Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 28:50
a ruthless nation with no respect for the old and no pity for the young.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, outlining covenant curses that will activate if they abandon the stipulations before crossing into Canaan.
The words — The Hebrew עַז פָּנִים ('az panim) literally means "fierce-faced," describing an unyielding aggressor, while the verb יִשְׂאֶה פָנִים (yisa' panim) denotes lifting up one's face in deference or respect.
The thread — This pattern of brutal selectivity recurs in Isaiah 47:6, where the oppressor refuses mercy to the aged, and 2 Chronicles 36:17, which records the Chaldean king sparing neither young nor old in the sanctuary.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that covenant failure produces concrete, dehumanizing judgment, demanding sober preparation rather than abstract speculation.
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
King James Version
A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young:
Cross-references
- Isaiah 47:6 I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.
- 2 Chronicles 36:17 So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,
- Proverbs 7:13 She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
- Ecclesiastes 8:1 Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.
- Daniel 7:7 After this, as I watched in my vision in the night, suddenly a fourth beast appeared, and it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong—with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed; then it trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns.
- Daniel 8:23 In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne.
- Hosea 13:16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
- Luke 19:44 They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
- Luke 21:23 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.