Deuteronomy 1:27

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

And ye murmured {H7279} in your tents {H168}, and said {H559}, Because the LORD {H3068} hated {H8135} us, he hath brought us forth {H3318} out of the land {H776} of Egypt {H4714}, to deliver {H5414} us into the hand {H3027} of the Amorites {H567}, to destroy {H8045} us.

Complete Jewish Bible

and in your tents you complained, 'It's because ADONAI hated us that he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, only to hand us over to the Emori to destroy us.

Berean Standard Bible

You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.

American Standard Version

and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because Jehovah 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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 1:27 vividly recounts Israel's profound rebellion at Kadesh-barnea, a pivotal moment of fear and unbelief following the spies' report. Gripped by a distorted perception, the people murmured in their tents, accusing the LORD of malevolent intent—that He had led them out of Egypt only to hand them over to the Amorites for destruction because He "hated" them. This egregious accusation not only revealed a deep-seated distrust in God's covenant love and power but also marked a tragic turning point, sealing that generation's fate to perish in the wilderness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Deuteronomy 1:27 is situated within Moses' opening address to the new generation of Israelites, delivered on the plains of Moab as they stand poised to enter the Promised Land. This address, spanning [Deuteronomy 1-4](/deuteronomy/1-4 "Deuteronomy 1-4 - Moses' First Address"), functions as a retrospective sermon, meticulously recounting the forty years of wilderness wandering. Moses' purpose is didactic and hortatory: to remind this new generation of God's unwavering faithfulness despite their ancestors' repeated failures, particularly the defining moment at Kadesh-barnea (recounted in [Deuteronomy 1:19-46](/deuteronomy/1-19-46 "Deuteronomy 1:19-46 - The Rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea")). This specific verse recalls the people's faithless response to the spies' report, highlighting their fear and unbelief that ultimately prevented them from entering Canaan, thereby setting the stage for the subsequent divine judgment and the prolonged wilderness journey. Moses' recounting serves as both a historical lesson to avoid past mistakes and a powerful exhortation for the new generation to learn from history and obey God's commands.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events recounted in Deuteronomy 1:27 occurred approximately 40 years prior, at Kadesh-barnea, a crucial oasis and staging ground on the southern border of Canaan. The "Amorites" were one of the formidable, well-established Canaanite tribes inhabiting the land, renowned for their strength and fortified cities (as described in the spies' report in [Numbers 13:28-33](/numbers/13-28-33 "Numbers 13:28-33 - The Spies' Intimidating Report")). In the ancient Near Eastern cultural milieu, murmuring or rebellion against a divine king or a divinely appointed leader was not merely an expression of discontent but a grave act of insubordination, often viewed as treason against the divine order and punishable by severe consequences. The accusation that "the LORD hated us" is particularly blasphemous, as it directly contradicted the foundational narrative of the Exodus, where God's electing love, covenant faithfulness, and miraculous power were unequivocally demonstrated through their deliverance from Egyptian bondage (cf. [Deuteronomy 7:7-8](/deuteronomy/7-7-8 "Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - God's Love and Election of Israel")). This generation, having witnessed God's mighty acts firsthand, still harbored a profound slave mentality and a deep-seated lack of faith, tragically preferring the perceived security of their past bondage to the challenges of inheriting God's promised future.
* **Key Themes:** Deuteronomy 1:27 powerfully encapsulates several key themes central to the book of Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. Firstly, it starkly illustrates the theme of **unbelief and rebellion**, demonstrating how a profound lack of faith in God's promises and power inevitably leads to direct disobedience against His commands, as seen in Israel's outright refusal to advance into the land (cf. [Numbers 14:1-4](/numbers/14-1-4 "Numbers 14:1-4 - Israel's Rebellion and Desire to Return to Egypt")). Secondly, the verse highlights the pervasive theme of **misunderstanding God's character**, as the people falsely accuse the LORD of hatred despite His consistent and overwhelming demonstration of covenant love and unwavering faithfulness in delivering them from Egypt and sustaining them miraculously in the wilderness. This reveals a profound spiritual blindness and a failure to discern God's true nature. Finally, the verse serves as a potent illustration of the **consequences of disobedience**, as this specific act of murmuring and rebellion at Kadesh-barnea directly resulted in God's solemn judgment that the entire generation of fighting men, save Joshua and Caleb, would not enter the Promised Land, leading to the prolonged forty years of wandering (cf. [Numbers 14:34-35](/numbers/14-34-35 "Numbers 14:34-35 - The Forty-Year Judgment for Disobedience")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Murmured (Hebrew, _râgan'_):** From H7279, this primitive root means "to grumble, i.e. rebel; murmur." Frequently appearing in the wilderness narratives (e.g., [Exodus 15:24](/exodus/15-24 "Exodus 15:24 - Israel Murmurs for Water")), it denotes a deep-seated grumbling, complaining, or lodging a protest, often directed against God or His appointed leaders. It signifies a profound spiritual discontent, a lack of trust in divine provision and guidance, and reveals a heart that is not at rest in God's sovereignty.
* **Brought us forth (Hebrew, _yâtsâʼ'_):** From H3318, this primitive root means "to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim." In this context, it refers to God's act of leading Israel out of Egypt. The people acknowledge God's past action but immediately twist its purpose, implying that His initial act of liberation was merely a prelude to their ultimate destruction, rather than a step towards the fulfillment of His promises.
* **Destroy (Hebrew, _shâmad'_):** From H8045, this primitive root means "to desolate; destroy(-uction), bring to nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, [idiom] utterly." The Israelites' accusation that God intended to "destroy" them by delivering them to the Amorites is an extreme and unfounded claim. It reveals their conviction that God's plan was malevolent, rather than a pathway to the fulfillment of His promises, demonstrating a complete lack of faith in His protective power and ultimate good intentions.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And ye murmured in your tents":** This phrase vividly portrays the private yet widespread nature of their discontent. The "tents" signify their communal living spaces, suggesting that the murmuring was not merely individual complaints but a collective, pervasive attitude of grumbling that spread throughout the entire camp. It implies a deep-seated dissatisfaction and lack of faith that permeated the community, fostering an environment ripe for rebellion.
* **"and said, Because the LORD hated us":** This is the core of their accusation and reveals the profound depth of their spiritual blindness and theological error. Despite God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt, His covenant love, and His constant provision, they attributed His actions to malevolent hatred. This statement is a shocking misinterpretation of God's divine guidance and purposes, viewed through the distorted lens of their own fear and unbelief.
* **"he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt":** This clause acknowledges God's past act of salvation, the Exodus, but immediately reinterprets it with a negative, conspiratorial twist. They recognized God's powerful hand in their liberation but twisted its purpose, implying that His initial act of bringing them out of slavery was merely a deceptive prelude to their ultimate demise, rather than a step towards inheriting the Promised Land.
* **"to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us":** This final part of their accusation articulates their perceived ultimate fate and the malevolent intent they ascribed to God. They believed God's intention was to hand them over to their formidable enemies, the Amorites, specifically for annihilation. This demonstrates a complete failure to trust God's power over their adversaries and His covenant promise to give them the land, revealing a profound fear that overshadowed any memory of His past faithfulness and protective care.

#### Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 1:27 employs several potent literary devices that amplify its message. There is striking **Irony** in the Israelites' accusation: God, who had demonstrated unparalleled love, power, and faithfulness in delivering them from slavery, is accused of hatred and malicious intent. This stands in stark contrast to His revealed character and consistent actions throughout the Exodus. The phrase "Because the LORD hated us... to destroy us" also functions as **Hyperbole**, an extreme exaggeration of their perceived plight and God's intentions. Their fear and despair amplify their claims, leading them to articulate an utterly unfounded and over-the-top accusation about God's character. Furthermore, the attribution of human emotion like "hate" to God, especially in such a negative and accusatory way, is a form of **Anthropomorphism**, revealing not God's actual emotion but the people's deeply distorted and fearful perception of Him. The entire verse is also part of a larger pattern of **Repetition** of the theme of murmuring and rebellion throughout the wilderness narrative, emphasizing Israel's persistent struggle with faith and obedience, and serving as a cautionary tale for the new generation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 1:27 serves as a stark and enduring reminder of the destructive power of unbelief and the profound danger of misinterpreting God's character and intentions. The Israelites' accusation that God "hated" them, despite His demonstrable love and unwavering faithfulness in the Exodus and wilderness provision, highlights a recurring human tendency to project our fears, anxieties, and distrust onto God, rather than resting in His sovereign goodness and wisdom. This verse underscores the critical importance of faith as the proper and necessary response to God's commands and promises, and it powerfully reveals how a lack of faith can lead to devastating consequences, not only in terms of missed blessings and delayed promises but also in a fundamentally distorted relationship with the divine. It teaches us that true spiritual maturity involves trusting God's heart and His ultimate good purposes, even when circumstances are daunting or His path seems difficult and counter-intuitive to our limited understanding.

