Deuteronomy 1 26

Deuteronomy 1:26 kjv

Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:

Deuteronomy 1:26 nkjv

"Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God;

Deuteronomy 1:26 niv

But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 1:26 esv

"Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 1:26 nlt

"But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in.

Deuteronomy 1 verses

Deuteronomy 1 26 Meaning

Deuteronomy 1:26 states that despite God's clear command and assurance to enter the Promised Land, the generation of Israelites at Kadesh-barnea refused to obey. This verse highlights their profound unwillingness and deliberate rebellion against the specific instruction given by the Lord their God, leading to severe consequences. It summarizes a critical moment of disbelief and insubordination in Israel's history.

Deuteronomy 1 26 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 1 serves as the beginning of Moses' farewell addresses to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. He recounts their journey from Horeb (Mount Sinai), emphasizing God's command to possess the land (Deut 1:6-8), the appointment of judges, the sending of the spies from Kadesh-barnea (Deut 1:19-25), and most crucially, their subsequent failure and rebellion. Verse 26, therefore, recounts the pivotal moment when the older generation, after receiving an encouraging report from ten of the twelve spies mixed with fear, collectively chose fear and disobedience over God's clear instruction and promise of victory. This act sealed their fate to wander in the wilderness for forty years, demonstrating a foundational principle that immediate obedience and faith are paramount in their relationship with YHWH. Historically, this event directly followed the spies' reconnaissance of Canaan as detailed in Numbers 13 and 14, where their fear of the fortified cities and the Anakim led to a loss of faith in God's ability to fulfill His promises, despite His miraculous deliverance from Egypt and provision in the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 1 26 Word analysis

• But you (וְלֹא, we-lo): "And not" or "but not." The conjunctive "but" signifies a direct contrast to God's clear instruction given in previous verses (Deut 1:20-21). It immediately introduces a negative choice by the people.
• were unwilling (אֲבִיתֶם, 'aviytem): From the Hebrew verb אָבָה ('avah), meaning "to be willing," "to consent," "to wish." In the negative form used here, it conveys more than just inability; it means they refused or would not consent. This highlights a deliberate, heart-level rejection and a settled opposition, rather than merely a physical incapacity or temporary fear. It speaks to a deep-seated lack of desire to follow God's lead.
• to go up (לַעֲלוֹת, la'alot): From the verb עָלָה ('alah), "to ascend," "to go up." This refers both literally to the ascent into the higher elevated territory of Canaan from the desert floor and metaphorically to taking on a challenge or going into battle. It implies moving forward, making progress, and fulfilling God's plan for them. Their unwillingness was an outright refusal to take the necessary step of faith and obedience.
• but rebelled (וַתַּמְרוּ, wattāmərū): From the verb מָרָה (marah), meaning "to be rebellious," "to be contentious," "to defy." This is a strong word denoting active, deliberate opposition and insubordination against a superior authority. It intensifies "were unwilling," moving beyond internal reluctance to open defiance and provoking the one in command. This term frequently describes Israel's sinful opposition to God in the Old Testament, indicating a contentious spirit against His authority and expressed will.
• against the command (אֶת־פִּי, 'et-pī): Literally "against the mouth of" or "at the mouth of." This idiom unequivocally means "against the express command" or "word" of God. It stresses that God's instruction was explicit and undeniable, directly communicated, not merely implied. Their rebellion was not against a general principle but against a specific, vocalized divine directive.
• of the Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The personal, covenantal name of God. This specifies that the rebellion was not against Moses or against any human authority, but against the sovereign God who had redeemed them, made a covenant with them, and led them through every miracle. This highlights the severity of the offense—it was a betrayal of their unique, saving relationship.
• your God (אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, 'elōhêkhem): "Your God." The possessive suffix ("your") further emphasizes the personal covenantal relationship. He was their God, they were His chosen people, yet they refused to trust and obey Him, the very one who had pledged to be with them and give them victory. This possessive makes their rebellion deeply personal and relational.

Words-group analysis

• But you were unwilling to go up: This phrase captures the internal posture of the Israelites: an active, conscious refusal of will. It wasn't about ability, but about disposition. They possessed the means to "go up"—divine presence and power—but lacked the essential spiritual readiness, specifically faith, to take the designated step forward into the Promised Land. This unwillingness was a crucial turning point, sealing their fate.
• but rebelled against the command: This phrase reveals the transformation of internal unwillingness into overt action, an act of defiance. Their inaction was, in itself, an act of rebellion. The rebellion was not arbitrary but targeted directly at God's clear, articulated "mouth"—His explicit divine will. This shows their disregard for divine authority and the binding nature of the covenant relationship.
• of the Lord your God: This crucial conclusion to the phrase identifies the offended party and the grave nature of the offense. It was a rebellion not against just any ruler, but against YHWH, their covenant-keeping, redeemer God, who had consistently proven His faithfulness to them. Their disobedience was a profound betrayal of their sacred and intimate relationship, an act of ingratitude and unbelief directed at their divine benefactor and sovereign.

Deuteronomy 1 26 Bonus section

• The wilderness journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea should have only taken 11 days (Deut 1:2). The rebellion described in this verse was the cause of the remaining 38 years of wandering before they could finally enter Canaan.
• This verse stands as a key explanation for the divine decree of judgment in Numbers 14, highlighting the human sin that directly provoked God's wrath and resulted in the undoing of a generation.
• The underlying sin was a lack of faith (Heb 3:19). They believed the report of the Anakim more than they believed the promise of their omnipotent God.
• The memory of this event became a recurring theme in prophetic warnings to Israel, reminding them of the consequences of abandoning God's word and challenging His authority. It formed a theological template for understanding their later exiles and dispersions.
• From a New Testament perspective, this passage warns believers against spiritual stagnation and failure to appropriate God's promises due to similar attitudes of unbelief and disobedience, as seen in Hebrews 3-4, where "entering His rest" is parallel to entering the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 1 26 Commentary

Deuteronomy 1:26 succinctly articulates the core sin of the generation who died in the wilderness: deliberate unbelief expressed as unwillingness and open rebellion against God's explicit command. Despite forty years of witnessing God's powerful interventions—from the Exodus plagues and the parting of the Red Sea to daily manna and water from the rock—they refused to take the final step of faith into the Promised Land. This act was not an oversight but a conscious choice born out of fear of human adversaries and a fundamental distrust in YHWH's promises and power. Their refusal to "go up" and "rebellion against the command of the Lord their God" led to God's severe judgment: the entirety of that adult generation (except for Caleb and Joshua) would perish in the wilderness, unable to enter the land flowing with milk and honey. This verse serves as a powerful historical precedent and a timeless warning, emphasized throughout the Old and New Testaments, against the spiritual peril of disobedience stemming from an unbelieving heart, urging every believer to trust God fully and follow His commands with unwavering faith.