But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.
DEUTERONOMY 3:26KJVWhat does Deuteronomy 3:26 mean?
Deuteronomy 3:26 describes God’s refusal to grant Moses’ request to enter the land across the Jordan River. Moses tells the people that the LORD was angry with him “for your sakes” and told him not to raise the request again.
Moses is speaking to the people he has led. After asking to cross over and see the land in verse 25, he reports the LORD’s response directly: “Let it suffice thee.” The words bring his request to a firm close.
The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 3:26
- “hear” — שָׁמַע (shamaʿ): This word can mean to listen or to respond to what is heard. Here, “would not hear me” conveys that the LORD did not grant Moses’ request.
- “suffice” — רַב (rav): This word can carry the sense of “enough.” In the LORD’s reply, it marks the request as something Moses must stop pressing.
Why Deuteronomy 3:26 matters
- Moses connects the LORD’s anger with the people he addresses. His words “for your sakes” place them within his account of what happened, though the verse itself does not spell out their part in the event.
- Moses would still see the land, though he would not enter it. In verse 27, the LORD tells him to look at the land from a mountaintop and says he will not cross the Jordan.
- Joshua is to lead the people onward. In verse 28, the LORD tells Moses to prepare Joshua for the task, placing the leadership of the crossing in Joshua’s hands.