Deuteronomy 31:14-23 Meaning: Commissioned with Eyes Wide Open
14Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.
15Yahweh appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door.
16Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land where 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 come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’
18I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.
19“Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to 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 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.
21It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.”
22So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.”
14And 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.
22Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
23And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
14And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
15And Jehovah appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent.
16And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the harlot after the strange gods 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 come upon 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 evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
19Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou 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, 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.
21And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
22So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
23And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
14And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thy days have drawn near to die; call Joshua, and station yourselves in the tent of meeting, and I charge him;' and Moses goeth--Joshua also--and they station themselves in the tent of meeting,
15and Jehovah is seen in the tent, in a pillar of a cloud; and the pillar of the cloud standeth at the opening of the tent.
16And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thou art lying down with thy fathers, and this people hath risen, and gone a-whoring after the gods of the stranger of the land into the midst of which it hath entered, and forsaken Me, and broken My covenant which I made with it;
17and Mine anger hath burned against it in that day, and I have forsaken them, and hidden My face from them, and it hath been for consumption, and many evils and distresses have found it, and it hath said in that day, Is it not because that my God is not in my midst--these evils have found me?
18and I certainly hide My face in that day for all the evil which it hath done, for it hath turned unto other gods.
19`And now, write for you this song, and teach it the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the sons of Israel,
20and 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.
21`And it hath been, when many evils and distresses do meet it, that this song hath testified to its face for a witness; for it is not forgotten out of the mouth of its seed, for I have known its imagining which it is doing to-day, before I bring them in unto the land of which I have sworn.'
22And Moses writeth this song on that day, and doth teach it the sons of Israel,
23and He commandeth Joshua son of Nun, and saith, `Be strong and courageous, for thou dost bring in the sons of Israel unto the land which I have sworn to them, and I--I am with thee.'
14And Jehovah said to Moses, Lo, the days are near for thee to die; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.
15And Jehovah appeared at the tent in the pillar of cloud; and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.
16And Jehovah said to Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the strangegods of the land into which they enter, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17And 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, and they will say in that day, Have not these evils befallen me because my God is not in my midst?
18And I will entirely hide my face in that day for all the evils that they have wrought, because they turned unto othergods.
19And now, write ye this song, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20For I shall bring them into the land which I swore unto their fathers, which floweth with milk and honey; and they will eat and fill themselves, and wax fat, and will turn unto othergods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
21And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have 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 are forming already this day, before I bring them into the land which I have sworn [unto them].
22And Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23And [Jehovah] commanded Joshua the son of Nun, and said, Be strong and courageous; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I have sworn unto them; and I will be with thee.
Meaning in one sentence
God commissions Joshua as Moses’ successor, knowing Israel will later rebel. He gives a song to witness against them and tells Joshua to be strong.
Context
Moses is near death, and God calls him and Joshua into the Tent of Meeting for a solemn ceremony. For years the pillar of cloud had guided Israel; now it stands over the tent’s entrance as God appears. In this final meeting, God does two things: He commissions Joshua to lead the people into the promised land, and He warns that the people will soon turn away and worship other gods. Rather than leave Israel without help, God instructs Moses to write a song, a witness that would be sung through generations. Even as God predicts failure, He prepares a way for memory and repentance.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight here. Zanah ("play the prostitute") is not a mild word. It describes a bride who chases other lovers, deliberately unfaithful. God uses it to name the coming rebellion as betrayal, not just a mistake. Satar ("hide my face") carries the pain of a parent turning away, withdrawing presence. When God hides His face, the light of His favor goes dark. But God also speaks of their yetser ("inclination"): the inner bent of the heart that He already knows. Commentators note this word refers to their imagination or whatever they are framing. God is not surprised. So He prepares a song to outlast their failure, a memory aid so they can never claim ignorance.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this passage as a profound mix of warning and grace. Matthew Henry notes that God announces the apostasy to Joshua so he would be fully aware of the danger and strive to avert it. Calvin sees the song as a puzzling remedy, why give a song to an incurable disease?, but understands it as God's way of leaving witness. Barnes highlights that Joshua later repeats the same warning in his own last address. The song itself has been read by many, from early church fathers to Reformers, as a poetic testimony that keeps God's truth accessible even to the forgetful. Both the warning and the song point to the same God: one who does not hide the hard truth but also gives tools to remember.
A common misunderstanding
Some read God's foreknowledge here as if He causes the people to sin. In fact, God tells them what they will do so they can't claim surprise. He knows their inclination (yetser), but He still brings them into the land and gives them a song to testify to His faithfulness. The warning is an act of love, not a predestined trap.
Living This Out
This passage asks you to take sin seriously, especially the quiet drift that happens when life gets full. Israel would eat, be satisfied, grow fat, and then turn away. That pattern is real for anyone. But God's answer is not just a warning; it's a song. This week, consider memorizing a short passage of Scripture or a hymn that tells the truth about who God is and what He has done. Put it in your mouth, as God said, so it can testify to you when your own heart forgets.
Main takeaway: God knows our failures in advance, yet He still commissions leaders and gives us songs to remember His faithfulness.
For Families
For ages 5-8
God told Moses to write a song for the people. The song would help them remember God even when they forgot. You can learn a song about God too!
For ages 9-12
In this part of the Bible, God knew that the people would later turn away from Him and worship other gods. But God did not just get angry, He gave them a song to sing. He wanted them to have something to help them remember His love and His commands. It is like when your parents remind you of something important by saying it over and over until it sticks. God's song was a gift to help their hearts stay close to Him even when they drifted.
Questions People Ask
Why did God commission Joshua in the Tent of Meeting instead of in public?
The Tent of Meeting was where God met with Moses. By calling Joshua there and appearing in the pillar of cloud, God gave Joshua divine authority in the most direct way. It showed that Joshua's leadership came from God, not from human appointment alone.
What does 'hide my face' mean in Deuteronomy 31:17?
In the Bible, God's face represents His favor and presence. Hiding His face means withdrawing His protection and blessing because of the people's sin. It is a way of saying they would experience the consequences of their rebellion.
Why did God tell Moses to write a song instead of just a warning?
Songs are easier to remember and pass down. The song would be sung by generations, lodged in their memory. It served as a witness, a testimony that God had warned them and told them the truth beforehand.
Does God's foreknowledge of Israel's sin mean He caused it?
No. God knows what people will choose, but He does not force them to sin. Here He warns Moses and Joshua so that they are not surprised and so the people cannot claim ignorance. The blame rests on their own choices.
How is Joshua's commission here different from his earlier appointment in Numbers 27?
In Numbers 27, Moses laid hands on Joshua in front of Eleazar and the congregation. Here God personally commissions Joshua in the Tent of Meeting, confirming his role with a direct divine charge. It is a second, more personal authorization for the task ahead.
For pastors & researchers
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