Deuteronomy 31
AI Bible study · KJV · Grammatical-historical hermeneutics
Summary
Moses, approaching the end of his life, commissions Joshua as his successor and mandates the periodic public reading of the Law to ensure Israel's fidelity to the covenant. He concludes by recording a song of witness that will testify against the people's future apostasy, securing the permanence of God's Word over human failure.
- Moses addresses all Israel (vv. 1–8), emphasizing his own mortality and the sufficiency of God's presence as the true leader of the nation.
- The Law is officially transcribed and delivered to the priests, with instructions for a public reading every seven years during the Feast of Tabernacles (vv. 9–13).
- God formally commissions Joshua and predicts Israel's eventual apostasy, instructing Moses to write a song as a witness against them (vv. 14–22).
- The written Law is deposited by the Ark of the Covenant, and Moses provides a final prophetic warning regarding the people's future corruption (vv. 23–30).
- 120 years old
- The Jordan River
- Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites
- The Tabernacle of the congregation
- The Song as a witness
- The Ark of the Covenant
This passage transitions the nation from the Mosaic administration to the conquest under Joshua, establishing the Law as the permanent standard for the covenant. It illustrates the tension between God's steadfast presence and human proneness to wander, affirming that Scripture serves as a witness even when believers fail.
God’s covenantal fidelity endures beyond the mortality of leaders and the unfaithfulness of His people, evidenced by the permanent witness of His written Word.
Themes
The chapter moves from the comfort of God's presence to the somber reality of Israel's future rebellion, culminating in the preservation of the Law as a standing testament.
The command to be strong and courageous frames the transition of power, appearing at the beginning and end of the transition period.
The text contrasts the promise of God going before Israel (v. 3) with the prophecy of Israel turning away from Him (v. 16, 29).
God is portrayed as the constant, unchanging leader of His people, persisting long after the death of human leaders like Moses.
- He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee
- The Lord, he it is that doth go before thee
The written Law is presented as an objective, independent entity that testifies against the people's disobedience, functioning as an enduring standard of truth.
- put it in the side of the ark
- a witness against thee
- call heaven and earth to record
Moses acknowledges the deep-seated rebellion of the people, explicitly foretelling their future idolatry and covenant-breaking.
- go a whoring after the gods
- know thy rebellion
- utterly corrupt yourselves
- The Lord will go over before thee and destroy the nations (v. 3)
- The Lord will give the nations up before your face (v. 5)
- The Lord will not fail thee, nor forsake thee (v. 6, 8)
- I will be with thee (v. 23)
- Be strong and of a good courage (v. 6, 7, 23)
- Read this law (v. 11)
- Gather the people together (v. 12)
- Write ye this song (v. 19)
- Teach it the children of Israel (v. 19)
- Take this book of the law (v. 26)
- Fear not, nor be afraid of them (v. 6)
- The people will rise up and forsake me (v. 16)
- They will turn unto other gods and provoke me (v. 20)
- Ye will utterly corrupt yourselves (v. 29)
Context
- Moses is approximately 120 years old, situated on the plains of Moab across from Jericho.
- The setting anticipates the imminent crossing of the Jordan (H3383), marking the conclusion of the wilderness wandering period.
- The 'year of release' (year of sabbatical) was a critical time for debt remission and covenant renewal.
- The Ark of the Covenant served as the most sacred container; placing the Law 'in the side' ensured its preservation as a holy deposit.
- Public recitation was necessary because written copies were rare and literacy was not universal.
- This chapter functions as the final movement of the book of Deuteronomy, closing the legislative speeches and preparing for the final poems and the death of Moses.
- Matthew Henry observes that the command to read the law to all—'men, women, and children'—demonstrates that the word of God is a rule for all, and no one is exempt from the obligation to hear it.
- This passage establishes the foundational role of Scripture as an external authority that holds the people of God accountable.
- The promise 'I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee' (v. 6) is a recurring encouragement in Scripture, famously cited in Hebrews 13:5 regarding the believer's contentment.
- The song referred to in verse 19 is identified as the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32.
- Moses (מֹשֶׁה H4872): The lawgiver.
- Continued (יָלַךְ H3212): 'To walk'; literally and figuratively, indicating Moses's life course was concluding.
- Words (דָּבָר H1697): Often signifies a 'matter' or 'thing' as much as spoken speech, denoting the substance of the Law.
- Strong/Courageous (חָזַק H2388 / אָמַץ H553): Commands to be fastened in strength and alert in courage.
- Go out/Come in (יָצָא H3318 / בוֹא H935): An idiom for the full scope of leadership responsibilities (military and administrative).
- The emphasis on the Law as a 'witness' (H5707 - edah/ed) against the people, suggesting that even in times of rebellion, God's written standard remains, condemning sin while providing a path back to repentance.
- The shift in perspective: Moses looks forward to his death and the people's rebellion, yet he obeys God by preparing the next generation's tool for repentance (the song and the book).
- The relationship between divine foreknowledge (God knowing they will rebel in v. 21) and human responsibility is not philosophically resolved in the text, but affirmed as a reality that does not excuse the people's action.
To ask any of these as follow-up questions, install SwordBible on iOS — the study workspace there grounds every follow-up in the full prior study automatically.
Want this kind of study for every chapter you read?
Grammatical-historical hermeneutics. Sola Scriptura. Refuses to allegorize. Free Bible reading + 5 AI questions a day, no sign-in required.