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“God Charges Joshua and Prophesies Apostasy”· Deuteronomy 31:14–23
Translation
King James Version
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
KJV (with Strong's)
For when I shall have brought H935 them into the land H127 which I sware H7650 unto their fathers H1, that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey H1706; and they shall have eaten H398 and filled H7646 themselves, and waxen fat H1878; then will they turn H6437 unto other H312 gods H430, and serve H5647 them, and provoke H5006 me, and break H6565 my covenant H1285.
Complete Jewish Bible
For when I have brought them into the land I swore to their ancestors, flowing with milk and honey; and they have eaten their fill, grown fat and turned to other gods, serving them and despising me, and broken my covenant;
Berean Standard Bible
When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.
American Standard Version
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
World English Bible Messianic
For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
Geneva Bible (1599)
For I will bring them into the land (which I sware vnto their fathers) that floweth with milke and honie, and they shall eate, and fil them selues, and waxe fat: then shall they turne vnto other gods, and serue them, and contemne me, and breake my couenant.
Young's Literal Translation
and I bring them in unto the ground which I have sworn to their fathers--flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten, and been satisfied, and been fat, and have turned unto other gods, and they have served them, and despised Me, and broken My covenant.
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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Deuteronomy 31:14–21.
Passage under commentDeuteronomy 31:14–21
14¶ 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.
15And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.
16And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17Then 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?
18And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
19Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
21And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
Here, I. Moses and Joshua are summoned to attend the divine majesty at the door of the tabernacle, Deu 31:14. Moses is told again that he must shortly die; even those that are most ready and willing to die have need to be often reminded of the approach of death. In consideration of this, he must come himself to meet God; for whatever improves our communion with God furthers our preparation for death. He must also bring Joshua with him to be presented to God for a successor, and to receive his commission and charge. Moses readily obeys the summons, for he was not one of those that look with an evil eye upon their successors, but, on the contrary, rejoiced in him.
II.God graciously gives them the meeting:
He appeared in the tabernacle (as the shechinah used to appear) in a pillar of a cloud, v. 15. This is the only time in all this book that we read of the glory of God appearing, whereas we often read of it in the three foregoing books, which perhaps signifies that in the latter days, under the evangelical law, such visible appearances as these of the divine glory are not to be expected, but we must take heed to the more sure word of prophecy.
III.He tells Moses that, after his death, the covenant which he had taken so much pains to make between Israel and their God would certainly be broken. 1. That Israel would forsake God, v. 16. And we may be sure that if the covenant between God and man be broken the blame must lie on man, it is he that breaks it; we have often observed it, That God never leaves any till they first leave him. Worshipping the gods of the Canaanites (who had been the natives, but henceforward were to be looked upon as the strangers of that land) would undoubtedly be counted a deserting of God, and, like adultery, a violation of the covenant. Thus still those are revolters from Christ, and will be so adjudged, who either make a god of their money by reigning covetousness or a god of their belly by reigning sensuality. Those that turn to other gods (v. 18) forsake their own mercies. This apostasy of theirs is foretold to be the effect of their prosperity (v. 20): They shall have eaten and filled themselves; this is all they will aim at in eating, to gratify their own appetites, and then they will wax fat, grow secure and sensual; their security will take off their dread of God and his judgments; and their sensuality will incline them to the idolatries of the heathen, which made provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it. Note, God has a clear and infallible foresight of all the wickedness of the wicked, and has often covenanted with those who he knew would deal very treacherously (Isa 48:8), and conferred many favours on those who he knew would deal very ungratefully. 2. That then God would forsake Israel; and justly does he cast those off who had so unjustly cast him off (v. 17): My anger shall be kindled against them, and I will forsake them. His providence would forsake them, no longer to protect and prosper them, and then they would become a prey to all their neighbours. His spirit and grace would forsake them, no longer to teach and guide them, and then they would be more and more bigoted, besotted, and hardened in their idolatries. Thus many evils and troubles would befal them. (v. 17, 21), which would be such manifest indications of God's displeasure against them that they themselves would be constrained to own it: Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? Those that have sinned away their God will find that thereby they pull all mischiefs upon their own heads. But that which completed their misery was that God would hide his face from them in that day, that day of their trouble and distress, v. 18. Whatever outward troubles we are in, if we have but the light of God's countenance, we may be easy. But, if God hide his face from us and our prayers, we are undone.
