Limitless Word

Deuteronomy 28:40

You will have olive trees throughout your territory but will never anoint yourself with oil, because the olives will drop off.
Deuteronomy 28:40 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives will drop off.
  • KJV Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
  • NKJV You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off.
  • NASB You will have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, because your olives will drop off prematurely.
  • NLT You will grow olive trees throughout your land, but you will never use the olive oil, for the fruit will drop before it ripens.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

They will have olive trees but no oil, for the olives will drop off prematurely.

Overview

Even the olive groves, a staple of the land, will fail to yield usable oil. The loss of oil meant the loss of anointing, light, and daily comfort. This continues the pattern of labor without enjoyment under judgment.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Mic 6:15You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.
  • Ps 23:5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
  • Ps 104:15wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (10)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Deuteronomy videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Deuteronomy 28:40YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on DeuteronomyMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).

How Deuteronomy 28:40 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.