Deuteronomy 29:22-23
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse highlights that even distant foreigners will witness and ponder the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. It emphasizes that these aren't just internal struggles, but public, observable judgments so severe they will provoke questions from those outside the covenant, drawing attention to God's justice.
And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick— the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and wrath—
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes as Moses is concluding his final address to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. He's laid out the covenant, the blessings for obedience, and the severe curses for disobedience, emphasizing that the covenant is binding not just on them, but on their descendants and even foreigners living among them. This verse specifically looks beyond their immediate generation to describe how future observers, both Israelite and foreign, will witness the devastating consequences of their potential unfaithfulness.
Have you ever wondered how your actions might impact your kids or grandkids? This verse speaks powerfully to that reality, showing that national sin has long-lasting consequences.
Deuteronomy 29 is setting the stage for the severe consequences of Israel's disobedience. Moses isn't just talking about immediate punishment; he's describing a future where the very land cries out about God's judgment.
A Nation's Reckoning
Verse 22 highlights that this judgment won't be forgotten. It will be so evident that 'the generation to come' and even 'the stranger from a far land' will witness it. This isn't just about individual sin; it's about national apostasy leading to a land that is visibly cursed.
The Land Bears Witness
The 'plagues' and 'sicknesses' are not subtle hints; they are a public declaration of God's displeasure. The land itself becomes a testament to the broken covenant, a stark reminder of what happens when a people turns away from the God who blessed them.
Imagine a traveler stumbling upon a desolate land. What questions would they ask? This verse shows how God's judgment is designed to provoke such profound questions.
The inclusion of the 'foreigner from a far land' is crucial. It signifies that the judgment of God on Israel would be so visible and so extraordinary that it would not only be understood by His own people but would also provoke questions from outsiders.
Ask a follow-up
A Global Spectacle
This wasn't meant to be a hidden judgment. The 'plagues' and 'sicknesses' would be a spectacle that draws attention from all corners of the known world. The stranger, with no inherent loyalty to Israel or its God, would be compelled to ask, 'Why?'
The Unmistakable Cause
This astonished inquiry from the foreigner highlights that the cause of such desolation would be undeniable. It wouldn't be attributed to natural disaster alone, but to the direct hand of the LORD. The land's condition would scream of divine displeasure, leading observers to seek the reason for God's 'great anger'.
Understand the original words
aph · Hebrew Noun
A term describing deep, intense hostility, indignation, or divine displeasure toward sin. It is the holy reaction of God's righteousness against everything that opposes His character and commands.
chemah · Hebrew Noun
A powerful, burning indignation or fury that accompanies divine judgment. It signifies the intense and irresistible expression of God's holy hatred of evil.
This verse vividly describes the future generations and foreigners witnessing the devastating consequences of Israel's covenant breaking, specifically referencing the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile as a profound, visible judgment that would prompt questions about God's justice and faithfulness.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites conquered and settled in the Promised Land, establishing a covenant with God that stipulated blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
c. 931 BC
Division of the United Monarchy
After the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon, the united kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah due to internal strife and heavy taxation.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and its population was exiled, serving as a stark warning of the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Southern Kingdom of Judah, after repeated disobedience and idolatry, was conquered by the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and many of its people were exiled to Babylon.
539 BC
Persian Conquest and Return from Exile
The Babylonian Empire fell to the Persians, who allowed many Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple and city, offering a chance for renewed covenant faithfulness.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Deuteronomy 29 by describing how future generations and passing nations will question the desolation of Jerusalem, and in turn, explain it as a consequence of forsaking God's covenant.
1 Kings 9:8-9Similar to Deuteronomy 29, this passage describes a future astonishment at the ruin of a prominent city, with the reason given for the desolation being the people's abandonment of the Lord.
Lamentations 4:12This verse speaks to the profound astonishment of onlookers, even kings and common folk alike, at the severity of Jerusalem's destruction, reflecting the shock described in Deuteronomy 29 when future generations witness the land's affliction.
Romans 1:18-23This New Testament passage explains that God's wrath is revealed against ungodliness, leading people to be given over to impurity and idolatry, which parallels the consequence described in Deuteronomy where disobedience leads to divine judgment and a land's affliction.
Revelation 18:9-10In describing the fall of a great city, this passage shows future generations and rulers weeping and lamenting over its destruction, mirroring the stunned reaction of foreigners in Deuteronomy who witness a fallen land and inquire about God's judgment.
calvinDeuteronomy 29:10-28: "Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,"
That he may establish thee today for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Ut statuat te hodie sibi in populum, et ipse sit tibi in Deum, quemadmodum loquutus est tibi, et quemadmodum juravit patrib…
bensonDeuteronomy 29:22: "So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it;"
Deuteronomy 29:22-23 . So that the generation — Hebrew And the generation: for it appears to be a new paragraph, the sense whereof is, Whenever your wickedness shall arrive at such a height as to bring upon your nation the terrible desolations be…
This verse highlights that even distant foreigners will witness and ponder the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. It emphasizes that these aren't just internal struggles, but public, observable judgments so severe they will provoke questions from those outside the covenant, drawing attention to God's justice.
This passage comes as Moses is concluding his final address to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. He's laid out the covenant, the blessings for obedience, and the severe curses for disobedience, emphasizing that the covenant is binding not just on them, but on their descendants and even foreigners living among them. This verse specifically looks beyond their immediate generation to describe how future observers, both Israelite and foreign, will witness the devastating consequences of their potential unfaithfulness.
This passage comes as Moses is concluding his final address to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. He's laid out the covenant, the blessings for obedience, and the severe curses for disobedience, emphasizing that the covenant is binding not just on them, but on their descendants and even foreigners living among them. This verse specifically looks beyond their immediate generation to describe how future observers, both Israelite and foreign, will witness the devastating consequences of their potential unfaithfulness.
"And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick— the whole land burned…" — This verse highlights that even distant foreigners will witness and ponder the devastating consequences of Israel's disobedience. It emphasizes that these aren't just internal struggles, but public,…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
