Deuteronomy 28:27 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 28:27 Commentary: Boils of Egypt & Incurable Judgment
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God threaten Israel with Egyptian boils and skin diseases? Study the covenant curses in Deuteronomy 28:27, their history, and meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God threatens covenant-breaking Israel with the same skin diseases He used to judge Egypt, now incurable by human means.
- Key words: Shechin (boil/inflammation), techorim (tumors/hemorrhoids), garav (scab/eczema), cheres (itch/scabies), all chronic, visible, debilitating.
- Main debate: Whether these are the literal boils of Exodus 9 or endemic Egyptian diseases, both readings underscore the same theological reversal.
- Theological theme: Covenant loyalty brings blessing; disloyalty brings the very curse from which God once delivered His people.
- Best use: A sobering warning about the seriousness of covenant unfaithfulness and a pointer to the need for divine healing beyond human skill.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed.
KJV King James Version 1769
The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Jehovah will smite thee with the boil of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scurvy, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Jehovah doth smite thee with the ulcer of Egypt, and with emerods, and with scurvy, and with itch, of which thou art not able to be healed.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Jehovah will smite thee with the ulcers of Egypt, and with boils, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The Lord strike thee with the ulcer of Egypt, and the part of thy body, by which the dung is cast out, with the scab and with the itch: so that thou canst not be healed.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Jehová te herirá de la plaga de Egipto, y con almorranas, y con sarna, y con comezón, de que no puedas ser curado.
O SENHOR te ferirá da praga do Egito, e com tumores, e com sarna, e com coceira, de que não possas ser curado.
L’ Éternel te frappera de l’ ulcère d’ Égypte, d’hémorrhoïdes, de gale et de teigne, dont tu ne pourras guérir.
Der HERR wird dich schlagen mit Drüsen Ägyptens, mit Feigwarzen, mit Grind und Krätze, daß du nicht kannst heil werden.
De HEERE zal u slaan met zweren van Egypte, en met spenen, en met droge schurft, en met krauwsel, waarvan gij niet zult kunnen genezen worden.
L’Eterno ti colpirà con l’ulcera d’Egitto, con emorroidi, con la rogna e con la tigna, di cui non potrai guarire.
Zarazi cię Pan wrzodem Egipskim, i niemocą zadnicy, i krostami, i świerzbem, a nie będziesz mógł być uleczony.
Поразит тебя Господь проказою Египетскою, почечуем, коростою и чесоткою, от которых ты не возможешь исцелиться;
耶和華 必用埃及人 的瘡 並痔瘡、牛皮癬 與疥 攻擊你，使 你不 能 醫治。
The Lord will send on you the disease of Egypt, and other sorts of skin diseases which nothing will make well.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 28:27
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 threatens Israel with physical diseases specifically associated with Egypt, either the boils of the Exodus plagues (Exodus 9:9, 11) or endemic illnesses like elephantiasis, ophthalmia, and hemorrhoids common around the Nile. Calvin notes both options are possible, but the effect is the same: God would withdraw His protective hand, so Israel suffers what pagans suffer. The incurable phrase, 'of which you can not be healed', is not accidental: Adam Clarke and John Gill stress that human art cannot remedy what divine justice inflicts. The curse reverses the promise of Exodus 15:26, where obedience brings healing and freedom from Egyptian diseases. This verse thus stands as a theological hinge: covenant loyalty secures health and separation; covenant breaking brings back the very plagues from which God delivered them.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Exodus plague view: Links directly to the sixth plague (Exod 9:9–11); the 'boils of Egypt' are the same supernatural judgment; incurability underscores God’s hand.
- Endemic disease view: These are natural Egyptian diseases (elephantiasis, ophthalmic scab, hemorrhoids) that God would now allow to affect Israel; emphasis on removal of protection.
- Symbolic judgment view: The specific diseases symbolize total breakdown of health and dignity, serving as a metaphor for covenant rupture; not primarily about medical diagnosis.
