But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

DEUTERONOMY 1:40KJV
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Deuteronomy 1:40 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 1:40 mean?

Deuteronomy 1:40 records God’s instruction for the Israelites to turn away from trying to enter the promised land and instead travel back into the wilderness toward the Red Sea. This verse marks a turning point where God redirects the people after their disobedience and failed attempt to go forward.

In this setting, Moses is recounting to the Israelites how, after their refusal to trust God and enter Canaan, God commanded them to change direction. The phrase “take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea” refers to retracing their steps back into the desert, away from the land they hoped to enter. This moment highlights the consequence of their earlier choices and sets the stage for their extended time wandering.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 1:40

  • The word “turn” (פָּנָה, panah) often means to change direction or face a new way. Here, it emphasizes a deliberate shift away from their previous goal.
  • “Journey” (נָסַע, nasa) means to pull up camp and move out, showing that this was not just a suggestion but a command to physically leave and travel.
  • “Wilderness” (מִדְבָּר, midbar) refers to the desert region, underscoring the harshness and uncertainty of the path ahead compared to the promised land.
  • “Way” (דֶּרֶךְ, derek) means road or path, highlighting that God is giving them a specific route to follow, not just sending them away aimlessly.
  • “Red” (סוּף, suph) and “sea” (יָם, yam) together refer to the body of water known as the Red Sea, connecting this journey back to their earlier escape from Egypt.

Why Deuteronomy 1:40 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the Israelites’ wandering was not random but a direct result of God’s command after their refusal to enter the land.
  • It highlights the seriousness of turning away from God’s instructions, as the people are sent back into the wilderness rather than moving forward.
  • The reference to the Red Sea connects their current journey to their past deliverance, reminding them of where God had brought them from and the consequences of their choices.

Where else these words appear

“Red” Hebrew H5488 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
  • Numbers 33:10 And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
  • Nehemiah 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

“turn” Hebrew H6437 · used in 128 verses

  • Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
  • Judges 18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
  • Psalms 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

“journey” Hebrew H5265 · used in 140 verses

  • Genesis 11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
  • Numbers 10:22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
  • Numbers 33:31 And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.