The Meaning of Deuteronomy 31:21 Explained

Deuteronomy 31:21

KJV: And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

YLT: 'And it hath been, when many evils and distresses do meet it, that this song hath testified to its face for a witness; for it is not forgotten out of the mouth of its seed, for I have known its imagining which it is doing to-day, before I bring them in unto the land of which I have sworn.'

Darby: And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed; for I know their imagination which they are forming already this day, before I bring them into the land which I have sworn unto them.

ASV: And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall come to pass, when many  evils  and troubles  are befallen  them, that this song  shall testify  against  them as a witness;  for it shall not be forgotten  out of the mouths  of their seed:  for I know  their imagination  which they go about,  even now,  before I have brought  them into the land  which I sware. 

What does Deuteronomy 31:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 31:14-29 - The Charge To His Successor
Moses had already announced that Joshua would succeed him; but in view of the great difficulties which confronted the new leader, it was expedient that the guiding pillar should give him the symbol and pledge of God's endorsement.
Two other sources of their allegiance were proposed. First, a song. National songs lay hold on memory and have a powerful effect in stirring the deepest emotions. This song, composed under the divine impulse, embodied the substance of the preceding pleadings and exhortations, and was suitable to be taught to the generations that followed. Be sure that nothing more efficiently preserves religion than noble hymns! Learn and teach them! Secondly, the book. See Deuteronomy 31:24, etc. We have already heard of this. See Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:4-7. No doubt it was to this necessity of recording the Law and chronicling the story of the Exodus that we owe the origin of the sacred books which bear the name of Moses. See John 5:46. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 31

1  Moses encourages the people
7  He encourages Joshua
9  He delivers the law unto the priests to be read in the seventh year
14  God gives a charge to Joshua
19  and a song to testify against the people
24  Moses delivers the book of the law to the Levites to keep
28  He makes a protestation

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 31:21 mean?

And it shall be when have come upon him evils many and troubles that will testify song this against them as a witness for not it will be forgotten in the mouths of his descendants I know - the inclination of which he does today even before I have brought them to the land I swore [to give him]
וְ֠הָיָה כִּֽי־ תִמְצֶ֨אןָ אֹת֜וֹ רָע֣וֹת רַבּוֹת֮ וְצָרוֹת֒ וְ֠עָנְתָה הַשִּׁירָ֨ה הַזֹּ֤את לְפָנָיו֙ לְעֵ֔ד כִּ֛י לֹ֥א תִשָּׁכַ֖ח מִפִּ֣י זַרְע֑וֹ יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶת־ יִצְר֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֤וּא עֹשֶׂה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֲבִיאֶ֔נּוּ אֶל־ הָאָ֖רֶץ נִשְׁבָּֽעְתִּי

וְ֠הָיָה  And  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תִמְצֶ֨אןָ  have  come  upon 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
רָע֣וֹת  evils 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
רַבּוֹת֮  many 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וְצָרוֹת֒  and  troubles 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
וְ֠עָנְתָה  that  will  testify 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
הַשִּׁירָ֨ה  song 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׁיר 
Sense: song.
הַזֹּ֤את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לְפָנָיו֙  against  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לְעֵ֔ד  as  a  witness 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵד  
Sense: witness.
תִשָּׁכַ֖ח  it  will  be  forgotten 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
מִפִּ֣י  in  the  mouths 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
זַרְע֑וֹ  of  his  descendants 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
יָדַ֣עְתִּי  I  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִצְר֗וֹ  the  inclination 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יֵצֶר  
Sense: form, framing, purpose, framework.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עֹשֶׂה֙  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַיּ֔וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
בְּטֶ֣רֶם  even  before 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb
Root: טֶרֶם  
Sense: before, not yet, before that.
אֲבִיאֶ֔נּוּ  I  have  brought  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נִשְׁבָּֽעְתִּי  I  swore  [to  give  him] 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.