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简体中文
英語原文
This chapter is a very large exposition of two words in the foregoing chapter, the blessing and the curse. Those were pronounced blessed in general that were obedient, and those cursed that were disobedient; but, because generals are not so affecting, Moses here descends to particulars, and describes the blessing and the curse, not in their fountains (these are out of sight, and therefore the most considerable, yet least considered, the favour of God the spring of all the blessings, and the wrath of God the spring of all the curses), but in their streams, the sensible effects of the blessing and the curse, for they are real things and have real effects. I. He describes the blessings that should come upon them if they were obedient; personal, family, and especially national, for in that capacity especially they are here treated with, De 28:1-14. II. He more largely describes the curses which would come upon them if they were disobedient; such as would be, 1. Their extreme vexation, De 28:15-44. 2. Their utter ruin and destruction at last, De 28:45-68. This chapter is much to the same purport with Le 26:1-46, setting before them life and death, good and evil; and the promise, in the close of that chapter, of their restoration, upon their repentance, is here likewise more largely repeated, De 30:1-20 Thus, as they had precept upon precept in the repetition of the law, so they had line upon line in the repetition of the promises and threatenings. And these are both there and here delivered, not only as sanctions of the law, what should be conditionally, but as predictions of the event, what would be certainly, that for a while the people of Israel would be happy in their obedience, but that at length they would be undone by their disobedience; and therefore it is said (De 30:1) that all those things would come upon them, both the blessing and the curse.
1-14
Promises (1451 BC)
简体中文
应许（公元前1451年）
¹ 你若留意听从耶和华你 神的话，谨守遵行他今日所吩咐你的一切诫命，耶和华你的 神就必将你立在天下万民之上。
² 你若听从耶和华你 神的话，这以下的福必追随你，临到你身上：
³ 你在城里必蒙福，在田间也必蒙福。
⁴ 你身所生的、地所产的、牲畜所下的，以及牛犊、羊羔，都必蒙福。
⁵ 你的筐子和你的抟面盆，都必蒙福。
⁶ 你出也蒙福，入也蒙福。
⁷ 仇敌起来攻击你，耶和华必使他们在你面前被你杀败；他们从一条路来攻击你，必从七条路逃跑。
⁸ 在你仓房里，并你手所办的一切事上，耶和华必吩咐福赐与你；耶和华你的 神必在所给你的地上赐福与你。
⁹ 你若谨守耶和华你 神的诫命，遵行他的道，他必照着向你所起的誓，立你作为自己的圣民。
¹⁰ 天下万民必见你归在耶和华的名下；他们必惧怕你。
¹¹ 在耶和华向你列祖起誓应许赐你的地上，他必使你身所生的、牲畜所下的、地所产的，都丰盛有余。
¹² 耶和华必为你开天上的府库，按时降雨在你的地上；凡你手所办的，他必赐福与你。你必借给许多国民，却不至向他们借贷。
¹³ 你若听从耶和华你 神的诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你，谨守遵行，耶和华就必使你作首不作尾，但居上不居下；
¹⁴ 你若不听从我今日所吩咐的一切诫命，偏于右、偏于左，去随从事奉别神。
福分在此置于咒诅之前，为要表明：1. 神不轻易发怒，却乐意施恩：祂已经说了，且起了誓，祂宁愿我们顺服而活，不愿我们犯罪而死。施福是祂所喜悦的。2. 应许与威吓虽然都是为要引我们并保守我们尽本分，然而我们若以儿女的心盼望 神的恩宠而被吸引行善，比以奴仆的心惧怕祂的震怒而被驱使行善，更为美好。出于以 神的良善为乐的原理而有的顺服，最为美好。如今：
I. 此处列出赐福所附的条件。1. 条件是他们"留心听从 神的话"（申28:1,2）——他们要听见 神借祂的道向他们所说的话，并竭力认识祂的旨意（申28:13）。2. 条件是他们"谨守遵行祂的一切诫命"（要顺服，就须先留心），并且"遵守 神的诫命"（申28:9），"遵行祂的道"。不是行了一次就罢，而是永远遵守；不是只在祂的道上起头，而是行在其中直到末了。3. 条件是他们"不可偏于右、偏于左"——既不偏向迷信，也不偏向亵渎；尤其不可"随从别神"（申28:14），因为这是他们在一切罪中最易犯的，也是 神最不喜悦的。他们当谨守在家庭和国家中持守宗教——无论是宗教的形式还是能力， 神必不忘记赐福给他们。
II. 此福的具体内容。
1\. 应许 神的护理必在他们一切外在的事上使他们亨通。这些福分据说要"追随他们"（申28:2）。敬虔人有时因自觉不配，倾向于躲避祝福，断定这祝福与自己无分；然而祝福必追上他们，紧随不舍。所以在那大日，福分必追上那说"主啊，我们什么时候见你饿了给你吃"的义人（太25:37）。请看：
（1）这里列举了几样， 神借祂的护理必在其中赐福给他们：[1] 他们必安全安逸；无论身在何处，福都随着他们的身体——"在城里"或"在田间"（申28:3）。无论他们居住在城镇或乡间，无论务农或经商，无论因业务被召进城或下田，他们都必蒙保守脱离危险，并得着所处环境中的安慰。这福随着他们出入的旅程（申28:6）。他们的人身必蒙保护，他们所办理的事也必顺利。请在此留意：我们对于今生的延续和安慰，对 神有何等必要而恒久的依靠。我们在人生各种转折中每一步都需要祂；祂若收回保护，我们便不安全；祂若止息恩惠，我们便不得安逸；但祂若赐福，则我们无论往何处去尽都亨通。[2] 他们的家必因众多子嗣而建立："你身所生的必蒙福"（申28:4），在其中耶和华必"使你丰盛有余"（申28:11），这是照着向亚伯拉罕所应许的——他的后裔要如同天上的星那样繁多， 神要作他们的 神——再没有比这更大、更完备的福，可以传承给他们身所生的后裔了。参赛61:9。[3] 他们必富足，得着今生一切美物的丰盛——这之所以应许给他们，不是单为使他们有享受的快乐，更是（如帕特里克主教引述一位犹太学者所言）使他们有力量荣耀 神，得着帮助和勉励，乐意地事奉祂，并在顺服上长进、坚持。这里应许了福分：第一，在他们一切户外所有的——田间的五谷和牲畜（申28:4,11），尤其是他们的牛羊——必因主人的缘故蒙福，并成为他们的福。为此应许： 神必赐他们"按时降雨"，这被称为祂的"好府库"（申28:12），因为地的丰盛全靠 神这河水的滋润（诗65:9）。我们日用的供应必须视为来自 神的好府库，并为此向祂承认我们所欠的恩情；祂若不降雨，地里的出产和牲畜的果实很快便消灭。第二，在他们一切户内所有的——筐子和抟面盆（申28:5），仓房或谷仓（申28:8）。运到家中， 神必赐福其上，不像有时祂吹在其上使其归于无有（该1:6,9）。我们不仅倚靠 神和祂的福分得着田间的年年出产，也倚靠祂从筐子和抟面盆中得着日用的饮食，所以我们受教每日为此祈求。[4] 他们在一切职业上必有成就，这要成为他们持久的满足："耶和华必吩咐福（唯有祂能吩咐福）赐与你——不仅在你一切所有的，也在你一切所办的，凡你手所办的"（申28:8）。这暗示他们即使在富足时也不可懒惰，必须找着某种正当的职业下手， 神必悦纳他们的殷勤，并"赐福你手所办的"（申28:12）；因为"使人富足、保守如此"的，是"耶和华的福"加在"殷勤人的手"上（箴10:4,22）。[5] 他们在邻舍中必得尊荣（申28:1）："耶和华你的 神必将你立在天下万民之上。"祂已经借接纳他们与祂立约使他们如此（申26:19）；若他们不因罪自取羞辱，祂必借他们外在的兴旺使他们越发如此。有两件事有助于使他们在万民中为大：第一，他们的财富（申28:12）："你必借给许多国民"取利（这是律法允许他们向邻国取的），"你却无需向人借贷"。这将使他们影响周围一切的人；因为借债的是放债的仆人。这也可指通商贸易：他们必大大出口多于进口，使贸易差额常在他们一边。第二，他们的权势（申28:13）："耶和华必使你作首"——给周围的人定法律、征贡物、裁断一切争讼。每捆禾稼都要向他们的下拜，这就使他们如此举足轻重，以致"天下万民必惧怕他们"（申28:10）——即敬重他们真正的尊荣，并以与他们为敌为可畏。宗教在他们中间的兴旺，并 神所赐的福，要使他们为四围列国所畏惧，如同展旗的军旅令人生畏。[6] 他们必胜过仇敌，在一切争战中亨通。若有胆敢起来欺压他们、侵犯他们的，必自取灭亡，必在他们面前仆倒（申28:7）。仇敌的军兵虽整整齐齐从一条路来攻，也必全军溃败，从七条路在他们面前逃跑，各人尽力奔逃。
（2）从这一切我们可以学到（人若肯信就好了）：宗教与敬虔是外在兴旺最好的朋友。今生的福分在新约的应许中所占的地位，虽不如旧约那样显著，然而我们的主耶稣已经亲口应许（我们总可以信祂的话）：我们若"先求 神的国和祂的义，这一切东西都要加给你们"——只要无穷的智慧看为好；谁还能比这更多的祈求呢（太6:33）？
2\. 又应许 神的恩典必"立你作为自己的圣民"（申28:9）。祂既接纳他们与祂立约，就必保守他们在约中；他们若使用那存立之道，祂必赐他们存立之恩，使他们不致偏离祂。注意：凡在圣洁上真诚的人， 神必在圣洁上坚定他们；祂"是大有能力能成就这事"的（罗16:25）。那圣洁的，仍要成为圣洁； 神在圣洁上所坚定的人，祂就借此坚定他们作自己的子民——我们只要紧紧跟随 神，祂永不离弃我们。他们宗教的坚定，必成为他们名誉的坚定（申28:10）："天下万民必见"，并承认，"你归在耶和华的名下"——即"你是一个至为优秀荣耀的子民，受大 神特别的眷顾和恩眷。他们必知道，一个称为耶和华名下的子民，毫无疑问是天下最幸福的子民，连他们的仇敌也不得不承认。"天上的宠儿实在是伟大的，迟早必要显明他们的伟大——若不在今世，就在那日：今日认基督的，必在人和天使面前被祂承认，成为祂所乐意尊荣的人。
英語原文
Promises (1451 BC)
¹ And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
² And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
³ Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
⁴ Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
⁵ Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
⁶ Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
⁷ The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
⁸ The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
⁹ The LORD shall establish thee a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
¹⁰ And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
¹¹ And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
¹² The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
¹³ And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
¹⁴ And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
The blessings are here put before the curses, to intimate, 1. That God is slow to anger, but swift to show mercy: he has said it, and sworn, that he would much rather we would obey and live than sin and die. It is his delight to bless. 2. That though both the promises and the threatenings are designed to bring and hold us to our duty, yet it is better that we be allured to that which is good by a filial hope of God's favour than that we be frightened to it by a servile fear of his wrath. That obedience pleases best which comes from a principle of delight in God's goodness. Now,
I. We have here the conditions upon which the blessing is promised. 1. It is upon condition that they diligently hearken to the voice of God (De 28:1,2), that they hear God speaking to them by his word, and use their utmost endeavours to acquaint themselves with his will, De 28:13. 2. Upon condition that they observe and do all his commandments (and in order to obedience there is need of observation) and that they keep the commandments of God (De 28:9) and walk in his ways. Not only do them for once, but keep them for ever; not only set out in his ways, but walk in them to the end. 3. Upon condition that they should not go aside either to the right hand or to the left, either to superstition on the one hand, or profaneness on the other; and particularly that they should not go after other gods (De 28:14), which was the sin that of all others they were most prone to, and God would be most displeased with. Let them take care to keep up religion, both the form and power of it, in their families and nation, and God would not fail to bless them.
