Deuteronomy 28:26
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.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָֽיְתָ֤ה
H1961
וְהָֽיְתָ֤ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 10
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
נִבְלָֽתְךָ֙
And thy carcase
H5038
נִבְלָֽתְךָ֙
And thy carcase
Strong's:
H5038
Word #:
2 of 10
a flabby thing, i.e., a carcase or carrion (human or bestial, often collectively); figuratively, an idol
לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל
shall be meat
H3978
לְמַֽאֲכָ֔ל
shall be meat
Strong's:
H3978
Word #:
3 of 10
an eatable (including provender, flesh and fruit)
לְכָל
H3605
לְכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 10
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
ע֥וֹף
unto all fowls
H5775
ע֥וֹף
unto all fowls
Strong's:
H5775
Word #:
5 of 10
a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם
of the air
H8064
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם
of the air
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
6 of 10
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
וּלְבֶֽהֱמַ֣ת
and unto the beasts
H929
וּלְבֶֽהֱמַ֣ת
and unto the beasts
Strong's:
H929
Word #:
7 of 10
properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)
וְאֵ֖ין
H369
Cross References
Jeremiah 16:4They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.Jeremiah 34:20I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.Jeremiah 7:33And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.Jeremiah 19:7And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.Jeremiah 8:1At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:
Historical Context
Deuteronomy 28:26 was written around 1406 BC during Israel's wilderness wandering as Moses delivered his farewell addresses. The curse eerily predicted the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (586 BC) when Jeremiah witnessed corpses lying unburied in the streets (Lamentations 4:9-10). Ancient Near Eastern treaties (Assyrian vassal treaties) contained identical curses for covenant violation.
Questions for Reflection
- Why was proper burial so significant in biblical culture, and what does denial of burial signify about covenant judgment?
- How does this curse reverse the creation mandate of dominion over animals in Genesis 1?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
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. The Hebrew nebhelah (נְבֵלָה, dead body/carcass) emphasizes death without proper burial—the ultimate disgrace in ancient Near Eastern culture. Unburied corpses meant the person died under divine curse, without honor or remembrance.
To be meat unto all fowls reverses Leviticus 11 purity laws—rather than avoiding unclean carrion-eating birds, covenant-breakers would become food for them. The phrase no man shall fray them away (לֹא מַחֲרִיד, lo macharid) means no one would even drive away the scavengers, indicating total desolation and absence of surviving family. Jeremiah 7:33 and 16:4 depict this exact judgment on Jerusalem before the Babylonian exile.
This covenant curse directly inverts Genesis 1:26-28 where humanity had dominion over birds and beasts—now the animals would have dominion over human corpses.