Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 28:31

Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away and not returned to you. Your flock will be given to your enemies, and no one will save you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, pronouncing covenant curses that will follow their disobedience to the law.

The words — The text highlights טָב֣וּחַ (tavuach), meaning “slaughtered,” and גָּז֣וּל (gazul), meaning “seized,” describing the violent loss of the ox and donkey.

The thread — This pattern of helpless loss appears in Judges 6:1, where Israel is delivered to Midian, and parallels the livestock imagery in Job 1:14.

Why it lands — The passage states that covenant failure results in the complete loss of what one labors to protect, leaving the victim powerless and isolated.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

שׁוֹרְךָ֞shor./Khaox/ yourטָב֣וּחַta.Vu.ach[will be] slaughteredלְעֵינֶ֗יךָle./'ei.Nei./khato/ eyes/ yourוְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ notתֹאכַל֮to.Khalyou will eatמִמֶּנּוּ֒mi.me./Nuany of/ itחֲמֹֽרְךָ֙cha.mo.re./Khadonkey/ yourגָּז֣וּלga.Zul[will be] seizedמִלְּפָנֶ֔יךָmi./le./fa.Nei./khafrom/ to/ before/ youוְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ notיָשׁ֖וּבya.Shuvanyone will return [it]לָ֑ךְLa/khto <the>/ youצֹֽאנְךָ֙tzo.ne./Khaflock/ yourנְתֻנ֣וֹתne.tu.Not[will be] givenלְאֹיְבֶ֔יךָle./'o.ye.Vei./khato/ enemies/ yourוְאֵ֥יןve./'Einand/ notלְךָ֖le./Kha[will belong] to <the>/ youמוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃mo.Shi.a'a deliverer

King James Version

Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.

Cross-references