II. The particulars of this blessing.
1. It is promised that the providence of God should prosper them in all their outward concerns. These blessings are said to overtake them, De 28:2. Good people sometimes, under the sense of their unworthiness, are ready to fly from the blessing and to conclude that it belongs not to them; but the blessing shall find them out and follow them notwithstanding. Thus in the great day the blessing will overtake the righteous that say, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee? Mt 25:37. Observe,
(1.) Several things are enumerated in which God by his providence would bless them:—[1.] They should be safe and easy; a blessing should rest upon their persons wherever they were, in the city, or in the field, De 28:3. Whether their habitation was in town or country, whether they were husbandmen or tradesmen, whether their business called them into the city or into the field, they should be preserved from the dangers and have the comforts of their condition. This blessing should attend them in their journeys, going out and coming in, De 28:6. Their persons should be protected, and the affair they went about should succeed well. Observe here, What a necessary and constant dependence we have upon God both for the continuance and comfort of this life. We need him at every turn, in all the various movements of life; we cannot be safe if he withdraw his protection, nor easy if he suspend his favour; but, if he bless us, go where we will it is well with us. [2.] Their families should be built up in a numerous issue: blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (De 28:4), and in that the Lord shall make thee plenteous (De 28:11), in pursuance of the promise made to Abraham, that his seed should be as the stars of heaven for multitude, and that God would be a God to them, than which a greater blessing, and more comprehensive, could not be entailed upon the fruit of their body. See Isa 61:9. [3.] They should be rich, and have an abundance of all the good things of this life, which are promised them, not merely that they might have the pleasure of enjoying them, but (as bishop Patrick observes out of one of the Jewish writers) that they might have wherewithal to honour God, and might be helped and encouraged to serve him cheerfully and to proceed and persevere in their obedience to him. A blessing is promised, First, On all they had without doors, corn and cattle in the field (De 28:4,11), their cows and sheep particularly, which would be blessed for the owners' sakes, and made blessings to them. In order to this, it is promised that God would give them rain in due season, which is called his good treasure (De 28:12), because with this river of God the earth is enriched, Ps 65:9. Our constant supplies we must see coming from God's good treasure, and own our obligations to him for them; if he withhold his rain, the fruits both of the ground and of the cattle soon perish. Secondly, On all they had within doors, the basket and the store (De 28:5), the store-houses or barns, De 28:8. When it is brought home, God will bless it, and not blow upon it as sometimes he does, Hag 1:6,9. We depend upon God and his blessing, not only for our yearly corn out of the field, but for our daily bread out of our basket and store, and therefore are taught to pray for it every day. [4.] They should have success in all their employments, which would be a constant satisfaction to them: "The Lord shall command the blessing (and it is he only that can command it) upon thee, not only in all thou hast, but in all thou doest, all that thou settest thy hand to," De 28:8. This intimated that even when they were rich they must not be idle, but must find some good employment or other to set their hand to, and God would own their industry, and bless the work of their hand (De 28:12); for that which makes rich, and keeps so, is the blessing of the Lord upon the hand of the diligent, Pr 10:4,22. [5.] They should have honour among their neighbours (De 28:1): The Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations. He made them so, by taking them into covenant with himself, De 26:19. And he would make them more and more so by their outward prosperity, if they would not by sin disparage themselves. Two things should help to make them great among the nations:—First, Their wealth (De 28:12): "Thou shalt lend to many nations upon interest" (which they were allowed to take form the neighbouring nations), "but thou shalt not have occasion to borrow." This would give them great influence with all about them; for the borrower is servant to the lender. It may be meant of trade and commerce, that they should export abundantly more than they should import, which would keep the balance on their side. Secondly, Their power (De 28:13): "The Lord shall make thee the head, to give law to all about thee, to exact tribute, and to arbitrate all controversies." Every sheaf should bow to theirs, which would make them so considerable that all the people of the earth would be afraid of them (De 28:10), that is, would reverence their true grandeur, and dread making them their enemies. The flourishing of religion among them, and the blessing of God upon them, would make them formidable to all their neighbours, terrible as an army with banners. [6.] They should be victorious over their enemies, and prosper in all their wars. If any were so daring as to rise up against them to oppress them, or encroach upon them, it should be at their peril, they should certainly fall before them, De 28:7. The forces of the enemy, though entirely drawn up to come against them one way, should be entirely routed, and flee before them seven ways, each making the best of his way.
(2.) From the whole we learn (though it were well if men would believe it) that religion and piety are the best friends to outward prosperity. Though temporal blessings do not take up so much room in the promises of the New Testament as they do in those of the Old, yet it is enough that our Lord Jesus has given us his word (and surely we may take his word) that if we seek first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, all other things shall be added to us, as far as Infinite Wisdom sees good; and who can desire them further? Mt 6:33.
2. It is likewise promised that the grace of God should establish them a holy people, De 28:9. Having taken them into covenant with himself, he would keep them in covenant; and, provided they used the means of stedfastness, he would give them the grace of stedfastness, that they should not depart from him. Note, Those that are sincere in holiness God will establish in holiness; and he is of power to do it, Ro 16:25. He that is holy shall be holy still; and those whom God establishes in holiness he thereby establishes a people to himself, for a long as we keep close to God he will never forsake us. This establishment of their religion would be the establishment of their reputation (De 28:10): All the people of the earth shall see, and own, that thou art called by the name of the Lord, that is, "that thou art a most excellent and glorious people, under the particular care and countenance of the great God. They shall be made to know that a people called by the name Jehovah are without doubt the happiest people under the sun, even their enemies themselves being judges." The favourites of Heaven are truly great, and, first or last, it will be made to appear that they are so, if not in this world, yet at that day when those who confess Christ now shall be confessed by him before men and angels, as those whom he delights to honour.
