That tension comes from a mix of theology, history, and power—not just one simple reason.
First, in mainstream Judaism and Christianity, the idea of being “chosen” (as in ancient Israel) has traditionally been understood in a spiritual or covenantal sense, not tied to any single modern ethnic group. So when a group today identifies specifically Black people as the exclusive chosen people, it challenges long-standing interpretations. People who hold those traditional views often see that claim as a reinterpretation—or even a contradiction—of what they’ve been taught.
Second, there’s a historical layer. For centuries, systems like slavery and segregation were built on the belief that Black people were inferior, not divinely chosen. That ideology—often tied to white supremacy—didn’t just shape laws; it shaped theology, education, and culture. So when Black identity is reframed as chosen, royal, or covenantal, it directly confronts that old hierarchy. Some people resist that shift because it overturns narratives they’ve been conditioned to accept.
Third, the word “chosen” itself can trigger discomfort across many groups. It can sound like exclusivity or superiority, even when that’s not the intent. In a world already divided by race and religion, people may react defensively if they feel a claim separates humanity into “chosen” and “not chosen.”
There’s also an internal dimension within the Black community. Not everyone agrees on identity, theology, or interpretation of scriptures like Deuteronomy 28. Some embrace that framework deeply; others approach history and faith through different lenses—academic, cultural, or universalist.
First—what is Deuteronomy 28 actually describing?
Deuteronomy 28 is part of the covenant given to ancient Israel. It lists blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience—things like famine, disease, exile, oppression, and scattering among nations (Bible, KJV). In its original historical context, most biblical scholars connect these curses to events like the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, and later Roman domination of Judea. In other words, the passage was first about ancient Israelites in the Near East, not modern racial categories as we define them today.
Second, why do some people connect it to Black history?
Certain groups, especially within the African diaspora, see parallels between Deuteronomy 28 and the experience of transatlantic slavery—particularly verse 68, which mentions being taken into captivity by ships and sold as bondmen and bondwomen. The transatlantic slave trade involved millions of Africans being transported by ship under brutal conditions, which makes that comparison emotionally and symbolically powerful. For those who hold this view, it’s not just about history—it’s about identity, prophecy, and reclaiming dignity after centuries of oppression.
Third—did white people come over on slave ships?
Not in the way described in the transatlantic slave trade.
The transatlantic slave trade (16th–19th centuries) overwhelmingly involved West and Central Africans who were forcibly captured, transported across the Atlantic (the “Middle Passage”), and sold as lifelong, hereditary slaves based on race. This system became racialized chattel slavery—meaning slavery was permanent and tied to being Black (Smallwood, 2007).
- Some Europeans (who would be considered “white” today) did cross the Atlantic under harsh conditions, but typically as indentured servants, prisoners, or migrants. Their situation, while often difficult, was not the same as chattel slavery:
- They were not enslaved for life in most cases
- Their children were not automatically born into slavery
- They retained legal pathways to freedom and social mobility
So while Europeans did travel under coercive or difficult circumstances, it does not match the system described in Deuteronomy 28:68 as it is commonly interpreted in relation to lifelong bondage and generational servitude.
So what race “fits” Deuteronomy 28?
There isn’t a single universally accepted answer.
- Mainstream scholarship: It refers to ancient Israel and historical events in the Near East.
- Faith-based reinterpretations (including some Black Hebrew perspectives): It prophetically aligns with the history of African-descended people in the Americas.
- Critical historians: They caution against mapping ancient texts directly onto modern racial categories, since “race” as we know it today didn’t exist in biblical times.
Deuteronomy 28 is a powerful chapter about covenant, consequence, and suffering. Whether someone sees it as ancient history, ongoing prophecy, or symbolic truth depends on their theological framework. The connection to Black suffering is meaningful for many—but it’s an interpretation, not a universally agreed-upon historical identification.
Deuteronomy 28:16–19 — Cursed in the city and the field
Text summary: Cursed in cities, fields, and daily life.
- Black historical interpretation:
Seen as reflecting systemic poverty—inner-city struggles, lack of resources, and generational economic hardship after slavery and segregation. - Scholarly view:
Refers to agricultural and societal hardship in ancient Israel—failed crops, unsafe cities, and general instability due to invasion or divine judgment.
Deuteronomy 28:20–24 — Disease, drought, and destruction
Text summary: Plagues, sickness, famine, and environmental hardship.
- Black historical interpretation:
Connected to poor living conditions, health disparities, and generational suffering in marginalized Black communities. - Scholarly view:
Common covenant curses in the ancient Near East—these were typical warnings tied to disobedience, reflecting natural disasters and war conditions.
Deuteronomy 28:25–37 — Oppression by enemies
Text summary: Defeat, oppression, becoming a proverb and byword among nations.
- Black historical interpretation:
“Byword” interpreted as racial slurs and stereotypes placed on Black people globally; oppression seen in slavery, Jim Crow, and mass incarceration. - Scholarly view:
Refers to Israel being conquered (e.g., by Assyria, Babylon, Rome), becoming a mocked and scattered people among other nations.
Deuteronomy 28:30–33 — Family and labor taken
Text summary: Wives violated, children taken, labor exploited.
