Deutéronome 31:9

9 Moïse écrivit cette loi, et il la remit aux sacrificateurs, fils de Lévi, qui portaient l'arche de l'alliance de l'Eternel, et à tous les anciens d'Israël.

Deutéronome 31:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:9

And Moses wrote this law
The book of Deuteronomy, or the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, which he had now finished, and which all of them together are sometimes called the law, ( Galatians 4:21 ) ;

and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi;
who were the teachers of the law, as Aben Ezra observes; see ( Malachi 2:7 ) ; and therefore it was proper to put it into their hands, to instruct the people in it, and that the people might apply to them in any matter of difficulty, or when they wanted to have any particular law explained to them:

which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord;
for though they were the Levites, and particularly the Kohathites, who in journeying carried the ark; see ( Numbers 4:5-15 ) ( 10:21 ) ; yet sometimes it was borne by the priests; see ( Joshua 3:13-17 ) ( 6:6 ) ( 1 Samuel 4:4 ) ;

and unto all the elders of Israel;
the judges and civil magistrates in the respective tribes; for as there were in the book of the law several things which belonged to the priests to perform, and all of them they were to instruct in, so there were others which were to be the rule of judgment to judges, and all civil magistrates, and which they were to take care were put in execution; and therefore it was proper that they should have a copy of this law, and which must be here understood; for it cannot be thought that one and the same copy should be given both to the priests and to all the elders. The Jews say Moses wrote thirteen copies of the law, twelve for the twelve tribes, and one to be put into the ark, to convict of fraud or corruption, should any be made ^F19.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Debarim Rabba, sect. 9. fol. 244. 2.

Deutéronome 31:9 In-Context

7 Moïse appela Josué, et lui dit en présence de tout Israël: Fortifie-toi et prends courage, car tu entreras avec ce peuple dans le pays que l'Eternel a juré à leurs pères de leur donner, et c'est toi qui les en mettras en possession.

8 L'Eternel marchera lui-même devant toi, il sera lui-même avec toi, il ne te délaissera point, il ne t'abandonnera point; ne crains point, et ne t'effraie point.

9 Moïse écrivit cette loi, et il la remit aux sacrificateurs, fils de Lévi, qui portaient l'arche de l'alliance de l'Eternel, et à tous les anciens d'Israël.

10 Moïse leur donna cet ordre: Tous les sept ans, à l'époque de l'année du relâche, à la fête des tabernacles,

11 quand tout Israël viendra se présenter devant l'Eternel, ton Dieu, dans le lieu qu'il choisira, tu liras cette loi devant tout Israël, en leur présence.