15-68
Threatenings (1451 BC)
简体中文
警告与咒诅（主前1451年）
¹⁵ 你若不听从耶和华你神的话，不谨守遵行他今日所吩咐你的一切诫命律例，以下这一切咒诅就必临到你身上，赶上你： ¹⁶ 你在城里必受咒诅，在田间也必受咒诅。 ¹⁷ 你的筐子和你的抟面盆都必受咒诅。 ¹⁸ 你身所生的、地所产的，以及你的牛犊、羊羔都必受咒诅。 ¹⁹ 你出也受咒诅，入也受咒诅。 ²⁰ 耶和华必使咒诅、扰乱、责罚临到你一切所手里所办的事，直到你被毁灭，速速灭亡，因为你行恶离弃了我。 ²¹ 耶和华必使瘟疫贴在你身上，直到他将你从所进去得为业的地上灭绝。 ²² 耶和华要用痨病、热病、火症、疟疾、刀剑、旱风、霉烂攻击你；这都要追赶你，直到你灭亡。 ²³ 你头上的天要变为铜，脚下的地要变为铁。 ²⁴ 耶和华要使那地降尘土为雨；要从天降在你身上，直到你被毁灭。 ²⁵ 耶和华必使你败在仇敌面前：你从一条路出去攻击他们，必在他们面前从七条路逃跑；你必在天下万国中抛来抛去。 ²⁶ 你的尸首必成为空中一切飞鸟和地上走兽的食物，并无人哄赶它们。 ²⁷ 耶和华必用埃及的疮、痔疮、牛皮癣、疥攻击你，使你不能医治。 ²⁸ 耶和华必用癫狂、眼瞎、心惊攻击你； ²⁹ 你必在午间摸索，好像瞎子在暗中摸索一样；你所行的必不亨通：你必时常遭遇欺压、被抢夺，无人搭救你。 ³⁰ 你聘定了妻，别人必与她同房；你建造房屋，不得住在其内；你栽种葡萄园，也不得用其中的果子。 ³¹ 你的牛在你眼前被宰，你必不得吃它的肉；你的驴在你眼前被强夺，不得归还；你的羊归了仇敌，无人搭救它们。 ³² 你的儿女必归与别国的民；你眼目终日切望，甚至失明；你手中无力拯救。 ³³ 你地所产的和你劳碌所得的，必为素不相识的国民所吃；你必时常被欺压、受压碎； ³⁴ 甚至你因眼中所看见的，必发疯。 ³⁵ 耶和华必用不能医治的恶疮攻击你的膝盖和腿，从脚掌到头顶。 ³⁶ 耶和华必将你和你所立治理你的王，领到你和你列祖素不相识的国去；在那里你必事奉木头石头的神。 ³⁷ 你在耶和华所领你到的各国中，必成为惊骇、笑谈、讥诮。 ³⁸ 你必带着许多种子出到田间，却要少收；因为蝗虫所吃。 ³⁹ 你栽种修理葡萄园，却不得喝其中的酒，也不得收其中的葡萄；因为虫子所吃。 *⁴⁰ 你全境有橄榄树，却不得用油抹身；因为你的橄榄掉落其果。 ⁴¹ 你生儿养女，却不算是你的；因为他们必被掳去。 ⁴² 你一切的树木和你地所产的，蝗虫必吞吃。 ⁴³ 在你中间寄居的，必渐渐上升高过你；你却渐渐下降极低。 ⁴⁴ 他必借给你，你却不能借给他；他必作首，你必作尾。
我们既已看过那向着顺从者的云彩光明的一面，现在呈现在我们面前的，是那向着悖逆者的黑暗一面。我们若不遵守神的诫命，不仅与所应许的祝福无分，且落在咒诅之下；这咒诅怎样包括一切幸福，咒诅也照样包括一切祸患。请留意：
I\. 这咒诅的公义。这不是无因的咒诅，也不是为些微小故；神不寻索攻击我们的把柄，也不轻易与我们相争。此处所提招致咒诅之因乃是：1. 藐视神，拒绝听他的话（申28:15），这表明了所能想象的最高的轻蔑，仿佛他所说的不值得一顾，或我们对他毫无义务。2. 悖逆他，不遵行他的诫命，或谨守遵行。除了那些悖逆他命令的，无人落在他的咒诅之下。3. 离弃他。"这是因你所行的恶，不仅借此你轻慢了我，更是借此你离弃了我"（申28:20）。神总不丢弃我们，直到我们先丢弃他。这暗示他们的偶像崇拜——他们为假神离弃真神——比任何别的罪更是他们的毁灭之罪。
II\. 这咒诅的范围与功效。
1. 总的来说，宣告说："这一切咒诅必临到你从上头，并赶上你；你虽竭力逃避，图谋也是徒然，它们要追随你到任何地方，抓住你，赶上你，胜过你"（申28:15）。论到罪人，当神的震怒追赶他时，经上说他恨不得躲避出他的手（伯27:22），却不能；他若逃脱铁器，铜弓的箭必将他射透。除了归向神，别无逃离神之法；除了逃往他的怜悯，别无逃脱他公义之路。参诗21:7-8。（1）罪人无论往何处去，神的咒诅都追随他；无论在哪里，咒诅都停留在他身上。他在城里、在田间都受咒诅（申28:16）。城墙的坚固不能庇护他免受其害，乡间清新的空气也不能挡住这些瘟疫般的恶气。他入时受咒诅（申28:19），因为咒诅在恶人的家中（箴3:33）；他出时也受咒诅，因为他不能将那咒诅留在身后，也不能摆脱它，那咒诅已经如水进入他的内脏，如油渗入他的骨头。（2）凡他所有的都在咒诅之下：地因他的缘故受咒诅，其上一切和其中所出的，也都如此；他因此从地受咒诅，正如该隐那样（创4:11）。筐子和抟面盆都受咒诅（申28:17-18）。他一切所有的既已被他失丧，就在某种程度上对他成为禁物，如同当灭之物，他已无权得。对于心地和良心污秽的人，凡物就都是污秽的（多1:15）。这一切对他都成为苦味；他不能在其中得真安慰，因为神的震怒搀杂其中；他不仅毫无保障能持续拥有，若他眼睛睁开，就可见这一切都被定罪，即将被没收，他一切喜乐和一切盼望都随之永远消灭。（3）凡他所行的也都在咒诅之下。凡他手里所办的都有咒诅（申28:20），是不断的失望；那些将心放在世上、盼望在其中得福的人，便常如此；这不能不成为不断的烦恼。这咒诅恰是本章前段祝福的反面。照样，无论天堂有何等福气，地狱里不仅有那福气的缺失，更是其反面。赛65:13，我的仆人必得吃，你们却饥饿。
2. 这里列举了许多具体的刑罚，这些将是咒诅的果子，神要借此因犹太百姓的背道与悖逆而刑罚他们。所警告的刑罚种类繁多，因为神的箭袋中有许多箭——四种大罚（结14:21），还有更多。它们被描绘得极其可畏，描述格外生动感人，为要使人既知道主的威严，便可受劝（若可能的话）。同一刑罚的警告多次重复，为要留下更深刻持久的印象，也暗示若人执意悖逆，他们以为已经过去、说"苦味已经止息"的刑罚，必加倍回来；因为神审判之时必得胜。（1）这里警告身体疾病，必在他们遍地成为流行病。这些病神有时用以管教并造就自己的百姓。主啊，你所爱的人病了。但这里警告这些病要临到他的仇敌，作为他震怒的记号，并要成为他们的毁灭。所以我们患病时灵性的光景如何，那病对我们就是祝福或咒诅。但无论疾病对个人如何，流行病在一个民族中肆虐必是国性的刑罚，当如此看待。他在这里警告：[1]疼痛的疾病（申28:35），膝盖和腿上发恶疮，却像约伯的毒疮一样从头顶到脚掌蔓延。[2]羞辱的疾病（申28:27），埃及的疮（神领以色列从埃及人中出来时，用以击打埃及人的那种疮泡）、痔疮和牛皮癣——卑贱的病，正是那因罪使自己成为卑贱之人当得的刑罚。[3]致命的疾病，瘟疫（申28:21）、痨病（代表一切慢性病）、热病（代表一切急性病）（申28:22）。参利26:16。而且都不能医治（申28:27）。（2）饥荒和粮食匮乏；这是[1]因缺雨（申28:23-24）：你头上的天——你那地上的那部分天——要像铜一样干燥，而别国头上的天仍滴下甘露；天既如铜，地自然如铁，又硬又荒。代替雨水，路上尘土被吹入田间，毁坏地上本来不多的果实。[2]因毁灭性的昆虫。蝗虫要毁坏五谷，使他们连种子也收不回来（申28:38、42）。葡萄树那能使人心中喜乐的果子，都要被虫所吃（申28:39）。橄榄也必以某种方式掉落其果（申28:40）。异教徒为保全地上果实，行许多迷信的风俗，敬奉他们的偶像神明；但摩西告诉以色列人，他们保全果实的唯一之道，就是遵守神的诫命；因为他是不可像他们的偶像那样被戏弄的神，必须在灵和真理里事奉他。这警告我们在以色列中应验了（王上17:1；耶14:1；珥1:4）。（3）他们在战争中必败在仇敌面前，仇敌或许因为昔日他们对迦南列国所施的严酷，在他们得势之时，对他们更加残忍——他们的邻邦在後代中容易记念这事来对付他们（申28:25）。这使他们的溃逃更可耻、更悲惨，因为他们本可以因忠于神而胜过仇敌。那在战争中被杀、或在被掳中死在异乡之人的尸首，必成为飞鸟的食物（申28:26）；一个以色列人既已失去神的恩，必得到如此少的人道待遇，以致无人哄赶它们，因为神的咒诅使他全人类都看为可憎。（4）他们在一切谋略中必变为愚拙，以致看不出自己的利益，也不能成就任何公益：耶和华必用癫狂、眼瞎攻击你（申28:28-29）。请注意，神的刑罚能临到人的心思，使其充满黑暗与惊恐，一如能临到他们的身体与产业；最严重的刑罚莫过于使人成为自己的惊吓，成为自我毁灭者。他们所图谋用以自保的，反常常转为有损。我们常见他们所信赖的盟邦扰乱他们，并不帮助他们（代下28:20）。那些不愿遵行神计谋的人，公正地被任凭因自己的计谋而灭亡；那些故意对当尽的本分瞎眼的人，理当对自己的利益也成为瞎眼；他们既爱黑暗不爱光，就让他们在午间摸索如同在暗中。（5）他们必被剥夺一切所有，被骄傲强横的征服者剥夺得一干二净，正如便哈达对亚哈那样（王上20:5-6）。不仅他们的房屋和葡萄园被夺去，他们的妻子和儿女也被夺去（申28:30、32）。他们最心爱的安慰——他们所最享受、所最盼望的——必成为仇敌的筵席和凯歌。正如他们曾住非自己所建的房屋，吃非自己所栽的葡萄园（申6:10-11），照样别人也要如此待他们。他们的牛、驴、羊，像约伯的一样，在眼前被夺去，他们无力夺回（申28:31）。他们地上和劳碌所得的一切果实，必被仇敌吞吃净尽；以致他们和他们的家人缺乏必需品，仇敌却以他们劳碌得来的恣意宴乐。（6）他们必被掳到远方；不，到天下万国（申28:25）。他们原指望从中得安慰的儿女，必被掳去（申28:41）；他们自己和那他们所指望从中得平安稳固的王，最後也必如此（申28:36）。这事完全应验了——先是十支派被掳到亚述（王下17:6），不久之後二支派和他们的两个王被掳到巴比伦（王下24:15，25:7、21）。这里提为加重他们被掳之苦的，是他们必到素不相识的国家去，那地的语言风俗都极为生疏，他们中间的待遇也十分野蛮，并且在那里他们必事奉别神，即被仇敌强迫如此行，正如他们在巴比伦那样（但3:6）。请注意，神常使人的罪成为他的刑罚，并拣选他们的妄想。你们必事奉别神，意思是"你们必事奉那些事奉别神的人"；一个国家在圣经中常以他们神明的名称称呼之，如耶48:7。他们既与拜偶像的人结交，如今神就使拜偶像的人成为他们的压迫者。（7）留下的人必被外人欺压辖制（申28:43-44）。十支派就是这样被亚述王所派来占据他们地土的殖民所欺压（王下17:24）。或者这里可指在他们城门内的外人渐渐侵占他们，不知不觉把他们从产业中挤出去。我们读到这事应验了（何7:9）：外人吞灭他的力量。外邦人从土生的以色列人口中夺去粮食，他们既引入了外邦的神，就公正地受此惩治。（8）他们在邻邦中的名誉必尽失，那曾为名声和赞美之民的，必成为惊骇、笑谈、讥诮（申28:37）。有人观察到这警告在他们今日的境况中应验了；因为当我们想表达最背信弃义、最残忍的对待时，便说：除了犹太人没有人会这样做。罪就是这样成为任何民族的羞辱。（9）为使他们的苦楚达到极致，警告说他们必因这一切患难而完全失去理智（申28:34）：你因眼中所看见的，必发疯，即完全失去一切安慰和盼望，被弃于彻底绝望之中。那些凭眼见不凭信心而行的人，当周围一切看起来都可怖时，便有失去理智本身的危险；他们的光景确实悲惨，因为他们因眼中所看见的发疯。
⁴⁵ 这一切咒诅必临到你，追随你，赶上你，直到你灭亡；因为你不听从耶和华你神的话，没有遵守他所吩咐你的诫命律例。 ⁴⁶ 这些咒诅必在你和你後裔身上成为神迹奇事，直到永远。 *⁴⁷ 因为你富有的时候，不以欢喜快乐的心事奉耶和华你的神， ⁴⁸ 所以你必在饥饿、干渴、赤露、缺乏之中事奉耶和华你所差来攻击你的仇敌；他必把铁轭加在你颈项上，直到将你灭绝。 ⁴⁹ 耶和华必从远方、从地极带一国的民来攻击你，如鹰飞腾一般；这民的语言你不懂得； ⁵⁰ 这民面貌凶恶，不顾恤年老的，也不恩待年少的。 ⁵¹ 他们必吃你牲畜所下的和你地所产的，直到你灭亡；也不给你留下五谷、新酒和油，也不留下牛犊和羊羔，直到将你灭绝。 ⁵² 他们必在各地你所倚靠的高大坚固的城墙内围困你；他们必在耶和华你神所赐你的全地各城中围困你。 ⁵³ 你在仇敌围困窘迫之中，必吃你本身所生的，就是耶和华你神所赐给你的儿女的肉。 ⁵⁴ 你们中间就是柔弱娇嫩的人，他的眼目也必向他的弟兄和怀中的妻，并他所剩下所要留下的儿女，发恶； ⁵⁵ 甚至在仇敌围困你、在各城窘迫你的一切窘迫之中，他因一无所有，不肯将他所吃儿女的肉分给他们中的任何一个。 ⁵⁶ 你们中间柔弱娇嫩的妇人，因娇嫩柔弱不肯以脚踏地的，她的眼目也必向她怀中的丈夫和她的儿女，发恶； ⁵⁷ 甚至向她两腿中间出来的婴孩，和她所要生的儿女；她因缺乏一切，在仇敌围困你城中窘迫你之时，必将他们暗中吃了。 ⁵⁸ 这书上所写律法的一切话，你若不谨守遵行，为要敬畏这荣耀可畏的名——耶和华你的神—— ⁵⁹ 耶和华就必将奇灾，就是大而长的灾病，并你後裔的灾病，加在你和你後裔身上； ⁶⁰ 又必将你所惧怕的埃及一切疾病降在你身上，贴在你身上。 ⁶¹ 这律法书上所未曾记的一切疾病、一切灾殃，耶和华也必降在你身上，直到你被灭绝。 ⁶² 你们虽然曾多如天上的星，却要因不听从耶和华你神的话，剩下的人数稀少。 ⁶³ 耶和华先前怎样喜悦善待你们，使你们增多；耶和华也要照样喜悦毁灭你们，使你们除灭；你们必从所要进去得为业的地上被拔除。 ⁶⁴ 耶和华必使你们分散在万民中，从地这边到地那边；在那里你们必事奉你们和你列祖素不认识的木头石头的神。 ⁶⁵ 在那些国中你必不得安逸，脚掌也不得落脚之地；耶和华却要使你在那里心中颤抖、眼目失明、精神消耗。 ⁶⁶ 你的性命必悬在虚悬之中；你昼夜恐惧，甚至性命难保； ⁶⁷ 早晨你必说：巴不得到了晚上！晚上你必说：巴不得到了早晨！因为你心中的恐惧和你眼中看见的景象。 ⁶⁸ 耶和华必用船将你重带回埃及，走我曾告诉你不得再看见的那条路；在那里你们必卖身给仇敌作奴仆婢女，却无人买你们。
人或许以为所说的话已足以使他们敬畏那从天上显明出来、要对付一切不虔不义之人的震怒。但为要表明那震怒的宝库何等深邃，并且後面还有更糟的，摩西在人以为他已结束这悲惨题目之时，又重新开始，在这咒诅之卷上添加许多类似的话：正如耶利米对他的卷所作的（耶36:32）。似乎在这警告的前半部分，摩西预言他们被掳巴比伦，以及引进和伴随那事的灾祸——借此即便在他们归回之後，他们仍被带到申28:44所描述的低微贫穷境况——他们的仇敌作头，他们作尾；但在这里後半部分，他预言他们最後被罗马人所灭以及随後的分散。犹太民族今日以及一切因接受其宗教而与之合流之人的可悲现状，如此完全精确地符合这些经文中的预言，以致足以作为预言真实性——并因此圣经属神权威——的无可辩驳的证据。而这最後的毁灭在此被描述为比前次更为可怕，这表明他们拒绝基督和他福音的罪，比偶像崇拜本身更为严重、更惹动神的怒气，并使他们更落在撒但的权下；因为他们被掳巴比伦在七十年间有效地治愈了他们的偶像崇拜；但在这最後的毁灭之下，他们如今已过一千六百多年，仍顽固地拒绝主耶稣，无可救药。请留意：
I. 这里关于要因他们的罪而临到他们、停留在他们身上之神震怒，有何普遍的说明。
