Deuteronomy 28:8

thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD shall establish thee a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. 10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 1

28:1-14 This chapter is a very large exposition of two words, the blessing and the curse. They are real things and have real effects. The blessings are here put before the curses. God is slow to anger, but swift to show mercy. It is his delight to bless. It is better that we should be drawn to what is good by a child-like hope of God's favour, than that we be frightened to it by a slavish fear of his wrath. The blessing is promised, upon condition that they diligently hearken to the voice of God. Let them keep up religion, the form and power of it, in their families and nation, then the providence of God would prosper all their outward concerns.

The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses,.... Barns, granaries, and cellar, where their corn, wine, and oil, were laid up; by preserving the corn from being devoured by vermin, and the casks of wine and oil from bursting and running out: and in all thou settest thine hand unto; in all their manufactures, occupations, and trades, in which they were employed, and in the culture of their vines, olives, and other fruit trees: and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee; with health and long life in it, and with an abundance of all good things, it being a land flowing with milk and honey.

(8) Thy storehouses. —The word is only found here and in Proverbs 3:9-10 , “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” There is the same kind of contrast here which has been already pointed out in Deuteronomy 28:5 . The “gathering in” to the barn, and the “putting forth” of the hand—the income and the expenditure—are alike blessed. This contrast is clear in the Hebrew words employed. And he shall bless thee in the land.—Fixity of tenure in the Divine inheritance is promised here.

Verse 8. - The effect of the blessing should be seen, not only in the supremacy of Israel over all opposition, but in the abundance of their possessions, in the success of their undertakings, and in the respect in which they should be held by all nations. Storehouses . The Hebrew word ( אֲסָמִים ), which occurs only here and in Proverbs 3:10 , is properly thus rendered. It comes from a root which signifies to lay up. Deuteronomy 28:8

The "basket" or bag was a customary means in the East for carrying about whatever might be needed for personal uses (compare Deuteronomy 26:2 ; John 13:29 ). The "store" is rather the kneading-trough Exodus 8:3; Exodus 12:34. The blessings here promised relate, it will be observed, to private and personal life: in Deuteronomy 28:7 those which are of a more public and national character are brought forward.

Deuteronomy 28:7-14 describe the influence and effect of the blessing upon all the circumstances and situations in which the nation might be placed: in Deuteronomy 28:7-10 , with reference (a) to the attitude of Israel towards its enemies ( Deuteronomy 28:7 ); (b) to its trade and handicraft ( Deuteronomy 28:8 ); (c) to its attitude towards all the nations of the earth ( Deuteronomy 28:9 , Deuteronomy 28:10 ). The optative forms, יתּן and יצו (in Deuteronomy 28:7 and Deuteronomy 28:8 ), are worthy of notice. They show that Moses not only proclaimed the blessing to the people, but desired it for them, because he knew that Israel would not always or perfectly fulfil the condition upon which it was to be bestowed. "May the Lord be pleased to give thine enemies...smitten before thee," i.e., give them up to thee as smitten (לפני נתן, to give up before a person, to deliver up to him: cf. Deuteronomy 1:8 ), so that they shall come out against thee by one way, and flee from thee by seven ways, i.e., in wild dispersion (cf. Leviticus 26:7-8 ).