Deuteronomy 28:38
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
Original Language Analysis
תּוֹצִ֣יא
Thou shalt carry
H3318
תּוֹצִ֣יא
Thou shalt carry
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
3 of 9
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
תֶּֽאֱסֹ֔ף
and shalt gather
H622
תֶּֽאֱסֹ֔ף
and shalt gather
Strong's:
H622
Word #:
6 of 9
to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e., remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
כִּ֥י
H3588
כִּ֥י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
7 of 9
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Cross References
Joel 1:4That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.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.Haggai 1:6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.Amos 4:9I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.Joel 2:25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Historical Context
Locust plagues were periodic devastations in ancient Near East agriculture, but Moses presents them here as covenant curses, not random natural disasters. Israel's agrarian economy made crop failure catastrophic—leading to famine, debt, and vulnerability to invasion.
Questions for Reflection
- Why would God use the same plague (locusts) that once freed Israel to now judge Israel?
- How does futile labor without harvest fruit illustrate spiritual barrenness under judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. The futility curse begins—intense labor producing meager results. The Hebrew arbeh (locust) was one of the Exodus plagues against Egypt (Exodus 10:4-15); now God would turn this same judgment weapon against disobedient Israel. What once demonstrated Yahweh's power on Israel's behalf would demonstrate His power against them.
Agricultural frustration reverses the promised land's flowing with milk and honey. Where covenant obedience brought thirty, sixty, hundredfold harvests (Mark 4:8), covenant violation brought decimation. Joel 1:4 later described locust devastation as divine judgment requiring national repentance.