"Jehovah will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. Many would be shipped as slaves to Egypt, where they would so flood the slave market that no one would want to buy them (58-68). There they would be treated worse than animals and meet horrible deaths. Eventually, the nation would be destroyed and the people taken captive into foreign countries. People would be so desperate for food that they would eat even their own children (47-57 cf. The cruelty of foreign invaders and the horrors of siege warfare are vividly described. Finally, the nation that God had chosen to be the leader of all nations would go into humiliating captivity (36-46). In general these would take the form of diseases and plagues upon their families, flocks, herds and crops (15-24) and repeated defeat in war (25-35). Corresponding to the blessings for obedience were the curses for disobedience. They were not to look for family increase or agricultural productivity by worshipping the Canaanite nature gods (11-14). God’s assurance that he would supply their needs was linked to a warning. The blessings mainly concerned agricultural prosperity, family happiness, victory over enemies and honour in the eyes of other nations (28:1-10). These were connected more with the life of the people as a whole and were directly dependent on the people’s obedience or disobedience. Further blessings and curses are now listed.
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