Deuteronomy 11:28 Meaning: When You Turn to Gods You Do Not Know
and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but turn away out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
and the curse, if ye shall not hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
and the reviling, if ye do not hearken unto the commands of Jehovah your God, and have turned aside out of the way which I am commanding you to-day, to go after other gods which ye have not known.
and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of Jehovah your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after othergods which ye have not known.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the curse specify going after gods 'you have not known'? This verse highlights the unique relationship Israel had with Yahweh.
Context
Moses has almost finished his final speech to Israel. They stand on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to cross the Jordan. For forty years he has led them, taught them, watched them stumble and learn. Now he sets two paths before them: one leads to blessing, the other to a curse. The curse is not vague. It names the specific wrong turn, abandoning the commandments of God to run after other gods, gods Israel has never met. The chapter echoes the whole covenant story: God chose them, rescued them, spoke to them. And here Moses presses the question: after all this, what will they choose?
Key Words
The Hebrew word for curse here is qelalah. It carries the weight of something shriveled or light, emptied of substance, stripped of blessing. Not a random bolt from heaven but a natural consequence of cutting yourself off from the source of life.
The verb turn aside (sur) means to depart from a known path. It is the same word used when Israel made the golden calf, a deliberate swerve from what God had clearly shown them. The curse does not fall on someone who simply stumbles. It describes a conscious choosing of another direction.
Most striking is the phrase you have not known. The word yada means more than head-knowledge. It is intimate, experiential knowing, the kind you gain from walking with someone through the wilderness, receiving their manna, hearing their voice from the mountain. Israel knew Yahweh. The other gods were strangers.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators across traditions have paused at that final phrase. Matthew Henry draws attention to the contrast between what Israel knows about God and what they do not know about the idols. Wesley notes the total lack of acquaintance with these gods, their power, wisdom, goodness, compared to what God has proven. The Geneva Bible includes the marginal note that the idols are nothing, and Gill frames it as a warning that following them would be to 'worship that which is nothing in the world.'
Lange’s commentary connects the phrase back to the second commandment: only the true God has made Himself known in word and law. The curse is not arbitrary. It is the sober weight of choosing a relationship you have no experience with, over the One who has carried you from Egypt.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You do not worship wooden idols. But you do turn aside. Every time you choose the familiar comfort of worry over the hard trust of prayer, you are walking after a god you have not known, a god of anxiety who has never fed you in the wilderness. Every time you trade obedience for approval, you follow a stranger. The warning here is not meant to frighten you into a corner. It is meant to remind you: you already know the One who speaks. Do not trade His known faithfulness for something you have never once seen deliver.
Main takeaway: The curse is not about stumbling; it is about deliberately walking away from the only God who knows you and whom you can truly know.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God gave the Israelites a rule: do not go after other gods. He said, “You do not even know those gods. But you know Me.” God wants you to stay close to Him because He loves you.
For ages 9, 12
Moses warned Israel about turning away from God to worship other gods. Those gods were fake, they had never helped Israel, never spoken to them, never rescued them. The curse was not just about punishment; it was about the sadness of walking away from Someone who truly knows you. When you have a real friend, you don’t leave them for a stranger. God wants us to remember who He is and what He has done, so we stay near Him.
Questions People Ask
What does 'which you have not known' mean in Deuteronomy 11:28?
The Hebrew word yada means intimate, experiential knowledge. Israel had walked with God, seen His miracles, heard His law. The other gods were complete strangers, no history, no rescue, no relationship. The curse warns against abandoning a known God for unknown idols.
Why would Israel turn to other gods after all God had done?
The surrounding nations worshipped gods of fertility, harvest, and weather, things that seemed immediate and useful. Israel repeatedly fell into this pattern when they forgot God's past faithfulness or wanted control over their circumstances. The heart is prone to trust what it can see and manage.
Is the curse in Deuteronomy 11:28 still relevant for Christians today?
Yes, in a different sense. The curse shows the consequence of turning away from God to follow anything that takes His place, money, comfort, approval, control. Christians are not under the Old Covenant law, but the warning remains: do not abandon the living God for empty substitutes.
What is the blessing and curse in Deuteronomy 11?
Verses 26-28 summarize the whole covenant: blessing for obeying God's commandments, curse for disobeying and turning to other gods. This was a choice Israel had to make as they entered the land. It was not about earning salvation but about living in the relationship God had established with them.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study