1 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

2(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

3And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;

4After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:

5On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

6The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

7Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.

8Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

9And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:

10The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)

12How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

13Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

14And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken isgood for us to do.

15So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

16And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causesbetween your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.

17Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

18And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

19And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.

20And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.

21Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up andpossess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.

22And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.

23And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:

24And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.

25And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought itdown unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.

26Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:

27And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

28Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

29Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

30The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

31And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.

32Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,

33Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

34And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

35Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,

36Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

37Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

38But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

39Moreover 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.

40But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

41Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.

42And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.

43So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.

44And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, evenunto Hormah.

45And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

46So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.

1These bee the woordes which Moses spake vnto all Israel, on this side Iordane in the wildernes, in the plaine ouer against the Red sea, betweene Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

2(There are eleuen daies iourney from Horeb, by the way of mount Seir, vnto Kadesh Barnea.)

3And it came to passe in the fourtieth yeere, in the eleuenth moneth, on the first day of the moneth, that Moses spake vnto the children of Israel, according vnto all that the Lord had giuen him in commandement vnto them:

4After hee had slaine Sihon the King of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the King of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth, in Edrei.

5On this side Iordane, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

6The Lord our God spake vnto vs in Horeb, saying, Ye haue dwelt long ynough in this mount:

7Turne you, and take your iourney, and goe to the mount of the Amorites, and vnto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plaine, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the South, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and vnto Lebanon, vnto the great riuer, the riuer Euphrates.

8Behold, I haue set the land before you: Goe in, and possesse the land, which the Lord sware vnto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, to giue vnto them, and to their seed after them.

9 And I spake vnto you at that time, saying, I am not able to beare you my selfe alone:

10The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and beholde, you are this day as the starres of heauen for multitude.

11(The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many moe as ye are, and blesse you as he hath promised you.)

12How can I my selfe alone beare your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

13Take ye wise men, and vnderstanding, and knowen among your tribes, and I will make them rulers ouer you.

14And ye answered me, and saide, The thing which thou hast spoken, is good for vs to doe.

15So I tooke the chiefe of your tribes, wise men, and knowen, and made them heads ouer you, captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer hundreds, and captaines ouer fifties, and captaines ouer tennes, and officers among your tribes.

16And I charged your Iudges at that time, saying, Heare the causes betweene your brethren, and iudge righteously betweene euery man and his brother, & the stranger that is with him.

17Ye shall not respect persons in iudgement, but you shall heare the small aswell as the great: you shall not bee afraid of the face of man, for the iudgment is Gods: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it vnto me, and I will heare it.

18And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should doe.

19 And when wee departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wildernes, which you saw by the way of the mountaine of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded vs: and wee came to Kadesh Barnea.

20And I said vnto you, Ye are come vnto the mountaine of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doth giue vnto vs.

21Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: Goe vp, and possesse it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said vnto thee: Feare not, neither be discouraged.

22 And ye came neere vnto mee euery one of you, and said, We will send men before vs, and they shall search vs out the land, and bring vs word againe, by what way we must goe vp, and into what cities we shall come.

23And the saying pleased mee well: and I tooke twelue men of you, one of a tribe.

24And they turned and went vp into the mountaine, and came vnto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.

25And they tooke of the fruit of the land in their handes, and brought it downe vnto vs, and brought vs worde againe, and said, It is a good lande which the Lord our God doeth giue vs.

26Notwithstanding, ye would not goe vp, but rebelled against the commandement of the Lord your God.

27And ye murmured in your tents and said, Because the Lord hated vs, he hath brought vs forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliuer vs into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy vs:

28Whither shall wee goe vp? our brethren haue discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller then we, the cities are great, and walled vp to heauen, and moreouer we haue seene the sonnes of the Anakims there.

29Then I said vnto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

30The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that hee did for you in Egypt before your eyes:

31And in the wildernes, where thou hast seene how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth beare his sonne, in all the way that ye went, vntil ye came into this place.

32Yet in this thing ye did not beleeue the Lord your God,

33Who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should goe, and in a cloud by day.

34And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,

35Surely there shall not one of these men of this euill generation see that good land, which I sware to giue vnto your fathers:

36Saue Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh, he shall see it, and to him will I giue the land that he hath troden vpon, and to his children, because hee hath wholly followed the Lord.

37Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not goe in thither.

38But Ioshua the sonne of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall goe in thither. Encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherite it.

39Moreouer, your litle ones, which ye said should be a pray, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge betweene good and euil, they shall goe in thither; and vnto them will I giue it, and they shall possesse it.

40But as for you, turne ye, and take your iourney into the wildernesse, by the way of the Red sea.

41Then ye answered, and said vnto mee, Wee haue sinned against the Lord, we will goe vp and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded vs. And when ye had girded on euery man his weapons of warre, yee were ready to goe vp into the hill.