What is clear: God threatens covenant-breaking with severe, incurable physical affliction, reversing the healing and protection He promised for obedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'boils of Egypt' | Christians agree the phrase links to the Exodus plagues and to diseases known in Egypt. | Some interpreters (e.g., Calvin, Clarke) take it as the literal sixth plague of boils; others (e.g., Gill) see it as common epidemic diseases of the Nile region. |
| Identity of 'tumors' (emerods) | Most agree the Hebrew <em>techorim</em> refers to swellings or hemorrhoids, possibly associated with the Philistine plague in 1 Samuel 5. | Whether the text specifies piles (anus) or more general tumors is debated: the KJV and Douay emphasize the anal connection; others like Lange and the Cambridge Bible read it as general ulcers. |
| Theological purpose of the curse | All traditions see these curses as consequences of covenant breaking, not arbitrary punishment. | Reformed and Wesleyan traditions stress God's direct sovereign judgment; some modern interpreters emphasize the natural consequences of sin within a covenant framework. |
| Applicability to Christians today | The passage teaches that God takes covenant seriously and that sin has consequences. | Some Christians read these curses as directly transferred principles (e.g., physical sickness for disobedience), while others see them as part of Israel's theo-political covenant, no longer directly applicable under the new covenant in Christ. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Nile River, while giving life, also bred disease. Travelers and commentators report that its annual rise triggers skin eruptions, boils, and severe itching that can last weeks (Gill cites Thevenot and Vansleb). In Egypt, conditions like elephantiasis, a disfiguring disease that covers the body with scabs and swelling, were so common that the Greek poet Lucretius called it 'born around the Nile.' Moses likely drew on this known link when threatening Israel.
But the phrase 'boils of Egypt' also recalls the sixth plague of Exodus. There, Yahweh struck the Egyptians with boils and blisters (Exodus 9:9, 11), a direct assault on health that even the magicians could not counter. That plague was a judgment against Pharaoh's hard heart. Now, if Israel rebels, the same judgment lands on them, a terrifying reversal. They were rescued from Egypt to be Yahweh's treasure; disobedience turns them back into a target.
The covenant structure of Deuteronomy 28 mirrors ancient Near Eastern treaties: blessings for fidelity (Deut 28:1, 14), curses for breach (Deut 28:15, 68). The Cambridge Bible notes that the curses here parallel the blessings in structure, but expand into vivid detail. This verse is part of that detailed expansion, making the abstract threat of 'disease' concrete and memorably grim. The promise of health in Exodus 15:26 is now undone: 'I will put none of the diseases on you' becomes 'Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt.' The covenant is not merely legal; it touches the body.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 28:27. The Hebrew is stable across manuscripts. The diversity among English translations ('boils,' 'botch,' 'ulcers') reflects interpretative decisions about the specific skin condition, not a text-critical issue.
Reception History
Early Jewish and Christian readers consistently understood this verse as a literal threat of physical disease for covenant violation. The Septuagint renders the Hebrew terms with Greek words for ulcers and itching, continuing the link to the Exodus plagues. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry read it as a warning against despising God’s law, the same God who healed Israel (Exod 15:26) could also strike them. In the 19th century, commentators such as Adam Clarke and J.F. Jamieson used contemporary medical knowledge to identify the specific diseases, often describing elephantiasis and Nile-related ailments. Across eras, the verse has been used in pastoral preaching to underline the seriousness of disobedience and the need for divine mercy, as well as in theological discussions about the relationship between sin and suffering.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Remember where you came from. The 'boils of Egypt' recall the plagues that freed Israel. Disobedience leads them back into the very affliction God once lifted from them.
- Health is covenant-shaped. Deuteronomy presents physical well-being as a gift tied to relationship with God, not a guarantee, but a sign of His presence and protection.
- Some consequences are incurable by human means. The verse ends with a medical dead end: 'you cannot be healed.' Only repentance and God’s mercy can break the cycle.
Five-point outline
- The threat: a cluster of loathsome skin diseases, boils, tumors, scab, itch.
- The source: Egypt, both the land of bondage and the land of the plagues.
- The reversal: what once protected Israel now attacks them (cf. Exod 15:26).
- The extent: 'of which you can not be healed', complete human helplessness.
- The purpose: to display God’s justice and call Israel back to covenant loyalty.
