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Deuteronomy 31:21

in Deuteronomy 31

And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And 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.

KJV

And 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.

This verse in Deuteronomy 31

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song

on Deuteronomy 31:19-21

The song is commissioned as evidence for a trial that has not opened. Verse 21 says why it will hold: “it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants”.

This site's exposition

For I know their inclination

Inclination translates yetser, the Hebrew word for what a mind forms or plans. The same word describes the evil bent of the human heart before and after the flood at Genesis 6:5 and 8:21. God reads Israel's bent before they cross.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), 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.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

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.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

the Lord said unto Moses, . . . this people will rise up--In this remarkable interview, Moses was distinctly apprised of the infidelity of Israel, their corruptions of the true religion through intercourse with the idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan (Am 5:26), and their chastisements in consequence of those national defections.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

This song shall testify against them - Because in it their general defection is predicted, but in such a way as to show them how to avoid the evil; and if they did not avoid the evil, and the threatened punishment should come upon them, then the song should testify against them, by showing that they had been sufficiently warned, and might have lived to God, and so escaped those disasters.

The words behind it

31 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְ֠הָיָהand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • כִּֽי־that

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • תִמְצֶ֨אןָthey will come upon

    timtzenaH4672 →455 times

  • אֹת֜וֹ<obj.> it

    ʾotoH853 →10935 times

  • רָע֣וֹתcalamities

    raotH7451 →662 times

  • רַבּוֹת֮many

    rabotH7227 →454 times

  • וְצָרוֹת֒and troubles

    vetzarotH6869 →

  • וְ֠עָנְתָהand it will testify

    veanetahH6030 →331 times

  • הַשִּׁירָ֨הthe song

    hashirahH7892 →59 times

  • הַזֹּ֤את<the> this

    hazotH2063 →603 times

  • לְפָנָיו֙<to> before it

    lefanavH6440 →2123 times

  • לְעֵ֔דto a witness

    leedH5707 →70 times

  • כִּ֛יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לֹ֥אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • תִשָּׁכַ֖חit will be forgotten

    tishakhachH7911 →102 times

  • מִפִּ֣יfrom [the] mouth of

    mipiH6310 →498 times

  • זַרְע֑וֹoffspring its

    zaroH2233 →229 times

  • כִּ֧יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • יָדַ֣עְתִּיI know

    yada'tiH3045 →945 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • יִצְר֗וֹintention its

    yitzroH3336 →

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • ה֤וּאit

    hu'H1931 →1879 times

  • עֹשֶׂה֙[is] making

    ʾosehH6213 →2628 times

  • הַיּ֔וֹםthis day

    haiyomH3117 →2304 times

  • בְּטֶ֣רֶם<in> before

    beteremH2962 →

  • אֲבִיאֶ֔נּוּI will bring it

    ʾavienuH935 →2568 times

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָאָ֖רֶץthe land

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • נִשְׁבָּֽעְתִּי׃I swore

    nishbaetiH7650 →186 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Isaiah 46:10

    I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 19:21

      Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

    • Psalms 33:11

      The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.

    • Ephesians 1:9–11

      And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ

    • Isaiah 43:13

      Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

  • Through

    Genesis 6:5

    Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 15:19

      For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

    • Romans 1:28–31

      Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

    • Mark 7:21–23

      For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

    • Jeremiah 4:14

      Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Berean Standard Bible, Genesis 6:5; 8:21; Hebrew text, Deuteronomy 31:21; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.