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Exodus 5:3
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

Leviticus 26:5
And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

Numbers 14:12
I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

until He has exterminated you
This phrase underscores the severity of the consequences for breaking the covenant. The term "exterminated" indicates total destruction, which aligns with the warnings given throughout the Old Testament about the fate of those who reject God's laws (Leviticus 26:14-39). It serves as a sobering reminder of the holiness and justice of God, who cannot tolerate sin. This also foreshadows the eventual exile of Israel and Judah due to their persistent disobedience (2 Kings 17:6,2 Kings 25:21).

from the land that you are entering to possess
The "land" refers to Canaan, the Promised Land, which was central to the covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12:7, 26:3, 28:13). Possession of the land was conditional upon Israel's faithfulness to God. This phrase highlights the historical context of the Israelites on the brink of entering Canaan under Joshua's leadership. The land was not just a physical territory but a place where they were to live out their identity as God's chosen people. The warning of being removed from the land serves as a prophetic insight into the future exiles, where the Israelites would be taken from their land due to their unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 25:11,Ezekiel 36:19).

“The LORD will make the plague cling to you…” (Deuteronomy 28:21)

• The action originates with God Himself; this is not random misfortune but deliberate judgment.

• His covenant warnings inDeuteronomy 28 mirror earlier assurances that blessings and curses flow from obedience or disobedience (seeDeuteronomy 28:1–2;Leviticus 26:14–17).

• God had proven His power both to bless and to judge—think of the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 9:14). Those events showed Israel that the same LORD who liberated them could also discipline them.

• The verse underscores divine sovereignty: what the LORD decrees happens. No earthly power can reverse it (Isaiah 45:7;1 Samuel 2:6–8).

“…the plague cling to you…”

• “Plague” here conveys a persistent, devastating illness or calamity. Unlike a passing sickness, it “clings,” remaining until its purpose is accomplished (Psalm 91:3–8 highlights both plague and God’s power over it).

• The idea of sticking fast hints at relentless consequence: sin invites a judgment that will not simply fade away (Numbers 32:23).

• Examples later in Israel’s history illustrate this reality—David’s census brought a plague that struck 70,000 (2 Samuel 24:15), and the nation’s later exile came after centuries of unrepentant idolatry (2 Kings 17:13–18).

“…until He has exterminated you…”

• The word “until” signals duration: divine judgment endures as long as necessary to fulfill God’s stated outcome.

• “Exterminated” means wiped out as a recognizable nation in that place. This severe outcome matches the seriousness of covenant violation (Deuteronomy 29:25–27).

• History shows partial fulfillments: the northern kingdom fell to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6) and Judah to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). Yet God preserved a remnant, keeping His promises to Abraham (Isaiah 10:22).

• The warning spotlights both God’s justice and His faithfulness—He will not ignore sin, yet even harsh discipline works toward His larger redemptive plan (Jeremiah 24:10, thenJeremiah 29:11).

“…from the land that you are entering to possess.”

• The land was God’s gracious gift (Deuteronomy 6:10–12), a tangible sign of His covenant love. To be driven out would be devastating—a reversal of the Exodus victory.

• The exile motif appears repeatedly: lose the land, lose rest, lose temple worship (Leviticus 26:32–33;Deuteronomy 30:17–18).

• Yet the promise of return is already embedded in the Torah: after judgment, repentance would bring restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–5).

• Thus the land functions as both blessing and barometer. Enjoyment of it depends on wholehearted allegiance to the LORD (Joshua 23:15–16).

Deuteronomy 28:21 issues a sobering covenant warning. God Himself will send a persistent, devastating plague when His people abandon His commands, allowing that affliction to remain until national life in the promised land is wiped out. The verse highlights divine sovereignty, the inevitability of judgment for unrepentant sin, and the conditional enjoyment of God’s gifts. Yet even behind this stern word stands a faithful God who disciplines to restore, preserving a remnant for future blessing.

Until he have consumed thee from off the land.--FromDeuteronomy 28:21-35, inclusive, we seem to be reading of the gradual consumption of Israel "in the land of promise" before any actual captivity.