Deuteronomy Chapter 28 · Verse 30
Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
Original Language Analysis
וְאִ֤ישׁ
man
H376
וְאִ֤ישׁ
man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
3 of 14
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
בַּ֥יִת
an house
H1004
בַּ֥יִת
an house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
6 of 14
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
תִּבְנֶ֖ה
with her thou shalt build
H1129
תִּבְנֶ֖ה
with her thou shalt build
Strong's:
H1129
Word #:
7 of 14
to build (literally and figuratively)
וְלֹֽא
H3808
וְלֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
8 of 14
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
תֵשֵׁ֣ב
and thou shalt not dwell
H3427
תֵשֵׁ֣ב
and thou shalt not dwell
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
9 of 14
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
תִּטַּ֖ע
therein thou shalt plant
H5193
תִּטַּ֖ע
therein thou shalt plant
Strong's:
H5193
Word #:
12 of 14
properly, to strike in, i.e., fix; specifically, to plant (literally or figuratively)
Cross References
Amos 5:11Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.Jeremiah 8:10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.Job 31:10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.Jeremiah 12:13They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.Hosea 4:2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.Lamentations 5:2Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.Micah 6:15Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.Zephaniah 1:13Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
Historical Context
Written circa 1406 BC, this curse found literal fulfillment during the Babylonian conquest (586 BC) when Nebuchadnezzar's armies raped Israelite women (Lamentations 5:11), destroyed houses (2 Kings 25:9), and foreigners consumed Israel's agricultural produce while Jews went into exile.
Questions for Reflection
- How does covenant judgment reverse the conquest blessings Israel initially received in Canaan?
- What principle of divine justice appears in experiencing the same treatment Israel inflicted on Canaan?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her—the Hebrew arash (אָרַשׂ, betroth) indicates formal engagement, making this violation especially heinous: covenant-breakers would lose their betrothed to enemy rapists. Thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein fulfills the curse of Amos 5:11 and Micah 6:15—labor without enjoyment of its fruit.
Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes inverts the blessing of verse 8. The triple repetition (wife, house, vineyard) emphasizes complete futility in life's fundamental endeavors: family, security, sustenance. This is measure-for-measure justice: Israel enjoyed Canaan's vineyards they didn't plant (Deuteronomy 6:10-11); now others would enjoy theirs.