Deuteronomy 1:42

42 So Yahweh said to me, 'Say to them, "You shall not go up, and you shall not fight because I am not in your midst; you will be defeated {before}^[a] your enemies." '

Deuteronomy 1:42 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 1:42

And the Lord said unto me
When the people had armed themselves, and were in motion, or ready to set forward to ascend the hill:

say unto them, go not up, neither fight;
neither go up the hill, and if they did, contrary to this order, and should meet with enemies, not fight them, but retreat:

for I am not among you:
the ark of the covenant, the symbol of his presence, was then among them, but it did not go with them, it continued in the camp, ( Numbers 14:44 ) nor did the Lord exert his power, or show himself present with them, or to be on their side, but left them to themselves, and to their enemies:

lest ye be smitten before your enemies;
God not being with them to fight for them, protect and defend them, and give them victory.

Deuteronomy 1:42 In-Context

40 But you turn and set out [in the direction of] the wilderness by way of the {Red Sea}.'

41 "You replied and said to me, 'We have sinned against Yahweh, [and now] we will go up and fight according to all that Yahweh our God commanded us'; and [so] each man fastened on {his battle gear}, and you regarded [it] as easy to go up [into] the hill country.

42 So Yahweh said to me, 'Say to them, "You shall not go up, and you shall not fight because I am not in your midst; you will be defeated {before} your enemies." '

43 So I spoke to you, but you did not listen; you rebelled against the {command of Yahweh}; you behaved presumptuously, and you went up into the hill country.

44 The Amorites living in the hill country went out {to oppose you} and chased you as [a swarm of] wild honey bees do; and [so] they {beat} you down in Seir as far as Hormah.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "in the faces of your enemies"