Deuteronomy 28:53
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:
Original Language Analysis
בִטְנְךָ֗
of thine own body
H990
בִטְנְךָ֗
of thine own body
Strong's:
H990
Word #:
3 of 17
the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything
בְּשַׂ֤ר
the flesh
H1320
בְּשַׂ֤ר
the flesh
Strong's:
H1320
Word #:
4 of 17
flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of a man
בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙
of thy sons
H1121
בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙
of thy sons
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
5 of 17
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ
and of thy daughters
H1323
וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ
and of thy daughters
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
6 of 17
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
7 of 17
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
נָֽתַן
hath given
H5414
נָֽתַן
hath given
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
8 of 17
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
יְהוָ֣ה
which the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֣ה
which the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
10 of 17
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ
thy God
H430
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ
thy God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
11 of 17
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
בְּמָצוֹר֙
thee in the siege
H4692
בְּמָצוֹר֙
thee in the siege
Strong's:
H4692
Word #:
12 of 17
something hemming in, i.e., (objectively) a mound (of besiegers), (abstractly) a siege, (figuratively) distress; or (subjectively) a fastness
וּבְמָצ֔וֹק
and in the straitness
H4689
וּבְמָצ֔וֹק
and in the straitness
Strong's:
H4689
Word #:
13 of 17
a narrow place, i.e., (abstractly and figuratively) confinement or disability
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
14 of 17
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
Cross References
Lamentations 4:10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.Jeremiah 19:9And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.Leviticus 26:29And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.Lamentations 2:20Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?Deuteronomy 28:57And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.Ezekiel 5:10Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.Deuteronomy 28:55So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.
Historical Context
This happened multiple times in Israel's history: during the Aramean siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:28-29), the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (Lamentations 4:10), and the Roman siege (Josephus, Wars 6.3.4). These fulfillments demonstrate that God's word of judgment is as reliable as His word of promise.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the horror of this curse reveal the depth of human depravity apart from God's grace?
- What does it mean that God's covenant curses are as certain as His covenant blessings?
- How does the sacrifice of God's own Son reverse the curse that we deserved?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters—this is the most horrifying curse in the entire chapter. The Hebrew phrase pǝrî ḇiṭnǝḵā (פְּרִי בִטְנְךָ, 'fruit of your womb') uses tender language for pregnancy to describe unspeakable horror: cannibalism of one's own children. This prophesied the most extreme degradation possible under siege conditions.
This literally occurred during the Babylonian siege (Lamentations 2:20, 4:10) and again under Rome. Josephus records a woman named Mary eating her own infant during the AD 70 siege—a fulfillment so precise it defies coincidence. The phrase in the siege, and in the straitness (בְּמָצוֹר וּבְמָצוֹק, bǝmāṣôr ûḇǝmāṣôq) means 'in the distress and in the anguish' of military encirclement. Leviticus 26:29 had warned of the same curse.