Deuteronomy 1:21
in Deuteronomy 1See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, Jehovah thy God hath set the land before thee: go up, take possession, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 1
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country
on Deuteronomy 1:19-21
The charge "Do not be afraid or discouraged" in verse 21 returns at 31:6 and 31:8 and passes to Joshua at Joshua 1:9. It is spoken to a generation that will not act on it, and Moses repeats it at verse 29.
This site's exposition
Go up and take possession of it
Moses repeats at the border the words God spoke at Horeb in verse 8, the command to go up and possess. Matthew Henry says Moses told them this with triumph, and that the people then barred their own door.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee,....
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, Mark xii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
we went through all that great and terrible wilderness--of Paran, which included the desert and mountainous space lying between the wilderness of Shur westward, or towards Egypt and mount Seir, or the land of Edom eastwards; between the land of Canaan northwards, and the Red Sea southwards; and thus it appears to have comprehended really the wilderness of Sin and Sinai [FISK].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רְ֠אֵה | reeh | see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| נָתַ֨ן | natan | he sets | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֧ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְפָנֶ֖יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| עֲלֵ֣ה | ʾaleh | go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| רֵ֗שׁ | resh | take possession of [it] | H3423 → | 231 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֨ר | diber | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֤י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲבֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾavoteikha | ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | to you | ||
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּירָ֖א | tira' | you be afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תֵּחָֽת׃ | techat | you be dismayed | H2865 → |
רְ֠אֵהsee
reehH7200 →1300 times
נָתַ֨ןhe sets
natanH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֧הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לְפָנֶ֖יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
עֲלֵ֣הgo up
ʾalehH5927 →890 times
רֵ֗שׁtake possession of [it]
reshH3423 →231 times
כַּאֲשֶׁר֩just as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֨רhe spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֤י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
אֲבֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ancestors your
ʾavoteikhaH1 →1212 times
לָ֔ךְto you
lakh
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּירָ֖אyou be afraid
tira'H3372 →315 times
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תֵּחָֽת׃you be dismayed
techatH2865 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 13:6So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 118:6–9
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Psalms 27:1–3
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
- Psalms 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
- Romans 8:31
Through
Joshua 1:9Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
it leads to
- Genesis 28:15
Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what…
- Jeremiah 1:7–8
But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.
- Psalms 27:1–2
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
- Genesis 28:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
On this verse
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.