So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it;

DEUTERONOMY 29:22KJV
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Deuteronomy 29:22 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 29:22 mean?

Deuteronomy 29:22 describes how future generations of Israelites and foreigners from distant lands will see the devastation and diseases that have come upon the land and will recognize that the LORD has brought these troubles. The verse highlights that the consequences of the people's actions will be visible and obvious to anyone who comes later, not just to those who lived through them.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He warns them that if they break their covenant with God, the resulting disasters will be so severe that even their descendants and outsiders will notice and comment on them. This sets the stage for the seriousness of the covenant and the lasting impact of the people's choices.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 29:22

  • The word for "generation" (דּוֹר, dor, H1755) refers to a group of people living at the same time, often used to emphasize the continuity or change between different periods.
  • "Stranger" (נָכְרִי, nokhri, H5237) means a foreigner or someone from outside Israel, highlighting that even those with no connection to the land will see and understand what has happened.
  • "Plagues" (מַכָּה, makkah, H4347) often refers to blows or strikes, not just diseases, suggesting a broad range of disasters or afflictions that have struck the land.
  • "Sicknesses" (תַּחֲלֻאִים, takhalu'im, H8463) points specifically to diseases or illnesses, underlining the physical suffering that will be evident.

Why Deuteronomy 29:22 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the consequences of breaking the covenant are not hidden or private; they become a public warning to future generations and outsiders alike.
  • The mention of both children and foreigners shows that the effects of Israel's choices reach beyond their own community and time, making the covenant a matter of lasting importance.
  • Deuteronomy 29:22 connects to the larger context of the chapter, where Moses is urging the people to take the covenant seriously by showing how visible and memorable the results of disobedience will be.

Where else these words appear

“sicknesses” Hebrew H8463 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 21:19 And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
  • Psalms 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
  • Jeremiah 14:18 If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.

“stranger” Hebrew H5237 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 31:15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
  • 1 Kings 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
  • Proverbs 5:10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

“plagues” Hebrew H4347 · used in 46 verses

  • Leviticus 26:21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
  • 1 Samuel 23:5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
  • Isaiah 27:7 Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

“come” Hebrew H314 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 33:2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
  • 1 Chronicles 23:27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:
  • Psalms 78:6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: