Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.

DEUTERONOMY 28:30KJV
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Deuteronomy 28:30 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 28:30 mean?

Deuteronomy 28:30 describes a series of painful losses: a man will become engaged to a woman, but another man will sleep with her; he will build a house but not live in it; he will plant a vineyard but not enjoy its fruit. These are vivid examples of hopes being crushed and hard work being taken away by others.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites, warning them about the curses that will come if they turn away from God’s covenant. The verse paints a picture of deep frustration and injustice, showing that even the most basic joys and achievements—marriage, home, harvest—can be lost if the people are unfaithful.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 28:30

  • The word for “betroth” is אָרַשׂ (’āras, H781), which means to become engaged or pledged to marry. In ancient Israel, betrothal was a binding agreement, so losing a fiancée to another man would be especially devastating.
  • “Lie with” uses the Hebrew word שָׁכַב (shākav, H7901), which often refers to sexual relations. This makes the betrayal and loss very personal and humiliating.
  • The word for “house” is בַּיִת (bayit, H1004), meaning not just a building but a home and center of family life. Not dwelling in it (יָשַׁב, yashav, H3427) emphasizes the loss of security and stability.
  • “Vineyard” is כֶּרֶם (kerem, H3754), and “grapes” is עֵנָב (enav, H6025, though the tag lists חָלַל, chalal, H2490, which means “to profane” or “defile”). The idea is that the fruit of one’s labor is taken or spoiled, not enjoyed.

Why Deuteronomy 28:30 matters

  • This verse clears up the idea that curses in the Bible are only about physical suffering; here, the emotional pain of seeing one’s dreams and efforts stolen is front and center.
  • Deuteronomy 28:30 connects to the wider chapter, which contrasts blessings for obedience with curses for disobedience, making the consequences of turning away from God very concrete and relatable.
  • The verse highlights how, in the ancient world, marriage, home, and harvest were the core of personal happiness and stability, so losing them would feel like losing everything.

Where else these words appear

“lie” Hebrew H7693 · used in 4 verses

  • Isaiah 13:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
  • Jeremiah 3:2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
  • Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

“betroth” Hebrew H781 · used in 10 verses

  • Exodus 22:16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
  • Deuteronomy 22:25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:
  • 2 Samuel 3:14 And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

“plant” Hebrew H5193 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
  • Psalms 104:16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
  • Jeremiah 12:2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.

“vineyard” Hebrew H3754 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
  • 1 Kings 21:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
  • Isaiah 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.