Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

DEUTERONOMY 1:39KJV
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Deuteronomy 1:39 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 1:39 mean?

Deuteronomy 1:39 explains that the children of the Israelites, who were too young at the time to know right from wrong, would be allowed to enter and possess the land that their parents could not. God is saying that the little ones, whom the people feared would become victims, would instead receive the promised land.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites, reminding them of what God said after their refusal to enter Canaan. The adults who doubted and rebelled would not enter, but their children—described as not knowing good from evil—would inherit the land. This highlights both God's justice and mercy: the innocent children would not be punished for the decisions of their parents.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 1:39

  • "Ones" (טַף, ṭaf): This word refers to the little ones or small children, emphasizing their vulnerability and innocence in the situation.
  • "Knowledge" (יָדַע, yada‘): This word means to know or to have knowledge. Here, it stresses that the children did not yet have the ability to discern "good" (טוֹב, tov) from "evil" (רַע, ra‘), underlining their innocence and lack of moral responsibility.
  • "Prey" (בָּז, baz): The Israelites feared their children would become spoils or victims if they tried to enter the land, but God reverses this expectation.
  • "Possess" (יָרַשׁ, yarash): This word means to inherit or take possession. It shows that the children, not the fearful adults, would be the ones to actually receive the land as their own.

Why Deuteronomy 1:39 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God holds people accountable for their own choices, not for the choices of others, especially not for those who lack understanding.
  • It corrects the Israelites’ fear that their children would suffer harm, showing instead that God’s plan was to bless the next generation.
  • The verse connects to the larger story of Israel’s journey, showing a turning point where the fate of the nation shifts from one generation to the next because of faith and obedience.

Where else these words appear

“prey” Hebrew H957 · used in 25 verses

  • Numbers 14:3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
  • Jeremiah 15:13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
  • Ezekiel 29:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

“ones” Hebrew H2945 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 34:29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
  • Numbers 16:27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
  • Joshua 1:14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;