Deuteronomy 31:17
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What's easily missed here is the devastating diagnosis God gives for Israel's future suffering: they will conclude their troubles come because "our God is not among us." This isn't a statement of theological truth, but a tragically misplaced lament, showing they'll recognize God's absence as the source of their pain, yet still fail to grasp that their own rebellion is what drove Him away.
Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Moses’ time to die approaches, God appears to him and Joshua at the tabernacle. God forewarns Moses that after his death, the Israelites will break their covenant by turning to foreign gods. In response to this inevitable unfaithfulness, God declares He will withdraw His presence and favor, leaving them vulnerable to destruction and hardship.
What happens when God's patience runs out? This verse paints a stark picture of divine wrath.
In Deuteronomy 31:17, God declares, 'my anger will be kindled against them.' This isn't a fleeting emotion, but a righteous response to persistent rebellion and covenant-breaking.
A Just Reaction
God's anger here is not like human anger, which can be petty or uncontrolled. It's a holy, just reaction to sin and betrayal. When Israel turns away from God to worship other gods, they are not just making a mistake; they are breaking the intimate covenant relationship God established with them. This anger is a consequence, a divine judgment on their infidelity.
The Outcome: Devastation
The immediate result of God's kindled anger is abandonment and hiding His face. This leads to their being 'devoured' and experiencing 'many evils and troubles.' This isn't arbitrary punishment, but the natural, devastating consequence of living apart from God's presence and protection.
What does it truly mean for God to 'hide His face'? It's more than just not being seen; it's a profound absence.
The phrase 'I will hide my face from them' is a powerful metaphor for God withdrawing His presence, favor, and active help. It’s a turning away that leaves people vulnerable and exposed.
More Than Just Missing
When God hides His face, it means He stops providing His guiding light, His protective shield, and His comforting presence. It's not that He ceases to exist, but that His people are no longer in tune with Him, and He responds by ceasing His direct, benevolent interaction with them.
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The Ultimate Realization
The text reveals the devastating realization that follows: 'Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?' This is the people's own confession. It shows that the deepest troubles aren't just external calamities, but the soul-crushing awareness that the source of all good and security has withdrawn. Their suffering forces them to confront the spiritual vacuum created by their own choices.
Understand the original words
panim · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for the withdrawal of God's favor, presence, and protection from His people due to their persistent sin, leaving them vulnerable to judgment.
This verse speaks to a recurring theme in Israel's history: the consequences of breaking their covenant with God. Moses' words, given as the Israelites are poised to enter the Promised Land, foreshadow the cycle of prosperity followed by disobedience, divine judgment, and eventual realization of their spiritual abandonment that would mark their future.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, establishing a covenant with them at Mount Sinai and giving them the Law.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites begin conquering the Promised Land, following God's commands.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Moses' Final Address
Moses, nearing the end of his life, delivers his final speeches to the Israelites, recounting their history, reiterating the Law, and warning them about future disobedience.
c. 1374 BC
Death of Joshua
Joshua, who succeeded Moses, dies. Following his death, the period of the Judges begins, marked by cycles of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance.
c. 1050 BC
Establishment of the Monarchy
Israel demands a king, leading to the anointing of Saul, and later David and Solomon, marking a significant shift in their national structure.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united monarchy splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of its people.
This passage describes how God repeatedly 'sold' Israel into the hands of their enemies due to their repeated idolatry, directly paralleling the 'devoured' and 'evils and troubles' mentioned in Deuteronomy 31:17.
Psalm 104:29This psalm speaks of creation's distress when God hides His face, mirroring the profound sense of abandonment and disaster described in Deuteronomy 31:17 when God withdraws His presence.
Isaiah 59:2This verse explicitly states that sin separates people from God, causing Him to hide His face and not hear their pleas, which is the very scenario of national crisis and divine absence described in Deuteronomy 31:17.
Ezekiel 39:23This prophecy explains that Israel's exile and downfall were a direct result of their sin, leading other nations to recognize God's judgment, echoing the realization in Deuteronomy 31:17 that their troubles stemmed from God's absence.
Romans 11:20Paul warns Gentile believers not to become arrogant, for if God did not spare the natural branches (Israel) for their unbelief, He might not spare them either, highlighting the serious consequence of severing connection with God's presence and favor as seen in Deuteronomy 31:17.
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…
bensonDeuteronomy 31:17: "Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?"
Deuteronomy 31:17 . Then my anger shall be kindled against them — So it was upon their first defection to idolatry, ( Jdg 2:14 ,) and so it continued to be in all ages, as we read in t…
What's easily missed here is the devastating diagnosis God gives for Israel's future suffering: they will conclude their troubles come because "our God is not among us." This isn't a statement of theological truth, but a tragically misplaced lament, showing they'll recognize God's absence as the source of their pain, yet still fail to grasp that their own rebellion is what drove Him away.
As Moses’ time to die approaches, God appears to him and Joshua at the tabernacle. God forewarns Moses that after his death, the Israelites will break their covenant by turning to foreign gods. In response to this inevitable unfaithfulness, God declares He will withdraw His presence and favor, leaving them vulnerable to destruction and hardship.
As Moses’ time to die approaches, God appears to him and Joshua at the tabernacle. God forewarns Moses that after his death, the Israelites will break their covenant by turning to foreign gods. In response to this inevitable unfaithfulness, God declares He will withdraw His presence and favor, leaving them vulnerable to destruction and hardship.
"Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evil…" — What's easily missed here is the devastating diagnosis God gives for Israel's future suffering: they will conclude their troubles come because "our God is not among us." This isn't a statement of the…
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Last reviewed October 2026
