Deuteronomy 28:52
And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Original Language Analysis
וְהֵצַ֤ר
And he shall besiege
H6887
וְהֵצַ֤ר
And he shall besiege
Strong's:
H6887
Word #:
1 of 26
to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive
בְּכָל
H3605
בְּכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
3 of 26
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עַ֣ד
H5704
עַ֣ד
Strong's:
H5704
Word #:
5 of 26
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
רֶ֤דֶת
come down
H3381
רֶ֤דֶת
come down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
6 of 26
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
וְהַבְּצֻר֔וֹת
and fenced
H1219
וְהַבְּצֻר֔וֹת
and fenced
Strong's:
H1219
Word #:
9 of 26
to gather grapes; also to be isolated (i.e., inaccessible by height or fortification)
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
10 of 26
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
בֹּטֵ֥חַ
thou trustedst
H982
בֹּטֵ֥חַ
thou trustedst
Strong's:
H982
Word #:
12 of 26
properly, to hie for refuge (but not so precipitately as h2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure
בְּכָל
H3605
בְּכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
14 of 26
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
אַרְצְךָ֔
throughout all thy land
H776
אַרְצְךָ֔
throughout all thy land
Strong's:
H776
Word #:
15 of 26
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
וְהֵצַ֤ר
And he shall besiege
H6887
וְהֵצַ֤ר
And he shall besiege
Strong's:
H6887
Word #:
16 of 26
to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive
בְּכָל
H3605
בְּכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
18 of 26
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
בְּכָ֨ל
H3605
בְּכָ֨ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
20 of 26
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
אַרְצְךָ֔
throughout all thy land
H776
אַרְצְךָ֔
throughout all thy land
Strong's:
H776
Word #:
21 of 26
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
22 of 26
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
נָתַ֛ן
hath given
H5414
נָתַ֛ן
hath given
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
23 of 26
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
יְהוָ֥ה
which the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֥ה
which the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
24 of 26
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern sieges were horrific—armies surrounded cities, cut off food and water, and waited for starvation. The Babylonian siege of Jerusalem saw conditions so desperate that cannibalism occurred (see v. 53). The Roman siege was equally brutal, with Josephus recording that over 600,000 bodies were thrown from the walls.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'high walls' do we trust in besides God—wealth, status, security measures?
- How does this passage demonstrate that no human defense can stand against God's judgment?
- What does Christ's destruction of the 'dividing wall of hostility' (Ephesians 2:14) mean in light of this curse?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates—Hebrew ṣûr (צוּר) describes a strangling siege cutting off all supplies. The repetition of all thy gates twice emphasizes total encirclement. Thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst—the verb bāṭaḥ (בָּטַח, 'trusted') is devastating: Israel would trust in walls (military might) rather than in God.
This prophesies both the Babylonian and Roman sieges with precision. Babylon breached Jerusalem's walls in 586 BC after 18 months (2 Kings 25:1-4). Rome surrounded Jerusalem with a siege wall in AD 70, starving the city before destroying the temple. The phrase throughout all thy land means no city would escape—every fortified place would fall. Archaeological remains of Lachish show Assyrian siege ramps fulfilling this very prophecy.