Deuteronomy 28:48
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Original Language Analysis
וְעָֽבַדְתָּ֣
Therefore shalt thou serve
H5647
וְעָֽבַדְתָּ֣
Therefore shalt thou serve
Strong's:
H5647
Word #:
1 of 20
to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
2 of 20
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
אֲשֶׁ֨ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֨ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
4 of 20
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
יְשַׁלְּחֶ֤נּוּ
shall send
H7971
יְשַׁלְּחֶ֤נּוּ
shall send
Strong's:
H7971
Word #:
5 of 20
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
יְהוָה֙
which the LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֙
which the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
6 of 20
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
כֹּ֑ל
H3605
כֹּ֑ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
12 of 20
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
וְנָתַ֞ן
of all things and he shall put
H5414
וְנָתַ֞ן
of all things and he shall put
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
13 of 20
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
עֹ֤ל
a yoke
H5923
עֹ֤ל
a yoke
Strong's:
H5923
Word #:
14 of 20
a yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figuratively
בַּרְזֶל֙
of iron
H1270
בַּרְזֶל֙
of iron
Strong's:
H1270
Word #:
15 of 20
iron (as cutting); by extension, an iron implement
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
16 of 20
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ
upon thy neck
H6677
צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ
upon thy neck
Strong's:
H6677
Word #:
17 of 20
the back of the neck (as that on which burdens are bound)
עַ֥ד
H5704
עַ֥ד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
18 of 20
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
Cross References
Jeremiah 44:22So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.Jeremiah 44:27Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.Ezekiel 17:12Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
Historical Context
Written circa 1406 BC as Moses prepared Israel for Canaan entry, this section prophesies exile and dispersion with stunning specificity. The 'iron yoke' became literal under multiple empires—Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom, Babylon razed Jerusalem, and Rome scattered the Jews worldwide after AD 70.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'iron yokes' do we create for ourselves when we reject God's gracious law?
- How does serving God lead to true freedom, while serving sin leads to cruel bondage?
- In what ways does this passage reveal the seriousness with which God takes covenant faithfulness?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies—the Hebrew ʿāḇaḏ (עָבַד) means not mere labor but enslaved servitude. Israel would trade the yoke of God's law (which is freedom) for a yoke of iron (בְּעֹל בַּרְזֶל, bǝʿōl barzel)—unbreakable, crushing bondage. The prophesied conditions—hunger, thirst, nakedness, want of all things—became horrifyingly literal under Assyrian (722 BC), Babylonian (586 BC), and Roman (AD 70) sieges.
The covenant reversal is complete: God's people who were delivered from slavery would be delivered to slavery. This verse introduces the most severe curses (vv. 48-68), where the blessings of verses 1-14 are systematically inverted. The iron yoke contrasts with Jeremiah's wooden yoke (Jeremiah 27-28)—Babylon's bondage could not be broken.