1. 他们若不愿受神的诫命管辖，就必被他的咒诅所毁（申28:45-46）。因为你没有遵守他的诫命（尤其是听从而顺服那位大先知的诫命），这些咒诅必临到你，如同临到命定灭亡的民，神震怒的世代；并且这些必成为神迹奇事。令人惊奇的是，一个长久为天所宠的民族，竟被如此彻底地抛弃；一个如此紧密结合的民族，竟被如此普遍地分散；然而一个如此分散在万国中的民族，竟能保持自身独特，不与任何民族混合，却像该隐那样成为流亡飘荡的人，又被标记为可辨识的。
2. 他们若不愿甘心事奉神，就必被迫事奉他们的仇敌（申28:47-48），好叫他们知道这分别（代下12:8），有人认为这就是出20:24-25的意思，因为他们藐视我的律例，我就给他们不美的律例。请注意：（1）神既赐今生美物丰盛给人，就公正地期望他们事奉他。他保养我们，岂不是为了我们可以做他的工，并或多或少对他的尊荣有益？（2）神赐我们越多，我们就当越发甘心事奉他；我们的丰盛当成为顺服车轮上的油。神是要人以乐意事奉的主，喜欢听见我们在工作中歌唱。（3）我们若在领受神恩赐之时，全然不事奉他，或勉强事奉他，神公正地使我们经历匮乏和奴役的艰苦，那是公道的。那无端抱怨的人，理当被赋予抱怨的缘由。*Tristis es et felix——你既蒙福，为何仍不安乐？*当为自己的愚妄和忘恩而羞愧。
3. 他们若不愿以敬畏的顺服将荣耀归给神，他必借奇异的灾祸在他身上得荣耀（申28:58-59）。请注意：（1）神公正地期望我们敬畏他那可畏的名；奇妙的是，这里作为我们敬畏对象所提出的名，正是"耶和华你的神"——这十分合宜地用大写字体印在我们的圣经中；因为没有别的名更能显出庄严。正如没有比这更安慰人的，照样也没有比这更可畏的：我们所要面对的乃是耶和华——一位无限完全、无限有福的存有，也是一切存有的源头；他是我们的神——我们正当的主和主人，我们要从他领受律法，也要向他交账：这事实在伟大，实在当大大敬畏。（2）我们若不敬畏他那可畏的名，就可以公正地指望经历他那可畏的灾祸；因为神总要以这样或那样的方式被人敬畏。神的一切灾祸都是可怕的，但有些是奇异的，带着神能力和公义非凡的印记，以致人一看见就可以说：诚然，在地上有神施行审判。
II\. 所警告的毁灭在此如何被描述。摩西在此所论的，正是我们救主在告别讲论中向门徒所论的同一悲凉题目（太24:4-28），即耶路撒冷和犹太民族的毁灭。请留意：
1. 这里预言他们走向毁灭的五步：
（1）他们必被外敌入侵（申28:49-50）：一国民从远方来，即罗马人，如鹰飞腾扑食。我们的救主预言这毁灭时也用这比方：尸首在哪里，鹰也必聚在那里（太24:28）。帕特里克主教指出（使这应验更为显著），罗马军队的军旗正是一只鹰。这国民面貌凶恶，显示性情凶恶，严酷无情，不怜恤幼儿或老人的软弱。
（2）那地必被蹂躏，一切果子被这外邦军队吃尽，这是入侵的自然後果，尤其当入侵是为惩治叛乱者，如罗马人那次那样：他必吃你牲畜和地的果子（申28:51），以致居民挨饿，入侵者却吃饱。
（3）他们的城池必被围困，被围者的顽固和围攻者的猛烈如此之大，以致他们必被逼到绝境，最後落入敌手（申28:52）。没有任何地方，即便防卫再坚固，连耶路撒冷本身（虽然它坚持良久），都不能幸免。这里预言了长期围困的两种常见後果：[1]凄惨的饥荒，将严重到一个地步，他们因无粮食，竟杀害并吃自己的儿女（申28:53）。男人尽管刚强、能忍受饥饿，也必如此行；他们虽因天性有责任供给家人，却拒绝将那残忍宰杀之子的肉分给挨饿的妻子和儿女（申28:54-55）。女人，即贵妇人，尽管天然对食物讲究、天然疼爱儿女，却因无粮食，竟如此忘记一切人道，杀害并吃他们（申28:56-57）。顺便留意，这命运对娇嫩的妇人何等难堪，我们当学习不可纵容自己于娇嫩精致之中，因为我们不知死前会沦落到何地步；我们越讲究，缺乏便越难忍受，我们就越危险，会将理智、信仰、甚至天性本身的情感，都献给那未受治、未受约束之食欲的喧嚣和索求。这警告在字面上多次应验了，成为犹太民族永远的羞辱：无论是希腊人还是化外人，从未有过这样的事，但在撒玛利亚之围中，一个妇人煮了自己的儿子（王下6:28-29）。此事也被说为在巴比伦人围攻耶路撒冷时在犹太人中常见（哀4:10）。在罗马人最後围攻之时，约瑟夫告诉我们，有一位贵妇因饥荒之极，杀害并吃了自己的孩子，当她暗中吃完一半（申28:57），好独自享用时，暴民闻到肉味闯进屋里，她便将留作他用的另一半给他们看，邀请他们同享。被神所弃的人，什么事做不出来！[2]疾病是长期、紧迫的围困的另一常见结果，这里也警告了：大而长久的病（申28:59）。这些必随犹太人此後所到之处，埃及的病——大麻风、疮、恶疮（申28:60）。不但如此，仿佛这里所警告的特别灾殃还不够，他以一个等等作结（申28:61）：耶和华必将这律法书上未曾记的一切疾病、一切灾殃降在你身上。那落在神咒诅之下的人，必发现关于那咒诅的分量和可怕，告诉他们的还不及一半。
（4）他们必有大批人死亡，以致他们人数稀少（申28:62）。这民族原是神奇妙地加增的，使他们多如天上的星；但因他们的罪，他们减少而被降卑（诗107:38-39）。据计算，在犹太民族被罗马人所灭之时，按约瑟夫所述，在各处有二百多万人死于刀剑之下，此外还有因饥荒瘟疫而死的；以致全国成为荒场，变为旷野。申28:63那句话可畏：耶和华怎样喜悦善待你们，也要照样喜悦毁灭你们。请看这里神的恩慈和严厉：怜悯在神以行善为乐中灿烂发光——他以此为乐；然而公义在神以毁灭不悔改者为乐中也同样辉煌——不是以使受造之物痛苦为乐，而是以维护自己的尊荣、保障他治理的目的为乐。请看罪是何等恶毒有害的东西，它（我可以说）竟使那位无限良善的神，必须以毁灭自己的受造之物——甚至是那曾蒙宠爱的受造之物——为乐。
（5）余下的人必分散在万民中。这就完成了他们的灾祸：耶和华必使你分散在万民中（申28:64）。这在他们今日的分散中显著应验，因为几乎在基督徒或回教徒所占据的一切国家中，都能找到犹太人，而且人数众多，以致有人说，他们若能在共同利益上联合起来，必成为非常可观的群体，足以对付最强大的国家和君王；但他们仍在这咒诅的权下，分散得如此之广，以致无法合为一体。这里预言在这种分散中：[1]他们必没有信仰，或全无实效的信仰，必没有圣殿、祭坛、祭司，因为他们必事奉别神。有人认为这在天主教国家强迫犹太人敬拜罗马教会所用偶像的事上应验了，使他们大为苦恼。[2]他们必没有安息，没有身体的安息：你的脚掌必不得落脚（申28:65），而是不断迁移，或为求利或为逃避逼迫；都是流荡的犹太人；没有心思的安息（这更糟糕），而是颤抖的心（申28:65）；性命难保（申28:66）；既厌倦光明，又厌倦黑暗——这两者在安静的心里轮流都是受欢迎的，但对他们而言，昼夜都成了恐怖（申28:67）。约伯曾一度如此光景（伯7:4），但对他们而言这将是持续不断的；使徒所说临到以色列身上的瞎眼和黑暗，以及那常常弯下他们的背的罪疚（罗11:8-10），必造成持续的不安和惊惶。那些昼夜恐惧、常常不安的人，对自己和周围的人都是折磨。愿敬虔的人竭力抵挡，不要屈从那带折磨的恐惧；愿恶人不要在恶中安然，因为当神的威吓列阵攻击他们时，他们的心不能忍耐，手也不能有力。那些早晨说巴不得到了晚上、晚上说巴不得到了早晨的人表明：第一，持续的烦躁与苦恼，责怪时辰太慢，抱怨每一分钟之长。我们在兴盛时当珍视光阴，这样在患难中它就不至于像别样令人厌烦。第二，持续的惊吓与恐惧，早晨惧怕白日飞的箭，因此盼望白天快过；但这有何益？到了晚上，颤抖的心照样害怕黑夜的惊骇（诗91:5-6）。那些心思因倚靠神而安稳、脱离灾祸的惊恐的人有福了！请留意，这恐惧不仅来自眼中所见，更来自心中的惧怕，不仅来自真实的危险，更来自想象的危险；恐惧的原因，一经查究，往往只是幻想的产物。
2. 最後，神警告要让他们仍然像他所寻得他们时那样，留在奴役之家中（申28:68）：耶和华必用船将你重带回埃及，意思是把他们带到像他们当初在埃及作奴仆、被严酷辖制时所处的那样悲惨的境地。神曾领他们出埃及，并说：他们必不得再看见那条路（申17:16）；但如今他们必被带回当初在那地所受的奴役之中。被卖与外人已够糟糕，被卖与仇敌更糟得多。即便奴仆也当被当作奴仆而估值，但犹太人因一切卑劣之事名声如此之坏，以致当他被出卖时，竟无人肯买，这就使要卖他的主人对他更为严厉。据说三十个犹太人才卖得一小块银子，正如他们将我们的救主卖了三十块钱。
3. 综观全局：（1）这些预言在犹太民族身上的应验，表明摩西是借着神的灵说话——那灵预见罪人的灭亡，并预先警戒他们，好叫他们借着真实而及时的悔改可以避免，否则便无可推诿。（2）愿我们都因此学习存敬畏的心，不犯罪。我听说一个恶人读了本章的警告之後大怒，竟把这一页从圣经中撕下，正如约雅敬割毁耶利米的书卷；但涂毁一份抄本有何用处，因为原卷仍存录在神的谋略之中——其中不可更改地定规了罪的工价乃是死，无论人肯听还是不肯听？
英語原文
Threatenings (1451 BC)
¹⁵ But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
¹⁶ Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
¹⁷ Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
¹⁸ Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
¹⁹ Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
²⁰ The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
²¹ The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
²² The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
²³ And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
²⁴ The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
²⁵ The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
²⁶ And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
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.
²⁸ The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
²⁹ And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
³⁰ Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
³¹ Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
³² Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.
³³ The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
³⁴ So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
³⁵ 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.
³⁶ The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
³⁷ And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
³⁸ Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
³⁹ Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
⁴⁰ Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
⁴¹ Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
⁴² All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
⁴³ The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
⁴⁴ He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.
Having viewed the bright side of the cloud, which is towards the obedient, we have now presented to us the dark side, which is towards the disobedient. If we do not keep God's commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay ourselves under the curse, which is as comprehensive of all misery as the blessing is of all happiness. Observe,
