Deuteronomy 31:17

Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 31:18 immediately specifies the cause of God hiding His face: their idolatry and evil deeds.

Deuteronomy 31:20 Historical context

Deuteronomy 31:20 explains that prosperity will lead to apostasy, setting the stage for the judgment in verse 17.

Deuteronomy 29:20 similarly warns that God will blot out the name of one who turns away, echoing the hidden face and judgment here.

Deuteronomy 29:24-27 gives the same explanation for future disaster: forsaking the covenant.

Deuteronomy 32:20 repeats the same 'hide my face' judgment language, confirming the covenant curse of divine abandonment.

Deuteronomy 32:21 describes God's jealous anger over idolatry, matching the hidden face response to the same sin predicted here.

In Deuteronomy 32:22, the fire of God's anger is described as burning to Sheol, amplifying the warning of divine wrath.

Deuteronomy 28:59 Historical context

Deuteronomy 28:59 lists the severe plagues that are the specific 'disasters' referenced here — direct covenant curse context.

Deuteronomy 4:30 promises that after these disasters Israel will return to God — offering hope beyond the hiding of His face.

In 1 Chronicles 28:9, David warns Solomon that if he forsakes God, he will be cast off forever — the same covenant principle.

Psalm 30:7 Parallel

Psalm 30:7 describes the same cause‑effect: God hiding his face leads to being troubled, echoing the promised consequences.

In 2 Chronicles 15:2, the prophet declares that if you forsake God, he will forsake you, mirroring the hiding of his face.

Psalm 89:46 Parallel

Psalm 89:46 laments God's hidden face and burning wrath, reflecting the same experience of covenant judgment.

Isaiah 64:7 Allusion

Isaiah 64:7 directly echoes the threat: God hid his face and consumed them because of iniquities, confirming the covenant curse.

In Jeremiah 23:39, God says he will cast them away from his presence, directly paralleling the hiding of his face.

Ezekiel 39:23 Prophetic fulfillment

Ezekiel 39:23 explicitly attributes Israel's captivity to God hiding his face because of their trespasses, fulfilling the threat.

Ezekiel 39:24 repeats that God hid his face according to their uncleanness and transgressions, reinforcing the same judgment.

Ezekiel 39:29 reverses this: God promises to never hide His face again after restoration.

Hosea 9:12 Parallel

In Hosea 9:12, God says "Woe to them when I depart from them," echoing the withdrawal of his presence and calamity.

Judges 2:14 Prophetic fulfillment

In Judges 2:14, the LORD's anger burns and he hands Israel over to plunderers, fulfilling the warning of hiding his face.

Judges 2:15 Prophetic fulfillment

In Judges 2:15, the hand of the LORD is against them for harm, explicitly as he had warned, confirming the threat.

Judges 6:13 Prophetic fulfillment

Judges 6:13 has Gideon lamenting the same question: 'If the LORD is with us, why this evil?'

2 Kings 21:14 Prophetic fulfillment

In 2 Kings 21:14, God's forsaking of Israel under Manasseh directly fulfills the threat of hiding His face and giving them over to enemies.

Micah 3:4 Parallel

In Micah 3:4, God hides His face and does not answer when they cry, mirroring the same consequence for evil deeds in Deuteronomy 31:17.

Joshua 3:10 Contrast

Joshua 3:10 affirms the living God is among Israel — a stark contrast to the claim in verse 17 that God is not among them.

Daniel 9:11 Allusion

In Daniel 9:11, Daniel acknowledges the curse from the law of Moses has come upon Israel, directly echoing the disasters and hidden face in Deuteronomy 31:17.

Judges 2:12 Prophetic fulfillment

Judges 2:12 recounts Israel abandoning God for other gods — the precise pattern that triggers the judgment warned here.

Lamentations 2:17 Prophetic fulfillment

Lamentations 2:17 affirms God fulfilled His ancient word, bringing the destruction threatened here.

Jeremiah 33:5 directly states God hid His face from Jerusalem due to wickedness, repeating the warning here.

Jeremiah 18:17 uses the same 'show the back, not the face' imagery, directly fulfilling the threat of God hiding His face.

1 Samuel 12:22 assures that God will not forsake His people — a promise that stands in contrast to the temporary forsaking in judgment.

Isaiah 59:2 Parallel

Isaiah 59:2 gives the explicit cause: sins hide God's face, directly echoing the consequence threatened here.

Isaiah 9:12 Parallel

In Isaiah 9:12, enemies devouring Israel with open mouth illustrates the devouring judgment promised when God hides His face.

In Isaiah 54:11, God comforts the afflicted storm-tossed city, directly contrasting the abandonment and trouble threatened here.

In 2 Kings 22:13, Josiah's fear of great wrath echoes the covenant curse of divine abandonment described here.

2 Chronicles 28:6 Historical context

In 2 Chronicles 28:6, Israel's devastating defeat of Judah exemplifies the judgment that follows when God hides His face.

Isaiah 5:25 Parallel

In Isaiah 5:25, God's anger kindled against His people resulting in corpses matches the 'many evils' threatened here.

Isaiah 2:6 Parallel

In Isaiah 2:6, God forsaking His people due to their pagan practices parallels the conditions that trigger hiding His face.

Ezra 5:12 Prophetic fulfillment

In Ezra 5:12, the exile is explicitly attributed to God giving His people into enemy hands because of their anger, matching this warning.

2 Kings 17:7 Prophetic fulfillment

2 Kings 17:7 explicitly states the Northern Kingdom's exile was due to sinning against God — a direct fulfillment of this warning.

2 Kings 18:12 Prophetic fulfillment

2 Kings 18:12 attributes the exile to disobeying the covenant — exactly the cause described in Deuteronomy 31:17.

Psalm 27:9 Contrast

Psalm 27:9 pleads for God not to hide his face, directly contrasting the threat of abandonment in Deuteronomy.

Isaiah 8:17 Contrast

Isaiah 8:17 acknowledges God hiding his face from Jacob, but adds a faithful waiting response, not just the judgment.

Jeremiah 9:13 identifies forsaking God's law as the reason for the disasters threatened here.

Jeremiah 11:8 connects disobedience to covenant curses, fulfilling the hiding of face warned here.

Job 13:24 Parallel

Job 13:24 uses the same 'hide your face' complaint personally, showing the individual experience parallel to Israel's national threat.

Zephaniah 1:18 Related theme

In Zephaniah 1:18, wealth cannot deliver on the day of wrath, paralleling the helplessness when God hides His face in Deuteronomy 31:17.

Psalm 13:1 Allusion

In Psalm 13:1, David uses the identical phrase 'hide Your face' in personal lament, echoing the national abandonment language.

Jeremiah 32:24 describes the siege and calamity that fulfill the 'many evils' threatened here.

Jeremiah 16:5 shows God withdrawing peace, an aspect of hiding His face as threatened here.

Jeremiah 3:25 records Israel's confession of sin that led to the hiding of God's face predicted here.

Isaiah 63:17 is a later prayer questioning why God leads them astray, echoing the sense of abandonment.