Many people—especially in the Hebrew Israelite tradition—believe that the transatlantic slave trade, which forcibly removed millions of Africans from their homeland and dispersed them throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, fulfills the biblical prophecy found in Deuteronomy 28:68:
“And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.”
(Deuteronomy 28:68, KJV)
In this context:
• “Egypt again with ships” is interpreted by many as symbolic, meaning a return to bondage—not to literal Egypt, but to a place of slavery. The mention of “ships” is viewed as a prophetic reference to the Middle Passage.
• “Sold unto your enemies” is often connected to how enslaved Africans were sold to European colonizers and settlers.
• “No man shall buy you” is understood by some scholars and teachers to mean that no one would redeem or rescue them—not that they wouldn’t be sold, but that no deliverer would come during that time.
This interpretation ties into the broader understanding of Deuteronomy 28 as a list of blessings and curses given to the Israelites. The curses—starting in verse 15 and extending through verse 68—are said to fall upon them if they disobey the Most High’s commandments. Many who follow this line of thought believe that these prophecies help identify the descendants of the Israelites today, particularly among the African diaspora.