Deuteronomy 29:28
and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse powerfully describes God’s ultimate judgment, but the phrase "as it is this day" isn't just a historical marker. It emphasizes that this judgment is an ongoing reality, a stark, living testament that continues to speak, even to us, about the consequences of abandoning God.
This verse comes at the end of a powerful speech by Moses where he reiterates the covenant God made with Israel, warning them about the consequences of disobedience. After detailing the blessings of faithfulness and the curses for straying, Moses describes how future generations will witness the desolation of their land due to their ancestors' sin, leading to their permanent removal from God's presence and their homeland, as a stark example to all nations.
The verse describes God's 'anger,' 'wrath,' and 'indignation.' What does that really mean for a holy God? And how can we understand it today?
It's easy to think of God's anger like human anger – a loss of control, a flash of temper. But Scripture paints a different picture.
A Righteous Response
God's anger isn't a flaw; it's a perfection. It's His holy opposition to sin and rebellion. Think of it as His pure, unwavering commitment to justice and goodness that must react against what is evil.
The Intensity of Judgment
When Deuteronomy speaks of God's 'anger,' 'wrath,' and 'great indignation,' it's emphasizing the absolute severity of His judgment on a people who have repeatedly broken their covenant. This isn't a mild displeasure; it's the full force of divine justice responding to profound betrayal.
It’s important to remember that this judgment is not arbitrary. It’s the direct consequence of the people's choices to abandon God and His covenant, turning to idolatry instead.
The verse says God 'uprooted' His people. What does this dramatic image tell us about the seriousness of breaking covenant with God?
The imagery of being 'uprooted' is incredibly powerful. It’s not just about being moved; it’s about being torn from the very soil of your existence, from the land God promised you.
Loss of Inheritance
Israel's covenant with God included a promised land – a tangible sign of His blessing and their security. To be uprooted means forfeiting this inheritance. It signifies a complete loss of the life and identity tied to that land and to their place within God's people.
A Perpetual Warning
This uprooting wasn't a temporary setback. The text emphasizes that they were cast into 'another land, as they are this day.' This points to a profound and lasting consequence, a scattering that serves as a perpetual warning to future generations about the devastating cost of turning away from God.
Understand the original words
natash · Hebrew Verb
The violent or decisive removal of a people from their land, serving as a consequence of spiritual abandonment of God. It signifies the severing of the covenantal connection between the people, the land, and the Lord.
chemah · Hebrew Noun
An intense, overwhelming, and righteous emotional response of God against sin. It highlights the seriousness of His holiness and the inevitable gravity of His judgment upon rebellion.
ebrah · Hebrew Noun
A state of intense divine displeasure resulting in active judgment. It signifies the pouring out of God's righteous indignation against persistent, willful disobedience.
This verse speaks powerfully to the repeated pattern in Israel's history: disobedience leading to exile and dispersion. Whether it's the fall of the northern kingdom, the Babylonian conquest, or the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, God's judgment followed their covenant breaking, scattering them into 'another land'.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Neo-Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants and resettling the land with foreign populations. This marks the 'uprooting' of a significant portion of the Israelite people from their promised land.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom
The Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the remaining population of the Southern Kingdom of Judah to Babylon. This event fulfills the dire warnings of Deuteronomy.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus, overthrows the Babylonian Empire, allowing the exiled Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding their temple and city. This marks the beginning of a return, though not a full restoration for all.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans
This passage echoes Deuteronomy's theme, describing how foreign nations will question the desolation of Jerusalem, and the answer given is their forsaking of the Lord and worshipping other gods, directly linking national destruction to covenant unfaithfulness.
1 Kings 14:15This verse speaks of God rooting out Israel from their land 'this good land' that He gave them, directly paralleling the action and sentiment described in Deuteronomy 29:28 and highlighting the consequence of disobedience.
Lamentations 4:11The book of Lamentations vividly portrays the fulfillment of Deuteronomy's curses, showing how the Lord 'kindled a fire of anger against Jacob' and consumed Jerusalem, illustrating the divine wrath described in the verse.
Hosea 9:17Hosea prophesies God's rejection of His people, stating 'my God will cast them away: and they shall be wanderers among the nations,' which is a direct spiritual precursor and theological parallel to being uprooted and cast into another land.
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…
pooleDeuteronomy 29:28: "And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day."
No text from Poole on this verse.
This verse powerfully describes God’s ultimate judgment, but the phrase "as it is this day" isn't just a historical marker. It emphasizes that this judgment is an ongoing reality, a stark, living testament that continues to speak, even to us, about the consequences of abandoning God.
This verse comes at the end of a powerful speech by Moses where he reiterates the covenant God made with Israel, warning them about the consequences of disobedience. After detailing the blessings of faithfulness and the curses for straying, Moses describes how future generations will witness the desolation of their land due to their ancestors' sin, leading to their permanent removal from God's presence and their homeland, as a stark example to all nations.
This verse comes at the end of a powerful speech by Moses where he reiterates the covenant God made with Israel, warning them about the consequences of disobedience. After detailing the blessings of faithfulness and the curses for straying, Moses describes how future generations will witness the desolation of their land due to their ancestors' sin, leading to their permanent removal from God's presence and their homeland, as a stark example to all nations.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Deuteronomy 29:28 is available in the Sola app.
The Roman Empire crushes a Jewish revolt, destroying Jerusalem and its second temple. This event leads to a widespread and permanent scattering of the Jewish people into lands across the Roman Empire and beyond.
"and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day.’" — This verse powerfully describes God’s ultimate judgment, but the phrase "as it is this day" isn't just a historical marker. It emphasizes that this judgment is an ongoing reality, a stark, living tes…
