Deuteronomy 31:20

20 When I bring them into the land that I promised to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they eat and become full and get fat and then begin fooling around with other gods and worshiping them,

Deuteronomy 31:20 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:20

For when I shall have brought them into the land which I
sware unto their fathers
To give it to them, and put them into the possession of it, even the land of Canaan, often thus described, and as it is by the following character:

that floweth with milk and honey;
aboundeth with all good things; see ( Exodus 3:8 ) ;

and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat;
that is, after they have for a considerable time enjoyed the good things of the land, and they abound with them, and increase in them, and have great fullness of them:

then will they turn unto other gods:
turn from the Lord who has brought them into all this plenty, from the fear, worship, and service of him, and turn to the worship of idols:

and serve them:
the works of men's hands, and at most but creatures, and not the Creator; than which nothing can be more absurd and stupid, as well as wicked and ungrateful:

and provoke me:
nothing being more provoking to the Lord than idolatry, it striking at his very nature, being, and glory:

and break my covenant;
now made with them; this being foretold by the Lord, which exactly came to pass in numerous instances, proves his precise foreknowledge of future events, even such as depend on the inclinations, dispositions, and wills of men.

Deuteronomy 31:20 In-Context

18 But I'll stay out of their lives, keep looking the other way because of all their evil: they took up with other gods!
19 "But for right now, copy down this song and teach the People of Israel to sing it by heart. They'll have it then as my witness against them.
20 When I bring them into the land that I promised to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they eat and become full and get fat and then begin fooling around with other gods and worshiping them,
21 and then things start falling apart, many terrible things happening, this song will be there with them as a witness to who they are and what went wrong. Their children won't forget this song; they'll be singing it. Don't think I don't know what they are already scheming to do, and they're not even in the land yet, this land I promised them."
22 So Moses wrote down this song that very day and taught it to the People of Israel.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.