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Deuteronomy

Deuteronomychapter 31

30 verses · BSBDeuteronomy book hub →

A.Be strong; he goes over before youvv. 1-8

1 When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, 2 he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ 3 The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. 4 And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land. 5 The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” 7 Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. 8 The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

B.Read this law aloud in the year of releasevv. 9-13

9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of remission of debt, during the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel. 12 Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

C.This people will rise up and go astrayvv. 14-23

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. 15 Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. 16 And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them. 17 On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’ 18 And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods. 19 Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. 20 When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant. 21 And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.” 22 So that very day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites. 23 Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.”

D.The book laid beside the ark as a witnessvv. 24-30

24 When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: 26 “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death! 28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger by the work of your hands.” 30 Then Moses recited aloud to the whole assembly of Israel the words of this song from beginning to end:

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition
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Chapter summary

Joshua commissioned publicly; the Law written; the reading every seven years.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

Joshua commissioned publicly; the Law written; the reading every seven years. Moses is 120; he cannot any more go out and come in; the LORD has said he will not cross Jordan. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ The Law is written and delivered to the priests and elders; read every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles before all Israel. Men, women, children, strangers. That they may hear and learn. The LORD foretells the people's future apostasy; Moses is to write a song that will testify against them in the evil day to come.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Deuteronomy overview

  • A. 1–8 Be strong; he goes over before you
  • B. 9–13 Read this law aloud in the year of release
  • C. 14–23 This people will rise up and go astray
  • D. 24–30 The book laid beside the ark as a witness
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • Deuteronomy 319 verses
    • Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
    • Deuteronomy 31:7Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.
    • Deuteronomy 31:9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
    • Deuteronomy 31:14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.
    • Deuteronomy 31:16And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.
    • Deuteronomy 31:19Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.
    • Read Deuteronomy 31: 3 more there →
  • Deuteronomy 44 verses
    • Deuteronomy 4:5See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess.
    • Deuteronomy 4:10The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children.”
    • Deuteronomy 4:26I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
    • Deuteronomy 4:30When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.
    • Read Deuteronomy 4 →
  • Deuteronomy 63 verses
    • Deuteronomy 6:6These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.
    • Deuteronomy 6:7And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
    • Deuteronomy 6:10And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build,
    • Read Deuteronomy 6 →
  • Deuteronomy 323 verses
    • Deuteronomy 32:1Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
    • Deuteronomy 32:5His people have acted corruptly toward Him; the spot on them is not that of His children, but of a perverse and crooked generation.
    • Deuteronomy 32:20He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.
    • Read Deuteronomy 32 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
  • Numbers 272 verses
    • Numbers 27:13After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;
    • Numbers 27:17who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
    • Read Numbers 27 →
  • Deuteronomy 92 verses
    • Deuteronomy 9:3But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.
    • Deuteronomy 9:24You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.
    • Read Deuteronomy 9 →
  • Exodus 332 verses
    • Exodus 33:9As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.
    • Exodus 33:14And the LORD answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
    • Read Exodus 33 →
  • Judges 102 verses
    • Judges 10:6And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.
    • Judges 10:13But you have forsaken Me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.
    • Read Judges 10 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.