Deuteronomy 28:27
The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
The verse was among the curses Moses read aloud to all Israel assembled before him from the book he had written, together with God's promises for obedience, as part of recounting their past history. It lists painful diseases, including the sore of Egypt, tumors, scab, and itch, from which the disobedient would not be healed. It does not explain the medical nature of the specific ailments it names.
The affliction is one previously brought upon the Egyptians, which God promised He would put none of upon Israel if they would diligently listen to His voice, do what is right in His sight, heed His commandments, and keep all His statutes. Disease of every kind comes upon human beings through sin and transgressing God's law. It comes by breaking down the protective barriers He provided to preserve health and holiness and teach obedience.
The verse belongs to a chapter that sets the curses following disobedience against the blessings of obedience to God's commandments. The chapter shows plainly the blessings of obedience, expressing in specific form the principles of the law of God's kingdom so minds are not left in ignorance and uncertainty. It lays a continuing obligation on all blessed with life, health, and temporal and spiritual advantages, and its message and claims remain as binding and fresh now as God's gifts are continual. The Lord's promises in the chapter are conditional upon obedience, which helps explain why the adults of the army that left Egypt were refused entrance into the promised land.
Israel's prosperity or adversity depended on obedience to God's law, so the ark itself did not bring success because it held the law whose observance or violation determined their fortunes. Disease is among the threatened consequences of forsaking God's commandments, and the curse grows heavier as disobedience continues. The verse presents fearful results of transgressing God's commands, so people must choose whether to suffer the consequences of disobedience or enjoy the blessings of obedience. The waters of Marah illustrate this lesson, showing that under the special direction and sheltering preservation of Christ the mighty Healer, God tests His people and reveals Himself as Deliverer, Protector, and the Lord who heals, with power to cure the evils of the human heart.