What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 28:19? You will be cursed Moses has just laid out the blessings for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and now turns to the mirror image: “But if you do not obey… all these curses will come upon you” (v. 15). Verse 19 opens by stating plainly, “You will be cursed.” • The verb is comprehensive, covering every facet of life—health, family, economy, security—echoed in the wider catalog of vv. 20-68. • This is the covenant counterpart to the earlier promise, “Blessed shall you be” (v. 6). The Lord guarantees that the consequences of disobedience are as certain as the blessings of obedience (cf. Galatians 6:7-8; Leviticus 26:14-39). • The curse is not random; it is God’s righteous response to deliberate rebellion (Proverbs 3:33). when you come in The first sphere Moses mentions is entry—arriving home, entering a city, stepping into any endeavor. • In v. 6 the obedient Israelite was promised, “Blessed shall you be when you come in.” Now the inverse underscores that disobedience turns everyday routines into arenas of frustration (Deuteronomy 28:22-24). • Scripture often uses “coming in” as shorthand for life’s ordinary beginnings (1 Samuel 18:16). The curse means loss of peace, productivity, and safety at every start (Isaiah 30:1-3). • God’s people were to be His showcase nation; instead, their entrances would advertise divine displeasure, fulfilling warnings like Psalm 106:39-40. and cursed when you go out Departure is the other half of daily living—leaving home for work, setting out to war, journeying to worship. • Again, v. 6 had promised, “Blessed shall you be when you go out.” Disobedience reverses that, so exits become vulnerable moments (Deuteronomy 28:25-26; 1 Kings 8:46). • The phrase covers military campaigns (Numbers 27:17), commerce, and even emigration. Every outward step would feel the weight of God’s hand (Jeremiah 42:15-17). • Psalm 121:8 proclaims, “The LORD will watch over your coming and going,” but here the same realm is surrendered to judgment because Israel would not let the LORD rule their hearts. summary Deuteronomy 28:19 warns that covenant-breaking turns the most routine movements—coming in and going out—into moments of divine chastening. Blessing or curse touches every entrance and every exit. The verse drives home the sobering truth: continual obedience invites God’s continual favor, while persistent disobedience invites His continual discipline. |
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