Deuteronomy 1:19
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The verse emphasizes that their journey through the "great and terrible wilderness" was not a random event, but a direct result of God's command. This highlights that even the most daunting and difficult paths are undertaken by God's direction and purpose.
“Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is recounting the Israelites' journey from Mount Sinai (Horeb) towards the Promised Land. This verse highlights the difficult and dangerous wilderness they traversed, emphasizing it was a route God commanded them to take on their way to the region of the Amorites. It sets the stage for the critical events that unfolded at Kadesh-barnea, the very border of Canaan.
Imagine walking through a vast, empty desert, not knowing what dangers lurk around the next dune. This wasn't just a physical journey; it was a spiritual one.
Deuteronomy 1:19 describes the Israelites' departure from Mount Horeb (Sinai) through a "great and terrible wilderness." This wasn't just any desert; it was a place that tested their faith and obedience.
A Dangerous Path
The commentary highlights the wilderness as "great" in distance and "terrible" due to its desolation, wild beasts, and harsh conditions. It was a place that could easily inspire fear and despair.
God's Command, Not Chance
Crucially, Moses emphasizes that their journey through this intimidating landscape was "as the LORD our God commanded us." This detail shifts the focus from their hardship to God's directive. Their movement through the wilderness was an act of obedience, a step of faith into the unknown, guided by God's explicit instruction.
They had traveled for days through a desolate land, but they finally reached a significant destination. What made this place so important?
The verse concludes with their arrival at Kadesh-barnea. This wasn't just another stop; it was a pivotal location, marking the edge of the Promised Land. From here, they were meant to enter Canaan and fulfill God's promise to Abraham.
The Threshold of Promise
Commentaries note that Kadesh-barnea was the gateway to the "mountain of the Amorites," which represented the land God was giving them. It was the place where they were to take possession.
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A Missed Opportunity
While this verse simply states their arrival, the broader context in Deuteronomy (and Numbers) reveals that Kadesh-barnea became synonymous with Israel's unbelief. Their fear and refusal to advance from this very spot led to a further forty years of wandering. The arrival itself was a moment of immense potential, yet it also set the stage for a profound test of faith that they ultimately failed.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the one true God, the covenant-making, self-existent I AM who revealed Himself to Israel. It signifies His absolute faithfulness and His active relationship with His people.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
A desolate, uncultivated region or desert. In the biblical narrative, the wilderness is often a place of testing, refinement, and dependence upon God for provision and protection.
har · Hebrew Noun
A term used for the land of Canaan or parts of the Transjordan. It symbolizes the inheritance or the goal toward which God leads His people, requiring faith to take possession of what He has promised.
Emori · Hebrew Proper Noun
One of the primary nations occupying the land of Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest. They represent the obstacles, both spiritual and physical, that must be overcome by God’s power to enter into the inheritance He has provided.
This verse marks the *beginning* of a pivotal journey, the 40-year trek from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea. It's a reminder that even direct commands from God involve difficult, terrifying passages, and that our response at key moments, like arriving at Kadesh-Barnea, has eternal consequences.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israel Departs from Mount Sinai
After receiving the Law and constructing the Tabernacle, the Israelites broke camp at Mount Horeb (Sinai) and began their journey toward the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
Journey through Wilderness of Paran
The Israelites traveled through the vast and harsh wilderness of Paran, a difficult and terrifying region, following God's commands. This journey led them toward the land of the Amorites.
c. 1445 BC
Arrival at Kadesh-Barnea
After approximately eleven days of travel from Horeb, the Israelites reached Kadesh-Barnea, a significant oasis on the border of Canaan. This marked a crucial point in their journey.
c. 1445 BC
Sending of the Spies
From Kadesh-Barnea, the Israelites sent twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan, as they had requested. These spies reported on the land's fertility and its inhabitants.
c. 1445 BC
Rejection of the Promised Land
The majority report of the spies, filled with fear and doubt about conquering Canaan, caused the people to rebel against God's command to enter the land. This led to their condemnation to wander for forty years.
c. 1406 BC
Entry into the Promised Land
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the generation that had rebelled at Kadesh-Barnea had died off. The new generation, led by Joshua, prepared to enter the Promised Land.
This passage describes the actual departure from Mount Sinai (Horeb) and the beginning of their journey toward the Promised Land, mirroring the start of the route mentioned in Deuteronomy 1:19.
Numbers 13:1-3This passage shows the Israelites arriving at Kadesh-barnea and then sending spies into the land, directly following the journey described in Deuteronomy 1:19 and setting the stage for the subsequent failure.
Deuteronomy 8:15This verse directly references the 'great and terrible wilderness' with 'fiery serpents and scorpions,' providing more detail on the dangerous conditions the Israelites experienced during their journey from Horeb.
Psalm 78:22This Psalm recounts the people's lack of faith and God's anger because of their journey from Horeb, highlighting the spiritual implications of the very journey described in Deuteronomy 1:19.
Hebrews 3:16-19This New Testament passage explicitly links the Israelites' rebellion and wanderings in the wilderness after leaving Egypt and Horeb to their failure to enter the Promised Land due to unbelief.
bensonDeuteronomy 1:19: "And 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."
Deuteronomy 1:19 . Great and terrible wilderness — Great, because it extended a great way; and terrible, because mostly desolate, or only inhabited by wild beasts. By the way of the mountain of the Amorites — All the way you went toward that mountain.
gillDeuteronomy 1:19: "And 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."
And when we departed from Horeb,.... As the Lord commanded them to do, when they were obedient: we went through all the great and terrible wilderness; the wilderness of Paran, called "great", it reaching from Mount Sinai to Kadeshbarnea, eleven days' journey, as Adricho…
The verse emphasizes that their journey through the "great and terrible wilderness" was not a random event, but a direct result of God's command. This highlights that even the most daunting and difficult paths are undertaken by God's direction and purpose.
Moses is recounting the Israelites' journey from Mount Sinai (Horeb) towards the Promised Land. This verse highlights the difficult and dangerous wilderness they traversed, emphasizing it was a route God commanded them to take on their way to the region of the Amorites. It sets the stage for the critical events that unfolded at Kadesh-barnea, the very border of Canaan.
Moses is recounting the Israelites' journey from Mount Sinai (Horeb) towards the Promised Land. This verse highlights the difficult and dangerous wilderness they traversed, emphasizing it was a route God commanded them to take on their way to the region of the Amorites. It sets the stage for the critical events that unfolded at Kadesh-barnea, the very border of Canaan.
"“Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea." — The verse emphasizes that their journey through the "great and terrible wilderness" was not a random event, but a direct result of God's command. This highlights that even the most daunting and diffi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