42And the Lord said vnto me, Say vnto them, Goe not vp, neither fight, for I am not among you: least ye be smitten before your enemies.

43So I spake vnto you, and you would not heare, but rebelled against the commandement of the Lord, and went presumptuously vp into the hill.

44And the Amorites which dwelt in that mountaine, came out against you, and chased you, as Bees doe, and destroyed you in Seir, euen vnto Hormah.

45And ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voyce, nor giue eare vnto you.

46So yee abode in Kadesh many dayes, according vnto the dayes that ye abode there.

I == Josh 9:1 , 10 ; 22:4 , 7

 

 

 

II == Num 13:26 ; Deut 9:23

 

III == Num 33:38

 

 

 

IV == Num 21:24 , 33 ; Josh 13:12

 

 

 

 

VI === Ex 3:1 ; 19:1 ; Num 10:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Ex 18:18 ; Num 11:14

X == Gen 15:5 ; Deut 10:22 ; 28:62 ; Heb 11:12

XI == Gen 15:5 ; 22:17 ; 26:4 ; Ex 32:13 ; Ex 32:13 ; 2nd Sam 24:3

 

XII == 1st Kings 3:8-9

XIII == Ex 18:21 ; Num 11:16-17

 

 

 

 

XV == Ex 18:25

 

 

 

 

XVI == Lev 24:22 ; Deut 16:18 ; John 7:24 , 51

 

 

XVII == Ex 18:22 , 26 ; Lev 19:15 ; Deut 16:19 ; 1st Sam 16:19 ; 1st Sam 16:7 ; 2nd Chr 19:6 ; Prov 24:23 ; James 2:1 , 9

 

 

XIX == Num 10:12 ; 13:26 ; Deut 8:15 ; Jer 2:6

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == Josh 1:9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == Num 13:3

 

 

 

 

XXV == Num 13:27

 

 

XXVI == Num 14:1-4 ; Ps 106:24-25

 

XXVII == Deut 9:28

 

 

 

XXVIII == Num 13:28 , 31-33 ; Deut 9:1-2

 

 

 

 

XXX == Ex 14:14 , 25 ; Neh 4:20

 

 

XXXI == Ex 19:4 ; Deut 32:11-12

 

 

XXXII == Ps 106:24 ; Jude 1:5

XXXIII == Ex 13:21 ; Num 10:33

 

XXXIV == Deut 2:14-15

 

XXXV == Num 14:22-23 ; Ps 95:11

 

XXXVI == Num 14:24 , 30 ; Josh 14:9

 

 

XXXVII == Num 3:26 ; 4:21

 

XXXVIII == Ex 24:13 ; 33:11 ; Num 14:30 ; 27:18-19 ; Deut 31:7 , 23 ; 1st Sam 16 :22

XXXIX == Num 14:3 , 31 ; Rom 9:11

 

 

XL == Num 14:25

 

XLI == Num 14:40

 

 

 

 

XLII == Num 14:42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XLVI == Num 13:25 ; 20:1 , 22 ; Judg 11:17

1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan ( in the desert, in the Arabah, opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab;

2 it is a journey of eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of the highlands of Seir).

3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the Israelites all the commands that the LORD had given him in their regard.

4 After he had defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei,

5 Moses began to explain the law in the land of Moab beyond the Jordan, as follows:

6 "The LORD, our God, said to us at Horeb, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain.

7 Leave here and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the surrounding regions, the land of the Canaanites in the Arabah, the mountains, the foothills, the Negeb and the seacoast; to Lebanon, and as far as the Great River (the Euphrates).

8 I have given that land over to you. Go now and occupy the land I swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I would give to them and to their descendants.'

9 "At that time I said to you, 'Alone, I am unable to carry you.

10 The LORD, your God, has so multiplied you that you are now as numerous as the stars in the sky.

11 May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over, and bless you as he promised!

12 But how can I alone bear the crushing burden that you are, along with your bickering?

13 Choose wise, intelligent and experienced men from each of your tribes, that I may appoint them as your leaders.'

14 You answered me, 'We agree to do as you have proposed.'

15 So I took outstanding men of your tribes, wise and experienced, and made them your leaders as officials over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties and over tens, and other tribal officers.

16 I charged your judges at that time, 'Listen to complaints among your kinsmen, and administer true justice to both parties even if one of them is an alien.

17 In rendering judgment, do not consider who a person is; give ear to the lowly and to the great alike, fearing no man, for judgment is God's. Refer to me any case that is too hard for you and I will hear it.'

