Deuteronomy 31:16 Meaning and Explanation
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Moses has led Israel through the wilderness, taught them the law, and prepared Joshua to lead after him. At this solemn threshold, the LORD speaks plainly about both Moses' approaching death and Israel's future danger. The verse shows that entering a good land does not remove the need for covenant faithfulness. Prosperity, new neighbors, and new religious pressures can test a people's love for God.
The LORD tells Moses that his death is near and foresees Israel's covenant unfaithfulness in the promised land. Their turning to the land's gods will be a personal forsaking of the God who bound himself to them.
The Context of Deuteronomy 31:16
Deuteronomy 31 brings Moses' public ministry toward its close. He encourages Israel and Joshua with the LORD's promised presence, then writes the law for regular public reading by priests and elders. In verses 14-15, Moses and Joshua stand at the tabernacle, where the LORD appears in the pillar of cloud. Verse 16 begins the LORD's warning about Israel's future conduct after Moses dies. The warning continues through verse 21, where the LORD commands a song to be taught as a witness. Moses then writes the song and gives Joshua his charge.
What Does Deuteronomy 31:16 Mean?
The phrase "thou shalt sleep with thy fathers" speaks of Moses' coming death in the language of rest with those who have gone before him. The LORD then looks beyond Moses' lifetime to Israel's choice. "Rise up" carries a bitter force here: the people will rise to pursue false worship. "Go a whoring" is covenant language for grave unfaithfulness. Israel's bond with the LORD is personal and exclusive, so worshiping other gods amounts to betrayal. The gods belong to the strangers of the land, yet Israel will be living among those peoples and exposed to their practices. The verse names the central offense clearly: they will forsake the LORD and break the covenant he made with them.
This warning stands beside the chapter's repeated promises that the LORD will go before Israel and remain with Joshua. The chapter therefore joins divine faithfulness with Israel's real responsibility. The LORD has already given Israel his law, appointed its reading before the whole community, and provided priests, elders, and the ark of the covenant as enduring centers of remembrance. Their later apostasy will arise amid these gifts. Verses 19-21 answer the warning with the song of Moses, taught from generation to generation as a witness. The chapter presents remembrance as a communal work: parents, children, leaders, worship, and the written law all serve the covenant relationship God has established.
Jeremiah later describes Israel's covenant breach in language that closely echoes this scene, while also proclaiming the LORD's purpose to make a new covenant with his people. That promise reaches its decisive expression in Jesus Christ, whose covenant ministry addresses sin and restores people to God. Deuteronomy 31:16 does not treat human disloyalty lightly; it reveals the depth of the wound caused when God's people give their worship elsewhere. At the same time, the wider canon shows God continuing to call, discipline, forgive, and gather. Moses' warning prepares us to receive covenant mercy with humility, gratitude, and steadfast worship of the LORD alone.
Bible Verses Related to Deuteronomy 31:16
“Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;”
- Exodus 34:15
“If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.”
- Joshua 24:20
“And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.”
- Judges 2:12
“Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:”
- Jeremiah 31:32
Where Deuteronomy 31:16 Echoes in Scripture
Jeremiah 31:32 strongly echoes Deuteronomy 31:16 by recalling the covenant made when the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt and describing their breach of that covenant. Jeremiah places this painful memory within a promise of renewed covenant fellowship. The echo helps us read Moses' warning as part of a longer biblical story: Israel's unfaithfulness is real, God's covenant purposes continue, and his promised remedy reaches beyond human resolve.
How to Apply Deuteronomy 31:16 Today
This verse invites honest attention to the loyalties that shape our worship and daily decisions. We can receive good places, work, food, security, and relationships as gifts from God while remaining watchful over what claims our deepest trust. Regular hearing of Scripture, shared worship, remembering God's past faithfulness, and conversations across generations help keep covenant words near us. When we recognize divided hearts, the fitting response is confession and a return to the LORD. The warning also encourages patience with others, since every community needs God's preserving mercy and truthful reminders.
Reflection & Prayer
Where might comfort, belonging, or surrounding habits quietly compete for our deepest loyalty to the LORD? Consider one practice that can help keep God's covenant words before our household or community. Suggested prayer: "LORD, keep our hearts near thee. Give us gratitude for thy gifts, courage to turn from false loyalties, and faithfulness in the covenant mercy thou dost provide."