IV.He directs Moses to deliver them a song, in the composing of which he should be divinely inspired, and which should remain a standing testimony for God as faithful to them in giving them warning, and against them as persons false to themselves in not taking the warning, v. 19. The written word in general, as well as this song in particular, is a witness for God against all those that break covenant with him. It shall be for a testimony, Mat 24:14. The wisdom of man has devised many ways of conveying the knowledge of good and evil, by laws, histories, prophecies, proverbs, and, among the rest, by songs; each has its advantages. And the wisdom of God has in the scripture made use of them all, that ignorant and careless men might be left inexcusable. 1. This song, if rightly improved, might be a means to prevent their apostasy; for in the inditing of it God had an eye to their present imagination, now, before they were brought into the land of promise, Deu 31:21. God knew very well that there were in their hearts such gross conceits of the deity, and such inclinations of idolatry, that they would be tinder to the sparks of that temptation; and therefore in this song he gives them warning of their danger that way. Note, The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of men's hearts, and meets with them strangely by its reproofs and corrections, Heb 4:12. Compare Co1 14:25. Ministers who preach the word know not the imaginations men go about, but God, whose word it is, knows perfectly. 2. If this song did not prevent their apostasy, yet it might help to bring them to repentance, and to recover them from their apostasy. When their troubles come upon them, this song shall not be forgotten, but may serve as a glass to show them their own faces, that they may humble themselves, and return to him from whom they have revolted. Note, Those for whom God has mercy in store he may leave to fall, yet he will provide means for their recovery. Medicines are prepared before-hand for their cure.
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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 31:20 presents God's poignant prophecy to Moses, foretelling Israel's future apostasy. Despite being faithfully brought into the Promised Land—a region of abundant blessing described as flowing with milk and honey—and experiencing the fullness of God's provision and prosperity, the people are foreknown to become complacent, turn to idolatry, serve other gods, provoke the Lord, and ultimately break the sacred covenant He established with them. This verse profoundly underscores God's omniscience, highlights the inherent spiritual perils of prosperity, and reveals the persistent human tendency towards unfaithfulness.
Context
Literary Context
Deuteronomy 31 serves as a pivotal chapter in Moses' final discourse before his death and Israel's imminent entry into Canaan. Following the renewal of the covenant and the detailed recitation of blessings and curses in chapters 28-30, Moses prepares the nation for the transition of leadership to Joshua. This verse is embedded within God's direct instruction to Moses to write down a song (which appears in Deuteronomy 32) that will serve as an enduring witness against Israel in future generations, explicitly anticipating their future rebellion. The immediate preceding verses, Deuteronomy 31:16-19, detail God's declaration that Israel will "play the harlot after the gods of the strangers of the land" and forsake Him, leading to His anger and the hiding of His face. Verse 20 specifically elaborates on the precise circumstances under which this apostasy will occur: after they have enjoyed the land's bounty and grown prosperous.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Israelites stand on the precipice of entering Canaan, a land dramatically different from the wilderness they have traversed for forty years. Canaan was renowned for its agricultural fertility and was inhabited by various peoples (Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, etc.) who practiced polytheistic religions, often involving fertility cults, ritual prostitution, and even child sacrifice. The iconic phrase "land flowing with milk and honey" was a common descriptor of agricultural richness and natural abundance, promising a life of ease and prosperity far beyond their nomadic existence. Culturally, the temptation to adopt the religious practices of the surrounding nations, particularly those tied to agricultural success (like Baal worship), was a constant and potent threat, as these practices seemed to promise direct control over prosperity. This verse reflects God's profound awareness of this impending cultural assimilation and spiritual compromise, a danger that would plague Israel throughout its history.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. It highlights God's foreknowledge and sovereignty, demonstrating His perfect understanding of future human choices, even sinful ones, as seen in Isaiah 46:10. It also underscores the peril of prosperity, warning that abundance—a direct blessing from God—can ironically lead to spiritual complacency, self-sufficiency, and a turning away from the Lord. This theme is powerfully reiterated throughout Deuteronomy, particularly in Deuteronomy 8:11-14. Furthermore, it emphasizes the gravity of idolatry and covenant breaking, revealing that turning to "other gods" directly violates the exclusive covenant relationship established at Sinai, where Israel vowed to serve only Yahweh, as outlined in Exodus 19:5. The act of "provoking" God speaks to His righteous jealousy and profound grief over their unfaithfulness.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H1878) literally means "to be fat" or "to grow fat," indicating a state of physical abundance and satiety that Israel will experience in the Promised Land. However, in this context, it carries a profound metaphorical connotation, implying spiritual dullness, arrogance, or a hardening of the heart that often accompanies comfort and self-sufficiency. It suggests a state where ease leads to forgetting the source of blessing and becoming unresponsive to God's will, often culminating in rebellion, as vividly portrayed in Deuteronomy 32:15.
