v1-2: Clear commands about worship. This is the duty of the people redeemed by God, so there is no reward or retribution mentioned.

v3-5: "If"; in contrast, here is clear reward for obedience. The blessings from God were quite specific, and would be obvious. There would be no doubt that the people had indeed obeyed. The specific blessing here is that of fruitfulness in their harvests.

v6-13 lists other blessings that would follow;

• v6 peace and safety
• v7-8 victory in battle
• v9-10 growth and fruitfulness
• v11-12 the very presence of God

v13: God had delivered the people from Egypt, from bondage. He delivered them into freedom and opportunity. Their responsibility was to live in the good of that. We are free to obey God, Rom 6.11, and to walk uprightly.

v14-15: "But if"; there were specific consequence of disobedience, see Deut 28.15. The Lord God would send judgments to encourage repentance; see v18, 21, 23, 27. Yet this is His mercy, Rom 2.4; in His goodness He leads us to repentance, so as to avert further judgment.

v16-39: explains the range of punishments that would happen. Some of these are the reverse of the blessings of v4-12.

The people would be punished if they "reject" or "abhor" God's ways; this was not returned in kind, for God is merciful. He punished them less than their iniquities deserved (Ezra 9.15).

It is significant that disobedience begins with their attitude to God's word. Unless we are committed to hearing and obeying and learning, we can easily fall into sins. It is also evident that those who seek to deny the relevance or authority of God's word often have a motive of wanting to excuse their sins.

v16: See Judg 6.4, where crops were stolen or destroyed.

v18: They would be punished "seven times more", implying divine self-control; God's anger is not like human's uncontrolled, inconsistent, anger. Also v21, 24, 28.

v21: Only here are punishments sent "as your sins deserve", and even here the purpose is for restoration as well as retribution.

v24: Also v28, "I will be hostile towards you"; if previous verses spoke of backsliding, here is apostasy, as the people turn from the true God; a settled and deliberate rebellion against God.

v25: The vengeance of God's covenant; part of what the people had agreed with God was that disobedience would be punished.

v30: Where the people had turned from God to serve idols, the idols' impotence would be witnessed by dead bodies piled high on the idols. At this stage, the Lord says, "I will abhor you".

v32-35: Later history indicates that these things were fulfilled, as the people were scattered among the nations (2 Kings 17.6), and the land enjoyed its Sabbaths (2 Chr 36.21).

v36-39: The few people left who were scattered among the nations would die in foreign lands.

v40-41: See Neh 1.7-9; there were promises of restoration where there was real confession. Confession includes the realisation that the sufferings they had endured were not just the 'natural consequences' of wrong doing, but specific judgments sent from God.

v44: Ultimately, God cannot break His covenant (2 Tim 2.13); He cannot deny Himself.

v45: As in Egypt, so in Babylon, God remembered His covenant, and delivered the people.