Deuteronomy 28:29

KJV1611 – Modern English

And you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways: and you shall be only oppressed and plundered evermore, and no man shall save you.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהָיִ֜יתָ מְמַשֵּׁ֣שׁ בַּֽצָהֳרַ֗יִם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יְמַשֵּׁ֤שׁ הַעִוֵּר֙ בָּאֲפֵלָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א תַצְלִ֖יחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֑יךָ וְהָיִ֜יתָ אַ֣ךְ עָשׁ֧וּק וְגָז֛וּל כָּל־הַיָּמִ֖ים וְאֵ֥ין מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

Transliteration

wəhāyîtā məmaššēš baṣṣohŏrayim kaʾăšer yəmaššēš haʿiwwēr bāʾăpēlâ wəlōʾ taṣlîaḥ ʾet-dərākêkā wəhāyîtā ʾak ʿāšûq wəgāzûl kol-hayyāmîm wəʾên môšîaʿ

Grammar Details

• *wəhāyîtā*: conjunction (wə-) + qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular - and you will be
• *məmaššēš*: piel participle, masculine singular - groping/feeling about
• *baṣṣohŏrayim*: preposition (bə-) + definite article + noun, masculine dual - at noon/midday
• *kaʾăšer*: preposition (kə-) + relative pronoun - as/like
• *yəmaššēš*: piel imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - he gropes
• *haʿiwwēr*: definite article + adjective, masculine singular - the blind person
• *bāʾăpēlâ*: preposition (bə-) + definite article + noun, feminine singular - in the darkness
• *wəlōʾ*: conjunction (wə-) + negative particle - and not
• *taṣlîaḥ*: hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - you will succeed/prosper
• *ʾet*-*dərākêkā*: direct object marker + noun, feminine plural with 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your ways/paths
• *ʾak*: adverb - only/surely
• *ʿāšûq*: qal passive participle, masculine singular - oppressed/defrauded
• *wəgāzûl*: conjunction (wə-) + qal passive participle, masculine singular - and robbed/plundered
• *kol*-*hayyāmîm*: noun, masculine singular construct + definite article + noun, masculine plural - all the days
• *wəʾên*: conjunction (wə-) + particle of negation - and there is no
• *môšîaʿ*: hiphil participle, masculine singular - savior/deliverer

Word Meanings

• *məmaššēš*: groping/feeling around/searching by touch
• *ṣohŏrayim*: noon/midday/brightest part of day
• *yəmaššēš*: gropes/feels around/searches by touch
• *ʿiwwēr*: blind person
• *ʾăpēlâ*: darkness/thick darkness
• *taṣlîaḥ*: succeed/prosper/make progress
• *dərākêkā*: your ways/paths/roads
• *ʾak*: only/surely/indeed
• *ʿāšûq*: oppressed/defrauded/exploited
• *gāzûl*: robbed/plundered/despoiled
• *hayyāmîm*: the days/time
• *môšîaʿ*: savior/deliverer/rescuer

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  At midday, you will grope around like a blind person in the dark. You will not prosper in your ways; you will be continually oppressed and robbed, with no one to save you.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  and thou shalt grope{H4959} at noonday,{H6672} as the blind{H5787} gropeth{H4959} in darkness,{H653} and thou shalt not prosper{H6743} in thy ways:{H1870} and thou shalt be only oppressed{H6231} and robbed{H1497} alway,{H3117} and there shall be none to save{H3467} thee.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And thou shalt grope{H4959}{(H8764)} at noonday{H6672}, as the blind{H5787} gropeth{H4959}{(H8762)} in darkness{H653}, and thou shalt not prosper{H6743}{(H8686)} in thy ways{H1870}: and thou shalt be only oppressed{H6231}{(H8803)} and spoiled{H1497}{(H8803)} evermore{H3117}, and no man shall save{H3467}{(H8688)} thee.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And thou shalt grope at none daye as the blynde gropeth in darkenesse, and shalt not come to the right waye. And thou shalt suffre wronge only and be polled euermore, and no man shall soker the,

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And thou shalt grope at the noone daye, as ye blynde gropeth in darknesse, and shalt not prospere in thy waye.And thou shalt suffre vyolence and wronge all thy lifelonge, & no man shal helpe ye.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thou shalt also grope at noone daies, as the blinde gropeth in darknes, and shalt not prosper in thy wayes: thou shalt neuer but bee oppressed with wrong and be powled euermore, & no man shal succour thee.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thou shalt grope at noone dayes as the blinde gropeth in darknesse, & shal not prosper in thy wayes: Thou shalt be oppressed with wrong, & be poulled euermore, & no man shall succour thee.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save [thee].

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways: and you shall be only oppressed and robbed always, and there shall be none to save you.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and thou hast been gropling at noon, as the blind gropeth in darkness; and thou dost not cause thy ways to prosper; and thou hast been only oppressed and plundered all the days, and there is no saviour.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and robbed alway, and there shall be none to save thee.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and robbed alway, and there shall be none to save thee.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  You will go feeling your way when the sun is high, like a blind man for whom all is dark, and nothing will go well for you: you will be crushed and made poor for ever, and you will have no saviour.

• World English Bible (2000)

  and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways: and you shall be only oppressed and robbed always, and there shall be none to save you.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  You will feel your way along at noon like the blind person does in darkness and you will not succeed in anything you do; you will be constantly oppressed and continually robbed, with no one to save you.

Referenced Verses

• Isa 59:10 : 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon as in the night; we are in desolate places like dead men.
• Job 5:14 : 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at midday as if it were night.
• Ps 106:40-42 : 40 Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against his people, so much so that he abhorred his own inheritance. 41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and those who hated them ruled over them. 42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
• Judg 3:14 : 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
• Judg 4:2-3 : 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried to the LORD, for Sisera had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
• Judg 6:1-6 : 1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel, and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds. 3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the produce of the earth till you come to Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as locusts in multitude; for both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
• Judg 10:8 : 8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: for eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side of Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
• Judg 13:1 : 1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
• 1 Sam 13:5-7 : 5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore; and they came up and encamped in Michmash, east of Bethaven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
• 1 Sam 13:19-22 : 19 Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen each man's plowshare, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. 22 So it came to pass on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan; but they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.
• Neh 9:26-29 : 26 Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your law behind their backs, and killed Your prophets who testified against them, to turn them back to You, and they performed great provocations. 27 Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them. And in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your manifold mercies, You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before You; therefore You abandoned them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven, and many times delivered them according to Your mercies. 29 You testified against them, that You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly and did not heed Your commandments but sinned against Your judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them. And they shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear.
• Neh 9:37 : 37 And it yields much increase to the kings You have set over us because of our sins; also, they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
• Lam 5:8 : 8 Servants rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand.
• Lam 5:17 : 17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
• Zeph 1:17 : 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse.
• Acts 21:24 : 24 Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing; but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
• Rom 11:7-9 : 7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 According as it is written, God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this day. 9 And David says, Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and bend their backs always.
• Rom 11:25 : 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
• 2 Cor 4:3-4 : 3 But if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
• Job 12:25 : 25 They grope in the dark without light, and He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
• Ps 69:23-24 : 23 Let their eyes be darkened so that they do not see, and make their loins continually to shake. 24 Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your wrathful anger take hold of them.