Deuteronomy 28:13 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 28:13 Commentary: The Head and Tail Promise Under the Covenant
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the covenantal context of being made the head and not the tail in Deuteronomy 28:13, its meaning for Israel, and its relation to believers today.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises Israel national prominence and blessing if they obey the Mosaic law.
- Key words: head (rō’sh) vs. tail (zānāv), imagery of leadership and subjugation.
- Main debate: Whether this promise applies universally to all believers or only to national Israel under the old covenant.
- Theological theme: Covenant obedience leads to blessing; God’s faithfulness to his people is central.
- Best use: Teaching the conditional nature of old covenant promises and their fulfillment in Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you today, to observe and to do,
KJV King James Version 1769
And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And Jehovah hath given thee for head, and not for tail; and thou hast been only above, and art not beneath, for thou dost hearken unto the commands of Jehovah thy God, which I am commanding thee to-day, to keep and to do,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to keep and to do them,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail: and thou shalt be always above, and not beneath: yet so if thou wilt hear the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, and keep and do them,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y te pondrá Jehová por cabeza, y no por cola: y estarás encima solamente, y no estarás debajo; cuando obedecieres á los mandamientos de Jehová tu Dios, que yo te ordeno hoy, para que los guardes y cumplas.
E te porá o SENHOR por cabeça, e não por cauda: e estarás encima somente, e não estarás debaixo; quando obedeceres aos mandamentos do SENHOR teu Deus, que eu te ordeno hoje, para que os guardes e cumpras.
L’ Éternel fera de toi la tête et non la queue, tu seras toujours en haut et tu ne seras jamais en bas, lorsque tu obéiras aux commandements de l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, que je te prescris aujourd’ hui, lorsque tu les observeras et les mettras en pratique,
Und der HERR wird dich zum Haupt machen und nicht zum Schwanz, und du wirst oben schweben und nicht unten liegen, darum daß du gehorsam bist den Geboten des HERRN, deines Gottes, die ich dir heute gebiete zu halten und zu tun,
En de HEERE zal u tot een hoofd maken, en niet tot een staart, en gij zult alleenlijk boven zijn, en niet onder zijn; wanneer gij horen zult naar de geboden des HEEREN, uws Gods, die ik u heden gebiede te houden en te doen;
L’Eterno ti metterà alla testa e non alla coda, e sarai sempre in alto e mai in basso, se ubbidirai ai comandamenti dell’Eterno, del tuo Dio, i quali oggi ti do perché tu li osservi e li metta in pratica,
I uczyni cię Pan przedniejszym, a nie pośledniejszym; i będziesz tylko wyższy, a nie będziesz niższy, jeźli posłusznym będziesz przykazaniom Pana, Boga twego, które ja dziś rozkazuję tobie, abyś ich strzegł, i czynił je.
Сделает тебя Господь [Бог твой] главою, а не хвостом, и будешь только на высоте, а не будешь внизу, если будешь повиноваться заповедям Господа Бога твоего, которые заповедую тебе сегодня хранить и исполнять,
你若 聽 從 耶和華─你 神 的誡命，就是 我 今日 所吩咐你的，謹守 遵行，不 偏 左 右，也不隨 從 事奉 別 神，耶和華 就必使你 作首 不 作尾，但 居 上 不 居 下。」
The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; and you will ever have the highest place, if you give ear to the orders of the Lord your God which I give you today, to keep and to do them;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 28:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse is a covenant blessing for national Israel, conditional on obedience to the Mosaic law. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes the imagery of head and tail from Isaiah 9:14, 15, where the head represents rulers and the tail the common people. Gill's Exposition explains that being the head means having dominion over others, while being the tail means subjection. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown calls it an Oriental expression for independent power and great dignity. Wesley observes that Israel experienced this under David and Solomon, but adds that they would have enjoyed it far more had they kept the conditions. All emphasize the explicit condition: “if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you today, to observe and to do.” The promise is national, tied to the land and the covenant at Sinai, not a universal principle for every believer.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Covenantal historical: The immediate context of Deut 28, the condition of Mosaic law, and the national frame of the blessings and curses.
- Universal principle: Some Christians read it as a timeless pattern: God blesses those who obey, with parallels in Proverbs and the Psalms.
What is clear: The verse is explicitly conditioned on obedience to the commandments of Yahweh, given in the context of the Mosaic covenant with national Israel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Applicability to Christians | All acknowledge it is addressed to national Israel under the Mosaic covenant. | Some Christians see a universal principle of blessing for obedience; others restrict it to the old covenant context, fulfilled in Christ. |
| Material prosperity | It promises tangible, material blessings to Israel (crops, livestock, military victory). | Whether material prosperity is a guaranteed result of faith for believers today is disputed across traditions. |
| Conditionality | The promise is clearly conditioned on obedience. | Some view obedience as perfect law-keeping; others see covenant faithfulness as a response to grace, not earning blessings. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 28 stands as the conclusion to the covenant renewal ceremony at Moab, just before Israel enters Canaan. Chapters 27, 28 lay out blessings and curses in the ancient Near Eastern treaty pattern, with Gerizim and Ebal as visual witnesses (Deut 27:12, 13). The language of “head” and “tail” appears elsewhere in Scripture (Isaiah 9:14, 15; 19:15) where the head denotes the honorable and powerful, and the tail the lowly and weak. This is not a vague promise of personal success but a national assertion: Israel, if obedient, would lead among the nations, lending to many and borrowing from none (Deut 28:12). Surrounding verses stress the condition repeatedly (Deut 28:1, 9, 14). The blessings include abundance in the land (v.11), military victory (v.7), and a respected name among the peoples (v.10). The opposite curses in vv. 15, 68 invert each blessing. The covenant context makes clear that this promise was given to Israel as a theocratic nation, not to individuals outside that historical framework. The phrase “above only, and you will not be beneath” echoes the promise of being set high above all nations (Deut 28:1). Understanding this historical setting keeps readers from misapplying the text as a universal guarantee of prosperity.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries and sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 28:13. The Hebrew text is well-preserved, with only minor differences between manuscript traditions that do not affect interpretation.
