TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Deuteronomy 1:19–46. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
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Summary
Deuteronomy 1:29 encapsulates Moses' urgent pastoral appeal to the Israelites, commanding them to cast off the paralyzing fear that had gripped them at the very threshold of the Promised Land. This powerful exhortation, "Dread not, neither be afraid of them," directly confronts the panic ignited by the spies' report of formidable inhabitants, serving as a vital call to faith and trust in God's unwavering promises and His omnipotent power to fight on behalf of His people, thereby contrasting human apprehension with divine faithfulness.
Context
Literary Context
Deuteronomy 1:29 is strategically placed within Moses' opening retrospective sermon to the new generation of Israelites in the plains of Moab, delivered forty years after the events at Kadesh-barnea. This address, which spans the first four chapters of Deuteronomy, serves as a crucial reminder of their history, particularly highlighting the failures and consequences of their parents' generation. Moses meticulously recounts the journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, the pivotal moment of sending the spies, and the subsequent rebellion of the people when confronted with the daunting prospect of entering the land. His direct words in this verse immediately precede the account of the people's refusal to advance, their grumbling, and God's resultant judgment of forty years of wilderness wandering, as detailed in Deuteronomy 1:32-35. Thus, Deuteronomy 1:29 marks a critical juncture of decision, emphasizing the profound importance of obedience rooted in unwavering faith.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical setting for Deuteronomy 1:29 is the immediate aftermath of the spies' return from Canaan, an event vividly recounted in Numbers 13. Ten of the twelve spies delivered a terrifying report of fortified cities and inhabitants of immense stature, including the Anakim (giants), which caused the entire congregation to weep and rebel against Moses and Aaron. Culturally, the Israelites were a people recently freed from centuries of slavery in Egypt. Despite having witnessed God's miraculous deliverance through the Exodus and His consistent provision in the wilderness, they continued to struggle with a deep-seated fear of human adversaries and a profound lack of trust in God's ability to fulfill His promises. Their fear was not merely a natural reaction to danger but a profound spiritual failure, manifesting as a desire to return to the perceived security of Egypt rather than facing the challenges of the Promised Land, a land God had sworn to give them, as Moses reminds them in Deuteronomy 1:8.
Key Themes
Deuteronomy 1:29 contributes significantly to several overarching themes central to the book of Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch.
The Necessity of Trust and Obedience
Moses' command to "dread not, neither be afraid" is a direct and urgent call to radical trust in God's power and faithfulness, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. The subsequent rebellion of the Israelites vividly underscores the catastrophic consequences of disobedience rooted in fear and unbelief. This theme is foundational to Deuteronomy's repeated emphasis on "listening" (Shema) and "obeying" God's commands, as powerfully articulated in the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
God as the Divine Warrior
Underlying Moses' exhortation is the profound theological truth that God Himself would fight for Israel, a theme powerfully articulated throughout the Old Testament. The fear of the Canaanites was irrational precisely because it failed to account for the invincible power of the Lord, who had already delivered them from Egypt's mighty Pharaoh. This concept is reiterated later in Deuteronomy 3:22.
Consequences of Unbelief
The immediate and severe consequence of the Israelites' fear and unbelief at Kadesh-barnea was the forty-year wilderness wandering, during which the entire adult generation, save for Caleb and Joshua, perished. This serves as a stark and enduring warning against the dangers of allowing fear to override faith in God's promises, a crucial lesson Moses is determined to impress upon the new generation as they stand poised to enter the land.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root (H559) is used with great latitude, meaning "to say," "speak," "declare," or "command." In this context, it signifies Moses' authoritative and deliberate communication to the people. It highlights his role as God's appointed messenger, conveying a vital directive that is both pastoral and prophetic, intended to counter their fear with a divine perspective.
This primitive root (H6206) means "to awe" or, intransitively, "to dread." It conveys a sense of being terrified, affrighted, or overwhelmed by fear to the point of being harassed or broken. Moses uses this term to address the initial, intense terror that seized the people upon hearing the spies' report, a profound apprehension that threatened to paralyze their will and derail their divine mission to enter the Promised Land.
This primitive root (H3372) means "to fear," but can also denote reverential awe (fear of God). In this specific context, it refers to a debilitating fear of external threats, leading to a state of being affrighted or dread-filled. Moses' use of this term, coupled with "dread," emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the fear he is commanding them to reject. It encompasses both the initial shock and the sustained, demoralizing terror that prevented them from moving forward in faith.
Verse Breakdown
"Then I said unto you,"
This opening clause establishes Moses' direct, personal, and authoritative address to the assembled people. It underscores his role as God's mediator and leader, stepping into a moment of national crisis to guide and reassure a fearful nation. This is not merely a historical recounting but a re-presentation of a crucial pastoral intervention, designed to counter their despair with a word rooted in divine perspective.
