TRV
Translation
King James Version
And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.
Complete Jewish Bible
There I said to you, 'You have come to the hill-country of the Emori, which ADONAI our God is giving to us.
Berean Standard Bible
I said: “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.
American Standard Version
And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the hill-country of the Amorites, which Jehovah our God giveth unto us.
World English Bible Messianic
I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God gives to us.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And I saide vnto you, Yee are come vnto the mountaine of the Amorites, which the Lord our God doeth giue vnto vs.
Young's Literal Translation
`And I say unto you, Ye have come in unto the hill-country of the Amorite, which Jehovah our God is giving to us;
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Commentary on Deuteronomy 1 verses 19–46
19 ¶ And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.
20 And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.
21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
22 And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
23 And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:
24 And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.
25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.
26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God:
27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
30 The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;
31 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.
32 Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,
33 Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.
34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,
35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,
36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.
37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.
38 But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
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.
40 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.
41 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.
42 And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.
43 So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.
44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.
45 And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.
46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.
Moses here makes a large rehearsal of the fatal turn which was given to their affairs by their own sins, and God's wrath, when, from the very borders of Canaan, the honour of conquering it, and the pleasure of possessing it, the whole generation was hurried back into the wilderness, and their carcases fell there. It was a memorable story; we read it Num. 13 and 14, but divers circumstances are found here which are not related there.
I. He reminds them of their march from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea (Deu 1:19), through that great and terrible wilderness. This he takes notice of, 1. To make them sensible of the great goodness of God to them, in guiding them through so great a wilderness, and protecting them from the mischiefs they were surrounded with in such a terrible wilderness. The remembrance of our dangers should make us thankful for our deliverances. 2. To aggravate the folly of those who, in their discontent, would have gone back to Egypt through the wilderness, though they had forfeited, and had no reason to expect, the divine guidance, in such a retrograde motion.
II. He shows them how fair they stood for Canaan at that time, Deu 1:20, Deu 1:21. He told them with triumph, the land is set before you, go up and possess it. He lets them see how near they were to a happy settlement when they put a bar in their own door, that their sin might appear the more exceedingly sinful. It will aggravate the eternal ruin of hypocrites that they were not far from the kingdom of God and yet came short, Mar 12:34.
III. He lays the blame of sending the spies upon them, which did not appear in Numbers, there it is said (Deu 13:1, Deu 13:2) that the Lord directed the sending of them, but here we find that the people first desired it, and God, in permitting it, gave them up to their counsels: You said, We will send men before us, Deu 1:22. Moses had given them God's word (Deu 1:20, Deu 1:21), but they could not find in their hearts to rely upon that: human policy goes further with them than divine wisdom, and they will needs light a candle to the sun. As if it were not enough that they were sure of a God before them, they must send men before them.
IV. He repeats the report which the spies brought of the goodness of the land which they were sent to survey, Deu 1:24, Deu 1:25. The blessings which God has promised are truly valuable and desirable, even the unbelievers themselves being judges: never any looked into the holy land, but they must own it a good land. Yet they represented the difficulties of conquering it as insuperable (Deu 1:28); as if it were in vain to think of attacking them either by battle, "for the people are taller than we," or by siege, "for the cities are walled up to heaven," an hyperbole which they made use of to serve their ill purpose, which was to dishearten the people, and perhaps they intended to reflect on the God of heaven himself, as if they were able to defy him, like the Babel-builders, the top of whose tower must reach to heaven, Gen 11:4. Those places only are walled up to heaven that are compassed with God's favour as with a shield.
V. He tells them what pains he took with them to encourage them, when their brethren had said so much to discourage them (Deu 1:29): Then I said unto you, Dread not. Moses suggested enough to have stilled the tumult, and to have kept them with their faces towards Canaan. He assured them that God was present with them, and president among them, and would certainly fight for them, Deu 1:30. And for proof of his power over their enemies he refers them to what they had seen done in Egypt, where their enemies had all possible advantages against them and yet were humbled and forced to yield, Deu 1:30. And for proof of God's goodwill to them, and the real kindness which he intended them, he refers them to what they had seen in the wilderness (Deu 1:31, Deu 1:33), through which they had been guided by the eye of divine wisdom in a pillar of cloud and fire (which guided both their motions and their rests), and had been carried in the arms of divine grace with as much care and tenderness as were ever shown to any child borne in the arms of a nursing father. And was there any room left to distrust this God? Or were they not the most ungrateful people in the world, who, after such sensible proofs of the divine goodness, hardened their hearts in the day of temptation? Moses had complained once that God had charged him to carry this people as a nursing father doth the sucking child (Num 11:12); but here he owns that it was God that so carried them, and perhaps this is alluded to (Act 13:18), where he is said to bear them, or to suffer their manners.
