Deuteronomy 1:39

39 Although you thought the little children would be captured in war, your children, who are still too young to know the difference between good and evil, will enter that land. I will give it to them, and they will take possession of 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 became angry with me because of you. He said, "You won't go there either.

38 But your assistant Joshua, son of Nun, will go there. Encourage him, because he will help Israel take possession of the land.

39 Although you thought the little children would be captured in war, your children, who are still too young to know the difference between good and evil, will enter that land. I will give it to them, and they will take possession of it.

40 Turn around, go back into the desert, and follow the road that goes to the Red Sea."

41 You responded, "We have sinned against the LORD. We'll go and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us to do." Each of you armed yourself for war, thinking you could easily invade the mountain region.