"Dread not,"
This is a powerful, direct imperative command. It targets the initial, overwhelming sense of terror and apprehension that gripped the Israelites. Moses is urging them to actively resist the impulse to panic, to choose faith over their immediate emotional response. This command calls for a conscious rejection of the fear that had taken hold of their hearts and minds, preventing them from seeing God's power.
"neither be afraid of them."
This second imperative reinforces the first, specifically directing their attention away from the "them"—the formidable inhabitants of Canaan, including the Anakim. The double negation ("Dread not, neither be afraid") emphasizes the absolute nature of the command: there is no acceptable level of fear when God has promised victory and is present to fight for His people. This clause shifts the focus from the internal state of dread to the external object of their fear, reminding them that their adversaries, however strong, are ultimately insignificant compared to the omnipotent power of God.
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 1:29 employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent message and underscore its significance. The most prominent is Synonymous Parallelism, evident in the use of two distinct but closely related Hebrew terms for fear (ʻârats and yârêʼ). This repetition intensifies the command, covering the full spectrum of debilitating fear—from initial dread to sustained terror—and leaving no ambiguity about the absolute prohibition against it. The verse also functions as a direct Exhortation, a forceful call to action (or, more precisely, to cease inaction born of fear) from Moses' position of divinely appointed authority. Moses' words present a powerful Antithesis to the people's current state of panic, setting up a clear contrast between human fear and God's promised power and presence. Furthermore, the verse is embedded within a larger Retrospective Narrative, where Moses recounts past events and failures to teach crucial lessons to the present generation, transforming historical missteps into pedagogical tools for future success and obedience.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Deuteronomy 1:29 is a foundational text for understanding the biblical theme of faith in the face of adversity. It profoundly illustrates that fear, when it leads to disobedience and distrust in God, is a significant spiritual failing. Moses' command is not merely a psychological pep talk but a theological injunction rooted in the immutable character of God, who is faithful to His promises and omnipotent to deliver. The Israelites' tragic failure to heed this warning at Kadesh-barnea became a paradigmatic example of unbelief, demonstrating that God's covenant blessings are contingent upon a trusting obedience that actively overcomes human apprehension. This verse highlights the ongoing spiritual battle between reliance on human sight and reliance on divine promise, a tension that permeates the entire biblical narrative and calls believers to consistently choose faith over fear.
Reflection and Application
Deuteronomy 1:29 resonates deeply with the universal human experience of confronting overwhelming challenges. In our contemporary lives, the "giants" and "fortified cities" can manifest as daunting financial crises, debilitating health battles, complex relational conflicts, or even the sheer magnitude of our God-given calling. Like the Israelites, we are often tempted to fixate on the size of our problems rather than the infinite greatness of our God. Moses' timeless words, "Dread not, neither be afraid of them," serve as an enduring reminder that our primary response to fear should be to anchor ourselves firmly in God's unchanging character and His unfailing promises. This verse calls us to move beyond mere intellectual assent to God's power and to actively choose trust over terror, remembering that the Lord Himself fights for His people. It encourages us to confront our fears not with self-reliance or manufactured courage, but with a profound and active faith that God is infinitely bigger than any obstacle and that His sovereign presence is our ultimate security and strength.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Moses need to tell the Israelites not to be afraid if God had already promised them the land?
Moses' exhortation in Deuteronomy 1:29 was absolutely necessary precisely because the Israelites, despite God's clear promises and miraculous interventions (such as the Exodus from Egypt and the daily provision of manna), consistently struggled with unbelief and a profound fear of human adversaries. The spies' report of formidable inhabitants and heavily fortified cities in Numbers 13:28-29 directly contradicted their faith in God's ability and willingness to deliver on His word. Moses' words were a crucial pastoral intervention, a direct challenge to their limited human perspective, reminding them that God's power far exceeded any earthly threat. He was calling them to align their hearts and minds with God's divine perspective and to trust in His active presence to fight for them, a truth he later powerfully reiterates to Joshua in Deuteronomy 3:22.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 1:29, with its imperative command to "Dread not, neither be afraid of them," finds its ultimate and profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Testament. The paralyzing fear that gripped Israel was fundamentally a fear of death and the oppressive powers of this fallen world, precisely what Christ decisively conquered. Jesus, as the ultimate divine warrior, faced down the true giants of sin, death, and the devil, not through human might or military conquest, but through His perfect obedience and sacrificial death on the cross. His glorious resurrection is the definitive proof that believers need not fear any adversary, for He has "disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him" (Colossians 2:15). Moreover, Christ's repeated admonitions to His disciples, such as "Do not be afraid" when He walked on water (Matthew 14:27), powerfully echo Moses' words, but with the added, transformative assurance of His indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, believers are empowered to overcome fear, not by their own strength or resolve, but by resting in His finished work and trusting in His unwavering promise to be "with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). The "Promised Land" for the New Testament believer is not merely a physical territory but the spiritual rest and eternal inheritance found exclusively in Christ, a reality we enter by faith, not by fear, as beautifully expounded in Hebrews 4:9-11.