Summary
The chapter opens with a stern prohibition against idolatry and demands observance of the Sabbath and reverence for the sanctuary. It then presents a series of blessings—rain, harvest, peace, and military victory—that will flow when Israel follows God’s statutes. The middle section shifts to a litany of curses: famine, war, plagues, destruction of cities, and eventual exile, all described as punishments for continued disobedience. After detailing these woes, the text speaks of divine justice tempered by remembrance of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, assuring that even in exile God will not utterly destroy the people. It concludes by affirming that these statutes were given by Moses at Sinai and that God’s covenant remains firm, offering hope for eventual restoration.