Deuteronomio 31:11

11 cuando viniere todo Israel a presentarse delante del SEÑOR tu Dios en el lugar que él escogiere, leerás esta ley delante de todo Israel a oídos de ellos

Deuteronomio 31:11 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:11

When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God,
&c.] As all the males were obliged to do three times in the year, and one of those times was the feast of tabernacles, and so a proper season for the reading of the law; see ( Exodus 23:14-17 ) ;

in the place which the Lord shall choose;
the city of Jerusalem, and the temple there:

thou shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing;
the book of Deuteronomy, as Jarchi, or it may be the whole Pentateuch: who were to read it is not expressly said; the speech seems to be directed to the priests and elders, to whom the law written by Moses was delivered, ( Deuteronomy 31:9 ) ; and who were either to read it themselves, or take care that it should be read. Josephus ^F24 ascribes this service to the high priest; he says, standing in an high pulpit (or on an high bench),

``from whence he may be heard, he must read the laws to all;''

but the Jewish writers commonly allot this work to the king, or supreme governor, who at least was to read some parts of it; so Jarchi says, the king at first read Deuteronomy, as it is said in the Misnah ^F25;

``he read from the beginning of Deuteronomy to ( Deuteronomy 6:4 ) ; hear, O Israel and then added ( Deuteronomy 11:13 ) ; then ( Deuteronomy 14:22 ) ; after that ( Deuteronomy 26:12 ) ; then the section of the king, ( Deuteronomy 17:14 ) ; next the blessings and the curses, ( Deuteronomy 27:15-26 ) ( 28:16-68 ) , with which he finished the whole section;''

and so we find that Joshua, the governor of the people after Moses, read all his laws, ( Joshua 8:35 ) ; and so did King Josiah at the finding of the book of the law, ( 2 Kings 23:2 ) , and Ezra, ( Nehemiah 8:3 ) . The king received the book from the high priest standing, and read it sitting; but King Agrippa stood and read, for which he was praised.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 12.
F25 Sotah, ut supra. (c. 7. sect. 8.)

Deuteronomio 31:11 In-Context

9 Y escribió Moisés esta ley, y la dio a los sacerdotes, hijos de Leví, que llevaban el arca del pacto del SEÑOR, y a todos los ancianos de Israel

10 Y les mandó Moisés, diciendo: Al principio del séptimo año, en el tiempo del año de la remisión, en la fiesta de los tabernáculos

11 cuando viniere todo Israel a presentarse delante del SEÑOR tu Dios en el lugar que él escogiere, leerás esta ley delante de todo Israel a oídos de ellos

12 Harás congregar el pueblo, varones y mujeres y niños, y tus extranjeros que estuvieren en tus ciudades, para que oigan y aprendan, y teman al SEÑOR vuestro Dios, y guardan de cumplir todas las palabras de esta ley

13 Y sus hijos que no la supieron oigan, y aprendan a temer al SEÑOR vuestro Dios todos los días que viviereis sobre la tierra, para ir a la cual pasáis el Jordán para heredarla