- Black historical interpretation:
Strongly linked to slavery:- Families separated
- Sexual violence against enslaved women
- Forced labor with no reward
- Scholarly view:
Describes wartime atrocities common in the ancient world—rape, enslavement, and seizure of land during invasions.
Deuteronomy 28:43–44 — The stranger above you
Text summary: Foreigners rise above you economically and socially.
- Black historical interpretation:
Seen as others controlling economics in Black communities while Black people remain economically disadvantaged. - Scholarly view:
Refers to foreigners living in Israel gaining power due to Israel’s decline.
Deuteronomy 28:47–48 — Serving enemies in hunger and need
Text summary: Serving enemies with a yoke of iron.
- Black historical interpretation:
“Iron yoke” linked to slavery—chains, shackles, and forced servitude. - Scholarly view:
Symbolic language for harsh oppression under foreign rule (e.g., Babylonian or Roman domination).
Deuteronomy 28:49–57 — Siege and extreme suffering
Text summary: A distant nation invades; severe famine and suffering follow.
- Black historical interpretation:
Sometimes linked symbolically to European colonization and brutality. - Scholarly view:
Clearly aligns with known historical sieges (especially Babylonian and Roman destruction of Jerusalem).
Deuteronomy 28:64–67 — Scattered among all nations
Text summary: Scattered globally, living in fear and uncertainty.
- Black historical interpretation:
Connected to the African diaspora—descendants of enslaved Africans scattered across the Americas, Caribbean, and Europe. - Scholarly view:
Refers to Jewish diaspora after exiles—historically documented across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Deuteronomy 28:68 — Ships and slavery
Text (key idea): Return to Egypt by ships, sold as bondmen and bondwomen.
- Black historical interpretation:
This is the strongest connection point:- Ships = transatlantic slave trade
- Bondmen/bondwomen = chattel slavery
- “No man shall buy you” = no one able to redeem/save
- Scholarly view:
“Egypt” is often interpreted symbolically as “bondage,” not necessarily literal Egypt.
Some scholars argue this refers to smaller-scale movements or warnings, not a specific prediction of the Atlantic slave trade.
Final Understanding
What you’re seeing is two fundamentally different frameworks:
- One is historical-critical → focuses on ancient Israel, documented invasions, and original context.
- The other is prophetic-identity based → sees the text as extending into modern history, especially the experience of Black people in the diaspora.
Both are trying to make sense of suffering, identity, and scripture—but they start from different assumptions.
Important Grounding
- The Bible does not use modern racial categories like “Black” or “white.”
- The transatlantic slave trade is historically unique in its racialized, generational slavery.
- The connection many people feel is interpretive and theological, not universally agreed upon academically.
Encouragement
Regardless of interpretation, one thing remains consistent in scripture:
God sees oppression, hears cries, and responds.
The same Bible that speaks of curses also speaks of restoration, redemption, and deliverance.
At the core, though, this isn’t just about doctrine—it’s about identity, dignity, and meaning. For many, reclaiming a sense of being chosen is a response to centuries of dehumanization. It’s a way of saying: we are not forgotten, we are not cursed without purpose, and our story has divine significance.
Whether people accept or reject that idea often depends on what they believe about scripture, history, and who has the authority to define identity.
References
Bible. (1611). The Holy Bible: King James Version.
Berlin, A., & Brettler, M. Z. (2014). The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford University Press.
Coogan, M. D. (2018). The Old Testament: A historical and literary introduction. Oxford University Press.
Smallwood, S. E. (2007). Saltwater slavery: A middle passage from Africa to American diaspora. Harvard University Press.
Walton, J. H. (2006). Ancient Near Eastern thought and the Old Testament. Baker Academic.
Alexander, M. (2012). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The New Press.
Baker, K. (2020). Race, religion, and the Bible: Interpreting scripture in a racialized world. Oxford University Press.
Berlin, A., & Brettler, M. Z. (2014). The Jewish study Bible (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Coogan, M. D. (2018). The Old Testament: A historical and literary introduction to the Hebrew Bible (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Du Bois, W. E. B. (1903). The souls of Black folk. A. C. McClurg & Co.
Evans, C. A. (2012). Ancient texts for New Testament studies: A guide to the background literature. Hendrickson Publishers.
Eyerman, R. (2001). Cultural trauma: Slavery and the formation of African American identity. Cambridge University Press.
Fredrickson, G. M. (2002). Racism: A short history. Princeton University Press.
Goldenberg, D. M. (2003). The curse of Ham: Race and slavery in early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Princeton University Press.
Hopkins, D. N. (2009). Down, up, and over: Slave religion and Black theology. Fortress Press.
Mills, C. W. (1997). The racial contract. Cornell University Press.
Raboteau, A. J. (2004). Slave religion: The “invisible institution” in the antebellum South (Updated ed.). Oxford University Press.
Sanders, E. P. (1992). Judaism: Practice and belief, 63 BCE–66 CE. Trinity Press International.
Smallwood, S. E. (2007). Saltwater slavery: A middle passage from Africa to American diaspora. Harvard University Press.
Wilmore, G. S. (1998). Black religion and Black radicalism: An interpretation of the religious history of African Americans (3rd ed.). Orbis Books.
Wright, N. T. (2013). Paul and the faithfulness of God. Fortress Press.
