Behold, Yahweh your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Yahweh the God of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”
Parallel Translations
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Behold, Yahweh your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Yahweh the God of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”
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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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Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee; go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.'
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Deuteronomy 1:21 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Joshua 1:9 Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Numbers 14:8-9 If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey. Only don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.”
- Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
- Hebrews 13:6 So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
- Numbers 13:30 Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let’s go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!”
- Deuteronomy 20:1 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
- Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
- Psalms 27:1-3 Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident.
- Psalms 46:7 Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.
- Psalms 46:11 Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.
- Isaiah 41:10 Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Isaiah 43:1-2 But now Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel, says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.
- Luke 12:32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Deu 1:21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set…
Deu 1:21 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.
Ver. 21. Behold the Lord.] {See Trapp on "Deu 1:8"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land…
Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee,.... The land of Canaan, on the borders of which they then were; See Gill on Deu 1:8,
go up; the mountain, by that way of it which was the way the spies went, and up to which some of the Israelites presumed to go when forbidden, they not complying with the call of God:
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and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; as in Deu 1:8,
fear not, neither be discouraged; though the people of the land were numerous and strong, and their cities large and walled.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 21. Behold, the Lord thy God, etc.] The first…
21. Behold, the Lord thy God, etc.] The first of the passages, scattered throughout this discourse, in the Sg. form of address. The LXX has indeed the Pl. but apparently in order to harmonise with the context; the Sg. is confirmed by the Sam. Moreover the expression fear thou not neither be dismayed (al-tîra’ We’al teḥath) is always found with the Sg. address, while the Pl. has for the same idea dread ye not neither fear ye (lo-ta‘arsûn welô-tîrûn), e.g. Deu_1:29, Deu_31:6. Further the contents of the verse, though not otherwise exhibiting marks of separate-ness from the context, are not indispensable as a connection between Deu_1:20; Deu_1:22. It is probable, therefore, that the verse is a later insertion, to make that connection clearer and more exact.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (21) Fear not, neither be discouraged.—The last clause of…
(21) Fear not, neither be discouraged.—The last clause of this verse reappears in St. Joh_14:27, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain "Fear not, neither be discouraged" (cf. Jos_1:7, Jos_1:9)
Courage.
"Fear not, neither be discouraged" (cf. Jos_1:7, Jos_1:9)
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I GOD"S WORK NEEDS COURAGE.
1. The enemies are many.
2. The enemies are strong.
3. Humanly speaking, we are feeble in comparison with them.
Distinguishing between real and nominal Christianity, it might be plausibly held that there is today greater talent, intellectual power, wealth, rank, and social influence enlisted on the side of unbelief than on the side of faith. But the true citadel of unbelief is the evil heart; and what powers of our own are sufficient to storm that?
II IN GOD"S WORK THERE IS EVERY REASON FOR COURAGE.
1. God is with us. Our cause is his cause.
2. He has promised victory, and he is able to keep his promise.
3. The past should encourage us.
The Church can never come through greater conflicts than those in which she has already proved herself victorious. J.O.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain The Lord . . . hath set the land…
Deu_1:21
The Lord . . . hath set the land before thee.
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The heritage of grace
There is a heritage of grace which we ought to be bold enough to win for our own possession. All that one believer has gained is free to another. We may be strong in faith, fervent in love, and abundant in labour; there is nothing to prevent it; let us go up and take possession. The sweetest experience and the brightest grace are as much for us as for any of our brethren. Jehovah has set it before us; no one can deny our right; let us go up and possess it in His name. The world also lies before us to be conquered for the Lord Jesus. We are not to leave any country a corner of it unsubdued. That slum near our house is before us, not to baffle our endeavours, but to yield to them. We have only to summon courage enough to go forward, and we shall win dark homes and hard hearts for Jesus. Let us never leave the people in a lane or alley to die because we have not enough faith in Jesus and His Gospel to go up and possess the land. No spot is too benighted, no person is so profane as to be beyond the power of grace. Cowardice, begone! Faith marches to the conquest. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The folly of unbelief
Moses recounted what had occurred in the wilderness of Paran about two years after the Israelites went out of Egypt. They had reached Kadesh on the verge of the Negeb or South Country. They resolved to send spies before them to reconnoitre. This resolve, as the sequel proved, showed a want of faith on the part of many, and even a determined desire on the part of some to find an excuse for returning to Egypt. The majority of the spies, while extolling the country, magnified the difficulties which seemed to be on the path to its conquest. Only two of the spies were on the Lords side. But the latent unbelief of the people brushed aside their arguments. Only too ]ate the people repented of their folly, and were driven back before the Amorites to their forty years of wandering. Moses dwelt on this incident because it showed the folly and punishment of unbelief, and was thus a warning example. So it is to the Christian Church (1Co_10:6). It shows--
I. Some hindrances to faith.
1. The history is typical of what often occurs in the Christian life. Many come to the borders of the kingdom of God and fail to enter.
2. The causes of failure are similar, the chief cause is unbelief. Because of this the Israelites could not enter. The proofs God had given of His power and willingness aggravated this unbelief. Every step of the journey proved the Divine goodness. But they forgot all God had done. Unbelief frustrated all.
3. So is it with individual men. Barriers to entrance to the Divine kingdom are raised by themselves. They do not trust in the Divine promises. They are troubled by the thought that they are too sinful--that they must repent, prepare themselves, etc. But salvation does not depend on these things, though they may show that our hearts are set on it. The slave who is offered freedom does not need to attempt to purchase it. So sinful men may enter the strait gate in the Divine strength, through Christ. It was not their preparedness that entitled the Israelites to enter into the land of promise, but their faith in the Divine promises.
II. Difficulties in the way of spiritual progress.
(1) The desert life, the hardship of conquest, were not to the taste of many of the Israelites. In Egypt they enjoyed many luxuries now denied them. So not a few wished to return to Egypt. But this was folly--the way to death, to fall into the hands of the enraged Pharaoh.
(2) This is a faint type of those who turn their backs on the spiritual kingdom, lured by the pleasures of the world.
(3) Do not let any think, as some in Israel seemed to do, that if God intends us to overcome He will enable us to do so without effort. Israel could not possess Canaan till the Amorites and other foes were overcome, the strong cities overthrown, etc. This the Israelites in unbelief thought could not be accomplished.
(4) This is the plea of many at the entrance of the spiritual life. The way is too difficult, the enemies are too strong, we cannot overcome. But the New Testament word is, If God be for us, who can be against us? Christ has commanded us to strive and agonise to enter.
(5) Let no man be deterred by this. Every noble life is a struggle. Good men, from the very constitution of things, must suffer. Even goodness incarnate was rewarded by the world with a cross. These difficulties are raised by the adversary.
(6) There are some events peculiarly saddening. A ship wrecked at the harbour mouth--a runner fainting when close to the goal--an heir bartering his inheritance for a mess of pottage. But sadder still--a sight fit to make angels weep--is it to see an heir of immortal glory turning from his fathers house back to the far country and the swine troughs! (W. Frank Scott.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.