Deuteronomy 28:34
So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Original Language Analysis
וְהָיִ֖יתָ
H1961
וְהָיִ֖יתָ
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 6
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה
for the sight
H4758
מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה
for the sight
Strong's:
H4758
Word #:
3 of 6
a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks),
עֵינֶ֖יךָ
of thine eyes
H5869
עֵינֶ֖יךָ
of thine eyes
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
4 of 6
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
Historical Context
Moses spoke this circa 1406 BC. During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (586 BC), Josephus and biblical accounts describe starvation, cannibalism, and mass slaughter that traumatized survivors. The horrors witnessed during the siege fulfilled this curse literally, driving many to psychological breakdown.
Questions for Reflection
- How does witnessing atrocities constitute a distinct form of judgment beyond physical suffering?
- What does madness from traumatic sights reveal about covenant curse affecting mind as well as body?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. The Hebrew meshugga (מְשֻׁגָּע, driven mad) derives from the same root as verse 28's "madness"—here specified as madness caused by witnessing horrors. The phrase for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see emphasizes traumatic visual experiences: watching family members killed, children starving, cities burning.
This psychological torment exceeds physical suffering—the mental anguish of helplessly witnessing atrocities drives covenant-breakers to insanity. Lamentations 2:11 captures this: "Mine eyes do fail with tears, mine liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and sucklings swoon in the streets of the city." Jeremiah reported mothers eating their own children during the siege (Lamentations 4:10)—sights that would drive anyone mad.