So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained there.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Deuteronomy 1:46
What does Deuteronomy 1:46 mean?
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Deuteronomy 1:46
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This verse repeats itself, saying they stayed at Kadesh "many days, the days that you remained there." This isn't just a clumsy phrase, but a deliberate, almost sighing, emphasis that their time there was prolonged and without forward movement, a stark contrast to the journey God intended. It captures the weariness and stagnation of lingering in a place of divine discipline, a state of being stuck due to disobedience.
So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained there.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After a rebellious attempt to conquer the Promised Land against God's command, resulting in a devastating defeat, the Israelites lingered at Kadesh for an extended, unspecified period. This verse emphasizes the long duration of their stay, serving as a stark reminder of their disobedience and God's delayed judgment before they eventually turned back into the wilderness.
Why does Moses repeat himself here? This verse isn't just a filler; it's a deliberate pause, a stark reminder of a time when 'many days' became a symbol of God's judgment.
In Deuteronomy 1:46, Moses recounts Israel's lengthy stay in Kadesh. This wasn't just an arbitrary stop; it was a consequence of their rebellion. After the disastrous attempt to conquer the hill country against God's command (Deuteronomy 1:41-43), they suffered a heavy defeat. Instead of immediately marching forward, they were forced to remain in Kadesh for an extended period. The phrasing 'many days, according unto the days that ye abode there' highlights this extended stay, likely a period of reflection and consequence after their sin. It's a sobering illustration of how disobedience can halt progress and extend trials.
What does it mean to linger in a place of judgment? This verse points to a prolonged period where God withheld His presence, teaching a profound lesson.
The phrase 'many days' in Deuteronomy 1:46 suggests a significant, drawn-out period. Commentaries wrestle with the exact length, with some suggesting years were spent at Kadesh. This wasn't a short time-out; it was a substantial chunk of their journey. Crucially, this extended stay occurred after they were explicitly told by God, 'Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you' (Deuteronomy 1:42). Their presumptuous attack and subsequent defeat led to this lingering. It signifies God's withdrawal of immediate favor and protection, a direct result of their refusal to trust and obey. This lingering wasn't about punishment for punishment's sake, but a necessary, albeit painful, process of re-learning dependence on God.
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Qadesh · Hebrew Proper Noun
A significant oasis and encampment in the wilderness of Paran, frequently associated with the Israelites' rebellion, the sending of the spies, and the point from which they turned back to wander for forty years. It represents a place of divine judgment, trial, and the wilderness experience.
yom · Hebrew Noun
In biblical usage, a specific duration of time, often denoting an epoch, an entire lifespan, or a divine appointment. It signifies the period allotted by God for specific tasks, judgments, or the history of his covenant people.
This verse highlights a period of stagnation and divine discipline. After a disastrous attempt to enter the Promised Land against God's will, the people were forced to wait at Kadesh for an extended, indefinite period, underscoring the serious consequences of disobedience and the loss of forward momentum in their spiritual journey.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Exits Egypt
Following God's powerful deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites begin their journey toward the Promised Land.
c. 1445 BC
Reconnaissance Mission to Canaan
The Israelites send spies into the land of Canaan from Kadesh-barnea. Their mission lasts forty days.
c. 1445 BC— this verse
Rebellion and Divine Judgment
Spies return with a negative report, inciting rebellion. The people attempt to march into Canaan against God's command and suffer a devastating defeat by the Amorites.
c. 1445 BC - c. 1407 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
As a consequence of their rebellion, the Israelites are condemned to wander in the wilderness for 38 years, until the generation that refused to enter the land perishes.
c. 1407 BC
Moses' Farewell Address
Near the end of their 40-year journey, Moses recounts their history to the new generation, preparing them to enter the Promised Land.
This passage details the immediate consequences of Israel's disobedience and rebellion after being told not to fight, showing their defeat and subsequent return to weep before the Lord, directly preceding their long stay at Kadesh.
Numbers 20:1-13This passage describes a later event at Kadesh where Miriam dies and the people again grumble about water, indicating that Israel's time at Kadesh was not a single, brief stay but involved multiple periods of dwelling there over many years.
Jeremiah 2:13This verse highlights Israel's 'two evils' of forsaking the Lord, the 'fountain of living waters,' and digging their own cisterns, paralleling the Israelites' rebellion and refusal to enter the promised land, which led to their extended, stagnant time at Kadesh.
Hebrews 3:7-19This New Testament passage directly references the wilderness wanderings and Israel's persistent disobedience, using their failure to enter the promised land from Kadesh as a stark warning against hardening one's heart and falling away from God.
gillDeuteronomy 1:46: "So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there."
So ye abode in Kadesh many days,.... Yea, some years, as some think: according to the days that ye abode there; that is, according to Jarchi, as they did in the rest of the journeys or stations; so that as they were thirty eight years in all at several places, they were nineteen years in Kadesh; the same is affirmed in the Jewish chronology (w). Maimonides says (x) they were eighteen years in one p…
calvinDeuteronomy 1:41-46: "Then 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."
- Then 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 th…
This verse repeats itself, saying they stayed at Kadesh "many days, the days that you remained there." This isn't just a clumsy phrase, but a deliberate, almost sighing, emphasis that their time there was prolonged and without forward movement, a stark contrast to the journey God intended. It captures the weariness and stagnation of lingering in a place of divine discipline, a state of being stuck due to disobedience.
After a rebellious attempt to conquer the Promised Land against God's command, resulting in a devastating defeat, the Israelites lingered at Kadesh for an extended, unspecified period. This verse emphasizes the long duration of their stay, serving as a stark reminder of their disobedience and God's delayed judgment before they eventually turned back into the wilderness.
After a rebellious attempt to conquer the Promised Land against God's command, resulting in a devastating defeat, the Israelites lingered at Kadesh for an extended, unspecified period. This verse emphasizes the long duration of their stay, serving as a stark reminder of their disobedience and God's delayed judgment before they eventually turned back into the wilderness.
"So you remained at Kadesh many days, the days that you remained there." — This verse repeats itself, saying they stayed at Kadesh "many days, the days that you remained there." This isn't just a clumsy phrase, but a deliberate, almost sighing, emphasis that their time ther…
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Last reviewed October 2026