TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
So I spake H1696 unto you; and ye would not hear H8085, but rebelled H4784 against the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068, and went H5927 presumptuously H2102 up H5927 into the hill H2022.
Complete Jewish Bible
So I told you, but you wouldn't listen. Instead, you rebelled against ADONAI's order, took matters into your own hands and went up into the hill-country;
Berean Standard Bible
So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.
American Standard Version
So I spake unto you, and ye hearkened not; but ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill-country.
World English Bible Messianic
So I spoke to you, and you didn’t listen; but you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And when I told you, ye would not heare, but rebelled against the commandement of the Lord, and were presumptuous, and went vp into the mountaine.
Young's Literal Translation
`And I speak unto you, and ye have not hearkened, and provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and act proudly, and go up into the hill-country;
Study This Verse
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 1:43 serves as a poignant and enduring testament to the perilous consequences of human disobedience and presumption in the face of divine command. Within Moses's retrospective address to the new generation poised to enter the Promised Land, this verse vividly recounts a pivotal moment of their forefathers' rebellion, highlighting their tragic decision to defy God's explicit instruction not to engage the enemy. It underscores the profound spiritual truth that true success and divine favor are predicated upon humble submission to God's revealed will, rather than self-willed action or arrogant defiance.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices to underscore its profound message and serve its didactic purpose. The entire recounting of this historical event functions as a powerful cautionary tale, designed to impress upon the new generation the dire consequences of disobedience and the absolute necessity of covenant faithfulness. Moses's use of direct address ("So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear") creates a sense of immediacy and personal accountability, drawing the listeners into the historical narrative as if they were present. There is a stark contrast established between God's clear, authoritative command and Israel's rebellious, self-willed action, highlighting the chasm between divine wisdom and human folly. The repeated emphasis on "hearing" (or "not hearing") and "obeying" throughout Deuteronomy, particularly highlighted here, is a form of repetition that reinforces a central Deuteronomic theme: Israel's destiny is inextricably linked to their response to God's word. Finally, the description of their ascent as "presumptuously" uses a strong adverbial modifier to characterize the nature of their sin, emphasizing its arrogant and defiant quality rather than mere error or misunderstanding.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 1:43 resonates deeply with the biblical emphasis on obedience as the cornerstone of a right relationship with God. It reveals that true faith is demonstrated not merely by intellectual assent, but by a humble willingness to hear and obey God's voice, even when His commands seem counterintuitive, challenging, or contrary to human desires. The Israelites' presumption here highlights a recurring human tendency to substitute self-will for divine wisdom, believing that our own efforts can achieve what only God's blessing and presence can secure. This passage serves as a stark reminder that God's commands are not arbitrary restrictions but expressions of His perfect wisdom, holiness, and love, designed for our ultimate good, protection, and flourishing within a covenant relationship. Disobedience, particularly when it stems from a rebellious and presumptuous heart, is a grave affront to God's sovereignty and inevitably leads to devastating consequences, demonstrating that God's word is not to be trifled with.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The tragic account in Deuteronomy 1:43 holds timeless lessons for believers today, challenging us to deeply examine our own hearts. It prompts us to consider any inclination to "go presumptuously up into the hill" – to act on our own initiative, strength, or perceived wisdom, rather than humbly submitting to God's clear commands or patiently waiting for His perfect timing. In our lives, we frequently encounter situations where God's path seems difficult, slow, or contrary to our immediate desires or logical reasoning. In such moments, the temptation to rush ahead, to take matters into our own hands, or to disregard divine warnings can be incredibly strong. This verse urges us to cultivate a spirit of deep listening (true shama') and immediate, humble obedience, understanding that true spiritual success, peace, and well-being are found only in alignment with God's sovereign will. It reminds us that even after we have faced consequences for past disobedience, a subsequent act of self-willed "repentance" that ignores God's current instruction is still rebellion. Our ultimate safety and victory lie not in our own efforts or presumption, but in trusting God's wisdom and His way, even when it means waiting, retreating, or enduring a season of discipline.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What exactly does "presumptuously" mean in this context?
Answer: In Deuteronomy 1:43, "presumptuously" (Hebrew: zûwd) refers to acting with arrogant self-will, insolence, and defiance against a clear divine command. It is not a mistake or an act of ignorance, but a deliberate, high-handed sin committed with full knowledge and utter disregard for God's authority. The Israelites, having been explicitly told by God through Moses not to go up and fight (Numbers 14:41), chose to do so anyway. They believed they could achieve victory on their own terms or force God's hand, despite His declared judgment. This was a direct challenge to the LORD's word, stemming from pride and a profound lack of humble submission to His sovereign will.
Why did God not allow them to succeed, even if they repented and wanted to fight?
Answer: God had already pronounced a solemn judgment upon that generation for their initial rebellion and unbelief at Kadesh-Barnea, declaring that they would die in the wilderness and not enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:34). Their subsequent decision to fight was not an act of genuine repentance and faith that sought to align with God's will, but rather a further act of rebellion and presumption. They were attempting to reverse God's judgment through their own strength and timing, rather than humbly submitting to it. God's command through Moses was explicit: "Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you" (Numbers 14:42). To succeed, they needed God's presence, blessing, and active participation, which they had forfeited through their continued disobedience and defiance. Their "repentance" was not true turning to God's way, but a self-willed attempt to rectify their situation on their own terms.
How does this event relate to the overall message of Deuteronomy?
Answer: This event serves as a foundational cautionary tale within Moses's sermons in Deuteronomy. It powerfully illustrates the central Deuteronomic theme that Israel's well-being, success, and continued possession of the Promised Land are directly contingent upon their faithful obedience to the covenant stipulations. Moses recounts this specific failure to impress upon the new generation the dire consequences of disobedience and the absolute necessity of hearing and obeying the LORD's voice. By highlighting this past rebellion and its devastating outcome, Moses reinforces the urgency and seriousness of the covenant renewal, preparing the people for a life of faithful submission as they prepare to enter and inhabit the land. It underscores that the blessings of the covenant are conditional upon a responsive and obedient heart.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 1:43, with its stark portrayal of Israel's failure to truly "hear" and obey God's command, points profoundly to the necessity and perfection of Christ. Israel's repeated pattern of rebellion and presumption throughout the Old Testament highlights humanity's inherent inability to perfectly keep God's law and humbly submit to His will, underscoring the deep need for a new covenant and a transformed heart. Jesus, the true and faithful Israel, stands in stark contrast to this failure. He perfectly "heard" and obeyed the Father's will in every respect, not acting presumptuously but in perfect submission, even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Where Israel rebelled and went "presumptuously up into the hill" to their defeat, Jesus humbly ascended the "hill" of Calvary, not in defiance, but in perfect obedience, securing decisive victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness for all who believe (Luke 22:42). Through His perfect obedience, Christ fulfills the righteous requirements of the law, and by His indwelling Spirit, He enables believers to truly "hear" and obey God's voice, giving them a new heart and the capacity to walk in His statutes (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Our obedience now flows not from a futile attempt to earn salvation, but as a grateful response to the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29), empowering us to keep His commandments out of love and a transformed nature (John 14:15).