This verb (H5006) signifies "to scorn," "to abhor," "to contemn," or "to despise." When used in relation to God, it describes the righteous indignation, sorrow, and jealousy He experiences due to Israel's unfaithfulness and idolatry. It highlights the deeply personal nature of God's covenant relationship with His people and the profound impact their disobedience has on Him, not merely as a violation of law, but as a betrayal of trust and love, an act of contempt against His holy character.
This noun (H1285) refers to a "compact" or "league," conceptually linked to the ancient practice of "cutting" a covenant, often by passing between pieces of flesh. It denotes a solemn, binding agreement established between God and Israel, specifically the Mosaic Covenant. Its breach signifies a profound rupture of this sacred relationship, implying a willful disregard for the terms and obligations that Israel solemnly agreed to at Sinai, leading to severe consequences.
Verse Breakdown
"For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey;"
This initial clause establishes the divine faithfulness and the fulfillment of God's ancient promises. It reiterates the Lord's unwavering commitment to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, specifically concerning the inheritance of a fertile and prosperous land. The phrase "floweth with milk and honey" is an iconic, vivid symbol of the land's extraordinary abundance, emphasizing the richness and generosity of God's provision.
"and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat;"
This segment describes the direct consequence of Israel's settlement and prosperity in the promised land. "Eaten and filled themselves" signifies complete satisfaction and material prosperity, indicating that their physical needs will be abundantly met. The subsequent phrase, "waxen fat," extends this idea beyond mere physical well-being, carrying the ominous undertone of spiritual complacency, self-sufficiency, and a hardening of the heart that often accompanies prolonged ease and abundance.
"then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant."
This is the core prophetic warning, directly linking prosperity to apostasy. The temporal indicator "then" creates a cause-and-effect relationship, highlighting that their material blessings will ironically precede their spiritual downfall. "Turn unto other gods, and serve them" describes the act of idolatry, a direct violation of the first commandment and the very essence of the Sinai covenant. This act is not merely a deviation but an intentional rejection of Yahweh. Their idolatry is then explicitly stated to "provoke me," indicating God's righteous anger and profound grief, and to "break my covenant," signifying the dissolution of the sacred, binding agreement established between God and Israel, with all its dire consequences.
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 31:20 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound and sobering message. The most prominent is Prophecy or Foreshadowing, as God explicitly declares Israel's future apostasy before they even enter the land. This divine foreknowledge underscores God's sovereignty and the certainty of His word concerning human behavior. There is also a strong element of Irony inherent in the verse: the very blessings of prosperity and abundance, which are direct gifts from God, are predicted to become the catalysts for Israel's turning away from Him. The phrase "waxen fat" functions as a potent Metaphor, extending beyond mere physical satiety to represent spiritual dullness, arrogance, and a hardening of the heart that often accompanies comfort. The description of the land as "flowing with milk and honey" is a well-known Idiom or Symbol, vividly representing fertility, divine blessing, and an ideal state of provision. Finally, the statement that Israel will "provoke me" is a clear instance of Anthropomorphism, attributing human emotions (anger, grief, a sense of being offended) to God, thereby emphasizing the deeply personal and relational nature of His covenant with His people and the profound offense their unfaithfulness causes Him.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Deuteronomy 31:20 is a profound theological statement on God's foreknowledge, the complexities of human nature, and the dynamics of covenant relationship. It reveals that God, in His omniscience, perfectly knows the future choices of His people, even their failures and rebellions, yet He still acts in unwavering faithfulness to His promises, bringing them into the land of blessing. This divine foreknowledge does not negate human responsibility; rather, it highlights the persistent human tendency towards spiritual amnesia, complacency, and idolatry, especially in times of ease and prosperity. The verse serves as a sober reminder that blessings, if not received with humility, gratitude, and a vigilant heart, can ironically become stumbling blocks, leading to a forgetfulness of God and a turning to "other gods"—whether literal idols or modern substitutes like wealth, comfort, self-reliance, or worldly success. It underscores the sanctity of the covenant and the gravity of its breach, revealing God's righteous anger but also His deep emotional investment in His relationship with Israel, viewing their unfaithfulness as a personal affront.