VI. He charges them with the sin which they were guilty of upon this occasion. Though those to whom he was now speaking were a new generation, yet he lays it upon them: You rebelled, and you murmured; for many of these were then in being, though under twenty years old, and perhaps were engaged in the riot; and the rest inherited their fathers' vices, and smarted for them. Observe what he lays to their charge. 1. Disobedience and rebellion against God's law: You would not go up, but rebelled, Deu 1:26. The rejecting of God's favours is really a rebelling against his authority. 2. Invidious reflections upon God's goodness. They basely suggested: Because the Lord hated us, he brought us out of Egypt, Deu 1:27. What could have been more absurd, more disingenuous, and more reproachful to God? 3. An unbelieving heart at the bottom of all this: You did not believe the Lord your God, Deu 1:32. All your disobedience to God's laws, and distrust of his power and goodness, flow from a disbelief of his word. A sad pass it has come to with us when the God of eternal truth cannot be believed.
VII. He repeats the sentence passed upon them for this sin, which now they had seen the execution of. 1. They were all condemned to die in the wilderness, and none of them must be suffered to enter Canaan except Caleb and Joshua, Deu 1:34-38. So long they must continue in their wanderings in the wilderness that most of them would drop off of course, and the youngest of them should be cut off. Thus they could not enter in because of unbelief. It was not the breach of any of the commands of the law that shut them out of Canaan, no, not the golden calf, but their disbelief of that promise which was typical of gospel grace, to signify that no sin will ruin us but unbelief, which is a sin against the remedy. 2. Moses himself afterwards fell under God's displeasure for a hasty word which they provoked him to speak: The Lord was angry with me for your sakes, Deu 1:37. Because all the old stock must go off, Moses himself must not stay behind. Their unbelief let death into the camp, and, having entered, even Moses falls within his commission. 3. Yet here is mercy mixed with wrath. (1.) That, though Moses might not bring them into Canaan, Joshua should (v. 38): Encourage him; for he would be discouraged from taking up a government which he saw Moses himself fall under the weight of; but let him be assured that he shall accomplish that for which he is raised up: He shall cause Israel to inherit it. Thus what the law could not do, in that it was weak, Jesus, our Joshua, does by bringing in the better hope. (2.) That, though this generation should not enter into Canaan, the next should, Deu 1:39. As they had been chosen for their fathers' sakes, so their children might justly have been rejected for their sakes. But mercy rejoiceth against judgement.
VIII. He reminds them of their foolish and fruitless attempt to get this sentence reversed when it was too late. 1. They tried it by their reformation in this particular; whereas they had refused to go up against the Canaanites, now they would go up, aye, that they would, in all haste, and they girded on their weapons of war for that purpose, Deu 1:41. Thus, when the door is shut, and the day of grace is over, there will be found those that stand without and knock. But this, which looked like a reformation, proved but a further rebellion. God, by Moses, prohibited the attempt (Deu 1:42): yet they went presumptuously up to the hill (Deu 1:43), acting now in contempt of the threatening, as before in contempt of the promise, as if they were governed by a spirit of contradiction; and it sped accordingly (Deu 1:44): they were chased and destroyed; and, by this defeat which they suffered when they provoked God to leave them, they were taught what success they might have had if they had kept themselves in his love. 2. They tried by their prayers and tears to get the sentence reversed: They returned and wept before the Lord, Deu 1:45. While they were fretting and quarrelling, it is said (Num 14:1): They wept that night; those were tears of rebellion against God, these were tears of repentance and humiliation before God. Note, Tears of discontent must be wept over again; the sorrow of the world worketh death, and is to be repented of; it is not so with godly sorrow, that will end in joy. But their weeping was all to no purpose. The Lord would not harken to your voice, because you would not harken to his; the decree had gone forth, and, like Esau, they found no place of repentance, though they sought it carefully with tears.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 19–46. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 1:20 captures a pivotal moment in Israel's wilderness journey, as Moses recounts to the new generation the original divine command to enter the Promised Land. This verse serves as a direct reminder of God's clear instruction and generous provision, emphasizing that the formidable territory, though occupied by the Amorites, was unequivocally a divine gift and inheritance for His people, signaling the immediacy of their opportunity to possess it and underscoring the certainty of God's covenant faithfulness despite human obstacles.