Deuteronomy 1:39 kjv
Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
Deuteronomy 1:39 nkjv
'Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.
Deuteronomy 1:39 niv
And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad?they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.
Deuteronomy 1:39 esv
And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.
Deuteronomy 1:39 nlt
I will give the land to your little ones ? your innocent children. You were afraid they would be captured, but they will be the ones who occupy it.
Deuteronomy 1 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 14:3 | Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder... | Direct fear of the rebellious generation. |
| Num 14:31 | But your little ones, whom you said would be victims... I will bring them in, and they shall know the land... | Direct parallel and fulfillment of this verse. |
| Num 26:63-65 | Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun... | Confirmation of the exclusion of the adult generation. |
| Dt 1:35-38 | Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land... except Caleb... and Joshua... | Immediate preceding context of God's judgment and exceptions. |
| Josh 1:1-6 | Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, cross over this Jordan... to the land which I am giving them... | God initiating the new generation's entry. |
| Josh 3:15-17 | For the Jordan overflows all its banks... And all Israel crossed over on dry ground... | The miraculous entry of the new generation into the land. |
| Josh 24:13 | I gave you a land for which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built... | God's sovereign gift of the land fulfilled. |
| Ps 78:6-7 | That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise... | Importance of transmitting God's truth to future generations. |
| Ps 105:44 | He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the peoples... | Fulfillment of the promise of possession. |
| Isa 7:16 | For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken... | Concept of moral immaturity/innocence similar to Dt 1:39. |
| Eze 18:2-4 | What do you mean... "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge"? ... the soul who sins shall die. | God's principle of individual accountability, resonating with the children's innocence in Dt 1:39. |
| Eze 18:19-20 | "Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?" ... The righteousness of the righteous man shall be upon himself... | Reinforcement of individual accountability versus inherited guilt. |
| Lam 5:7 | Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities. | Contrast with Dt 1:39; children in Dt 1:39 receive blessing, not penalty, for past sin due to God's grace. |
| Mt 18:3 | Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. | Innocence and humility associated with children for entering God's kingdom. |
| 1 Cor 10:1-11 | Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did... | The wilderness generation serves as a warning against unbelief for believers today. |
| Heb 3:17-19 | And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned... who did not enter because of unbelief? | Directly references the unbelief that prevented entry into the land. |
| Heb 4:1-11 | So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God... Let us therefore strive to enter that rest... | Spiritual application of "entering the rest/land" to Christian life through faith. |
| Rom 4:13-16 | For the promise that he would be the heir of the world did not come to Abraham or to his offspring through the law but through the righteousness of faith. | Inheritance through promise and faith, not merit. |
| Gal 3:18-29 | Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made... you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. | Believers as heirs to God's promises through faith. |
| 2 Tim 2:13 | if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself. | God's inherent faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness, echoing His character in Dt 1:39. |
| Gen 15:18-21 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land..." | The foundational promise of the land to Abraham, now fulfilled through a new generation. |
| Isa 40:27-28 | Why do you say, O Jacob... "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my just claim is passed over by my God"? Have you not known...? | God's eternal faithfulness to His covenant and His people. |
Deuteronomy 1 verses
Deuteronomy 1 39 Meaning
Deuteronomy 1:39 declares God's steadfast faithfulness despite Israel's rebellion. It specifically pronounces that the generation of children, who were innocent of the prior generation's sin and feared to become plunder, would indeed enter and possess the Promised Land. This contrasts sharply with their unbelieving parents, whom God decreed would die in the wilderness. The verse highlights divine grace and sovereignty in preserving the covenant lineage and fulfilling the promise through the succeeding generation.
Deuteronomy 1 39 Context
Deuteronomy opens with Moses delivering a final discourse to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, poised to enter the Promised Land. This address serves as a recap of their forty-year wilderness journey and a reiteration of the Mosaic Law, emphasizing God's covenant relationship with His people. Verse 39 follows Moses recounting the pivotal incident at Kadesh Barnea, where the Israelites rebelled against God after hearing the negative report from the spies. Due to their unbelief and defiance, God condemned the entire adult generation, aged twenty and above, to perish in the wilderness, denying them entry into the land He had sworn to give them. In contrast, this verse singles out their children as the chosen inheritors, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises despite human failure and rebellion.