Reflection and Application
Deuteronomy 31:20 offers timeless warnings and profound insights for believers today, challenging us to examine our own hearts in times of prosperity and comfort. It reveals that spiritual complacency can be a subtle yet potent enemy, often emerging not in scarcity, but in abundance. When life is comfortable, needs are met, and blessings abound, it is remarkably easy to forget the divine source of our provision and to subtly shift our allegiance from God to the gifts He provides, or even to our own perceived self-sufficiency. This verse powerfully reminds us that true security, lasting satisfaction, and enduring faithfulness are found not in material abundance, but in an unwavering, dependent relationship with the Lord. It calls us to cultivate a posture of constant gratitude, humility, and spiritual vigilance, ensuring that our hearts remain fixed on God and that no "other god"—be it wealth, career, pleasure, personal achievement, or self-reliance—usurps His rightful, supreme place in our lives. The enduring temptation to idolatry, though perhaps manifested differently in a modern context, remains a real and present danger, urging us to continually evaluate what truly holds the highest affection and priority in our lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does God's foreknowledge of Israel's sin mean they weren't truly free to choose?
God's foreknowledge, as powerfully demonstrated in Deuteronomy 31:20, means He perfectly knows what will happen, but it does not negate human free will or responsibility. The Bible consistently presents humans as moral agents capable of making genuine choices, for which they are held accountable. God's omniscience means He knows the choices Israel will make, not that He causes them to make those choices. His declaration here is a prophetic warning, intended to underscore the seriousness of their future actions and to provide an enduring witness (the song of Moses) that will remind them of their covenant obligations. It highlights His perfect understanding of human nature and the temptations that prosperity brings, rather than predestining their sin. For a deeper understanding of human responsibility alongside God's sovereignty, consider the theological discussions in Romans 9:19-21.
What does "waxen fat" mean in a spiritual sense?
While "waxen fat" literally refers to physical well-being and abundance, in a spiritual sense, particularly within the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, it metaphorically describes a state of spiritual dullness, arrogance, and self-sufficiency that often accompanies material prosperity. It implies that when people are comfortable and their needs are abundantly met, they can become complacent, forget their dependence on God, and grow unresponsive to His commands or warnings. This spiritual "fatness" leads to a hardening of the heart, making one less inclined to seek God or acknowledge Him as the true source of blessing, ultimately leading to apostasy and rebellion, as powerfully illustrated in Deuteronomy 32:15.
How does this verse relate to the concept of covenant in the Old Testament?
Deuteronomy 31:20 is deeply rooted in Old Testament covenant theology. The Mosaic Covenant, established at Sinai (e.g., Exodus 19), was a conditional agreement where God promised blessings for obedience and stipulated curses for disobedience. This verse explicitly states that Israel's future actions—turning to other gods and provoking God—constitute a "breaking of my covenant." This highlights the reciprocal nature of the covenant: God is faithful to bring them into the promised land, but their unfaithfulness in turn violates their solemn obligations. The consequence of breaking the covenant was typically divine judgment and the withdrawal of blessings, though God's long-suffering mercy often provided opportunities for repentance and restoration. The entire book of Deuteronomy serves as a profound reminder of these covenant stipulations and the dire consequences of their breach.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 31:20, with its stark prophecy of Israel's unfaithfulness despite God's abundant blessings, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a direct prophecy of Jesus, but in its profound revelation of humanity's deep-seated sinfulness and the absolute necessity of a new covenant. Israel's consistent failure to uphold the Old Covenant, even in prosperity, underscores humanity's pervasive inability to perfectly obey God and remain faithful. This persistent unfaithfulness, repeatedly highlighted throughout Israel's history, points inexorably to the need for a divine intervention that would address the root problem of the human heart. Jesus Christ is the faithful Israelite, the one who perfectly obeyed God, even unto death on the cross, thereby fulfilling the covenant requirements that Israel continually broke (e.g., Philippians 2:8). Furthermore, Christ inaugurates the New Covenant, a covenant "not like the covenant that I made with their fathers" (Jeremiah 31:31-34), where God's law is written not on stone tablets but on hearts, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This new covenant, established through Christ's shed blood (Luke 22:20), provides the grace and power for believers to truly walk in faithfulness, addressing the very propensity to "turn unto other gods" that plagued Old Testament Israel. Thus, this verse ultimately magnifies the boundless grace of God in Christ, who provides the ultimate solution to humanity's covenant-breaking nature, enabling a true, lasting, and Spirit-empowered relationship with God.