Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.

DEUTERONOMY 28:17KJV
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Deuteronomy 28:17 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 28:17 mean?

Deuteronomy 28:17 says that if the Israelites turn away from God’s commands, even their everyday tools for gathering and storing food—their baskets and storehouses—will be under a curse, meaning they will not prosper or be fruitful. This verse warns that disobedience will affect not just individuals but also the basic means of survival for the whole community.

In this chapter, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He is explaining the blessings that will come from obeying God and the curses that will follow disobedience. The mention of the “basket” and “store” points to daily life—harvest, food, and provision—showing that the consequences of turning from God would touch the most ordinary and essential parts of life.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 28:17

  • “Cursed” (אָרוּר, ’arur, H779) means to be under a negative judgment or ban, often understood as being set apart for misfortune or loss. Here, it signals that the normal expectation of blessing is reversed.
  • “Basket” (טֶנֶא, tene’, H2935) refers to a container used for carrying or collecting food, especially during harvest. The curse on the basket means daily efforts to gather food would be frustrated.
  • “Store” (מִשְׁאֶרֶת, mishe’ret, H4863) points to a kneading trough or a storage vessel for flour or dough. This word highlights that even what is already gathered and prepared for use would not escape the curse.

Why Deuteronomy 28:17 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the curses for disobedience are not just spiritual or abstract but would be felt in the most practical, everyday areas of life—food, work, and provision.
  • The focus on both “basket” and “store” shows that both the process of gathering and the results of labor would be affected, emphasizing the total impact of turning away from God.
  • In the wider context of Deuteronomy 28, this verse is part of a long list of blessings and curses, making clear that obedience or disobedience to God’s covenant has real, tangible consequences for the whole community.

Where else these words appear

“basket” Hebrew H2935 · used in 4 verses

  • Deuteronomy 26:2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
  • Deuteronomy 26:4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.
  • Deuteronomy 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

“store” Hebrew H4863 · used in 4 verses

  • Exodus 8:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
  • Exodus 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
  • Deuteronomy 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

“Cursed” Hebrew H779 · used in 52 verses

  • Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
  • Numbers 24:9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
  • Joshua 9:23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.