I. The equity of this curse. It is not a curse causeless, nor for some light cause; God seeks not occasion against us, nor is he apt to quarrel with us. That which is here mentioned as bringing the curse is, 1. Despising God, refusing to hearken to his voice (De 28:15), which bespeaks the highest contempt imaginable, as if what he said were not worth the heeding, or we were not under any obligation to him. 2. Disobeying him, not doing his commandments, or not observing to do them. None fall under his curse but those that rebel against his command. 3. Deserting him. "It is because of the wickedness of thy doings, not only whereby thou hast slighted me, but whereby thou hast forsaken me," De 28:20. God never casts us off till we first cast him off. It intimates that their idolatry, by which they forsook the true God for false gods, would be their destroying sin more than any other.
II. The extent and efficacy of this curse.
1. In general, it is declared, "All these curses shall come upon thee from above, and shall overtake thee; though thou endeavour to escape them, it is to no purpose to attempt it, they shall follow thee whithersoever thou goest, and seize thee, overtake thee, and overcome thee," De 28:15. It is said of the sinner, when God's wrath is in pursuit of him, that he would fain flee out of his hand (Job 27:22), but he cannot; if he flee from the iron weapon, yet the bow of steel shall reach him and strike him through. There is no running from God but by running to him, no fleeing from his justice but by fleeing to his mercy. See Ps 21:7,8. (1.) Wherever the sinner goes, the curse of God follows him; wherever he is, it rests upon him. He is cursed in the city and in the field, De 28:16. The strength of the city cannot shelter him from it, the pleasant air of the country is no fence against these pestilential steams. He is cursed (De 28:19) when he comes in, for the curse is upon the house of the wicked (Pr 3:33), and he is cursed when he goes out, for he cannot leave that curse behind him, nor get rid of it, which has entered into his bowels like water and like oil into his bones. (2.) Whatever he has is under a curse: Cursed is the ground for his sake, and all that is on it, or comes out of it, and so he is cursed from the ground, as Cain, Ge 4:11. The basket and store are cursed, De 28:17,18. All his enjoyments being forfeited by him are in a manner forbidden to him, as cursed things, which he has no title to. To those whose mind and conscience are defiled every thing else is so, Tit 1:15. They are all embittered to him; he cannot take any true comfort in them, for the wrath of God mixes itself with them, and he is so far from having any security of the continuance of them that, if his eyes be open, he may see them all condemned and ready to be confiscated, and with them all his joys and all his hopes gone for ever. (3.) Whatever he does is under a curse, too. It is a curse in all that he sets his hand to (De 28:20), a constant disappointment, which those are subject to that set their hearts upon the world, and expect their happiness in it, and which cannot but be a constant vexation. This curse is just the reverse of the blessing in the former part of the chapter. Thus whatever bliss there is in heaven there is not only the want of it, but the contrary to it, in hell. Isa 65:13, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry.
2. Many particular judgments are here enumerated, which would be the fruits of the curse, and with which God would punish the people of the Jews for their apostasy and disobedience. These judgments threatened are of divers kinds, for God has many arrows in his quiver, four sore judgments (Eze 14:21), and many more. They are represented as very terrible, and the descriptions of them are exceedingly lively and affecting, that men, knowing these terrors of the Lord, might, if possible, be persuaded. The threatenings of the same judgment are several times repeated, that they might make the more deep and lasting impressions, and to intimate that, if men persisted in their disobedience, the judgment which they thought was over, and of which they said, "Surely the bitterness of it is past," would return with double force; for when God judges he will overcome. (1.) Bodily diseases are here threatened, that they should be epidemical in their land. These God sometimes makes use of for the chastisement and improvement of his own people. Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. But here they are threatened to be brought upon his enemies as tokens of his wrath, and designed for their ruin. So that according to the temper of our spirits, under sickness, accordingly it is to us a blessing or a curse. But, whatever sickness may be to particular persons, it is certain that epidemical diseases raging among a people are national judgments, and are so to be accounted. He here threatens, [1.] Painful diseases (De 28:35), a sore botch, beginning in the legs and knees, but spreading, like Job's boils, from heat to foot. [2.] Shameful diseases (De 28:27), the botch of Egypt (such boils and blains as the Egyptians had been plagued with, when God brought Israel from among them), and the emerods and scab, vile diseases, the just punishment of those who by sin had made themselves vile. [3.] Mortal diseases, the pestilence (De 28:21), the consumption (put for all chronical diseases), and the fever (for all acute diseases), De 28:22. See Le 26:16. And all incurable, De 28:27. (2.) Famine, and scarcity of provisions; and this, [1.] For want of rain (De 28:23,24): Thy heaven over thy head, that part that is over thy land, shall be as dry as brass, while the heavens over other countries shall distil their dews; and, when the heaven is as brass, the earth of course will be as iron, so hard and unfruitful. Instead of rain, the dust shall be blown out of the highways into the field, and spoil the little that there is of the fruits of the earth. [2.] By destroying insects. The locust should destroy the corn, so that they should not have so much as their seed again, De 28:38,42. And the fruit of the vine, which should make glad their hearts, should all be worm-eaten, De 28:39. And the olive, some way or other, should be made to cast its fruit, De 28:40. The heathen use many superstitious customs in honour of their idol-gods for preserving the fruits of the earth; but Moses tells Israel that the only way they had to preserve them was to keep God's commandments; for he is a God that will not be sported with, like their idols, but will be served in spirit and truth. This threatening we find fulfilled in Israel, 