Reception History
Historic Christian interpretation has consistently tied Deuteronomy 28:13 to the Mosaic covenant with Israel. Matthew Henry (1710) emphasized the condition and saw partial fulfillment in David and Solomon’s reigns. John Wesley also connected it to Israel’s national experience. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant commentators understood it as a promise tied to the land and the law. In more recent centuries, some movements have applied the verse directly to individual believers as a personal promise of success and prosperity. Covenant theologians continue to read it within its original context, while many preachers today caution against extracting it from the covenantal framework that governs the entire chapter.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The promise: head, not tail. This is a position of honor, authority, and blessing. In ancient Israel it meant national prominence under God.
- The condition: obedience to God’s commandments. The verse is emphatically conditional, “if you listen…to observe and to do.”
- The context: national Israel under the old covenant. This is not a blanket promise for every believer; it is specific to the people of Israel in the land, pointing forward to the perfect obedience of Christ.
Five-point outline
- God sovereignly chooses to lift up his people. Israel’s position as head is rooted in God’s covenant choice (Deut 7:6).
- Blessing flows from covenant relationship. The head/tail language signals a relationship of authority and dependence on God.
- Obedience is the path to blessing. Obedience here is not earning favour but walking in the covenant that God has already made.
- The goal is to display God’s glory among the nations. All peoples see that Israel is called by the Lord’s name (Deut 28:10).
- Christ fulfills the obedience we lack and secures ultimate blessing. This promise, broken by Israel, is fulfilled in Jesus, the true Israel (Matt 5:17).
Illustration hooks
- A sports team that rises to the top because the players follow the coach’s system strictly, success is conditioned on adherence.
- A student who excels academically by diligently following the course requirements, earning honour by meeting the conditions.
- A company that gains market leadership by faithfully executing its mission, while competitors who neglect quality fall behind.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean God promises every Christian material success and social status?
- If I am not experiencing “head” blessings, does that mean I have disobeyed?
- How do we read Old Testament promises like this without falling into a prosperity gospel mindset?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is widely quoted but often misunderstood. The small group will explore what it meant for Israel and what it means for believers today. Read Deuteronomy 28:1, 14 together to see the full context of blessings.
Discussion questions
- What do the words “head” and “tail” signify in the culture of the ancient Near East? (Compare Isaiah 9:14, 15.)
- What is the condition stated in verse 13, and how is it repeated in the surrounding passage?
- How do the blessings in verses 1, 14 contrast with the curses in verses 15, 68? What does this tell us about the nature of this covenant?
- Was this promise given to individuals or to the nation of Israel? How does that affect the way we read it?
- Should Christians expect to experience this promise in the same way that Israel did? Why or why not?
- How does Jesus Christ relate to the condition of obedience in this passage? (See Matthew 5:17 and Philippians 1:27.)
- What can we learn about God’s character from this promise, both his desire to bless and his call to faithfulness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 24:18 | Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. |
| Numbers 24:19 | Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” |
| Deuteronomy 4:6 | Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who shall hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” |
| Deuteronomy 4:9 | Only be careful, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children’s children— |
| Deuteronomy 28:1 | It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. |
| Isaiah 9:14 | Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day. |
| Isaiah 9:15 | The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. |
| Philippians 1:27 | Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge notes that the promise of being the head and not the tail is given on a clear condition: wholehearted obedience. The Hebrew word translated as "only" here means "nothing but," showing that obedience alone is the basis. The grammatical form also suggests certainty, reading less as "if" and more as "for you will."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Israel's promised status as the head rather than the tail is entirely conditional on obedience. Only by keeping God's commandments can they expect to be placed above and never beneath. The blessing is not unconditional; it hinges on their active compliance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains the head and tail contrast as a difference in social standing: the head represents rulers and the honorable, while the tail stands for common subjects and the base. He notes that the Targum paraphrases "the Word of the Lord" as the agent, and stresses that this promise of superiority is conditional on obeying God's commandments.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the phrase "the head, and not the tail" is an Oriental idiom. It conveys possessing independent power, great dignity, and acknowledged excellence. This expression draws on a cultural image of leadership and prominence, not simply a literal body part.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the blessings and curses in this chapter are not random fortune or misfortune but reflect God's direct rule over every detail of life. He sees earthly prosperity as a moral gift meant for peace of conscience, while temporal distress is designed to lead Israel toward repentance and conversion.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
For Wesley, being the head means holding the chief place in dignity and privileges, not just authority, so that even people outside one's own rule respect that excellence. He points to David and Solomon as times when this was partly fulfilled, yet insists it would have happened far more often if Israel had kept God's conditions.