Deuteronomy 30 18

Deuteronomy 30:18 kjv

I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:18 nkjv

I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

Deuteronomy 30:18 niv

I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Deuteronomy 30:18 esv

I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

Deuteronomy 30:18 nlt

then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

Deuteronomy 30 verses

Deuteronomy 30 18 Meaning

This verse serves as a solemn, authoritative declaration from God, given through Moses, warning the people of Israel about the dire consequences of disobedience. It states unequivocally that if they turn away from the Lord and serve other gods, they will face certain destruction ("surely perish") and their time in the promised land will be cut short ("not live long"). This is a stark contrast to the promised blessings of life and prolonged days for obedience, emphasizing the conditional nature of their inheritance and tenure in the land of Canaan.

Deuteronomy 30 18 Context

Deuteronomy 30:18 is found within Moses' final, extensive discourse to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. This particular chapter is a pivotal conclusion to Moses' detailed restatement and explanation of the covenant Law. Following the solemn blessings and curses outlined in Deut 28 (which detail the prosperity for obedience and devastating judgments for disobedience) and the renewed covenant warnings in Deut 29, chapter 30 initially presents a message of hope and restoration. Verses 1-10 speak of God's grace to gather Israel even from exile, should they genuinely return to Him. However, starting from verse 11, Moses re-emphasizes the clear choice presented to the people: life and death, blessing and curse.

Verse 18 explicitly warns about the "death" and "curse" option. It stands as a sharp antithesis to the command to "choose life" in verse 19 and the promise of living long in the land if they love and obey God in verse 16. Historically, Israel was about to inherit a land often associated with various pagan deities by its current inhabitants (Canaanites), who believed their prosperity was tied to fertility cults and idols. This declaration directly counters such beliefs by asserting that true life and lasting possession of the land come solely from steadfast allegiance and obedience to Yahweh, not from false gods or unholy practices. It underlines the conditional nature of the covenant regarding their dwelling in the land, a critical theological principle that would play out through Israel's history of exile and restoration.

Deuteronomy 30 18 Word analysis

• I declare (נָגַד - nāḡaḏ): This Hebrew word means "to make known," "to tell," or "to announce." Here, it signifies a formal, authoritative, and unambiguous pronouncement. It is not merely a suggestion or a warning, but a divinely authoritative statement of fact concerning future consequences. The declaration carries the weight of God Himself.
• to you (לָכֶם - lākhem): Directly addressed to the assembled nation, emphasizing their personal and corporate responsibility for the covenant choice. It underscores that the warning is immediate and specific to them.
• today (הַיּוֹם - hayyōm): This word signifies urgency, immediacy, and present decision. It permeates Deuteronomy, urging the listener to make a choice in the present moment, rather than postponing. The implications of their choice begin now.
• that you shall surely perish (אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן - ʾāḇōḏ tōʾḇēḏūn): The Hebrew uses an infinitive absolute (ʾāḇōḏ) before the finite verb (tōʾḇēḏūn), which intensifies the certainty of the action, literally "perishing, you shall perish." This emphasizes absolute certainty and severe destruction.
  • perish (אָבַד - ʾāḇaḏ): This root means "to be lost," "to be destroyed," "to vanish," or "to be ruined." In this context, it implies more than mere physical death; it suggests the complete dissolution of their covenant relationship with God, loss of national identity, and expulsion from the land—a severing from all the covenant blessings and the divine promises regarding their destiny in the land. It also carries the idea of their name being forgotten or their line dying out, a profound reversal of the blessings of fruitfulness and multiplication.
• You shall not live long (לֹא־תַאֲרִיכֻן יָמִים - lōʾ-ṯaʾărīḵūn yāmîm): This phrase directly contradicts the promised blessings of a prolonged and prosperous life in the land for obedience.
  • live long (אָרַךְ יָמִים - ʾāraḵ yāmîm): An idiom meaning to prolong one's days, to have a full and abundant life, to be secure, stable, and established in prosperity and peace within the land. The negative indicates the opposite—a brief, unstable, and unblessed existence leading to expulsion.
• in the land (עַל־הָאָרֶץ - ʿal-hāʾāreṣ): Specifically referring to the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, which God swore to give their ancestors. This emphasizes that the judgment will manifest precisely where the blessings were meant to be enjoyed.
• that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess (אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹבֵר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּן לָבֹא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ - ʾăšer ʾattâ ʿōḇēr ʾeṯ-hayyardēn lāḇōʾ šāmmâ lərišṯāh): This ties the consequence directly to their imminent act of entering and taking possession of the land. It is a direct link between their conduct and their immediate future, reinforcing the urgency. The "possession" (lərish tāh) of the land is conditional, not an absolute guarantee.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "I declare to you today": This is a powerful opening that signals a formal, weighty pronouncement from the highest authority. The inclusion of "today" injects immediacy, emphasizing that this decision is critical in their current context as they stand on the precipice of entering the Promised Land.
• "you shall surely perish. You shall not live long": These two clauses reinforce each other, expressing an inescapable and complete reversal of divine blessing. "Perish" signifies utter ruin, while "not live long" details the tangible manifestation of that ruin as the absence of a flourishing, established existence within the land. This double emphasis highlights the certainty and severity of the judgment for profound apostasy.
• "in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess": This phrase ties the warning inextricably to their very hope and destiny—the Promised Land. It underlines the central theme that the enjoyment of the covenant blessing (the land) is entirely contingent upon their continued faithfulness to the Covenant-Keeper. Their possession is not automatic but subject to their adherence to the terms God has set.

Deuteronomy 30 18 Bonus section

• The warning of "perishing" (אָבַד - ʾāḇaḏ) should not be conflated with total annihilation of the people, but rather the destruction of their covenant privileges, national identity, and security within the land. It points to a profound existential crisis for Israel.
• Moses, as God's mediator, makes this solemn "declaration," demonstrating the full weight of God's revealed will. His role here emphasizes the direct connection between divine command and human responsibility.
• This verse anticipates the cycle of apostasy, exile, and partial restoration seen throughout Israel's historical narratives, particularly in the books of Judges, Kings, and the Prophets. The Assyrian and Babylonian exiles stand as prime historical fulfillments of this very warning.
• The emphasis on "today" means the decision and its consequences are perpetually relevant to each generation of Israelites (and, by extension, God's people), urging a present-day commitment to fidelity.

Deuteronomy 30 18 Commentary

Deuteronomy 30:18 is a pivot point in Moses' valedictory address, marking the stark alternative to the life and blessing offered in preceding verses. It conveys God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, including its disciplinary consequences for rebellion. This verse functions as a solemn, authoritative warning that disobedience will inevitably lead to destruction and a curtailed, unblessed tenure in the land. The language "surely perish" employs a Hebrew intensification to underscore the absolute certainty of the outcome. It means not merely to die physically, but to experience ruin, loss of identity, and ultimately, expulsion from the very land given by covenant, thus reversing all promised blessings of inheritance and security.

This truth highlights the conditional nature of Israel's physical presence and prosperity in the land of Canaan, directly challenging the notion common among surrounding nations that a people's prosperity was automatically tied to their land or deity. Here, prosperity is wholly dependent on their relationship with the one true God, Yahweh. The urgency of "today" emphasizes the immediacy of the choice before them, and by extension, before every generation. For believers today, this verse stands as a principle that turning from God to idolatry (whether of material things, self, or false ideologies) results in spiritual emptiness and separation from true life and flourishing, a sobering reminder of the serious implications of our allegiance.