Deuteronomy 31:20

20 For I shall lead him into the land, for which I swore to his fathers, flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be full-filled, and be made fat, they shall turn to alien gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and shall make void my covenant. (For I shall lead them into the land, for which I swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be filled full, and be made fat, then they shall turn to foreign, or to other, gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and they shall make void, or shall break, my covenant.)

Deuteronomy 31:20 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:20

For when I shall have brought them into the land which I
sware unto their fathers
To give it to them, and put them into the possession of it, even the land of Canaan, often thus described, and as it is by the following character:

that floweth with milk and honey;
aboundeth with all good things; see ( Exodus 3:8 ) ;

and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat;
that is, after they have for a considerable time enjoyed the good things of the land, and they abound with them, and increase in them, and have great fullness of them:

then will they turn unto other gods:
turn from the Lord who has brought them into all this plenty, from the fear, worship, and service of him, and turn to the worship of idols:

and serve them:
the works of men's hands, and at most but creatures, and not the Creator; than which nothing can be more absurd and stupid, as well as wicked and ungrateful:

and provoke me:
nothing being more provoking to the Lord than idolatry, it striking at his very nature, being, and glory:

and break my covenant;
now made with them; this being foretold by the Lord, which exactly came to pass in numerous instances, proves his precise foreknowledge of future events, even such as depend on the inclinations, dispositions, and wills of men.

Deuteronomy 31:20 In-Context

18 Soothly I shall hide my face, and cover it in that day, for all the evils which this people hath done, for it hath followed alien gods. (And I shall hide my face, and cover it on that day, for all the evils which this people hath done, for they have followed foreign, or other, gods.)
19 Now therefore write ye to you this song, and teach ye the sons of Israel, that they hold it in mind, and sing it in mouth; and that this song be to me for a witnessing among the sons of Israel. (And so now write down this song for you, and teach ye it to the Israelites, so that they can remember it, and sing it with their mouths; and so that this song can be a witness for me against the Israelites.)
20 For I shall lead him into the land, for which I swore to his fathers, flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be full-filled, and be made fat, they shall turn to alien gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and shall make void my covenant. (For I shall lead them into the land, for which I swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be filled full, and be made fat, then they shall turn to foreign, or to other, gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and they shall make void, or shall break, my covenant.)
21 After that many evils and tormentings have found them, this song shall answer to him for (a) witnessing, which song no forgetting shall do away from the mouth of thy seed. For I know the thoughts thereof today, what things it shall do, before that I bring it into the land which I promised to it. (And after that many evils and torments have found them, this song shall speak against them as a witness, which no forgetting shall do away from the mouths of their descendants. For I know their thoughts today, and what things they shall do, before that I bring them into the land which I promised them.)
22 Therefore Moses wrote the song, and he taught it to the sons of Israel. (And so Moses wrote down this song, and he taught it to the Israelites.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.