Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:

DEUTERONOMY 28:45KJV
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Deuteronomy 28:45 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 28:45 mean?

Deuteronomy 28:45 says that all the curses described earlier in the chapter will come upon the Israelites, chase after them, and eventually overwhelm them until they are destroyed, because they did not listen to the LORD their God or obey His commandments and statutes. The verse explains that the reason for these consequences is the people's failure to heed God's instructions.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He is warning them about the serious results of disobedience to God's laws. The verse is part of a larger section where blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience are laid out in detail, showing the importance of listening to and following God's commands.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 28:45

  • "Curses" (קְלָלוֹת, qelalot): This word refers to specific negative consequences or judgments, not just general misfortune. The curses are described as active forces that will pursue and overtake the people.
  • "Pursue" (רָדַף, radaf): This verb means to chase or hunt down. The curses are pictured as relentless, not easily escaped.
  • "Overtake" (נָשַׂג, nasag): This word means to catch up with or reach someone. The idea is that the consequences will not just follow but will eventually catch and overwhelm those who disobey.
  • "Hearkenedst" (שָׁמַע, shama): This verb means to listen with the intent to obey. The problem is not just hearing God's voice, but failing to respond with obedience.
  • "Commandments" (מִצְוָה, mitzvah) and "Statutes" (חֻקָּה, chuqqah): These words refer to God's specific instructions and lasting regulations. The verse emphasizes that both types of commands are important.

Why Deuteronomy 28:45 matters

  • Deuteronomy 28:45 clarifies that the curses are not random but are a direct result of choosing not to listen to and obey God's voice.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness and certainty of the consequences for disobedience, using strong language about pursuit and destruction.
  • This verse ties the entire section of blessings and curses together, showing that the covenant relationship with God involves real accountability for the people's choices.

Where else these words appear

“curses” Hebrew H7045 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
  • Deuteronomy 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
  • Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

“overtake” Hebrew H5381 · used in 47 verses

  • Genesis 31:25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
  • Leviticus 26:5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
  • Psalms 7:5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

“destroyed” Hebrew H8045 · used in 86 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 31:4 And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.
  • Esther 7:4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

“statutes” Hebrew H2708 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
  • Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
  • 2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.