The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

DEUTERONOMY 28:35KJV
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Deuteronomy 28:35 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 28:35 mean?

Deuteronomy 28:35 describes a severe physical affliction that the LORD will bring upon the people as a consequence of disobedience, specifically painful and incurable sores affecting their knees, legs, and spreading from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads. This verse emphasizes the total and inescapable nature of the suffering described.

In this part of Deuteronomy, Moses is speaking to the Israelites, warning them about the curses that will come if they do not keep the covenant with God. The verse uses vivid language to show that the suffering will be both widespread and impossible to heal, highlighting the seriousness of turning away from God’s commands.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 28:35

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name for God used throughout the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing that the source of the affliction is not random but comes directly from Israel’s covenant God.
  • "smite" (נָכָה, nakah): This word means to strike or afflict, stressing that the suffering is an active consequence, not just a natural misfortune.
  • "botch" (שְׁחִין, shekhin): This refers to an inflamed, ulcerous sore or boil, often understood as a painful and visible skin disease. The use of this word paints a picture of a serious, disfiguring condition.
  • "cannot be healed" (תוּכַל לְהֵרָפֵא, yukhal le-rāphē): The phrase means the sores are beyond medical help, underlining the hopelessness and severity of the judgment.

Why Deuteronomy 28:35 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the curses for disobedience are not just spiritual or social but can include intense physical suffering, making the consequences very tangible for the original audience.
  • The detail that the sores are "from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head" shows the totality of the affliction, leaving no part of the body untouched, which underscores the seriousness of breaking the covenant.
  • In the wider context of Deuteronomy 28, this verse is part of a long list of curses, contrasting sharply with the blessings promised earlier for obedience, and serves as a warning about the real consequences of turning away from God’s instructions.

Where else these words appear

“head” Hebrew H6936 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.
  • 2 Samuel 14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
  • Psalms 68:21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

“botch” Hebrew H7822 · used in 12 verses

  • Exodus 9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
  • Leviticus 13:18 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed,
  • Deuteronomy 28:27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

“legs” Hebrew H7785 · used in 19 verses

  • Exodus 29:22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
  • Leviticus 8:26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:
  • Judges 15:8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

“knees” Hebrew H1290 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 30:3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
  • 1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
  • Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.