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 1:20 employs several significant literary devices that amplify its message. The primary device is Recapitulation or Retrospection, as Moses recounts past events to a new generation, providing historical context and theological lessons for their future. This entire opening section of Deuteronomy is framed as a long, reflective sermon, designed to instruct and motivate. The verse also uses Direct Address ("I said unto you, Ye are come unto..."), which creates an intimate and immediate connection between Moses and his audience, drawing them into the historical narrative and its implications for their present and future. There is a powerful implicit Contrast presented: the formidable "mountain of the Amorites" (representing human strength, natural obstacles, and fear) is juxtaposed against the divine declaration "which the LORD our God doth give unto us" (representing God's sovereign power, generous provision, and unwavering faithfulness). This contrast highlights the theological truth that God's gift transcends human limitations and opposition. Furthermore, the phrase "doth give" functions as a powerful Affirmation of God's faithfulness and the certainty of His covenant promises, serving as a foundational truth for the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 1:20 is a profound theological statement on God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, particularly the land promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It underscores the truth that the Promised Land was not merely a territory to be conquered by human might, but a divine inheritance, graciously bestowed by a sovereign God. This verse challenges Israel, and by extension believers today, to align their perspective with God's, viewing obstacles not as insurmountable barriers but as opportunities to witness God's power in fulfilling His word. It emphasizes that divine provision often precedes human action, yet it also calls for faithful obedience to step into what God has already declared. The "giving" of the land is an act of grace that demands a response of trust and courageous action.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 1:20 serves as a timeless reminder that God's promises are sure, even when the path to their fulfillment appears daunting. Just as Israel stood at the edge of their inheritance, facing the formidable "mountain of the Amorites," believers today often encounter significant challenges when pursuing God's call or stepping into His declared purposes for their lives. This verse encourages us to remember that what God has promised, He will enable us to receive. It calls for faith to move beyond merely being "come unto" a promise to actively taking possession of it, trusting in His power and provision rather than our own limited strength or perceived obstacles. It's a powerful call to courageous obedience, reminding us that God has already "given" us the victory or the provision we need to overcome the "mountains" in our lives, whether they be spiritual, emotional, relational, or practical. Our role is to believe His word, embrace His generous gift, and step forward in faith, knowing that His divine grant makes the impossible possible.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the significance of the "mountain of the Amorites" in Deuteronomy 1:20?
Answer: The "mountain of the Amorites" refers to the mountainous region of southern Canaan, particularly the hill country that served as a strategic stronghold for the Amorites, a powerful and warlike people group inhabiting the land. Its significance lies in two main aspects: geographically, it represented a natural barrier and a difficult terrain that would be challenging to conquer; and militarily, it symbolized the formidable human opposition Israel would face. By mentioning it, Moses highlights the reality of the obstacles, yet immediately counters it with the divine assurance that this very land, despite its inhabitants, was God's gift to Israel. It set the stage for the test of faith that Israel failed at Kadesh-Barnea, as recorded in Numbers 13-14, underscoring the contrast between human fear and divine promise.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 1:20, with its emphasis on a divinely promised land and the call to possess an inheritance despite formidable obstacles, finds its ultimate fulfillment and spiritual resonance in Jesus Christ. The earthly Promised Land, though a physical inheritance for Israel, foreshadowed the greater spiritual inheritance and "rest" that believers receive in Christ. Just as the Lord "gave" the land to Israel, God has "given" us all spiritual blessings in Christ, making us heirs according to His promise (see Ephesians 1:3 and Ephesians 1:11). The "mountain of the Amorites" can be seen as a type of the spiritual strongholds and adversaries that believers face, but through Christ's victory on the cross, we are empowered to overcome them (compare Colossians 2:15). Jesus is the true Joshua who leads His people into their spiritual inheritance, not through physical conquest, but through His atoning work, granting us access to God's presence and the abundant life. The call to "come unto the mountain" and take possession is spiritually fulfilled in our call to enter God's rest through faith in Christ (as elaborated in Hebrews 4:1-11), trusting that what God has "given" us in Him is already secured and ours to walk in by faith, even as we face spiritual battles in this world (see Ephesians 6:10-18).