Deuteronomy 31:4-14

4 And the LORD will do to them ¹as he did to Sihon ²and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.

5 And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them ³according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you.

6 ⁴Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, ⁵for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. ⁶He will not leave you or forsake you."

7 Then ⁷Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ⁸"Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it.

8 It is the LORD ⁹ who goes before you. He will be with you; ¹⁰he will not leave you or forsake you. ¹¹Do not fear or be dismayed."

The Reading of the Law

9 Then Moses ¹²wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, ¹³who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

10 And Moses commanded them, ¹⁴"At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at ¹⁵the Feast of Booths,

11 when all Israel comes ¹⁶to appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose, ¹⁷you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

12 ¹⁸Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,

13 and that their children, ¹⁹who have not known it, ²⁰may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, ²¹as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess."

Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel

14 And the LORD said to Moses, ²²"Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that ²³I may commission him." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.

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Deuteronomy 31:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 31

Moses being old, and knowing he should quickly die, and must not go over Jordan with the people of Israel, acquaints them with it, and encourages them and Joshua to go over notwithstanding, and not be afraid of their enemies, since the Lord would go with them, and deliver them into their hands, De 31:1-8; and having written the law, he delivered it to the priests, and ordered that it should be read at the end of every seven years before all the people, that they and theirs might learn it, and fear the Lord, De 31:9-13; and whereas the death of Moses was very near, and the Lord foreseeing the people would quickly fall into idolatry, which would bring great calamities upon them, he directed Moses to write a song, which should be a witness for him, and against them, in ages to come; which Moses accordingly did, De 31:14-22; and Moses having given a charge to Joshua, and finished the writing of the law in a book, gave it to the Levites to put it in the side of the ark, De 31:23-27; and then ordered the chief of the tribes to be gathered together, that he might deliver the song, which by the direction and under the inspiration of God he had written, De 31:28-30; which song is recorded in De 32:1-43.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 23

1. See Deuteronomy 2:31-35; Numbers 21:21-25
2. See Deuteronomy 3:1-7; Numbers 21:33-35
3. See Deuteronomy 7:2
4. ver. 23; Joshua 1:6, 7; Joshua 10:25; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 1 Chronicles 28:20
5. See Deuteronomy 20:4
6. Joshua 1:5
7. [Deuteronomy 3:28]
8. [See ver. 6 above]
9. See Exodus 13:21
10. [See ver. 6 above]
11. Deuteronomy 1:21; Deuteronomy 7:18; Joshua 1:9; Joshua 8:1; Joshua 10:25
12. [Deuteronomy 17:18]
13. Numbers 4:15; Joshua 3:3; Joshua 8:33; 1 Chronicles 15:15
14. See Deuteronomy 15:1
15. See Leviticus 23:34
16. Deuteronomy 16:16; Exodus 23:14, 17; Exodus 34:23
17. Joshua 8:34, 35; 2 Kings 23:2; See Nehemiah 8:1-3
18. Deuteronomy 4:10
19. Deuteronomy 11:2
20. Psalms 78:5, 6
21. See Deuteronomy 4:10
22. [Deuteronomy 34:5; Numbers 27:13]
23. [ver. 23; Numbers 27:19]

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.