It 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.”
Parallel Translations
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It 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.”
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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.
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then 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 how they do even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.'
Cross-references (11)
Passages linked to Deuteronomy 31:21 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Hosea 5:3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; for now, Ephraim, you have played the prostitute. Israel is defiled.
- Genesis 6:5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.
- Psalms 139:2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar.
- John 2:24-25 But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone, and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
- Genesis 8:21 Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done.
- Isaiah 46:10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.
- Ezekiel 38:10-11 “ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, ‘I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
- Hosea 13:5-6 I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me.
- Amos 5:25-26 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel? You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.
- Acts 2:23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
- Acts 4:28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain That these evils are come upon them, because they…
That these evils are come upon them, because they forsook me.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Deu 31:21 And it shall come to pass, when…
Deu 31:21 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.
Ver. 21. For I know their imagination.] As a man that knows what roots he hath in his garden; though there be not a flower appears, yet he can say, when the spring comes, this and this will come up, because he knows the garden, and knows what roots are there: so the Lord knows our thoughts afar off, because he knows the principles that are within, and knows what they will do when occasion serves; he is privy to that root that beareth gall and wormwood. {Deu 29:18}
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.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain It shall not be forgotten: this seems not to…
It shall not be forgotten: this seems not to be a precept that they should remember it, but a prediction, that God would give them sad occasion to remember it, by bringing upon them the dreadful calamities mentioned in it.
Their imagination which they go about, even now; either their inward inclinations to idolatry, which they do not check, as they ought, but rather entertain with delight; and some of them do not only cherish it in their hearts, but as far as they can and dare secretly practise it, as may be gathered from Amo 5:26; Act 7:43; or their secret purposes to allow themselves therein, when they are settled in their land, which were clearly known to God, though it may be not fully evident to themselves.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Moses therefore wrote this song the same day,.... The…
Moses therefore wrote this song the same day,.... The same day it was dictated to him by divine inspiration; he wrote it, as Josephus says (d),"in hexameter verse, which he left in the holy Bible or book (the Pentateuch), containing (as he adds) a prophecy of things future, according to which all things have been done, and are done; and in nothing of it has he erred from the truth;''which is a very just account of it, and worthy of observation:
and taught it the children of Israel; instructed them in the meaning of it, directed them to repeat it frequently, to lay it up in their memories, and often meditate upon it; as being a divine composition, and of great importance, as the consideration of it will make appear.
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(d) Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Their imaginations - Inclinations to Idolatry, which they do…
Their imaginations - Inclinations to Idolatry, which they do not check, as they ought; and some of them do not only cherish it in their hearts, but as far as they can and dare, secretly practice it, as may be gathered from Amos v, 25 Acts vii, 43.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 21. This song shall testify against them] Because…
Verse 21. 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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Deu 31:21. This song shall testify against them as…
Deu 31:21. This song shall testify against them as a witness — That they were sufficiently admonished of their duty, and forewarned what would be the consequence of their defection from me and my worship, (Deu 32:18-19,) and be a clear evidence that the calamities which befall them are judgments sent from me for the punishment of their transgressions. How ought this to be remarked with wonder! For, to this very day, above three thousand years after, this song is a strong proof and demonstration, both to Jews and Christians, that Moses did indeed speak by the commandment of God. I know their imagination — Inclination to idolatry, which they do not check as they ought: and some of them do not only cherish it in their hearts, but, as far as they can and dare, secretly practise it, as may be gathered from Amo 5:25; Act 7:43.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Thoughts. Hebrew, "imagination." Septuagint, "wickedness." --- Them. Hebrew, "concerning…
Thoughts. Hebrew, "imagination." Septuagint, "wickedness." --- Them. Hebrew, "concerning which I swore." Septuagint add, "to their fathers." (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 21. This song shall testify against them as a…
21. This song shall testify against them as a witness — This ode, passing down from father to son, from generation to generation, would rebuke the apostasy of the nation. How in the midst of prevailing idolatry and gross corruption these divine words would be like the utterances of the prophets of the old and the apostles of the new dispensation! Every time the ode was repeated it would reprove and rebuke. In the days of apostate kings, if the song were repeated, how startling the words, “They sacrificed unto devils, not unto God!”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 21. many evils … are come upon it] Cp.…
21. many evils … are come upon it] Cp. Deu_31:17; this song shall testify to its face, the same vb. as in Deu_19:18; as a witness, Deu_31:19; its seed; its imagination, yéṣer, lit. moulding. This term and its synonyms are applied in the O.T. to evil imaginations in rebellion against God (e.g. Gen_6:5; Gen_8:21, Psa_10:2; Psa_140:2, Pro_6:18, Lam_3:60 f.) except in two passages (1Ch_28:9; 1Ch_29:18), where they are used indifferently, and in Isa_26:3 where the yéṣer or imagination is described as stayed on God.
before I bring it into the land, etc.] See Deu_31:20.
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) This song . . . shall not be…
(21) This song . . . shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed.—And it is not forgotten now. St. Paul made special use of it in the last days of the second Temple. This song is a favourite piece of Hebrew poetry to this day. Rashi observes: “This is a promise to Israel that the law shall not be utterly forgotten by their seed.”
I know their imagination.—Heb., yêtzer, the same word employed in Gen_6:5; Gen_8:21. It is the word commonly used in Rabbinical literature for the evil nature or good nature in any man. The nature which they are forming, or making, this day, would be a literal rendering of the sentence in this verse. And yet with all this, He made Balaam say, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob nor seen perverseness in Israel” (Num_23:21). Comp. 1Ch_28:9, “The Lord . . . understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts,” and Psa_103:14, “He knoweth our frame (yêtzer); He remembereth that we are dust.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 When many evils and troubles come upon this people
When many evils and troubles come upon this people
Here evils and troubles are described as if they were human and could find people. AT: "When this people experiences many evils and troubles" (See: Personification)
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this song will testify before them as a witness
This speaks of the song as if it were a human witness testifying in court against Israel. (See: Personification)
it will not be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants
This can be stated in active form. AT: "their descendants will not forget to keep it in their mouths" (See: Active or Passive)
it will not be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants
This can be stated positively. AT: "their descendants will remember to keep it in their mouths" (See: Active or Passive)
it will not be forgotten from the mouths of their descendants
The idiom "forget it from the mouth" means to stop speaking about it. AT: "their descendants will not stop speaking about it to each other" (See: Active or Passive)
the plans that they are forming
What people plan to do is spoken of as if it were a physical object. AT: "what they plan to do" (See: Metaphor)
the land that I promised
God's promise of the land was to give it to the people of Israel. This can be stated clearly. AT: "the land that I promised I would give to them" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
evil
trouble
people group
testimony
testimony
descend
oath
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.