Deuteronomy 31:16
And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God reveals to Moses not just what Israel will do, but that He already knows their future "imagination" and rebellious bent, even before they enter the promised land. This isn't a reactive prediction, but a foreknowledge of their deeply ingrained tendency to stray, highlighted by the shocking imagery of spiritual adultery.
As Moses' time nears its end and he is preparing to pass leadership to Joshua, God reveals the stark reality that Israel's future faithfulness is precarious. He foresees that once they enter the promised land and experience prosperity, they will turn away from Him to worship foreign gods, breaking the covenant He made with them. This warning serves as a foundational theme for the songs Moses is about to record, meant to stand as a witness against the people in their future disobedience.
Moses is about to face the ultimate human experience – death. But God frames it not as an end, but a transition.
God speaks to Moses about his impending death using the phrase, "you shall lie down with your fathers." This wasn't a cold, clinical statement. It was a gentle way of saying he would join the generations before him, a common euphemism for death that implies rest and a return to the ancestral lineage. It acknowledges the natural end of every human life, even for someone as pivotal as Moses.
This phrase has a comforting undertone, suggesting that death isn't oblivion. For those who believe, it points towards a continuity, a joining with those who have gone before. It's a reminder that every life, no matter how significant, has its season, and that our ultimate destiny is to be with those who have already completed their journey.
Even as Moses prepares to depart, God's gaze is fixed on the future faithfulness of Israel. And He knows what's coming.
This verse is striking because God knows Israel will turn away. He says, 'this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods... and they will forsake me and break my covenant.' This isn't a casual prediction; it's a divine foreknowledge.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Deuteronomy 31:16 is available in the Sola app.
The imagery of 'whoring after foreign gods' is powerful. It portrays idolatry not just as a mistake, but as a betrayal, akin to a spouse being unfaithful to their partner. God had entered into a covenant, a sacred marriage bond, with Israel. Their turning to other gods is a profound act of infidelity against Him, their true husband.
This foreknowledge doesn't mean God is pleased with their future sin or that He causes it. Instead, it highlights His deep understanding of human nature and the reality of free will. He knew the temptations they would face and their propensity to stray, even after all He had done for them.
God declares Israel will break His covenant, yet He also affirms His own faithfulness. How can both be true?
The Lord states plainly that Israel 'will forsake me and break my covenant.' This is a devastating prophecy, underscoring their recurring pattern of disobedience.
However, the context of Deuteronomy is filled with God's persistent faithfulness despite Israel's failings. The covenant He made was not solely dependent on Israel's perfect performance. It was rooted in God's character and His promises.
This tension between human failure and divine faithfulness is a recurring theme in Scripture. Even when His people break the covenant, God doesn't abandon them to destruction without recourse. He institutes plans for restoration and ultimately fulfills His promises through Christ, who perfectly embodies faithfulness and whose sacrifice bridges the gap created by our covenant-breaking.
The covenant remains unbreakable on God's side, even when it is repeatedly broken by humanity. This is a testament to His steadfast love and His ultimate redemptive purposes.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithful relationship with His people.
shakab im abot · Hebrew Verb
A Hebrew idiom meaning to die and join one's ancestors in the afterlife or the grave, emphasizing the continuation of a legacy and the generational nature of God’s people.
zanah · Hebrew Verb
A metaphor used frequently in the Old Testament to describe spiritual adultery, where God’s people reject their exclusive covenantal relationship with Him to pursue idols or false gods.
berit · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement between God and His people, characterized by divine promises of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience, establishing a relational framework for living.
This passage is spoken at a pivotal moment as Israel is poised to enter the Promised Land. God's words to Moses reveal His foreknowledge of Israel's future unfaithfulness, setting the stage for their history of cycles of disobedience and the need for a prophetic song as a witness.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, establishing His covenant with them at Mount Sinai.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites begin the military conquest of the Promised Land.
c. 1400 BC - 1300 BC
Early Settlement of Canaan
The Israelites settle in the land of Canaan, establishing tribal territories.
c. 1386 BC
Death of Joshua
The leader Joshua dies, marking the end of an era of strong, centralized leadership.
c. 1386 BC— this verse
Moses' Final Address to Israel
Moses, facing his own death, delivers his final instructions and warnings to the nation of Israel at the border of the Promised Land.
c. 1386 BC
Moses Dies
Moses dies on Mount Nebo, after being shown the Promised Land.
After Joshua's death
Period of the Judges Begins
A period marked by cycles of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance, highlighting recurring unfaithfulness to the covenant.
This passage echoes the concept of God's covenant being broken, referencing a specific, renewed covenant that the people similarly 'transgressed,' highlighting the recurring theme of Israel's unfaithfulness despite God's commitment.
Judges 2:17This verse describes the Israelites acting 'faithlessly' towards God and 'going after other gods,' mirroring the 'whoredom' and 'forsaking' mentioned in Deuteronomy, and showing the immediate historical consequence of this prediction.
Hosea 2:2-5The imagery of spiritual adultery and 'whoredom' is central here, illustrating how God views Israel's idolatry as a profound betrayal of their marital-like covenant relationship with Him, deeply underscoring the language used in Deuteronomy.
Psalm 106:36-39This psalm recounts how Israel 'served their idols,' leading to their 'destruction' and their children being 'sacrificed,' directly illustrating the tragic outcome of the covenant-breaking and forsaking that God forewarns about in Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 28:64-66These verses directly follow the warning in Deuteronomy 31:16, detailing the severe consequences of breaking the covenant, including scattering and distress, thus providing the predicted fallout of the 'forsaking' God mentioned.
calvinDeuteronomy 31:14-30: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation."
- And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Josh…
gillDeuteronomy 31:16: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them."
And the Lord said unto Moses,.... Out of the pillar of cloud: behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; a phrase expressive of death, frequently used both of good and bad men, which serves to render death e…
God reveals to Moses not just what Israel will do, but that He already knows their future "imagination" and rebellious bent, even before they enter the promised land. This isn't a reactive prediction, but a foreknowledge of their deeply ingrained tendency to stray, highlighted by the shocking imagery of spiritual adultery.
As Moses' time nears its end and he is preparing to pass leadership to Joshua, God reveals the stark reality that Israel's future faithfulness is precarious. He foresees that once they enter the promised land and experience prosperity, they will turn away from Him to worship foreign gods, breaking the covenant He made with them. This warning serves as a foundational theme for the songs Moses is about to record, meant to stand as a witness against the people in their future disobedience.
As Moses' time nears its end and he is preparing to pass leadership to Joshua, God reveals the stark reality that Israel's future faithfulness is precarious. He foresees that once they enter the promised land and experience prosperity, they will turn away from Him to worship foreign gods, breaking the covenant He made with them. This warning serves as a foundational theme for the songs Moses is about to record, meant to stand as a witness against the people in their future disobedience.
"And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant tha…" — God reveals to Moses not just what Israel will do, but that He already knows their future "imagination" and rebellious bent, even before they enter the promised land. This isn't a reactive predic…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
