King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 31:2 Mean?

Deuteronomy 31:2 in the King James Version says “And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD ha...” — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 31 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.”

Deuteronomy 31:2 · KJV

Context

1

And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.

2

And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

3

The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.

4

And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.

Read Deuteronomy 31 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
I am an hundred and twenty years old this day—Moses' age divides into three perfect forty-year periods: Egypt (Acts 7:23), Midian (Acts 7:30), and wilderness leadership. Despite living to this remarkable age, he acknowledges his limitation: I can no more go out and come in (לֹא־אוּכַל עוֹד לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא lo-ukhal od latset velavo). This idiom describes military leadership and active service (Numbers 27:17; 1 Samuel 18:13), not mere physical mobility—Deuteronomy 34:7 says "his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated."

Moses' inability stems from divine decree, not physical decline: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan. This references Numbers 20:12 where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, failing to sanctify God before Israel. The consequence? Exclusion from Canaan despite forty years of faithful leadership. This sobering reality demonstrates that even forgiven sin carries temporal consequences, and leadership requires higher accountability. Moses accepts God's judgment without bitterness, modeling submission to divine sovereignty.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Moses was born in Egypt circa 1526 BC during Pharaoh's infanticide (Exodus 2). After forty years as Egyptian royalty and forty years as Midianite shepherd, he led Israel for forty years (1446-1406 BC, traditional dating). His exclusion from Canaan occurred at Kadesh in the fortieth year due to striking the rock at Meribah (Numbers 20:1-13). This speech comes just weeks before his death on Mount Nebo, where God showed him the Promised Land before he died (Deuteronomy 34:1-5).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Moses' acceptance of divine discipline without entering Canaan challenge your response to God's correction?
  2. What does Moses' honest acknowledgment of limitations teach about leadership transition and humility?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 21 words
אָמַ֣ר1 of 21

“And he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אֲלֵהֶ֗ם2 of 21
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

בֶּן3 of 21

“old”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

מֵאָה֩4 of 21

“unto them I am an hundred”

H3967

a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction

וְעֶשְׂרִ֨ים5 of 21

“and twenty”

H6242

twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth

שָׁנָ֤ה6 of 21

“years”

H8141

a year (as a revolution of time)

אָֽנֹכִי֙7 of 21
H595

i

הַיּ֔וֹם8 of 21

“this day”

H3117

a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso

לֹֽא9 of 21
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

אוּכַ֥ל10 of 21

“I can”

H3201

to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)

ע֖וֹד11 of 21
H5750

properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more

לָצֵ֣את12 of 21

“no more go out”

H3318

to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim

וְלָב֑וֹא13 of 21

“and come in”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

וַֽיהוָה֙14 of 21

“also the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אָמַ֣ר15 of 21

“And he said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אֵלַ֔י16 of 21
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

לֹ֥א17 of 21
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

תַֽעֲבֹ֖ר18 of 21

“unto me Thou shalt not go over”

H5674

to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

אֶת19 of 21
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

הַיַּרְדֵּ֥ן20 of 21

“this Jordan”

H3383

jarden, the principal river of palestine

הַזֶּֽה׃21 of 21
H2088

the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Deuteronomy 31:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Deuteronomy 31:2 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deuteronomy 34:7Numbers 27:171 Kings 3:7Numbers 20:12Exodus 7:7Deuteronomy 3:26-27

Places in This Verse

JordanRiver · Modern: Jordan River · 31.76°N, 35.56°E202 verses across 21 books
View all places in Deuteronomy 31 →

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