Deuteronomy 31:8 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Deuteronomy 31:8 reads: "Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”" — from the Old Testament, Deuteronomy (Law (Pentateuch)). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

Deuteronomy 31:8 is in the book of Deuteronomy, traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional) and written around c. 1406 BC. Deuteronomy is law (pentateuch) in the Old Testament, originally addressed to The second-generation Israelites on the plains of Moab. Best known for the Shema and "love the LORD your God with all your heart".

Deuteronomy 31:8 is primarily a Bible verse about Strength, with related themes including Peace. Within Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy ("second law") is Moses' final exposition of the covenant — restating the law for a new generation about to enter Canaan. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

Deuteronomy 31:8 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And the LORD3068, he it is that doth go1980 before6440 thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail7503 thee, neither forsake5800 thee: fear3372 not, neither be dismayed2865.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

Deuteronomy 31:8 is 26 words in the WEB translation (137 characters), broken into 5 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 8 seconds.

To memorise Deuteronomy 31:8, split it into its 5 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Deuteronomy ("second law") is Moses' final exposition of the covenant — restating the law for a new generation about to enter Canaan. It contains the Shema (6:4-5), the great command to love God with all the heart, and the blessings and curses tied to obedience. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than any other book when tempted in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 31:8 sits within this larger story — Deuteronomy as a whole emphasises covenant renewal, love for God, obedience.

Many readers use Deuteronomy 31:8 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Deuteronomy 31:8 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.