* [Numbers 14:11](/numbers/14-11 "Numbers 14:11 - The LORD's Frustration with Israel's Unbelief")
* [Psalm 78:17-22](/psalms/78-17-22 "Psalm 78:17-22 - Israel's Rebellion and God's Anger")
* [Hebrews 3:7-19](/hebrews/3-7-19 "Hebrews 3:7-19 - Warning Against Hardening Hearts")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 1:27 offers a timeless and profound warning against the insidious nature of unbelief and the pervasive temptation to succumb to fear when faced with daunting challenges or seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It challenges us to deeply examine our own hearts: do we, like the Israelites, sometimes fall into the trap of accusing God of malicious intent, indifference, or a lack of care when our circumstances are difficult, or when His path for us seems arduous and beyond our immediate comprehension? This verse calls us to actively cultivate a deep-seated and unwavering trust in God's unchanging love, His perfect wisdom, and His sovereign control, even when His ways are mysterious or His timing seems delayed. It reminds us that our perception of God is often tragically shaped by our fears, anxieties, and limited human perspective, rather than by the unchanging truth of His revealed character in Scripture. To combat this destructive tendency, we must actively remember His past faithfulness in our lives and in history, cling tenaciously to His unfailing promises, and diligently guard against the murmuring spirit that can poison our relationship with Him and ultimately prevent us from entering into the "promised lands" of blessing, peace, and purpose that He has prepared for us.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **When faced with daunting challenges or difficult commands, do I tend to murmur and accuse God, or do I seek to understand His purposes and trust His character?**
* **How do my personal fears and anxieties sometimes distort my perception of God's love, wisdom, and intentions for my life and circumstances?**
* **What specific promises of God can I cling to and meditate upon when circumstances tempt me to doubt His goodness and faithfulness?**
* **In what areas of my life might I currently be resisting God's leading or failing to step out in faith, perhaps due to a lack of trust similar to Israel at Kadesh-barnea?**

### FAQ
**Why did Israel accuse God of hating them, despite His deliverance from Egypt?**

Answer: Israel's accusation that "the LORD hated us" (Deuteronomy 1:27) stemmed from a profound and tragic combination of fear, unbelief, and a distorted perception of God's character. Despite having personally witnessed God's miraculous power in the Exodus from Egypt and His continuous, supernatural provision in the wilderness for over a year, they allowed the daunting report of the Amorites' strength and fortified cities (cf. [Numbers 13:28-29](/numbers/13-28-29 "Numbers 13:28-29 - The Spies' Report on the Land")) to completely overshadow their memory of God's faithfulness and His covenant promises. Their overwhelming fear led them to interpret God's command to enter the land not as an act of love leading to blessing and the fulfillment of His promise, but as a malevolent trap designed for their destruction. This accusation reveals a deep spiritual blindness and a profound ingratitude, where their present discomfort and perceived danger outweighed all overwhelming evidence of God's covenant love and benevolent intentions (cf. [Deuteronomy 7:7-8](/deuteronomy/7-7-8 "Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - God's Love and Election of Israel")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 1:27, with its poignant portrayal of Israel's unbelief and rebellion against God's loving intentions, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the stark contrast between the old covenant's failure and the new covenant's triumph. The wilderness generation's tragic inability to enter the Promised Land due to their hardened hearts and blasphemous accusation against God's love foreshadows humanity's inherent inability to inherit God's eternal promises through self-effort, a spirit of rebellion, or a lack of faith. However, Jesus Christ, the true and faithful Israelite, perfectly embodies the obedience and unwavering trust that the first generation lacked. He did not murmur against the Father's will, even when faced with the ultimate "Amorites" of sin, suffering, and death (cf. His prayer in [Luke 22:42](/luke/22-42 "Luke 22:42 - Jesus' Prayer in Gethsemane")). Through His perfect obedience, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His glorious resurrection, Jesus delivers us not *to* destruction but *from* it, ushering us into the true spiritual Promised Land—eternal life and reconciled communion with God (cf. [John 3:16](/john/3-16 "John 3:16 - God's Love and Eternal Life")). He is the greater Joshua who leads His people into true rest (cf. [Hebrews 4:8-10](/hebrews/4-8-10 "Hebrews 4:8-10 - The True Rest in Christ")), not through a wilderness of murmuring and judgment, but by grace through faith in His finished work. Jesus forever dispels the lie that God "hates" us, for He demonstrated His boundless love by giving His only Son as a propitiation for our sins (cf. [Romans 5:8](/romans/5-8 "Romans 5:8 - God's Love Demonstrated")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 9:28

Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.

Numbers 14:3

And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Psalms 106:25

But murmured in their tents, [and] hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.

Luke 19:21

For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

Exodus 16:8

And Moses said, [This shall be], when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what [are] we? your murmurings [are] not against us, but against the LORD.

Numbers 21:5

And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

Matthew 25:24

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: