Deuteronomy 1:39
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What's easy to miss here is that God is directly addressing the fears of the previous generation, who saw their children as vulnerable and destined to be lost. He declares that these very children, innocent of their parents' rebellion, will be the ones to enter and inherit the promised land, highlighting a profound divine justice and faithfulness that extends beyond individual failure. This shows God's commitment to His covenant promises, even when His people falter.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In the wake of the people’s rebellion and God’s judgment of forty years in the wilderness, Moses is reminding them of their past failures and God’s faithfulness. He’s explaining that while that generation forfeited their inheritance due to unbelief, their innocent children, who were too young to understand good or evil, would be the ones to finally enter and possess the promised land.
Their parents chose fear and rebellion, forfeiting their own chance. But God's plan wasn't derailed. What does this say about generational faith?
Moses is recounting the Israelites' rebellion at Kadesh-barnea, a moment of profound unbelief that led to their parents' generation being sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
Yet, even in judgment, God's faithfulness shines through. He declares that their children, who were too young to participate in the rebellion and lacked moral understanding, would indeed enter the promised land.
This highlights a crucial biblical principle: God's covenant promises can extend beyond the faith (or lack thereof) of one generation. While individual choices have consequences, God's faithfulness to His people is steadfast, ensuring His purposes are fulfilled through those who remain open to His grace.
The text speaks of children who 'know not good or evil.' What does this lack of knowledge mean for their inheritance?
The phrase 'no knowledge between good and evil' refers to a state of innocence, characteristic of very young children who haven't yet developed the capacity for moral reasoning or personal responsibility.
This wasn't a commentary on their potential for future sin, but on their current state at the time of the rebellion. Because they weren't complicit in their parents' unbelief, they were not condemned by it.
God's judgment fell on those who knew better and rebelled. His grace, however, extended to the innocent, offering them the very inheritance their parents forfeited. This shows God's justice and mercy working in tandem.
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Understand the original words
tov va-ra · Hebrew Noun Phrase
The state of moral innocence or immaturity; the inability to discern between right and wrong, often associated with childhood or lack of moral development.
This verse highlights God's faithfulness to His promises, even when a generation fails Him. The children, who were considered 'prey' by their fearful parents, become the recipients of the land because they had no personal complicity in the rebellion.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites are delivered from slavery in Egypt through God's mighty acts. This marks the beginning of their journey toward the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea
After receiving the spies' report, the Israelites rebel against God and Moses, refusing to enter the Promised Land. They decree that their children will become prey and their wives taken captive.
c. 1446 BC
Divine Judgment Announced
As a consequence of their unbelief, God declares that the entire generation which came out of Egypt will not enter the Promised Land. Their carcasses will fall in the wilderness.
c. 1446 BC - 1406 BC
Forty Years in the Wilderness
The Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years. During this time, the rebellious generation dies off, and their children, who had no part in the rebellion, grow up.
c. 1406 BC
Moses' Farewell Address
As the new generation prepares to enter the Promised Land, Moses recounts their history and reiterates God's promises and commands. He addresses the children who were spared due to their innocence.
This passage directly echoes Deuteronomy 1:39, highlighting that the children, who were not involved in the parents' rebellion, would enter the promised land and inherit it.
Genesis 24:50The phrase 'know good or evil' in Deuteronomy 1:39 is a way to describe innocence and lack of moral discernment, similar to how Laban and Bethuel speak of being unable to say 'bad or good' when presented with a matter outside their immediate understanding or responsibility.
Isaiah 7:15This verse describes the Messiah eating 'curds and honey' as He 'will know how to refuse the evil and choose the good,' showing how 'knowing good and evil' relates to moral maturity and discernment, which the children in Deuteronomy lacked.
Joshua 14:1This passage shows the fulfillment of God's promise, as the land was divided by inheritance among the descendants of those who entered Canaan, representing the generation that inherited the land promised in Deuteronomy 1:39.
Hebrews 4:2This New Testament passage warns against unbelief, stating that the message of entering God's rest did not benefit those who heard it because it was not mixed with faith, reflecting the consequence for the unbelieving generation in Deuteronomy and the inheritance granted to the next.
gillDeuteronomy 1:39: "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."
Moreover, your little ones, which ye said should be a prey,.... To the Amorites, into whose hands they expected to be delivered, Deuteronomy 1:27 see Numbers 14:3 . and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil; not being at years…
pulpitDeuteronomy 1:39: "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."
Verse 39. - Only among the young of that generation should the inheritance be divided, as they had no part in the rebellion of their seniors. Your little ones; i.e. children beginning to walk (טַפ, from טָפַפ, to trip, to take short and quick steps). And your…
What's easy to miss here is that God is directly addressing the fears of the previous generation, who saw their children as vulnerable and destined to be lost. He declares that these very children, innocent of their parents' rebellion, will be the ones to enter and inherit the promised land, highlighting a profound divine justice and faithfulness that extends beyond individual failure. This shows God's commitment to His covenant promises, even when His people falter.
In the wake of the people’s rebellion and God’s judgment of forty years in the wilderness, Moses is reminding them of their past failures and God’s faithfulness. He’s explaining that while that generation forfeited their inheritance due to unbelief, their innocent children, who were too young to understand good or evil, would be the ones to finally enter and possess the promised land.
In the wake of the people’s rebellion and God’s judgment of forty years in the wilderness, Moses is reminding them of their past failures and God’s faithfulness. He’s explaining that while that generation forfeited their inheritance due to unbelief, their innocent children, who were too young to understand good or evil, would be the ones to finally enter and possess the promised land.
"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." — What's easy to miss here is that God is directly addressing the fears of the previous generation, who saw their children as vulnerable and destined to be lost. He declares that these very children, i…
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Last reviewed October 2026