1Ki 17:1, Jer 14:1, Joe 1:4. (3.) That they should be smitten before their enemies in war, who, it is likely, would be the more cruel to them, when they had them at their mercy, for the severity they had used against the nations of Canaan, which their neighbours in after-ages would be apt to remember against them, De 28:25. It would make their flight the more shameful, and the more grievous, that they might have triumphed over their enemies if they had but been faithful to their God. The carcases of those that were slain in war, or died in captivity among strangers, should be meat for the fowls (De 28:26); and an Israelite, having forfeited the favour of his God, should have so little humanity shown him as that no man should drive them away, so odious would God's curse make him to all mankind. (4.) That they should be infatuated in all their counsels, so as not to discern their own interest, nor bring any thing to pass for the public good: The Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness, De 28:28,29. Note, God's judgments can reach the minds of men to fill them with darkness and horror, as well as their bodies and estates; and those are the sorest of all judgments which make men a terror to themselves, and their own destroyers. That which they contrived to secure themselves by should still turn to their prejudice. Thus we often find that the allies they confided in distressed them and strengthened them not, 2Ch 28:20. Those that will not walk in God's counsels are justly left to be ruined by their own; and those that are wilfully blind to their duty deserve to be made blind to their interest, and, seeing they loved darkness rather than light, let them grope at noon-day as in the dark. (5.) That they should be plundered of all their enjoyments, stripped of all by the proud and imperious conqueror, such as Benhadad was to Ahab, 1Ki 20:5,6. Not only their houses and vineyards should be taken from them, but their wives and children, De 28:30,32. Their dearest comforts, which they took most pleasure in, and promised themselves most from, should be the entertainment and triumph of their enemies. As they had dwelt in houses which they built not, and eaten of vineyards which they planted not (De 6:10,11), so others should do by them. Their oxen, asses, and sheep, like Job's, should be taken away before their eyes, and they should not be able to recover them, De 28:31. And all the fruit of their land and labours should be devoured and eaten up by the enemy; so that they and theirs would want necessaries, while their enemies were revelling with that which they had laboured for. (6.) That they should be carried captives into a far country; nay, into all the kingdoms of the earth, De 28:25. Their sons and daughters, whom they promised themselves comfort in, should go into captivity (De 28:41), and they themselves at length, and their king in whom they promised themselves safety and settlement, De 28:36. This was fully accomplished when the ten tribes first were carried captive into Assyria (2Ki 17:6), and not long after the two tribes into Babylon, and two of their kings, 2Ki 24:15,15,25:7,21. That which is mentioned as an aggravation of their captivity is that they should go into an unknown country, the language and customs of which would be very uncouth, and their treatment among them barbarous, and there they should serve other gods, that is, be compelled to do so by their enemies, as they were in Babylon, Da 3:6. Note, God often makes men's sin their punishment, and chooses their delusions. You shall serve other gods, that is, "You shall serve those that do serve them;" a nation is often in scripture called by the name of its gods, as Jer 48:7. They had made idolaters their associates, and now god made idolaters their oppressors. (7.) That those who remained should be insulted and tyrannized over by strangers, De 28:43,44. So the ten tribes were by the colonies which the king of Assyria sent to take possession of their land, 2Ki 17:24. Or this may be meant of the gradual encroachments which the strangers within their gates should make upon them, so as insensibly to worm them out of their estates. We read of the fulfilling of this, Ho 7:9, Strangers have devoured his strength. Foreigners ate the bread out of the mouths of trueborn Israelites, by which they were justly chastised for introducing strange gods. (8.) That their reputation among their neighbours should be quite sunk, and those that had been a name, and a praise, should be an astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word, De 28:37. Some have observed the fulfilling of this threatening in their present state; for, when we would express the most perfidious and barbarous treatment, we say, None but a Jew would have done so. Thus is sin a reproach to any people. (9.) To complete their misery, it is threatened that they should be put quite out of the possession of their minds by all these troubles (De 28:34): Thou shalt be mad for the sight of thy eyes, that is, quite bereaved of all comfort and hope, and abandoned to utter despair. Those that walk by sight, and not by faith, are in danger of losing reason itself, when every thing about them looks frightful; and their condition is woeful indeed that are mad for the sight of their eyes.
⁴⁵ 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:
⁴⁶ And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.
⁴⁷ Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
⁴⁸ Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
⁴⁹ The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;
⁵⁰ A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favour to the young:
⁵¹ And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
⁵² And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
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:
⁵⁴ So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:
⁵⁵ 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.
⁵⁶ The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
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.
⁵⁸ If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
⁵⁹ Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
⁶⁰ Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
