The Meaning of Deuteronomy 28:22 Explained

Deuteronomy 28:22

KJV: The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

YLT: 'Jehovah doth smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with extreme burning, and with sword, and with blasting, and with mildew, and they have pursued thee till thou perish

Darby: Jehovah will smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with burning ague, and with drought, and with blight, and with mildew, and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

ASV: Jehovah will smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  shall smite  thee with a consumption,  and with a fever,  and with an inflammation,  and with an extreme burning,  and with the sword,  and with blasting,  and with mildew;  and they shall pursue  thee until thou perish. 

What does Deuteronomy 28:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 28:20-46 - The Fearful Results Of Disobedience
If we compare this chapter with Exodus 23:20-23 and Leviticus 26:1-46, we shall see how Moses resumes and amplifies the promises and threatenings already set forth in the earlier editions of the Law. The blessings are declared in fourteen verses, while the curses require four times as much space. This is due to God's eagerness that men should be warned from courses that injure, and shut up to those that lead to blessedness. Note the language, which rises to the sublimest level, especially in the latter part. The forecasts of the dispersion and the degradation of the Hebrew people are especially remarkable.
It is not only that God goes out of His way to reward the obedient and to punish the ungodly, but these rewards and punishments are part of the nature of things, just as fire stings and burns, when we transgress its laws, but blesses when we obey. If we are at one with God, through Jesus Christ, we are at one with the universe. But if not, "the stars in their courses" fight against us. See Judges 5:20; 1 Corinthians 3:21. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 28

1  The blessings for obedience
15  The curses for disobedience

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 28:22 mean?

Will strike you Yahweh with consumption and with fever and with inflammation and with severe burning fever and with the sword and with scorching and with mildew and they shall pursue you until you perish
יַכְּכָ֣ה יְ֠הוָה בַּשַּׁחֶ֨פֶת וּבַקַּדַּ֜חַת וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת וּבַֽחַרְחֻר֙ וּבַחֶ֔רֶב וּבַשִּׁדָּפ֖וֹן וּבַיֵּרָק֑וֹן וּרְדָפ֖וּךָ עַ֥ד אָבְדֶֽךָ

יַכְּכָ֣ה  Will  strike  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
יְ֠הוָה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בַּשַּׁחֶ֨פֶת  with  consumption 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁחֶפֶת  
Sense: consumption, wasting disease.
וּבַקַּדַּ֜חַת  and  with  fever 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קַדַּחַת  
Sense: fever.
וּבַדַּלֶּ֗קֶת  and  with  inflammation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּלֶּקֶת  
Sense: inflammation.
וּבַֽחַרְחֻר֙  and  with  severe  burning  fever 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַרְחֻר  
Sense: extreme heat, inflammation, violent heat, fever.
וּבַחֶ֔רֶב  and  with  the  sword 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּבַשִּׁדָּפ֖וֹן  and  with  scorching 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁדֵפָה 
Sense: blighted or blasted thing, blighted, blasted.
וּבַיֵּרָק֑וֹן  and  with  mildew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵרָקֹון  
Sense: mildew, paleness, lividness.
וּרְדָפ֖וּךָ  and  they  shall  pursue  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
עַ֥ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אָבְדֶֽךָ  you  perish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.