Deuteronomy 28:25
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.
Original Language Analysis
יִתֶּנְךָ֙
shall cause
H5414
יִתֶּנְךָ֙
shall cause
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
1 of 18
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
יְהוָ֥ה׀
The LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֥ה׀
The LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 18
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
נִגָּף֮
thee to be smitten
H5062
נִגָּף֮
thee to be smitten
Strong's:
H5062
Word #:
3 of 18
to push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease)
לְפָנָ֑יו
before
H6440
לְפָנָ֑יו
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
4 of 18
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
דְרָכִ֖ים
way
H1870
דְרָכִ֖ים
way
Strong's:
H1870
Word #:
6 of 18
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
תֵּצֵ֣א
thou shalt go out
H3318
תֵּצֵ֣א
thou shalt go out
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
8 of 18
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה
seven
H7651
וּבְשִׁבְעָ֥ה
seven
Strong's:
H7651
Word #:
10 of 18
seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number
דְרָכִ֖ים
way
H1870
דְרָכִ֖ים
way
Strong's:
H1870
Word #:
11 of 18
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
תָּנ֣וּס
against them and flee
H5127
תָּנ֣וּס
against them and flee
Strong's:
H5127
Word #:
12 of 18
to flit, i.e., vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
לְפָנָ֑יו
before
H6440
לְפָנָ֑יו
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
13 of 18
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
וְהָיִ֣יתָ
H1961
וְהָיִ֣יתָ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
14 of 18
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
לְכֹ֖ל
H3605
לְכֹ֖ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
16 of 18
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Isaiah 30:17One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.Ezekiel 23:46For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and spoiled.Jeremiah 24:9And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.Deuteronomy 28:7The 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.Deuteronomy 32:30How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?Leviticus 26:17And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.Jeremiah 29:18And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:Jeremiah 34:17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.Luke 21:24And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Historical Context
Israel's military history validated this curse repeatedly: defeats during the judges period when they abandoned Yahweh (Judges 2:14-15), Saul's disastrous loss to the Philistines (1 Samuel 31), the northern kingdom's collapse before Assyria (2 Kings 17), and Judah's destruction by Babylon (2 Kings 25). The 'seven ways' fleeing describes actual battle routes: soldiers scatter in panic, unable to regroup. The phrase 'horror to all kingdoms' was literally fulfilled—surrounding nations viewed Israel's and Judah's destruction as divine judgment, sometimes mocking (Lamentations 2:15-16), sometimes fearing their own gods might similarly judge them. By the Roman period (AD 70, 135), Jewish suffering became proverbial, fulfilling this curse on an international scale.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the contrast between unified advance and scattered retreat illustrate the consequences of losing God's presence in spiritual battles?
- What does it mean to become a 'horror to all kingdoms'—how does covenant violation affect witness and testimony to surrounding peoples?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies—This curse reverses the military victory promises of verses 7 and 10. The Hebrew yittenka Yahweh nigaf lifne oyevekha (יִתֶּנְךָ יְהוָה נִגָּף לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֶיךָ, the LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies) makes Yahweh the active agent handing Israel over to defeat. The phrase bederekh ekhad tetse elav uveshiv'ah derakhim tanus lefanav (בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד תֵּצֵא אֵלָיו וּבְשִׁבְעָה דְרָכִים תָּנוּס לְפָנָיו, you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them) depicts complete military rout—unified advance collapsing into scattered, panicked retreat. Seven ways indicates comprehensive disarray, the perfect number suggesting total defeat.
The final clause vehayita leza'avah lekhol mamlekot ha'arets (וְהָיִיתָ לְזַעֲוָה לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ, and you shall be a horror to all kingdoms of the earth) uses za'avah (horror/object of trembling), meaning Israel becomes a cautionary tale—other nations view their fate with terrified revulsion. This fulfills the curse potential in Deuteronomy 28:37 and reverses the blessing of verse 10 where nations would fear Israel due to God's presence. Now they fear Israel's fate, not Israel's God. The military defeat curse connects to exile (verses 64-68), showing that lost battles lead to lost land and dispersed people.