Illustration hooks
- A person who recovers from a serious illness only to fall back into the same habits that caused it, the second sickness can be harder to treat.
- The sting of failing a test after being given the answers in advance, Israel knew what Egypt suffered, but chose to walk into it anyway.
- An inherited heirloom lost through carelessness, the freedom God gave was not cheap, and squandering it carries grief.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still send physical disease as punishment today?
- Why does the Bible link physical health so closely with obedience?
- How should we read these curses, as literal threats or as warnings crafted for ancient Israel?
Leading a Discussion
Deuteronomy 28:27 stands in a long list of curses for covenant breaking. The diseases named are not random, they are the very plagues of Egypt, the place God rescued Israel from. This passage forces us to ask: what does it mean to be delivered, and then to turn back? As you read the passage together, notice the weight of 'you cannot be healed.' These are not minor ailments but incurable, God-sent judgments. Yet the larger story of Scripture shows God healing even what seems incurable. Let the tension sit before you rush to resolution.
Discussion questions
- What do you know about the plagues of Egypt from Exodus 7, 12? Why would Moses connect the curses of Deuteronomy to those plagues?
- Read Exodus 15:26 alongside Deuteronomy 28:27. How does the promise of healing and protection become a threat?
- Why do you think the curse is so specific, boils, tumors, scab, itch? What does that specificity tell us about God’s attention to detail in the covenant?
- The Hebrew here uses a Hiphil verb yakeh ('he will strike'), the same root used for the plagues in Exodus. What does that verbal connection add to your understanding of God’s action?
- How should Christians interpret Old Testament curses like this one? Are they still relevant for believers, or do they belong to Israel’s history?
- The verse ends with 'you cannot be healed.' Have you ever faced a situation that felt medically or spiritually incurable? How does that experience shape how you read this text?
- In what ways do the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy challenge how you think about obedience and consequence in your own life?
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)
| Exodus 9:9 | It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.” |
| Exodus 9:11 | The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. |
| Exodus 15:26 | He said, “If you will diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.” |
| Leviticus 13:2 | “When a man shall have a swelling in his body’s skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. |
| Leviticus 13:8 | The priest shall examine him; and behold, if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy. |
| Leviticus 21:20 | or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles. |
| Deuteronomy 28:35 | Yahweh will strike you in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil, of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. |
| Deuteronomy 28:60 | He will bring on you again all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they will cling to you. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies each plague with specific, severe diseases known in Egypt, like elephantiasis and ophthalmia. He stresses that these afflictions were incurable because God's justice directly inflicted them, placing them beyond the reach of human medicine.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God's plagues against Egypt carried a clear sign of His favor: they struck only the Egyptians while sparing Israel, a distinction no natural disease could produce. He further notes that the same physical afflictions have entirely different meanings depending on the person — for the wicked they are God's curse, but for the righteous like Job they become an exercise in patience.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary observes that the curses here do not simply reverse the earlier blessings but expand into far greater detail, covering diseases, crop failure and exile. Some verses appear to be later additions that elaborate beyond the original contrast pattern, and the section may originally have ended earlier.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that God's judgment includes a specific list of loathsome and incurable diseases, such as the Egyptian boils, hemorrhoids, scabs, and itching. This detail stresses the hopelessness of the punishment, as these afflictions are beyond all human remedy.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the botch of Egypt as a specific skin disease like leprosy or elephantiasis, common in that region and possibly linked to the Nile's waters. He also notes the emerods, scab, and itch. The key point he draws from the passage is that these afflictions are divinely sent, beyond human healing.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies the plagues as real diseases tied to Egypt's climate, not just symbolic judgments. The botch is a rash Egyptians get when the Nile rises, and the itch mentioned is far more severe in the East than in Western regions.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the exhaustive listing of every blessing and curse as deliberate—it proves that nothing in life is accident or human achievement, but God directly rules every particular. For him religion here is not knowledge or worship but daily experience, one day teaching another. This moral framing strips earthly prosperity of its attraction and gives suffering its purpose toward repentance.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the "botch of Egypt" refers to boils and blains like the plague that struck the Egyptians, spreading from head to foot. He also identifies "the emerodes" simply as piles or hemorrhoids.