Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 28:22
Verse 22. Consumption] tpj shachepheth, atrophy through lack of food; from Pj shacaph, to be in want. Fever] tjdq kaddachath, from jdq kadach, to be kindled, burn, sparkle; a burning inflammatory fever.
Inflammation] tqld dalleketh, from qld dalak, to pursue eagerly, to burn after; probably a rapidly consuming cancer.
Extreme burning] rjrj charchur, burning upon burning, scald upon scald; from rj char, to be heated, enraged, &c. This probably refers, not only to excruciating inflammations on the body, but also to the irritation and agony of a mind utterly abandoned by God, and lost to hope. What an accumulation of misery! how formidable! and especially in a land where great heat was prevalent and dreadful.
Sword] War in general, enemies without, and civil broils within. This was remarkably the case in the last siege of Jerusalem.
Blasting] wpd shiddaphon, probably either the blighting east wind that ruined vegetation, or those awful pestilential winds which suffocate both man and beast wherever they come. These often prevail in different parts of the East, and several examples have already been given. See "Gen. xli. 6".
Mildew] wqry yerakon, an exudation of the vegetative juice from different parts of the stalk, by which the maturity and perfection of the plant are utterly prevented. It comes from qry yarak, to throw out moisture.
Of these seven plagues, the five former were to fall on their bodies, the two latter upon their substance. What a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption , etc.] An emaciation of their bodies, either through famine or wasting diseases, whereby the fluids are washed off, and men are reduced to skin and bones: and with a fever ; a hot burning disease, which dries up the radical moisture, consumes it, and so threatens with death; of which there are various sorts, and some very pestilential and mortal Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it of a fire in the face, by which they seem to mean what is called St. Anthony’s fire: and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning ; either in the inward parts, as an inflammation of the lungs; or in the outward parts, as carbuncles, burning ulcers, and the like: and with the sword ; in the margin it is, “with drought”; so Aben Ezra interprets the word, which seems better to suit with what it is in company with; and designs either drought in human bodies, occasioned by fevers, inflammations, and extreme burnings; or in the earth, through the force of the sun, and want of rain, which render the earth barren and unfruitful, and so cause a famine: and with blasting and with mildew ; whereby the corn that is sown, and springs up, comes to nothing, being blasted by east winds, or turns pale and yellow by the mildew, and so withers away; the consequence of which is want of food, and so destruction and ruin; (see Amos 4:9); and they shall pursue thee until thou perish ; follow hard after them, and come so close one after another upon them, until they are utterly destroyed.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-44 - If we do not keep God's commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay ourselves under the curse, which include all misery, as the blessing all happiness. Observe the justice of thi curse. It is not a curse causeless, or for some light cause. The exten and power of this curse. Wherever the sinner goes, the curse of God follows; wherever he is, it rests upon him. Whatever he has is under curse. All his enjoyments are made bitter; he cannot take any tru comfort in them, for the wrath of God mixes itself with them. Man judgments are here stated, which would be the fruits of the curse, an with which God would punish the people of the Jews, for their apostac and disobedience. We may observe the fulfilling of these threatening in their present state. To complete their misery, it is threatened tha by these troubles they should be bereaved of all comfort and hope, an left to utter despair. Those who walk by sight, and not by faith, ar in danger of losing reason itself, when every thing about them look frightful.
Original Hebrew
יככה 5221 יהוה 3068 בשׁחפת 7829 ובקדחת 6920 ובדלקת 1816 ובחרחר 2746 ובחרב 2719 ובשׁדפון 7711 ובירקון 3420 ורדפוך 7291 עד 5704 אבדך׃ 6
