Deuteronomy 28:67 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 28:67 Commentary: Despair Under the Curse
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the cursed person wish for evening in the morning and morning in the evening?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Despair so complete that even the day-night cycle becomes a source of dread; the sufferer longs for a time that cannot come.
- Key words: mi-yitten (who will give?, an idiom for an impossible wish), pachad (dread, used as both noun and verb), mar'eh (sight/appearance, what the eyes witness).
- Main debate: Whether this curse is limited to the historic covenant context of Israel or extends as a spiritual principle for all who reject God.
- Theological theme: The curse of the covenant produces total insecurity, no rest, no peace, no hope apart from restoration.
- Best use: A sobering warning about the consequences of rebellion against God, and a window into the horror from which Christ delivers believers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your hearts of the terrifying sights you will see.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see.
KJV King James Version 1769
In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
In the morning thou shalt say, Would it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would it were morning! for the fear of thy heart which thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
in the morning thou sayest, O that it were evening! and in the evening thou sayest, O that it were morning! from the fear of thy heart, with which thou art afraid, and from the sight of thine eyes which thou seest.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
In the morning thou shalt say, Would that it were even! and in the evening thou shalt say, Would that it were morning! through the fright of thy heart wherewith thou shalt be in terror, and through the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In the morning thou shalt say: Who will grant me evening? and at evening: Who will grant me morning? for the fearfulness of thy heart, wherewith thou shalt be terrified, and for those things which thou shalt see with thy eyes.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por la mañana dirás: ¡ Quién diera fuese la tarde! y á la tarde dirás: ¡ Quién diera fuese la mañana! por el miedo de tu corazón con que estarás amedrentado, y por lo que verán tus ojos.
Pela manhã dirás: Quem dera fosse a tarde! E à tarde dirás: Quem dera fosse a manhã! pelo medo de teu coração com que estarás amedrontado, e pelo que verão teus olhos.
Dans l’ effroi qui remplira ton cœur et en présence de ce que tes yeux verront, tu diras le matin: Puisse le soir être là! Et tu diras le soir: Puisse le matin être là!
Des Morgens wirst du sagen: Ach, daß es Abend wäre! des Abends wirst du sagen: Ach, das es Morgen wäre! vor Furcht deines Herzens, die dich schrecken wird, und vor dem, was du mit deinen Augen sehen wirst.
Des morgens zult gij zeggen: Och, dat het avond ware; en des avonds zult gij zeggen: Och, dat het morgen ware; vermits den schrik uws harten, waarmede gij zult verschrikt zijn, en vermits het gezicht uwer ogen, dat gij zien zult.
La mattina dirai: “Fosse pur sera!” e la sera dirai: “Fosse pur mattina!” a motivo dello spavento ond’avrai pieno il cuore, e a motivo delle cose che vedrai cogli occhi tuoi.
Rano rzeczesz: Któż mi da wieczór? a w wieczór rzeczesz: Któż mi da zaranie? dla trwogi serca twego, którą się zatrwożysz, i dla tego, na co oczyma twemi patrzeć musisz.
от трепета сердца твоего, которым ты будешь объят, и от того, что ты будешь видеть глазами твоими, утром ты скажешь: "о, если бы пришел вечер!", а вечером скажешь: "о, если бы наступило утро!"
你因心裡 所 恐懼的，眼中 所 看見 的，早晨 必說，巴不得 到 晚上才好；晚上 必說，巴不得 到 早晨才好。
In the morning you will say, If only it was evening! And at evening you will say, If only morning would come! Because of the fear in your hearts and the things which your eyes will see.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 28:67
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse depicts the final stage of covenant curse: total psychological collapse. The Hebrew idiom mi-yitten (“who will give?”) expresses an impossible wish, the sufferer longs for a time that cannot come faster. Gill describes a person dreading death before nightfall, then fearing what the night will bring. The Cambridge Bible places the verse in the final section of the curses, predicting banishment and “utter despair.” The double use of pachad (first the noun “dread,” then the verb “you will dread”) forms a cognate accusative, the fear itself becomes the object of fear. No rest is possible. Morning brings no hope; evening brings no relief. The one constant is terror.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical-literal: The curse is a specific prophecy of Israel's exile and siege experience; the language fits ancient warfare (Deut 28:49–57).
- Spiritual/typological: The despair reflects the state of every person under sin's condemnation — no peace, constant fear of judgment (cf. John 3:36; Romans 2:9).
What is clear: That this verse describes a state of utter hopelessness with no respite, and that it functions within the covenant context as a warning against persistent disobedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Literary function | This verse describes the final psychological effect of the covenant curse, complete despair with no rest. | Some see it as specific to Israel's historical exile (Babylonian and later); others see it as illustrating a universal spiritual principle of misery apart from God. |
| Applicability to believers | Christians agree that Christ bore the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) and that believers are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1). | Some traditions apply this verse as a warning against apostasy for believers; others restrict the curse to the old covenant and read it only as background for the gospel. |
| The nature of the despair | It is real, intense, and involves both internal fear and external torment. | Some interpret the 'sights of the eyes' as literal war atrocities; others read them as the results of natural calamities or even spiritual oppression. |
| Use in counseling | The verse honestly describes a state of human anguish and should be approached with pastoral sensitivity. | Some caution against using this text with those suffering from mental illness, as it could reinforce false guilt; others see it as validating the depth of their pain. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy is set as Moses’ farewell address to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter Canaan. Chapter 28 lays out the covenant: blessings for obedience (vv. 1, 14) and curses for disobedience (vv. 15, 68). This verse sits near the climax of the curse section, after the threats of siege, disease, exile and cannibalism (vv. 49, 57). The language reflects the experience of a city under blockade, day and night bring only new terrors. The surrounding verses (63, 68) describe Yahweh “rejoicing” to destroy Israel, scattering them among nations where they find “no ease” and a “trembling heart.” Verse 66 says “Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day.”
