the covenantal inheritance of freedom in the Promised Land.
This verse describes a brutal return to Egypt as slaves, a stark reversal of the Exodus. It vividly pictures the ultimate consequence of prolonged disobedience: not just exile, but a forced, humiliating return to the very place from which God miraculously delivered their ancestors, where they would be so despised that even slave markets would refuse them.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, a pivotal event that forms the foundation of their national identity and covenant relationship with God.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites, under Joshua, conquer and settle the Promised Land, establishing their kingdom.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After King Solomon's reign, the united monarchy splits into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting much of its population, a foreshadowing of future exiles.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many Judeans. This event marks a profound crisis and a fulfillment of earlier warnings about disobedience.
AD 70— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem by Rome
Following a Jewish revolt, the Roman Empire under Titus destroys Jerusalem and its Second Temple. This catastrophic event leads to widespread dispersion and enslavement of Jews.
c. AD 135
Bar Kokhba Revolt Aftermath
Following the final Jewish revolt against Rome, many more Jews are enslaved and exiled. Egypt becomes a destination for some of these enslaved populations.
This passage shows the dire consequences faced by those who disobey God's direct commands and flee to Egypt, highlighting the danger of seeking refuge there when God has forbidden it.
Jeremiah 44:12-14Here, Jeremiah directly confronts the remnant of Judah who fled to Egypt, prophesying their destruction and revealing that those who sought refuge there would face calamities worse than those left behind.
Ezekiel 29:17-20This prophecy describes God's judgment upon Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar's conquest, which would involve the land being given as wages to him and his army, a context where captured peoples could easily be sold into slavery.
Lamentations 5:10This verse describes the extreme hardship and desperate measures taken during a siege, where people become so hungry and desperate that they would literally offer themselves for sale to survive, reflecting the spirit of Deuteronomy 28:68.
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 28:68: "And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you."
And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships,.... Either into a state of hard bondage and slavery, like that their fathers were in, in Egypt; or rather, strictly and literally, should be brought into Egypt again, since it is said to be "…
This verse contains a subtle, almost ironic twist: after their ancestors were miraculously led out of Egypt with a mighty hand, these descendants will be forced back by sea, a journey they were told they’d never make again. The ultimate humiliation is not just returning to their former place of bondage, but to be so despised and numerous that no one will even buy them as slaves.
This verse concludes a long section of curses detailing the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. Moses has been painting a grim picture of a nation plagued by famine, disease, war, and internal strife. This final curse describes a humiliating return to Egypt, the very place from which God miraculously delivered their ancestors, not as a free people but as slaves with no buyers, signifying utter despair and loss of dignity.
This verse concludes a long section of curses detailing the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. Moses has been painting a grim picture of a nation plagued by famine, disease, war, and internal strife. This final curse describes a humiliating return to Egypt, the very place from which God miraculously delivered their ancestors, not as a free people but as slaves with no buyers, signifying utter despair and loss of dignity.
"And the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”" — This verse contains a subtle, almost ironic twist: after their ancestors were miraculously led out of Egypt with a mighty hand, these descendants will be forced back by sea, a journey they were told…
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