Deuteronomy 31:16

16 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thou art lying down with thy fathers, and this people hath risen, and gone a-whoring after the gods of the stranger of the land into the midst of which it hath entered, and forsaken Me, and broken My covenant which I made with it;

Deuteronomy 31:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:16

And the Lord said unto Moses
Out of the pillar of cloud:

behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers;
a phrase expressive of death, frequently used both of good and bad men, which serves to render death easy and familiar, and less formidable; and to assure and lead into an expectation of an awaking out of it, or a resurrection from it:

and this people will rise up;
in their posterity; for not till after Joshua's death, and the death of the elders of Israel, did they revolt to idolatry, ( Joshua 24:31 ) ;

and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither
they go [to be] amongst them;
that is, after the gods of the Canaanites, who though at this time the inhabitants of the land, yet when the children of Israel became possessors of it, they were the strangers of it; and being suffered to continue contrary to the directions God had given to destroy them, would be a means of drawing them into the worship of their idols, expressed here by going a whoring after them, or committing whoredom with them. Idolatry in Scripture is frequently signified by fornication and adultery; and, as foretold, this was the case; see ( Psalms 106:35-39 ) ;

and will forsake me:
their husband, departing from his worship and service:

and break my covenant which I have made with them at Sinai;
and now again in the plains of Moab, and which had the nature of a matrimonial contract; see ( Jeremiah 31:32 ) .

Deuteronomy 31:16 In-Context

14 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thy days have drawn near to die; call Joshua, and station yourselves in the tent of meeting, and I charge him;' and Moses goeth -- Joshua also -- and they station themselves in the tent of meeting,

15 and Jehovah is seen in the tent, in a pillar of a cloud; and the pillar of the cloud standeth at the opening of the tent.

16 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thou art lying down with thy fathers, and this people hath risen, and gone a-whoring after the gods of the stranger of the land into the midst of which it hath entered, and forsaken Me, and broken My covenant which I made with it;

17 and Mine anger hath burned against it in that day, and I have forsaken them, and hidden My face from them, and it hath been for consumption, and many evils and distresses have found it, and it hath said in that day, Is it not because that my God is not in my midst -- these evils have found me?

18 and I certainly hide My face in that day for all the evil which it hath done, for it hath turned unto other gods.