Bible Studies

The curses of Deuteronomy 28 part 2

by lee thriepland
08/18/18
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Then comes a rather disturbing passage, described in detail, where the Israelites are told they would eat the “fruit of thine own body” or more simply put, children.

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: 54So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave: 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. 56The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, 57 And 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.

Aside from the very obvious connotations of an act like this. This obviously would violate many of the commands of the law that the Israelites were to follow. Killing, touching a dead body and defiling their own body.

We are told of this happening biblically in a rather disturbing story depicted  in 2 kings chapter 6. During one particular famine, 2 Israelite woman agree together to eat their children. One day they would eat one woman's child and the next they would eat the child of the other woman. This they do so of one woman's child, while the 2nd woman then refuses to do so of hers, when it is her turn.

2 Kings 6- 24 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. 26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. 27 And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? 28And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. 29 So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. 30 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 31 Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.

Josephus also wrote the following regarding the eating of their own children.

“Famine gnawed at her vitals, and the fire of rage was ever fiercer than famine. So, driven by fury and want, she committed a crime against nature. Seizing her child, an infant at the breast, she cried, "My poor baby, why should I keep you alive in this world of war and famine? Even if we live till the Romans come, they will make slaves of us; and anyway, hunger will get us before slavery does; and the rebels are crueler than both. Come, be food for me, and an avenging fury to the rebels, and a tale of cold horror to the world to complete the monstrous agony of the Jews." With these words she killed her son, roasted the body, swallowed half of it, and stored the rest in a safe place. But the rebels were on her at once, smelling roasted meat, and threatening to kill her instantly if she did not produce it. She assured them she had saved them a share, and revealed the remains of her child. Seized with horror and stupefaction, they stood paralyzed at the sight. But she said, "This is my own child, and my own handiwork. Eat, for I have eaten already. Do not show yourselves weaker than a woman, or more pitiful than a mother. But if you have pious scruples, and shrink away from human sacrifice, then what I have eaten can count as your share, and I will eat what is left as well." At that they slunk away, trembling, not daring to eat, although they were reluctant to yield even this food to the mother. The whole city soon rang with the abomination. When people heard of it, they shuddered, as though they had done it themselves.”

Then comes the declaration that should the Israelites disobey God, then he would bring about the plagues that were brought on Egypt, before the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Plus a few others just for good measure.

Deuteronomy 28-58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. 60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. 61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

We then get to verse 64, another verse I have already highlighted at the start of this study that is commonly used by the Hebrew Israelites.   

Deuteronomy 28-64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

Here it is the Hebrew Israelites claim the TAST scattered the Israelites amongst all people, serving false gods that the previous generations of Israelites have not known. They claim that this is a reference to Christianity.

As we have seen this understanding just cannot be applied into this verse. We must remember this curse, like all the other curses was for when the Israelites were in the promised land and not for outside of it. The Israelites having already been scattered during the Roman-Jewish wars would have had to have reconveined back into the promised land for this curse to have been able to have been reapplied. Something we know did not happen before the TAST. The taking of the people from Africa could not have fulfilled the curse detailed in this verse as those people were not in the promised land.

Deuteronomy 28-  65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: 67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

Here we see that amongst the nations that the Israelites would be scattered they would find no peace, no comfort. Because of their fear for their own lives they would wish for the evening when it was morning and wish for the morning when it was evening. Every hour would be the same whether it be day or night. The Israelites would live in perpetual  fear without the comfort and protection of their own land and their God.

We then have the final curse in verse 68. Although as I stated earlier, my personal opinion is that verses 48-51 are the strongest support for the Hebrew Israelite position, this verse I find, and I speak only from my personal experience, it is this verse that most Hebrew Israelites are drawn towards as their verse that best supports their position, or at least they often start the defense of their position with it.

Deuteronomy 28- 68  And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

The claim being that this verse refers to the transatlantic slave trade where black people were taken from Africa by ships and taken to America where they were sold unto their enemies as slaves.

The interpretation of the verse being as such

Deuteronomy 28- 68 68 And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt (slavery/america) again with ships (literal ships), by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again(Israel) : and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies(the white race) for bondmen and bondwomen (slaves), and no man shall buy( redeem) you.

We have already demonstrated that the TransAtlantic Slave Trade cannot fulfill the curses. However let's break this interpretation of this verse down and show that even the interpretation cannot work.

First let’s start with Egypt meaning slavery

Deuteronomy 28-68 And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt (slavery/america) again

Egypt has been taken figuratively as meaning slavery and also means America. We already know that America is linked to this slavery via the Eagle in chapter 49 which has already been explained.

Egypt in Hebrew however does not mean slavery. There is not one verse in the Bible where Egypt in of itself means slavery. Egypt means the physical land or a people.

The Hebrew word is מִצְרָ֫יִם Mitzrayim and means Egypt, the proper name of a territory or a people.

