Deuteronomy31
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.
2And he said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: and Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
3Jehovah thy God, he will go over before thee; he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt dispossess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken.
4And Jehovah will do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and unto their land; whom he destroyed.
5And Jehovah will deliver them up before you, and ye shall do unto them according unto all the commandment which I have commanded you.
6Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be affrighted at them: for Jehovah thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
7And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou shalt go with this people into the land which Jehovah hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
8And Jehovah, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
9And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and unto all the elders of Israel.
10And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
11when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
12Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law;
13and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear Jehovah your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.
14And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
15And Jehovah appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent.
16And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17Then 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 come upon them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?
18And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
19Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
21And 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.
22So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
23And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
24And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
25that Moses commanded the Levites, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying,
26Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
27For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death?
28Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
29For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
30And Moses spake in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 31.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Moses encourages the people, and Joshua. (1–8). The law to be read every seventh year. (9–13). The Israelites' apostacy foretold, A song given to be witness against them. (14–22). The law delivered to the Levites. (22–30).
vv1-8
Moses assures Israel of the constant presence of God with them. This is applied by the apostle to all God's spiritual Israel, to encourage their faith and hope; unto us is this gospel preached, as well as unto them; he will never fail thee, nor forsake thee, Heb 13:5. Moses commends Joshua to them for a leader; one whose wisdom, and courage, and affection they had long known; one whom God had appointed to be their leader; and therefore would own and bless. Joshua is well pleased to be admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. Those shall speed well, who have God with them; therefore they ought to be of good courage. Through God let us do valiantly, for through him we shall do victoriously; if we resist the devil, he will flee from us.
vv9-13
Though we read the word in private, we must not think it needless to hear it read in public. This solemn reading of the law must be done in the year of release. The year of release was typical of gospel grace, which is called the acceptable year of the Lord; for our pardon and liberty by Christ, engage us to keep his commandments. It must be read to all Israel, men, women, children, and to the strangers. It is the will of God that all people should acquaint themselves with his word. It is a rule to all, therefore should be read to all. Whoever has read of the pains taken by many persons to get scraps of the Scriptures, when a whole copy could not be obtained, or safely possessed, will see how thankful we should be for the thousands of copies amongst us. They will also understand the very different situation in which the Israelites were placed for many ages. But the heart of man is so careless, that all will be found too little, to keep up a knowledge of the truths, precepts, and worship of God.
vv14-22
Moses and Joshua attended the Divine Majesty at the door of the tabernacle. Moses is told again that he must shortly die; even those who are most ready and willing to die, need to be often reminded of its coming. The Lord tells Moses, that, after his death, the covenant he had taken so much pains to make between Israel and their God, would certainly be broken. Israel would forsake Him; then God would forsake Israel. Justly does he cast those off who so unjustly cast him off. Moses is directed to deliver them a song, which should remain a standing testimony for God, as faithful to them in giving them warning, and against them, as persons false to themselves in not taking the warning. The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of men's hearts, and meets them by reproofs and correction. Ministers who preach the word, know not the imaginations of men; but God, whose word it is, knows perfectly.
Key Words
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
יָלַךְ: to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
אֵלֶּה: these or those
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
שָׁנֶה: a year (as a revolution of time)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
Cross References
Deuteronomy 31New Testament quotation of 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee' applying it to all believers.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct repetition of God's promise to not fail nor forsake Joshua as he succeeds Moses.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrasts Moses' spiritual/physical vigor at death with his inability to continue as administrative leader.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Joshua's leading Israel into the land typifies Jesus bringing His people into eternal spiritual rest.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Confirms the ongoing public reading of Moses' law in synagogues every Sabbath day.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Literal execution of gathering men, women, and children to hear the law read under Ezra.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Records the specific, extraordinary occasions when the priests bore the ark of the covenant.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes the timing of the public reading in the Sabbatical year of release.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Echoes God's warning in the song that He will hide His face due to their apostasy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The direct realization in the song of Israel waxing fat, kicking, and forsaking God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Confirms the placement of the tables of the law beside or in the ark.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
God's prior announcement to Moses that his days are short and he must die.
Supported by JFB
The immediate context of Moses writing down the song as commanded in verse 19.
Supported by Matthew Henry