Deuteronomy 31:16
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Despite the promise of entering a fruitful land, God declares He already knows the people's future "imagination," or the deep-seated inner inclination they have toward idolatry, even before they commit the acts. This isn't just a prediction of their behavior, but a revelation of their inherent nature and God's foreknowledge of it.
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)
As Moses' death is imminent, God speaks to him, revealing the future unfaithfulness of Israel once they enter the Promised Land. The Lord foretells that the people will abandon Him for foreign gods and break the covenant He made with them. This stark prediction sets the stage for Moses' final instructions and the song he is commanded to write as a witness against them.
God knows what we will do, even before we do it. But does His knowing make us do it?
In this verse, God tells Moses, 'this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods... and they will forsake me and break my covenant.' This is a stark declaration of God's foreknowledge. It's crucial to understand that God's knowing doesn't force Israel to sin. Think of it like a parent knowing their child might make a bad choice; the parent knows, but doesn't compel the choice.
Why does Scripture so often use the language of 'whoredom' for idolatry? What's so alluring about turning away from God?
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The verse uses the strong imagery of 'whoring' to describe Israel's future idolatry. This isn't just about worshipping statues; it's about a profound betrayal of relationship.
God makes a covenant, and then He knows it will be broken. How can this be?
This passage starkly contrasts God's enduring faithfulness with Israel's predicted unfaithfulness. It’s a foundational tension in the biblical narrative.
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 verse reveals God's foreknowledge of Israel's future infidelity, even as they stand on the brink of entering the land He promised them. It underscores that the covenant relationship is a two-way street, with consequences for breaking faith, regardless of God's faithfulness.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, initiating their covenant relationship with Him at Mount Sinai.
c. 1446 BC
Covenant at Sinai
God establishes a formal covenant with Israel, outlining His laws and their obligations, including severe consequences for disobedience and idolatry.
c. 1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Following their disobedience at Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years, during which time the generation that left Egypt perishes.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses Nearing Death
Moses, the mediator of the covenant, is informed by God that he will not enter the Promised Land and will soon die.
c. 1406 BC
Joshua Commissioned
Joshua is publicly appointed and commissioned by God to succeed Moses and lead Israel into the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Song of Moses Written
Moses writes a song that prophesies Israel's future unfaithfulness and serves as a witness against them.
c. 1405 BC
Moses Dies
Moses dies on Mount Nebo, after which Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River into Canaan.
This passage echoes the idea of Israel forsaking God, calling it a twofold sin: forsaking the 'spring of living waters' (God) for broken cisterns (idols) and breaking God's covenant.
Judges 2:10-13This passage describes the generation after Joshua faithfully serving God, but their children forgetting Him and turning to other gods, directly illustrating the pattern of unfaithfulness warned about in Deuteronomy.
Hosea 2:2-5The prophet Hosea vividly portrays Israel's unfaithfulness as adultery and whoredom against God, their spiritual husband, highlighting the profound betrayal inherent in idolatry.
Psalm 106:35-37This psalm recounts Israel's intermingling with foreign peoples and their subsequent adoption of their practices, even sacrificing their own children to idols, starkly showing the consequences of breaking covenant.
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…
Despite the promise of entering a fruitful land, God declares He already knows the people's future "imagination," or the deep-seated inner inclination they have toward idolatry, even before they commit the acts. This isn't just a prediction of their behavior, but a revelation of their inherent nature and God's foreknowledge of it.
As Moses' death is imminent, God speaks to him, revealing the future unfaithfulness of Israel once they enter the Promised Land. The Lord foretells that the people will abandon Him for foreign gods and break the covenant He made with them. This stark prediction sets the stage for Moses' final instructions and the song he is commanded to write as a witness against them.
As Moses' death is imminent, God speaks to him, revealing the future unfaithfulness of Israel once they enter the Promised Land. The Lord foretells that the people will abandon Him for foreign gods and break the covenant He made with them. This stark prediction sets the stage for Moses' final instructions and the song he is commanded to write as a witness against them.
"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…" — Despite the promise of entering a fruitful land, God declares He already knows the people's future "imagination," or the deep-seated inner inclination they have toward idolatry, even before they co…
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Last reviewed October 2026