Mizraim was the son of Ham one of the 3 sons of Noah

Genesis 10-6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

A verse that is often used as support for taking Egypt as meaning slavery is Exodus 20-2

Exodus 20- 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

It is claimed that Bondage being linked to Egypt.

However the verse doesn't actually do what it is claimed it does. It very clearly distinguishes between Egypt and bondage. While it is very true that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, Egypt is separated from slavery, there are 2 separate referents, Egypt and bondage. They were in bondage, in Egypt. Both the word for Egypt Mitzrayim and the Hebrew word for bondage ‘ă-ḇā-ḏîm. עֲבָדִֽ֑ים׃ from the root ebed are used in this verse.

When the word Egypt is used in the Bible it always refers to the physical place or the people of Egypt and never bondage. Egypt is simply not used as meaning bondage. When God wants to refer to Egypt and the bondage in Egypt then both are referenced. If just Egypt is used then it is not in reference to the bondage in Egypt but the physical land Egypt or its people.

Over and over the Bible uses both Egypt and bondage together.

Deuteronomy 5-6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Micah 6-4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

Judges 6-8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

Joshua 24-17 For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

Jeremiah 34- 13 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying

The Israelites were brought out of slavery but also out of the physical land of Egypt. It is possible to be brought out of slavery but not removed from a physical land and vise versa. The land of Egypt the physical place of is separated from the physical act of the bondage.

I have seen another verse used to demonstrate that Egypt means Slavery

Hosea 9-3 They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean thingsin Assyria.

The claim here being is that Ephraim (a reference to the Northern kingdom of Israel) will go into Egypt but then it states that they will eat unclean things in Assyria. This is a reference to the Assyrian captivity of 722 bc, Assyria is not Egypt so we see that they didn't go into physical Egypt but captivity in Assyria and so Egypt is clearly a reference to captivity not the physical land of Egypt.

This verse may at first glance appear to prove exactly what it is claimed it does.

When we actually look at the verse we will see that there are 2 separate prophecies here. One that Ephraim will go back into Egypt AND those that go into Assyria would eat unclean things. This just means that the Israelites would not be allowed to follow their laws regarding food.  The verse does not link Egypt to captivity.

We cannot simply take this one verse and ignore all the other verses that very clearly distinguish between the physical land of Egypt and the physical bondage.

Deuteronomy 19-15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

We cannot let one witness overrule numerous witnesses to the contrary.

There are 2 explanations for the fulfillment of this verse. The first being the fact that Ephraim did go back into Egypt shortly BEFORE the Assyrian captivity. In fact it was one of the reasons that the king of Assyria invaded Israel in the first place.  They gave gifts to the king of Egypt.

2 kings 17- 1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him. 3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents. 4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

In a prophecy in Isaiah we see that the Lord will recover a remnant of his people. One of the places will be from EGYPT

Isaiah 11-11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Therefore we see that Ephraim at some point have gone back into PHYSICAL Egypt.

There is evidence that there was a remnant of Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom that escaped the Assyrians and went to dwell in the Southern Kingdom.

2 Chronicles 1-1/11

Specifically verse  6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

So if there was a remnant of the Northern kingdom living in the southern kingdom then it is possible that when the Judeans fled into Egypt when the Babylonians came against them in 597 bc that some of those would have been from Ephraim.

2 kings 25-25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. 26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

This is also told by Jeremiah in chapter 43

6Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. 7So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus

So Ephraim has gone into Egypt, physical Egypt and will be recovered from Egypt.

What about the ships. Well the ships here are physical ships. The verse apparently going from figurative Egypt to literal physical ships. As we know the slaves in the TAST were transported via ships. BUT as we know not taken from the promised land. As we already saw via the writings of Josephus, back at verse 48, ships were used to transport the Israelite captives where they were taken by those ships to PHYSICAL Egypt.

“Of the rest, those who were over seventeen he put in chains and sent to hard labor in Egypt while greet numbers were presented by Titus to the provinces to perish in the theaters by sword or by wild beasts; those under seventeen were sold. “

Josephus, “The Jewish Wars”; Book vi 9:2.

This was also recorded by Munter

Munter was  a Roman Historian who wrote that the Israelites were sold unto their enemies however due to the vast numbers buyers could not be found for many of them and they were not bought. Those who were not bought were taken to Egypt in ships.

# Now that Betar had been captured, everything came under Human control, while Palestine [Judah] was reduced to a desolate mound. Captives were sold into slavery in numbers too great to count. First they were brought to the grand annual market at the Terebinth-Eloh tree in Hebron, or in the words of Hyranumous, to the Tent-Ohel of Abraham near Hebron. Each slave sold for the price of a horse. Those captives who were not sold there were brought to the market place in Azza [Gaza] which, because of the great multitudes of slaves who were sold there, was called Hadrian’s marketplace. And those who were still not sold there were herded into ships and were taken to Egypt. Many died in transit, whether by starvation or by shipwreck, while many also were killed by cruel masters.

Munter, Primordia Eccl. Africanae, pp. 85f.,113.

