Deuteronomy 2:16 kjv
So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,
Deuteronomy 2:16 nkjv
"So it was, when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people,
Deuteronomy 2:16 niv
Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died,
Deuteronomy 2:16 esv
"So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people,
Deuteronomy 2:16 nlt
"When all the men of fighting age had died,
Deuteronomy 2 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 14:28-30 | 'As I live,' says the Lord... 'your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all of you who were numbered... not one of you shall come into the land...' | Divine decree of judgment for unbelief |
| Num 26:64-65 | But among these there was not one of the men whom Moses and Aaron the priest had numbered... For the Lord had said... 'They shall surely die...' | Confirmation that only Caleb and Joshua remained |
| Deut 1:34-36 | "Then the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry... 'Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land... except Caleb... and Joshua...'" | God's oath against the disbelieving generation |
| Deut 2:14 | "And the time which we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation... was consumed..." | Chronological fulfillment of judgment |
| Deut 2:15 | "For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the army, until they were consumed." | God's direct agency in their demise |
| Psa 90:7-8 | For we have been consumed by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified. You have set our iniquities before You... | Human lifespan diminished by God's judgment |
| Psa 90:10 | The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years... their boast is only labor and sorrow... | Reflection on brevity of life under judgment |
| Psa 95:10-11 | For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray...’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ | God's grievance and oath against His rest |
| Isa 6:11-12 | Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered: "Until the cities are laid waste... and the land is utterly desolate..." | Parallels to a generation perishing due to sin |
| Lam 2:10 | The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads... for the destruction of the daughter of my people. | Grief over perishing people (context of sin) |
| Ezek 20:23 | Also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries... | Judgment for rebellion extending to future |
| 1 Cor 10:5-6 | But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples... | A New Testament warning from their example |
| Heb 3:17 | Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? | Clarification of whom God was angry with |
| Heb 3:18 | And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? | Disobedience as the reason for exclusion |
| Heb 3:19 | So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. | Unbelief as the fundamental reason |
| Heb 4:1-2 | Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it... For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them... | Warning against modern-day unbelief |
| Heb 4:6-7 | Since therefore it remains for some to enter in, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience... "Today, if you will hear His voice..." | Emphasis on "today" and need for immediate faith |
| Judg 2:10 | When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord... | Later instance of generational spiritual decline |
| Matt 3:7 | But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming... "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" | Call for repentance to avoid divine wrath |
| Luke 13:3 | "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." | Call for repentance to avoid perishing |
| Rom 11:22 | Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness... | Balance of God's character in judgment & grace |
| Gal 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption... | Spiritual principle of sowing and reaping |
Deuteronomy 2 verses
Deuteronomy 2 16 Meaning
Deuteronomy 2:16 signifies a profound turning point in the Israelites' forty-year wilderness journey. It solemnly declares that all the men capable of fighting from the generation that left Egypt had finally perished and died. This was the generation divinely sentenced to die in the wilderness due to their rebellion and lack of faith at Kadesh Barnea, specifically for their refusal to enter the Promised Land (Num 13-14). Their demise fulfilled God's judgment and cleared the path for the new, faithful generation to finally move forward and inherit the land God had promised.
Deuteronomy 2 16 Context
Deuteronomy 2:16 is a pivotal verse situated within Moses' recount of Israel's journey through the wilderness to the new generation on the plains of Moab. Chapter 2 details God's command for Israel to turn northward and how He protected them from conflict with the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, instructing Israel not to attack these nations because they too were given their own inheritance. The specific historical context for verse 16 is found in the immediately preceding verses (Deut 2:14-15), which explain that the 38-year period of wandering culminated in the "consumption" of the rebellious generation of fighting men, exactly as God had promised in judgment for their unbelief at Kadesh Barnea (Num 14). This verse thus marks the conclusion of that long period of divine chastisement and purification, making way for the new generation, born and raised under God's miraculous care in the desert, to finally prepare to enter the Promised Land. This solemn conclusion serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of disobedience and a testament to God's faithfulness in fulfilling both His promises and His judgments.
Deuteronomy 2 16 Word analysis
- "So it was" (וַיְהִי - vayhi): This common Hebrew conjunctive narrative marker introduces a significant event, signaling a pivotal moment or transition. It literally means "and it came to pass" or "then it happened," emphasizing the realization or completion of something previously foretold or intended.
- "when all the men of war" (כְּתוֹם כָּל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה - k'tōm kol-ʾanšê hammilḥāmâ):
- "when... had perished" (כְּתוֹם - k'tōm): Derived from the root tāmām (תָמַם), meaning "to be complete, finished, entirely consumed, brought to an end." This word highlights the absolute and total cessation; it was not just a few, but "all," reaching a definitive endpoint.
- "all the men of war" (כָּל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה - kol-ʾanšê hammilḥāmâ): This specific phrase refers to the male Israelites aged 20 and above who were capable of military service, as recorded in the census (Num 1:3). They were the very generation designated for conquest, yet their lack of faith turned their fate into a testament to divine justice, leading to their death in the wilderness rather than battle. This term carries a weight of irony, as their designated purpose (war) became negated by their unbelief.
- "had perished and were dead" (אֹבְדִים וַיָּמֻתוּ - ʾōvəḏîm wayyāmutu):
- "had perished" (אֹבְדִים - ʾōvəḏîm): A participle from ʾāvaḏ (אָבַד), meaning "to perish, be lost, be destroyed, go astray." It suggests a state or process of being eliminated, emphasizing a gradual and continuous decline or disappearance. This verb often carries connotations of being cut off or utterly ruined.
- "and were dead" (וַיָּמֻתוּ - wayyāmutu): A perfect verb from mût (מּוּת), meaning "to die." This explicitly states the final, irreversible outcome. The dual phrasing of "perished and were dead" uses both a participle (implying the process) and a perfect verb (stating the accomplished fact) to underscore the thoroughness and undeniable reality of their complete extinction from the active population. This redundant-sounding phrase emphasizes the solemnity and totality of the event.
- "from among the people" (מִקֶּרֶב הָעָם - miqqerev hāʿām): Literally, "from the midst of the people." This highlights that their death was an internal purging within the community, witnessed by the younger generation and the women and children. It means they were physically removed from the traveling congregation, leaving behind a people prepared for a fresh start with God.
Deuteronomy 2 16 Bonus section
The completion of this judgment underscores a principle of divine succession: the work of God continues through those who are willing to trust and obey Him, even if it necessitates a complete change of leadership and a new generation. This divine purging also removed elements of resistance and distrust, paving the way for a more unified and obedient generation ready to follow God into new territory. The meticulous timing, specified as 38 years, further highlights God's sovereign control over historical processes and His precise fulfillment of prophetic pronouncements, particularly those linked to human accountability and covenant integrity.
Deuteronomy 2 16 Commentary
Deuteronomy 2:16 succinctly yet powerfully encapsulates the conclusion of a profound divine judgment that spanned 38 years. The passing of "all the men of war" — that generation hardened in unbelief at Kadesh Barnea — signified God's absolute faithfulness to His declared word, both in punishment and in ultimate promise. It illustrates the solemn truth that God's patience has an end, and disobedience to His explicit commands carries severe consequences. Their collective demise, witnessed over decades, purged Israel of the faithless and prepared the nation, through a new generation, to move forward under Moses' leadership into the Promised Land. This event stands as a sober reminder that only faith-filled obedience leads to the reception of God's full covenant blessings, providing a foundational lesson for all future generations of God's people.