Deuteronomy 28:53-57 Exegesis and Interpretation
Deuteronomy 28:53-57 Exegesis and Interpretation
Deuteronomy 28:53-57 describes a dire situation where the Israelites, under siege, will be forced to eat their own children due to extreme hunger. The passage states, "You will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters...the most tender and delicate of your sons and daughters" [2].
The literary context of this passage is Moses' warning to the Israelites about the consequences of disobeying God's laws. The surrounding verses describe the various calamities that will befall the Israelites if they fail to follow God's commands (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The passage is part of a larger unit that outlines the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience [3].
Historically, this passage is set in the context of the Israelites' wilderness journey, as Moses delivers his final speeches before they enter the Promised Land. The siege described in the passage is likely a reference to the potential consequences of Israel's disobedience, rather than a specific historical event [4].
The key terms in this passage include "fruit of your womb" and "tender and delicate," which emphasize the extreme nature of the suffering. The Hebrew word for "fruit of your womb" (פְּרִי בִטְנְךָ) is used to describe the children being eaten [1].
One major exegetical decision in this passage is the interpretation of the phrase "the fruit of your womb." Some commentators understand this phrase to refer to the literal children of the Israelites, while others see it as a metaphor for their possessions or wealth [2, 6].
The range of interpretations for this passage varies among commentators. Abraham Ibn Ezra, a Jewish commentator, understands the passage to be describing a literal siege, where the Israelites are forced to eat their own children due to extreme hunger [6]. John Chrysostom, an Eastern Orthodox commentator, sees the passage as a warning about the consequences of disobedience, and interprets the "fruit of the womb" as a reference to the Israelites' own children [5].
This passage has functioned in tradition as a warning about the consequences of disobedience to God's laws. It has been cited in various contexts, including discussions of the consequences of sin and the importance of faithfulness to God's commands [3, 7].
The passage is also cross-referenced with other biblical texts that describe similar scenes of siege and cannibalism, such as Leviticus 26:29, 2 Kings 6:28-29, and Lamentations 2:20, 4:10 [2]. These cross-references highlight the severity of the judgment described in Deuteronomy 28:53-57.
Sources
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Deuteronomy 28:57 cross-references: Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 49:15”
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Deuteronomy 28:53 cross-references: Leviticus 26:29, Deuteronomy 28:18, Deuteronomy 28:55, Deuteronomy 28:57, 2 Kings 6:28, 2 Kings 6:29, Jeremiah 19:9, Lamentations 2:20, Lamentations 4:10, Ezekiel 5:10, Matthew 24:19”
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Deuteronomy 28:58 cross-references: Exodus 3:14, Exodus 6:2, Exodus 20:2, Exodus 34:5, Leviticus 26:14, Deuteronomy 6:13, Deuteronomy 28:15, Nehemiah 9:5, Psalms 50:7, Psalms 72:19, Psalms 83:18, Psalms 111:9, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 42:8, Jeremiah 5:12, Jeremiah 5:22, Jeremiah 7:9, Jeremiah 7:26, Malachi 1:14, Matthew 10:28, Hebrews 10:30, Hebrews 12:28”
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “Deuteronomy 28:52 cross-references: Leviticus 26:25, 2 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 18:13, 2 Kings 24:10, 2 Kings 25:1, 2 Kings 25:2, Isaiah 1:7, Isaiah 62:8, Jeremiah 10:18, Jeremiah 21:4, Jeremiah 37:8, Jeremiah 39:1, Jeremiah 52:4, Lamentations 2:2, Ezekiel 4:1, Daniel 9:26, Zephaniah 1:15, Zechariah 12:2, Zechariah 14:2, Matthew 22:7, Matthew 24:15, Luke 19:43, Luke 21:20”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: 45:3 45:10-11 45:11 46:4 47:20 48:1 48:1 48:10 48:10 49:15 49:16 49:17 49:17 49:17 50:3 50:13 51:1 51:4 51:10 51:10 51:16-17 51:17 52:8 53:5 53:5-6 58:10 62:3 62:3 62:10 62:12 63:1 64:5 68:5 68:6 68:18 68:18 69:1 69:17 69:20 69:20 73:6 73:7 73:27 73:27 74:13-14 74:17 78:30 80:12 80:12-13 81:7 81:10 84:2 84:6 86:10 88 90:2 91:2 91:5-6 94:12 98:3 103 144:5 145:9 Proverbs 3:3 3:3 3:11 3:34 4:27 5:3 5:3-4 6:34-35 10:9 12:28 14:12 14:31 15:17 18:3 18:19 20:6 20:6 24:11 25:28 26:11 26:12 26:12 26:27 28:1 28:1 30:8 31:6 Ecclesiastes 1:2”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 28:53: AND THOU SHALT EAT THE FRUIT OF THINE OWN BODY. During the siege.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 53.2: 64:7 66:24 Jeremiah 4:31 5:8 5:28 7:4 7:4 9:1 10:23 10:24 10:24 11:21 17:1 17:5 18:16 19:6 19:8 22:24 22:28 25:9 25:13 25:18 28:10 28:11 30:11 31:15 43:2 48:2 50:11 Lamentations 1:7 2:5 2:8 3:29 Ezekiel 15:3 16:26 20:11 20:24 20:25 26:2 26:14 37:1 43:15 43:15 47:11 Daniel 5:28 5:30 5:31 7:10 7:17 8:20 Hosea 1:7 6:4 8:14 9:6 13:3 Joel 1:13 2:13 2:23 2:28 Amos 1:3 3:6 4:1 4:1 5:10 5:19 8:11 Micah 1:3 1:11 2:11 7:9 7:16 Nahum 3:8 Habakkuk 2:1 2:1 2:1 2:2 3:2 3:2 3:13 Zechariah 9:14 13:4 14:3 Malachi 1:4 1:11 4:2 Matthew 2:14 3:12 3:12 3:12 3:12 ”