The specific construction “who will give evening … who will give morning” (mi-yitten) is a Hebrew idiom of longing for something that cannot be commanded. It appears elsewhere in desperate contexts (Job 7:4; Psalm 55:6). The Douay-Rheims captures it starkly: “Who will grant me evening?”, implying that even the most basic rhythms of day and night have become unbearable. In the ancient Near East, time was not merely chronological; it carried covenantal significance. Blessing meant “length of days” in a good land; curse meant “shortness of life” in constant dread. This verse reverses the normal hope for morning light and evening rest. Both are dreaded.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 28:67. The Masoretic Text is consistent across manuscripts, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Targum, Vulgate) reflect the same reading. The only variation is in translation style: the Hebrew mi-yitten (“who will give?”) is rendered idiomatically in English versions as “I wish” (WEB, BSB) or literally as “Who will grant?” (Douay-Rheims, YLT). The meaning is unchanged.
Reception History
Early Jewish and Christian interpreters read this verse as describing the fate of Israel after the destruction of the Second Temple. The Mishnah and Talmud cite it among the curses that overtook the nation for covenantal unfaithfulness. Medieval Jewish commentators like Rashi connected it to the Roman siege of Jerusalem. In Christian tradition, the verse has often been used in preaching on the terrors of the law, a warning to drive sinners to Christ. Martin Luther referenced it in his commentary on Galatians, describing the conscience under the law as longing for relief it cannot obtain. The verse also appears in hymns about the miseries of sin and the rest found in Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The rhythm of dread: Morning longs for evening; evening longs for morning. Each transition brings no relief, only a different terror. The victim cannot rest in any season of the day.
- The root of fear: The text repeats pachad, “the fear… which you fear.” It is a fear that feeds on itself, becoming its own object. The heart learns to expect the worst.
- The sights that break hope: Not just inward dread but outward reality, “the sights which your eyes will see.” The horrors are real: torture, death, loss. Despair is not irrational; it is a response to what is actually happening.
Five-point outline
- Covenant consequences, This is not random suffering. It is the direct result of persistent disobedience to God’s law (Deut 28:15, 58).
- Total insecurity, The person has no safe moment. Safety was conditional on covenant faithfulness; now even the day cycle brings fear.
- Inescapable dread, The Hebrew cognate accusative intensifies the fear: the dread itself is dreadful. It becomes a closed loop.
- Witness of the eyes, The community’s suffering is visible. No one can hide from the evidence of disaster.
- No human solution, The wish idiom (“who will give?”) has no answer. No one can grant the relief sought. Only God can lift the curse.
Illustration hooks
- An ICU waiting room: families watch the clock. Morning feels endless; night brings no sleep. The passage captures that specific agony of waiting for a change that might only bring worse news.
- A war zone diary: civilians in siege count the hours. Dawn means shelling; dusk means snipers. The only constant is the next threat.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still curse people like this today? How do we read Old Testament curses as Christians?
- I have felt this kind of hopeless anxiety, does that mean I am under God’s curse?
Leading a Discussion
Deuteronomy 28:67 reveals what happens when the protective boundaries of covenant relationship are removed. The person under curse cannot find rest in any part of the day. As you discuss this passage, notice the concrete language: morning, evening, heart, eyes. This is not abstract theology, it is lived terror.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 28:67 aloud. What stands out to you about the timing, why both morning and evening?
- The Hebrew uses a cognate accusative: “the fear … which you will fear.” Why do you think the writer repeats the word for fear in two forms?
- How does this verse connect to the earlier curse in Deuteronomy 28:34 (“the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad”)?
- Compare this verse with Job 7:3, 4 and Revelation 9:6. What threads of shared human experience do you see across these passages?
- Some Christians read this purely as a historical warning to ancient Israel; others see it as describing a spiritual state of being under the law’s condemnation. How do you weigh these views?
- How might this text be misused? How can it be used pastorally for someone who genuinely feels this kind of despair?
- What hope does the gospel offer to someone who lives in the cycle described here? Where in Scripture do you find the opposite, a longing for morning that is fulfilled?
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)
| Deuteronomy 28:34 | so that the sights that you see with your eyes will drive you mad. |
| Job 7:3 | so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me. |
| Job 7:4 | When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day. |
| Revelation of John 9:6 | In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. |
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
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes that while the substance of these curses fits a pre-exilic date, some phrasing may come from after the exile. The description of utter despair in banishment matches Psalm 137's anguish more than Jeremiah's advice to settle quietly in Babylon. Overall the section likely originated before the Babylonian exile.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights how a guilty conscience robs a person of peace, making them wish away each part of the day. This unsettled longing for evening or morning comes from a heart gripped by fear, not from outward circumstances alone.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights a crushing, time-shattering fear that makes each part of the day unbearable. Morning brings longing for evening, and evening brings longing for morning, because the constant threat of torture and death leaves no moment of peace. The visible horrors they have already seen terrify them into dreading what comes next.
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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that Israel's punishment was a precise reversal of their sin. Because they refused to serve God with joyful hearts while enjoying every good thing, they would be forced to serve merciless enemies in desperate lack. The curses were not random but reflected the exact failure of their gratitude.