⁶¹ Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
⁶² And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.
⁶³ And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
⁶⁴ And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.
⁶⁵ And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
⁶⁶ And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
⁶⁷ In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
⁶⁸ And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.
One would have thought that enough had been said to possess them with a dread of that wrath of God which is revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. But to show how deep the treasures of that wrath are, and that still there is more and worse behind, Moses, when one would have thought that he had concluded this dismal subject, begins again, and adds to this roll of curses many similar words: as Jeremiah did to his, Jer 36:32. It should seem that in the former part of this commination Moses foretells their captivity in Babylon, and the calamities which introduced and attended that, by which, even after their return, they were brought to that low and poor condition which is described, De 28:44. That their enemies should be the head, and they the tail: but here, in this latter part, he foretells their last destruction by the Romans and their dispersion thereupon. And the present deplorable state of the Jewish nation, and of all that have incorporated themselves with them, by embracing their religion, does so fully and exactly answer to the prediction in these verses that it serves for an incontestable proof of the truth of prophecy, and consequently of the divine authority of the scripture. And, this last destruction being here represented as more dreadful than the former, it shows that their sin, in rejecting Christ and his gospel, was more heinous and more provoking to God than idolatry itself, and left them more under the power of Satan; for their captivity in Babylon cured them effectually of their idolatry in seventy years' time; but under this last destruction now for above 1600 years they continue incurably averse to the Lord Jesus. Observe,
I. What is here said in general of the wrath of God, which should light and lie upon them for their sins.
1. That, if they would not be ruled by the commands of God, they should certainly be ruined by his curse, De 28:45,46. Because thou didst not keep his commandments (especially that of hearing and obeying the great prophet), these curses shall come upon thee, as upon a people appointed to destruction, the generation of God's wrath: and they shall be for a sign and for a wonder. It is amazing to think that a people so long the favourites of Heaven should be so perfectly abandoned and cast off, that a people so closely incorporated should be so universally dispersed, and yet that a people so scattered in all nations should preserve themselves distinct and not mix with any, but like Cain be fugitives and vagabonds, and yet marked to be known.
2. That, if they would not serve God with cheerfulness, they should be compelled to serve their enemies (De 28:47,48), that they might know the difference (2Ch 12:8), which, some think, is the meaning of Ex 20:24,25, Because they despised my statutes, I gave them statutes that were not good. Observe here, (1.) It is justly expected from those to whom God gives an abundance of the good things of this life that they should serve him. What does he maintain us for out that we may do his work, and be some way serviceable to his honour? (2.) The more God gives us the more cheerfully we should serve him; our abundance should be oil to the wheels of our obedience. God is a Master that will be served with gladness, and delights to hear us sing at our work. (3.) If, when we receive the gifts of God's bounty, we either do not serve him at all or serve him with reluctance, it is a righteous thing with him to make us know the hardships of want and servitude. Those deserve to have cause given them to complain who complain without a cause. Tristis es et felix—Happy, and yet not easy! Blush at thy own folly and ingratitude.
3. That, if they would not give glory to God by a reverential obedience, he would get him honour upon them by wonderful plagues, De 28:58,59. Note, (1.) God justly expects from us that we should fear his fearful name; and, which is strange, that name which is here proposed as the object of our fear is, The Lord thy God, which is very fitly here put in our Bibles in capital letters; for nothing can sound more truly august. As nothing is more comfortable, so nothing more awful, than this, that he with whom we have to do is Jehovah, a being infinitely perfect and blessed, and the author of all being; and that he is our God, our rightful Lord and owner, from whom we are to receive laws and to whom we are to give account: this is great, and greatly to be feared. (2.) We may justly expect from God that, if we do not fear his fearful name, we shall feel his fearful plagues; for one way or other God will be feared. All God's plagues are dreadful, but some are wonderful, carrying in them extraordinary signatures of divine power and justice, so that a man, upon the first view of them, may say, Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth.
II. How the destruction threatened is described. Moses is here upon the same melancholy subject that our Saviour is discoursing of to his disciples in his farewell sermon (Mt 24:4-28), namely, The destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation. Observe,
1. Five things are here foretold as steps to their ruin:—
(1.) That they should be invaded by a foreign enemy (De 28:49,50): A nation from far, namely, the Romans, as swift as the eagle hastening to the prey. Our Saviour makes use of this similitude, in foretelling this destruction, that where the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together, Mt 24:28. And bishop Patrick observes (to make the accomplishment the more remarkable) that the ensign of the Roman armies was an eagle. This nation is said to be of a fierce countenance, an indication of a fierce nature, stern and severe, that would not pity the weakness and infirmity either of little children or of old people.