Deuteronomy 1 39 Word analysis
- Moreover: This connective indicates an additional point or clarification to the previous statement, specifically distinguishing the fate of the children from their condemned parents.
- your little ones (Hebrew: יַלְדֵיכֶם, yaldeikhem): Refers to the young children, suggesting vulnerability and perhaps those under the age of accountability, who would have been included in the initial census but were too young for military service (Numbers 1:3) or responsible for the rebellion. It underscores their innocence in the collective sin.
- who you said would become a prey (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם יִהְיֶה לָבַז, asher amartem yihyeh lavaz): Directly rebuts the Israelites' faithless complaint in Numbers 14:3, where they feared their wives and children would be "plunder" (בז, baz). God's statement here shows He directly addresses and refutes their doubt with His gracious provision. It's a powerful polemic against their unbelief.
- and your children: A repetition emphasizing the continuation of the family line, solidifying that the next generation, regardless of their precise age group covered by "little ones," would inherit.
- who today have no knowledge of good or evil (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדְעוּ הַיּוֹם טוֹב וָרָע, asher lo-yade'u hayyom tov va-ra): This phrase highlights their innocence and moral immaturity. Unlike the adult generation, who knew God's law and yet rebelled, these children lacked the developed capacity for full moral discernment and responsibility concerning the grave sin committed by their parents. Their "innocence" implies they were not culpable for the desert rebellion, setting them apart for divine favor. It also underscores God's mercy towards those who are not yet fully accountable.
- they shall go in there: A divine decree affirming their destiny to enter the Promised Land, contrasting with the exclusion of their parents.
- and I will give it to them: Emphasizes God's sovereign initiative and ownership. The land is not earned by them but is a gracious gift from the LORD, reinforcing the covenant nature.
- and they shall possess it: Confirms the ultimate outcome—their secure inheritance and ownership of the land.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Moreover your little ones... who today have no knowledge of good or evil": This phrase contrasts God's protective and gracious heart towards the vulnerable and innocent against the fearful and unbelieving pronouncements of the previous generation. It underscores divine mercy to the unaccountable.
- "who you said would become a prey... they shall go in there": This segment is a direct refutation of human doubt and a declaration of divine power and faithfulness. What humanity feared, God turns into a promise and reality.
- "and I will give it to them, and they shall possess it": These concluding clauses solidify the divine act of fulfilling the covenant promise. The land is a gift, not earned, and its possession is divinely guaranteed, regardless of the parents' failures. This reiterates God's fidelity to His word and Abrahamic covenant.
Deuteronomy 1 39 Bonus section
- This verse provides a crucial theological lesson on the nature of divine judgment and mercy. It clearly differentiates accountability based on moral responsibility, highlighting God's justice towards the sinning parents while extending grace to the innocent children who were nonetheless part of the corporate identity of Israel.
- The transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, immediately after the wilderness generation perished, perfectly illustrates the themes of generational succession and the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people, which this verse embodies. The entry into the land becomes a powerful symbol of new beginnings and God's persistent pursuit of His redemptive plan.
- The children's "lack of knowledge of good or evil" doesn't suggest they were without sin, but rather they were morally innocent in the context of the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea that led to the parents' punishment. God distinguished their corporate identity from individual culpability for that specific corporate sin.
Deuteronomy 1 39 Commentary
Deuteronomy 1:39 profoundly reveals God's character: His righteous judgment tempered with unwavering faithfulness and merciful grace. While the rebellious generation justly suffered the consequences of their unbelief and died in the wilderness, God, in His faithfulness, honored His covenant with Abraham by ensuring the land would still be inherited. He did this through the succeeding generation—the children, deemed innocent and not morally responsible for their parents' profound transgression. This verse stands as a powerful testament that God's plans are not ultimately thwarted by human sin; rather, He orchestrates His purposes, sometimes raising up new instruments (like the next generation) to fulfill His eternal promises. It teaches that despite human unfaithfulness, God remains faithful, demonstrating that His gifts and callings are irrevocable.