So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.

DEUTERONOMY 28:55KJV
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Deuteronomy 28:55 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 28:55 mean?

Deuteronomy 28:55 describes a desperate situation where a man, during a siege, becomes so deprived that he refuses to share the flesh of his own children—whom he is eating—with anyone else, because he has nothing left. This verse is part of a warning about the extreme suffering that will come if Israel turns away from God’s covenant.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites, warning them of the curses that will come upon them if they disobey God’s commands. The verse paints a vivid and disturbing picture of famine and distress during a siege, where even natural affection breaks down. The language is meant to shock the listeners and show the severity of the consequences for breaking the covenant.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 28:55

  • "flesh" (בָּשָׂר, basar): This word refers to physical flesh or meat, emphasizing the horrifying reality of cannibalism in the siege, not just a metaphorical hunger.
  • "siege" (מָצוֹר, matzor): This word specifically means a military blockade or encirclement, highlighting that the suffering described comes from being trapped and cut off by enemies.
  • "straitness" (מְצוּקָה, metzuka): This word means extreme distress or hardship, sharpening the sense of total desperation and lack of options in the situation.
  • "enemies" (אֹיֵב, oyev): This term refers to hostile forces, making clear that the suffering is caused by outside attackers, not just natural disaster.

Why Deuteronomy 28:55 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that the curses for disobedience are mild or only spiritual; it shows the physical and emotional horror that can result.
  • The verse emphasizes how dire the situation will become, to the point that even family bonds are broken by desperation.
  • Deuteronomy 28:55 is part of a larger section warning Israel about the consequences of abandoning their covenant, connecting personal suffering to national unfaithfulness.

Where else these words appear

“straitness” Hebrew H4689 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
  • Deuteronomy 28:57 And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.
  • Psalms 119:143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

“distress” Hebrew H6693 · used in 10 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
  • Judges 16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
  • Isaiah 29:7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

“siege” Hebrew H4692 · used in 25 verses

  • Deuteronomy 20:19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down(for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:
  • 2 Chronicles 32:10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
  • Ezekiel 4:7 Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

“left” Hebrew H7604 · used in 123 verses

  • Genesis 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
  • Joshua 13:2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
  • Nehemiah 1:2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.