This is actually a fulfillment of Daniel chapter 11

Daniel 11- 30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

Daniel in his vision saw the Abomination of desolation, the destruction of the Temple which occurred in 70 AD

They would be taken by Chittim BY SHIPS.

Now who was Chittim?

Chittim was a son of Javan

Genesis 10-4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

Javan was a son of Japheth

Genesis 10-2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

The Bible very clearly predicts the Temple destruction and states that it would be Chittim which were the Romans that would take the Jews into captivity via ships ( which as we saw was done) And they also went into PHYSICAL Egypt.

Another problem by saying that the transAtlantic slave trade of Black people is the fulfillment of this verse is that circle reasoning needs to be invoked. If all other occurrences of slaves being transported by ships (Barbary slave trade, Slavic slave trade to name just 2)  are rejected and only the trans Atlantic slave trade is accepted then it would already need to be believed that black people are the Israelites for this to be a fulfillment of the verse. However it would also then have to be believed that the transAtlantic slave trade fulfills the scripture for it to support the Israelites are black.

A very basic appeal to circle reasoning which does not prove anything.

Thou shalt see it no more again.

The Hebrew Israelites claim that the land that is being stated they will not see again, is the promised land, Israel.  

Let's look at the land that they will not see again which is stated is in reference to Israel.:

Firstly we cannot simply take this one section of the verse and isolate it. This is in continuation of the previous part of the verse.

Deuteronomy 28- 68 And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again:

There is no reference to Israel in this verse but Egypt. God had told the Israelites that they would not see Egypt again if they followed him.

To input Israel as the place they would not see again is to ignore the context of the verse and the very clear reference to Egypt.

It was Egypt that God said many times that they would not see again, not Israel.

Exodus 13-14 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

Deuteronomy 17- 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

Jeremiah 42- 19 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

Israel or the promised land is the EXACT land that they were meant to see.

The transatlantic slave trade did not take Israelites from Israel to America but Africans from Africa to America.

This leads us into the final part of the verse.

“and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you”.

Here it is asserted that this means that the black Israelites would be sold as slaves and that no man could redeem them.

However the Hebrew word used in no man shall buy you is קָנָה qanah It means to buy,to purchase , to acquire. It does not mean to redeem.

Redeem has its own Hebrew word פָּדָה padah to redeem, to ransom. This word is not used in this verse.

The verse actually means what it actually states, they will be sold to the enemies to be slaves however they will not be bought, this means they literally will not be bought NOT that they will not be redeemed. “Black” people were bought during the transatlantic slave trade and although very few in comparison to how many went into slavery, many black people were also purchased/redeemed out of slavery.

As we saw in the writings of Munter he describes the fact that due to the vast numbers of captives not all could find buyers and were taken BY SHIPS to EGYPT.

“Those captives who were not sold there were brought to the market place in Azza [Gaza] which, because of the great multitudes of slaves who were sold there, was called Hadrian’s marketplace. And those who were still not sold there were herded into ships and were taken to Egypt. Many died in transit, whether by starvation or by shipwreck, while many also were killed by cruel masters.”

Munter, Primordia Eccl. Africanae, pp. 85f.,113.

JPS tanakh 1917 translates the verse as

Deuteronomy 28- 68 And the LORD shall bring thee back into Egypt in ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee: 'Thou shalt see it no more again'; and there ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwoman, and no man shall buy you.

Targum Yonatan ben Uziel paraphrased the verse

And Hashem will exile you hack to Egypt in ships by way of the Reed Sea that you once crossed and concerning which I said: You shall not see it again! And there you will be sold into servitude to your enemies for large sums of money as crafts-men. And afterwards (you will be sold) cheaply as slaves and maidservants, until you will be cheapened (and try) to sell yourselves for nothing, and no one will take you in

These 2 translations would have the meaning that the Israelites would try to sell themselves as slaves but nobody would buy them which would have been an ultimate insult.

This was as we have seen,  fulfilled during the Roman Jewish wars when there were so many Jews taken as slaves that buyers could not be found for all of them.

Finally questions are often asked by the Hebrew Israelites. When were the Jews that are in the land ever subject to the curses that are outlined in Deuteronomy 28? When were they taken by ships into slavery? Had yokes put around their necks? These questions work off of the incorrect understanding that the curses apply outside of the promised land. That they are still in effect today. Of course we cannot see the curses occuring today or having occurred anytime since 70 AD. Simply because the Israelites have not been in the land since then for the curses to apply. The curses were fulfilled last in 70 AD. The last time the Jews were in the land. Now of course there are Jews in the land of Israel. Time will only tell if the curses will be enforced again through their disobedience.

So having demonstrated that the claim of the “black” Americans, who proclaim themselves as the real Israelites is actually incorrect, I would just like to finish with one final point. And it is quite a simple one. There is not one curse or a verse that  said that the true Israelites would forget who they were and be replaced by a nation of fake Israelites. Something to ponder over anyway.