Deuteronomy 32:23
I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
Original Language Analysis
אַסְפֶּ֥ה
I will heap
H5595
אַסְפֶּ֥ה
I will heap
Strong's:
H5595
Word #:
1 of 6
properly, to scrape (literally, to shave; but usually figuratively) together (i.e., to accumulate or increase) or away (i.e., to scatter, remove, or r
עָלֵ֖ימוֹ
H5921
עָלֵ֖ימוֹ
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 6
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
חִצַּ֖י
mine arrows
H2671
חִצַּ֖י
mine arrows
Strong's:
H2671
Word #:
4 of 6
properly, a piercer, i.e., an arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of god) thunder-bolt; the shaft of a spear
Cross References
Ezekiel 5:16When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:Deuteronomy 28:15But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:Ezekiel 14:21For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?Leviticus 26:24Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.Lamentations 3:13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
Historical Context
The 'heaped mischiefs' and 'spent arrows' describe Israel's history: Egyptian bondage, Assyrian captivity, Babylonian exile, Greek persecution (Antiochus IV Epiphanes), Roman destruction (AD 70), and centuries of diaspora. Yet Romans 11:28-29 insists God's gifts and calling are irrevocable—judgment is disciplinary, preparing for restoration.
Questions for Reflection
- How do accumulated judgments ('heaped mischiefs') demonstrate both God's patience (giving opportunity for repentance) and His justice?
- What comfort is found in knowing God's covenant discipline, however severe, serves redemptive purposes rather than vindictive destruction?
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Analysis & Commentary
I will heap mischiefs upon them—aspeh 'alēmô rā'ôt (אַסְפֶּה עֲלֵימוֹ רָעוֹת), literally 'I will gather evils upon them.' The verb sāphah means to gather, collect, or heap up, suggesting accumulated judgments, not a single disaster. I will spend mine arrows upon them—ḥiṣṣay 'ăkalleh-bām (חִצַּי אֲכַלֶּה־בָּם), using the verb kālāh (to complete, finish, exhaust), depicts God using all His arrows of judgment.
The military imagery anticipates verses 24-25, which detail specific judgments: famine, plague, wild beasts, sword, and terror. This is covenant curse fulfillment (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28), where God Himself becomes Israel's enemy, using creation and nations as instruments of discipline.