Deuteronomy 31:17

17 And then my wrath will waxe whote agenst them, and I will forsake them and will hyde my face from them, and they shalbe consumed. And when moch aduersyte and tribulacion is come vppon them, then they will saye: because oure God is not amonge us,

Deuteronomy 31:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:17

Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day
As the anger of a man is against his wife who has treacherously departed from him: and jealousy, which is the rage of such a man, is very cruel; and much more the wrath and anger of a jealous God, who is a consuming fire:

and I will forsake them;
withdraw his favours from them, and his protection of them:

and I will hide my face from them;
take no notice of them in a providential way for good, nor hear their cries, to deliver them from evil:

and they shall be devoured;
by their enemies, or by the sore judgments of God, by famine, sword, pestilence, and evil beasts, they and their substance:

and many evils and troubles shall befall them;
both in their own land, and in other countries, where they would be, and have been carried captive:

so that they will say in that day, are not these evils come upon us,
because our God [is] not amongst us?
of which they would be sensible by their being exposed to their enemies for want of his protection, and by the evils upon them through his displeasure, and by their being deprived of the good things that came from him; but no intimation is given of their being sensible of their sins as the cause of all this.

Deuteronomy 31:17 In-Context

15 And the Lorde apeared in the tabernacle: euen in the pyler off the cloude. And the piler of the cloude stode ouer the dore of the tabernacle.

16 And the Lorde sayed vnto Moses: beholde, thou must slepe with thi fathers, and this people will goo a whorynge after straunge goddes off the londe whother they goo and will forsake me and breake the appoyntement which I haue made with them.

17 And then my wrath will waxe whote agenst them, and I will forsake them and will hyde my face from them, and they shalbe consumed. And when moch aduersyte and tribulacion is come vppon them, then they will saye: because oure God is not amonge us,

18 these tribulacions are come vppon us. But I wil hyde my face that same tyme for all the euels sake which they shall haue wrought, in that they are turned vnto straunge goddes.

19 Now therfore write ye this songe, and teach it the childern of Israel and put it in their mouthes that this songe maye be my witnesse vnto the childern of Israel.