Deuteronomy 31

Chapter 31 marks a pivotal transition in the wilderness narrative as Moses prepares for his imminent death, commissions Joshua as his successor, and institutes the periodic public reading of the Law to ensure Israel's long-term covenantal fidelity.

• Moses formally transfers leadership of Israel to Joshua, encouraging him and the people with the promise of Yahweh's presence.
• Moses writes the Law and commands the Levites to preserve it and read it publicly every seven years during the feast of tabernacles.
• God reveals that Israel will inevitably apostatize after entering the land, and commands Moses to compose a song to serve as a perpetual legal witness against their future unfaithfulness.
• Moses writes the song, teaches it to the people, and deposits the book of the law beside the ark of the covenant, while warning the elders of the people's inherent tendency toward corruption.

• Moses is 120 years old.
• Joshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ H3091) is explicitly named as the leader who will cross the Jordan (יַרְדֵּן H3383).
• The 'year of release' (Shemitah) is designated for the public reading of the law.
• The song functions as a 'witness' (עֵד) against the people.
• The book of the law is placed in the 'side' of the ark of the covenant.

This chapter establishes the crucial theological pattern of Israel's recurring apostasy and Yahweh's persistent Word, which serves as both a reminder of the covenant and a forensic witness against their disobedience throughout the historical books of the Old Testament.

Faithfulness to God in the future requires a persistent, public, and generational commitment to hearing and obeying His revealed Word, relying on His presence rather than human capability.

The chapter moves from personal encouragement and the commissioning of leadership to the structural preservation of the covenant, contrasting the frailty of human leadership with the permanence of God's revealed instruction.

• The Lord will destroy the nations before Israel (v3).
• The Lord will not fail thee, nor forsake thee (v6, v8).
• The Lord will be with Joshua (v23).

• Be strong and of a good courage (v6, v7, v23).
• Read this law before all Israel in their hearing (v11).
• Gather the people together, men, women, and children (v12).
• Teach the song to the children of Israel (v19).

• Israel will go whoring after other gods (v16).
• The Lord will hide His face and many evils will befall them (v17-18).
• After Moses' death, the people will utterly corrupt themselves (v29).

• The events take place on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan, as the Israelites prepare to enter Canaan.
• The 'year of release' (Shemitah) was a sabbatic year mandated by the Law, essential for the social and spiritual health of the covenant community.

• Public reading of the law ensured that even those without individual copies (which were rare and difficult to produce) were held accountable to the covenant standards.
• The 'song' functioned as a mnemonics device, a common ancient Near Eastern method for preserving legal and historical traditions in oral cultures.

• Chapter 31 is part of the final speeches of Moses (Deuteronomy 29–33) that conclude the book before the account of his death in chapter 34.
• The transition from Moses to Joshua here parallels the transition from the Pentateuch to the book of Joshua.

• Hebrews 13:5 directly quotes Deuteronomy 31:6 ('I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee') to encourage New Testament believers in their present circumstances.
• The prediction of Israel's future idolatry sets the stage for the recurring cycles of judgment and deliverance found in the Book of Judges.

• The command to 'be strong and of a good courage' is echoed in Joshua 1:6-9, framing Joshua's leadership with the same authority as Moses'.

• Moses (מֹשֶׁה H4872): The prophet and leader who mediates the covenant.
• Joshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ H3091): 'Yahweh is salvation,' the successor to Moses.
• Words (דָּבָר H1697): Often used to denote the Law or commandment of God.
• Command (צָוָה H6680): An intensive verb often used in the context of divine injunctions.
• Fear (יָרֵא H3372): Used both in the sense of terror ('fear not') and the sense of reverential awe ('fear the Lord your God').

• The 'song' in verse 19 is not merely for praise, but is explicitly designed as a forensic 'witness' (עֵד) against the people, serving as legal evidence of their covenantal breach.
• Matthew Henry observes that the song was a standing testimony for God, faithful to them in giving them warning, and against them as persons false to themselves in not taking the warning.

• The placement of the book of the law: The text says 'in the side of the ark' (v26). Scholarly debate exists on whether it was literally inside or placed in a receptacle beside it. Later Jewish tradition (Talmud) suggests it was placed on a shelf or ledge attached to the side of the Ark.