18 Thereupon I gave you all the commands you were to fulfill.

19 "Then, in obedience to the command of the LORD, our God, we set out from Horeb and journeyed through the whole desert, vast and fearful as you have seen, in the direction of the hill country of the Amorites. We had reached Kadesh-barnea

20 when I said to you, 'You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD, our God, is giving us.

21 The LORD, your God, has given this land over to you. Go up and occupy it, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, commands you. Do not fear or lose heart.'

22 Then all of you came up to me and said, 'Let us send men ahead to reconnoiter the land for us and report to us on the road we must follow and the cities we must take.'

23 Agreeing with the proposal, I chose twelve men from your number, one from each tribe.

24 They set out into the hill country as far as the Wadi Eshcol, and explored it.

25 Then, taking along some of the fruit of the land, they brought it down to us and reported, 'The land which the LORD, our God, gives us is good.'

26 "But you refused to go up, and after defying the command of the LORD, your God,

27 you set to murmuring in your tents, 'Out of hatred for us the LORD has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites and destroy us.

28 What shall we meet with up there? Our kinsmen have made us fainthearted by reporting that the people are stronger and taller than we, and their cities are large and fortified to the sky; besides, they saw the Anakim there.'

29 "But I said to you, 'Have no dread or fear of them.

30 The LORD, your God, who goes before you, will himself fight for you, just as he took your part before your very eyes in Egypt,

31 as well as in the desert, where you saw how the LORD, your God, carried you, as a man carries his child, all along your journey until you arrived at this place.'

32 Despite this, you would not trust the LORD, your God,

33 who journeys before you to find you a resting place - by day in the cloud, and by night in the fire, to show the way you must go.

34 When the LORD heard your words, he was angry;

35 and he swore, 'Not one man of this evil generation shall look upon the good land I swore to give to your fathers,

36 except Caleb, son of Jephunneh; he shall see it. For to him and to his sons I will give the land he trod upon, because he has followed the LORD unreservedly.'

37 "The LORD was angered against me also on your account, and said, 'Not even you shall enter there,

38 but your aide Joshua, son of Nun, shall enter. Encourage him, for he is to give Israel its heritage.

39 Your little ones, who you said would become booty, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad - they shall enter; to them I will give it, and they shall occupy it.

40 But as for yourselves: turn about and proceed into the desert on the Red Sea road.'

41 "In reply you said to me, 'We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up ourselves and fight, just as the LORD, our God, commanded us.' And each of you girded on his weapons, making light of going up into the hill country.

42 But the LORD said to me, 'Warn them: Do not go up and fight, lest you be beaten down before your enemies, for I will not be in your midst.'

43 I gave you this warning but you would not listen. In defiance of the LORD'S command you arrogantly marched off into the hill country.

44 Then the Amorites living there came out against you and, like bees, chased you, cutting you down in Seir as far as Hormah.

45 On your return you wept before the LORD, but he did not listen to your cry or give ear to you.

46 That is why you had to stay as long as you did at Kadesh.

Deuteronomy means “second law”, and repeats or complements much of the other books Moses has written to the people at God’s inspiration. Through Moses God reminds of past deliverances and revelations, encourages to obey God and refrain from idolatry and unfaithfulness, and promises blessings or judgments depending on their conduct. There are over 80 quotes from it in the New Testament

v 1-6. It is the eleventh month of the fortieth year since leaving Egypt and Israel is  soon to enter the promised land. They have traveled about 38 years instead of 11 days due to their disobedience, and are on the east side of the Jordan in the plain or  wilderness which is the Arabah, or valley which runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. They had probably followed it much of the way or parallel to it on the King’s Highway till they crossed Brook Zered into Moab. At this time they have slain the kings of Og and Bashan and Moses addresses them.
v 6-8. Nearly 700 years have passed since God promised Abraham that He now is commanded them to possess. The vale is the Shephelah is the low rounded hill country with broad valleys, and the south is the Negev, the southern part of the land.

 

 

 

v 9-18. Moses speaks of the great increase in their number since Abraham’s day. As the stars is not an unreasonable statement in view of the fact that only about 3,200 stars are plainly visible to the naked eye.  He reminds them how it became necessary to organize them in somewhat like military order as Jethro suggested in Ex. 18.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 19-33. Moses next reviews the sending of the spies and the rejection of entering the land. God did not rebuke them for desiring to send spies, but He did rebuke them for taking the word of the majority instead of obeying Him, after all He had provided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 34-46. These verses review the fact that Caleb and Joshua are the only two who will enter the land because of their faithfulness. They had made the excuse that their little ones would be a prey, but they will be the ones who actually go into the land.  When Moses told them to turn away, they disobeyed and went up against the enemy without God’s help. As a result they were soundly defeated, and though they wept before the Lord, He would not hear, but left them standing in their misery.