Deuteronomy 29:28
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The Hebrew word for "cast" in this verse is written with a larger than usual letter. This unusual feature is seen by ancient Jewish commentators as a specific sign that this "casting out" is not temporary, like the exile of the southern kingdom, but a perpetual removal, a permanent separation from God's land and people.
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 verse concludes a solemn warning where Moses recounts the covenant blessings and curses God will bring upon Israel if they stray. He emphasizes that God will utterly destroy those who turn to idolatry, making their land barren and a spectacle to future generations. The ultimate consequence for this persistent disobedience, as stated here, is their violent expulsion from the promised land into exile, a state that is already a grim reality for many at the time of writing.
This verse describes a devastating outcome for disobedience: being 'uprooted' and 'cast into another land.' What makes this judgment so absolute?
Moses doesn't hold back in describing the ultimate consequence of Israel's persistent rebellion. The repeated emphasis on God's anger—'anger,' 'wrath,' and 'great indignation'—underscores the seriousness of their covenant-breaking.
This wasn't a minor correction; it was a complete removal. The Hebrew word for 'uprooted' suggests a violent tearing away, leaving nothing behind. And being 'cast into another land' signifies a total loss of home, inheritance, and belonging.
Some Jewish tradition points to a special emphasis on this judgment for the ten tribes, noting peculiarities in the Hebrew text (like a larger letter). Whether specifically for them or for all who reject God's covenant, the message is clear: persistent disobedience leads to a final, irreversible separation from God's promised blessings and presence.
The verse states they were cast into another land 'as they are this day.' Why is the ongoing reality of their exile so crucial for those who remain?
The scattering of Israel wasn't meant to be forgotten. The fact that they were in 'another land' at that very moment served as a stark, ongoing warning.
Future generations, and even foreigners who encountered them, were meant to see this devastation and ask why. Their ruined land and displaced existence were a visible testament to the consequences of forsaking God's covenant. This living example was a constant sermon, illustrating the seriousness of God's law and the faithfulness of His promises (both the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience).
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This outward sign was meant to prompt introspection and a turning back to God, preventing others from repeating the same fatal mistakes.
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 powerfully describes the catastrophic consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, referencing historical exiles, most notably the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent scattering of God's people into foreign lands.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, under King Sargon II, conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants to various parts of the Assyrian empire.
597 BC
First Deportation of Judah to Babylon
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar II, besieges Jerusalem and deports a significant portion of the population, including Jehoiachin the king and many leaders and skilled workers, to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population of Judah to Babylon. This event marks the end of the Davidic monarchy and the kingdom of Judah.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ushering in a new era where exiled peoples, including the Judeans, were often allowed to return to their homelands.
c. 167 BC - 160 BC
Maccabean Revolt
A Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid Empire, sparked by forced Hellenization and desecration of the Temple, leads to a period of conflict and eventual Jewish independence.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman Empire crushes a major Jewish revolt, destroying Jerusalem and its Second Temple. This event leads to a widespread and lasting diaspora for the Jewish people.
This passage describes foreign nations marveling at the desolation of Jerusalem and asking why God did this, receiving the answer that it was because they forsook God's covenant. It echoes the idea of God's judgment being so severe that it becomes a lesson to surrounding nations, just as Deuteronomy 29:28 describes.
1 Kings 14:15This verse directly parallels the imagery of God 'uprooting' Israel from their land, showing that the consequence described in Deuteronomy was a recognized and fearsome judgment of God even before the events of this chapter.
Jeremiah 32:37Here God promises to gather Israel from all the lands where He has scattered them, implying a prior scattering or 'uprooting' that was done in His anger. This highlights the severity of the judgment in Deuteronomy 29:28 as a scattering that God Himself will eventually reverse.
1 Kings 9:8-9Similar to Jeremiah, this passage explains that the desolation of the Temple and land would cause passersby to be astonished and inquire about God's actions. The answer given, that they forsook the Lord their God, directly reflects the reason for the uprooting described in Deuteronomy.
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.
The Hebrew word for "cast" in this verse is written with a larger than usual letter. This unusual feature is seen by ancient Jewish commentators as a specific sign that this "casting out" is not temporary, like the exile of the southern kingdom, but a perpetual removal, a permanent separation from God's land and people.
This verse concludes a solemn warning where Moses recounts the covenant blessings and curses God will bring upon Israel if they stray. He emphasizes that God will utterly destroy those who turn to idolatry, making their land barren and a spectacle to future generations. The ultimate consequence for this persistent disobedience, as stated here, is their violent expulsion from the promised land into exile, a state that is already a grim reality for many at the time of writing.
This verse concludes a solemn warning where Moses recounts the covenant blessings and curses God will bring upon Israel if they stray. He emphasizes that God will utterly destroy those who turn to idolatry, making their land barren and a spectacle to future generations. The ultimate consequence for this persistent disobedience, as stated here, is their violent expulsion from the promised land into exile, a state that is already a grim reality for many at the time of writing.
"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.’" — The Hebrew word for "cast" in this verse is written with a larger than usual letter. This unusual feature is seen by ancient Jewish commentators as a specific sign that this "casting out" is not temp…
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Last reviewed October 2026
