Deuteronomy 1:39

39 And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.

Deuteronomy 1:39 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 1:39

Moreover, your little ones, which ye said should be a prey,
&c.] To the Amorites, into whose hands they expected to be delivered, ( Deuteronomy 1:27 ) see ( Numbers 14:3 )

and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and
evil;
not being at years of understanding, and which is a common description of children; it is particularly expressed "in that day", for now they were the very persons Moses was directing his speech unto, and relating this history, it being thirty eight years ago when this affair was, so that now they were grown up to years of discretion:

they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall
possess it:
the relation of which now might serve greatly to encourage their faith, as well as it would be a fulfilment of the promise of the land made unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which was not made of none effect through the unbelief of the Israelites, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness, since their posterity was to enjoy it, and did.

Deuteronomy 1:39 In-Context

37 The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.

38 Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.

39 And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.

40 But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea. ”

41 “We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.” Then each of you put on his weapons of war, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.