(2.) That the country should be laid waste, and all the fruits of it eaten up by this army of foreigners, which is the natural consequence of an invasion, especially when it is made, as that by the Romans was, for the chastisement of rebels: He shall eat the fruits of thy cattle and land (De 28:51), so that the inhabitants should be starved, while the invaders were fed to the full.
(3.) That their cities should be besieged, and that such would be the obstinacy of the besieged, and such the vigour of the besiegers, that they would be reduced to the last extremity, and at length fall into the hands of the enemy, De 28:52. No place, though ever so well fortified, no, not Jerusalem itself, though it held out long, would escape. Two of the common consequences of a long siege are here foretold:—[1.] A miserable famine, which would prevail to such a degree that, for want of food, they should kill and eat their own children, De 28:53. Men should do so, notwithstanding their hardiness, and ability to bear hunger; and, though obliged by the law of nature to provide for their own families, yet should refuse to give to the wife and children that were starving any of the child that was barbarously butchered, De 28:54,55. Nay, women, ladies of quality, notwithstanding their natural niceness about their food, and their natural affection to their children, yet, for want of food, should so far forget all humanity as to kill and eat them, De 28:56,57. Let us observe, by the way, how hard this fate must needs be to the tender and delicate women, and learn not to indulge ourselves in tenderness and delicacy, because we know not what we may be reduced to before we die; the more nice we are, the harder it will be to us to bear want, and the more danger we shall be in or sacrificing reason, and religion, and natural affection itself, to the clamours and cravings of an unmortified and ungoverned appetite. This threatening was fulfilled in the letter of it, more than once, to the perpetual reproach of the Jewish nation: never was the like done either by Greek or barbarian, but in the siege of Samaria, a woman boiled her own son, 2Ki 6:28,29. And it is spoken of as commonly done among them in the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, La 4:10. And, in the last siege by the Romans, Josephus tells us of a noble woman that killed and ate her own child, through the extremity of the famine, and when she had eaten one half secretly (De 28:57), that she might have it to herself, the mob, smelling meat, got into the house, to whom she showed the other half, which she had kept till another time, inviting them to share with her. What is too barbarous for those to do that are abandoned of God! [2.] Sickness is another common effect of a strait and long siege, and that is here threatened: Sore sickness, and of long continuance, De 28:59. These should attend the Jews wherever they went afterwards, the diseases of Egypt, leprosies, botches, and foul ulcers, De 28:60. Nay, as if the particular miseries here threatened were not enough, he concludes with an et cetera, De 28:61. The Lord will bring upon thee every sickness, and every plague, though it be not written in the book of this law. Those that fall under the curse of God will find that the one half was not told them of the weight and terror of that curse.
(4.) That multitudes of them should perish, so that they should become few in number, De 28:62. It was a nation that God had wonderfully increased, so that they were as the stars of heaven for multitude; but, for their sin, they were diminished and brought low, Ps 107:38,39. It is computed that in the destruction of the Jewish nation by the Romans, as appears by the account Josephus gives of it, above two millions fell by the sword at several places, besides what perished by famine and pestilence; so that the whole country was laid waste and turned into a wilderness. That is a terrible word (De 28:63), As the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, so he will rejoice over you to destroy you. Behold here the goodness and severity of God: mercy here shines brightly in the pleasure God takes in doing good—he rejoices in it; yet justice here appears no less illustrious in the pleasure he takes in destroying the impenitent; not as it is the making of his creatures miserable, but as it is the asserting of his own honour and the securing of the ends of his government. See what a malignant mischievous thing sin is, which (as I may say) makes it necessary for the God of infinite goodness to rejoice in the destruction of his own creatures, even those that had been favourites.
(5.) That the remnant should be scattered throughout the nations. This completes their woe: The Lord shall scatter thee among all people, De 28:64. This is remarkably fulfilled in their present dispersion, for there are Jews to be found almost in all countries that are possessed either by Christians or Mahometans, and in such numbers that it has been said, If they could unite in one common interest, they would be a very formidable body, and able to deal with the most powerful states and princes; but they abide under the power of this curse, and are so scattered that they are not able to incorporate. It is here foretold that in this dispersion, [1.] They should have no religion, or none to any purpose, should have no temple, nor altar, nor priesthood, for they should serve other gods. Some think this has been fulfilled in the force put upon the Jews in popish countries to worship the images that are used in the Romish church, to their great vexation. [2.] They should have no rest, no rest of body: The sole of thy foot shall not have rest (De 28:65), but be continually upon the remove, either in hope of gain or fear of persecution; all wandering Jews: no rest of the mind (which is much worse), but a trembling heart (De 28:65); no assurance of life (De 28:66); weary both of light and darkness, which are, in their turns, both welcome to a quiet mind, but to them both day and night would be a terror, De 28:67. Such was once the condition of Job (Job 7:4), but to them this should be constant and perpetual; that blindness and darkness which the apostle speaks of as having happened to Israel, and that guilt which bowed down their back always (Ro 11:8-10), must needs occasion a constant restlessness and amazement. Those are a torment to themselves, and to all about them, that fear day and night and are always uneasy. Let good people strive against it, and not give way to that fear which has torment; and let wicked people not be secure in their wickedness, for their hearts cannot endure, nor can their hands be strong, when the terrors of God set themselves in array against them. Those that say in the morning, O that it were evening, and in the evening, O that it were morning, show, First, A constant fret and vexation, chiding the hours for lingering and complaining of the length of every minute. Let time be precious to us when we are in prosperity, and then it will not be so tedious to us when we are in afflictions as otherwise it would. Secondly, A constant fright and terror, afraid in the morning of the arrow that flieth by day, and therefore wishing the day over; but what will this do for them? When evening comes, the trembling heart is no less apprehensive of the terror by night, Ps 91:5,6. Happy they whose minds, being stayed on God, are quiet from the fear of evil! Observe here, The terror arises not only from the sight of the eyes, but from the fear of the heart, not only from real dangers, but from imaginary ones; the causes of fear, when they come to be enquired into, often prove to be only the creatures of the fancy.
2. In the close, God threatens to leave them as he found them, in a house of bondage (De 28:68): The Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again, that is into such a miserable state as they were in when they were slaves to the Egyptians, and ruled by them with rigour. God had brought them out of Egypt, and had said, They shall see it no more again (De 17:16); but now they should be reduced to the same state of slavery that they had been in there. To be sold to strangers would be bad enough, but much worse to be sold to their enemies. Even slaves may be valued as such, but a Jew should have so ill a name for all that is base that when he was exposed to sale no man would buy him, which would make his master that had him to sell the more severe with him. Thirty Jews (they say) have been sold for one small piece of money, as they sold our Saviour for thirty pieces.
3. Upon the whole matter, (1.) The accomplishment of these predictions upon the Jewish nation shows that Moses spoke by the Spirit of God, who certainly foresees the ruin of sinners, and gives them warning of it, that they may prevent it by a true and timely repentance, or else be left inexcusable. (2.) Let us all hence learn to stand in awe and not to sin. I have heard of a wicked man, who, upon reading the threatenings of this chapter, was so enraged that he tore the leaf out of the Bible, as Jehoiakim cut Jeremiah's roll; but to what purpose is it to deface a copy, while the original remains upon record in the divine counsels, by which it is unalterably determined that the wages of sin is death, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear?
本章是对前一章两词——福与祸——的详尽阐发。前文笼统宣告：顺命的必蒙福，悖逆的必受祸；然而泛论之言震撼力不足，故摩西在此进入细节，描述福与祸，并非描述其源头（源头隐而不显，故最为紧要却最易被忽视，神的恩宠乃一切福分之源，神的震怒乃一切祸患之源），而是描述其流向，即福与祸所带来的可感可见的果效，因为这些都是真实之事，并具有真实的果效。I. 他描述了他们若顺命所将临到的福分：关乎个人的、家庭的，特别是关乎整个国家的，因为他们在此尤被视作一个整体国民来对待，申 28:1-14。II. 他更为详尽地描述了他们若悖逆所将临到的祸患，即：1. 极度的灾祸与困苦，申 28:15-44。2. 终局的彻底覆灭与毁灭，申 28:45-68。本章与利 26:1-46 主旨相近，将生与死、善与恶摆在他们面前；而利未记那一章结尾关于他们悔改后复兴的应许，在此处亦更为详尽地重申于申 30:1-20。如此，律法的重申使他们在诫命之上又有诫命，而应许与警告的重述则使他们在规条之上又有规条。两处所载，不仅作为律法的印证——即条件性的事，更作为对将来结局的预言——即必然实现的事：以色列民一时将因顺命而享福祉，终必因悖逆而沦亡。故经上记着说（申 30:1），这一切事——福与祸——都必临到他们。