Deuteronomy 31:12
in Deuteronomy 31Assemble 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Assemble 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;
KJV
Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 31
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It was usual in cases of public or private contract for two copies of the engagement to be made--one to be deposited in the national archives or some secure place for reference, should occasion require. The other was to remain in the hands of the contracting parties (Jer 32:12-14). The same course was followed on this renewal of the covenant between God and Israel.
This site's exposition
Assemble the people
on Deuteronomy 31:12-13
The gathering names men, women, children and “the foreigners within your gates”, so the hearing reaches past the men at the feast. Verse 13 gives the reason, that “their children who do not know the law” hear it before they are grown.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
But into divers assemblies or synagogues. Women who hereby are required to go to Jerusalem at this solemnity, as they were permitted to do in other solemnities. Children - Such of them as could understand, as appears from Neh. viii, 2, 3, the pious Jews doubtless read it daily in their houses, and Moses of old time was read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Moses gives the law to the Levites to lay up beside the ark, and bids them assemble the people to hear his song, ver. 24-30. Commentary on Chapter XXXI 1. Went and spake - Continued to speak, an usual Hebrew phrase.
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Gather the people together, men, and women, and children,....
Note, It is the will of God that all people should acquaint themselves with his word. It is a rule to all, and therefore should be read to all. It is supposed that, since all Israel could not possibly meet in one place, nor could one man's voice reach them all, as many as the courts of the Lord's house would hold met there, and the rest at the same time in their synagogues.
They must hear, that they may learn, and fear God, and observe to do their duty. See here what we are to aim at in hearing the word; we must hear, that we may learn and grow in knowledge; and every time we read the scriptures we shall find that there is still more and more to be learned out of them.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
THAT THEY MAY HEAR, AND THAT THEY MAY LEARN — that is, the men and the women [mentioned in the first part of the verse], for the women, too, heard and learned to fear the Eternal.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַקְהֵ֣ל | hakhel | assemble | H6950 → | 39 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעָ֗ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| וְהַנָּשִׁים֙ | vehanashim | and the women | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְהַטַּ֔ף | vehataf | and the little one[s] | H2945 → | 42 times |
| וְגֵרְךָ֖ | vegerekha | and sojourner your | H1616 → | 92 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ | bishareikha | [is] in gates your | H8179 → | 374 times |
| לְמַ֨עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יִשְׁמְע֜וּ | yishmeu | they may hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וּלְמַ֣עַן | ulemaan | and so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יִלְמְד֗וּ | yilmedu | they may learn | H3925 → | 85 times |
| וְיָֽרְאוּ֙ | veyareu | and they will fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְשָֽׁמְר֣וּ | veshameru | and they will take care | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֖י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַתּוֹרָ֥ה | hatorah | the law | H8451 → | 219 times |
| הַזֹּֽאת׃ | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
הַקְהֵ֣לassemble
hakhelH6950 →39 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעָ֗םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
וְהַנָּשִׁים֙and the women
vehanashimH802 →781 times
וְהַטַּ֔ףand the little one[s]
vehatafH2945 →42 times
וְגֵרְךָ֖and sojourner your
vegerekhaH1616 →92 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ[is] in gates your
bishareikhaH8179 →374 times
לְמַ֨עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יִשְׁמְע֜וּthey may hear
yishmeuH8085 →1159 times
וּלְמַ֣עַןand so that
ulemaanH4616 →272 times
יִלְמְד֗וּthey may learn
yilmeduH3925 →85 times
וְיָֽרְאוּ֙and they will fear
veyareuH3372 →315 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְשָֽׁמְר֣וּand they will take care
veshameruH8104 →468 times
לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
דִּבְרֵ֖י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַתּוֹרָ֥הthe law
hatorahH8451 →219 times
הַזֹּֽאת׃<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezra 10:1While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.
it leads to
- Daniel 9:20
While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—
- Psalms 119:136
My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.
- Romans 9:2
I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
- 1 John 1:8–10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- 1 Kings 8:30
Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive.
- Daniel 9:20
Through
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…
it leads to
- Exodus 19:9
The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in…
- Hebrews 12:18–19
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;
- Exodus 19:16
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
- Exodus 19:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.