Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Joshua to Succeed Moses

1 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel.

2 And he said to them, "I am ¹ 120 years old today. I am no longer able to ²go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, ³'You shall not go over this Jordan.'

3 The LORD your God ⁴himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, ⁵as the LORD has spoken.

4 And the LORD will do to them ⁶as he did to Sihon ⁷and 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 ⁸according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you.

6 ⁹Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, ¹⁰for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. ¹¹He will not leave you or forsake you."

7 Then ¹²Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ¹³"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 ¹⁴ who goes before you. He will be with you; ¹⁵he will not leave you or forsake you. ¹⁶Do not fear or be dismayed."

Deuteronomy 31:1-8 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.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 34:7; [Exodus 7:7]
• 2. See Numbers 27:17
• 3. Deuteronomy 3:27; See Deuteronomy 1:37
• 4. Deuteronomy 9:3
• 5. Deuteronomy 1:38; Deuteronomy 3:28; Numbers 27:18, 21
• 6. See Deuteronomy 2:31-35; Numbers 21:21-25
• 7. See Deuteronomy 3:1-7; Numbers 21:33-35
• 8. See Deuteronomy 7:2
• 9. ver. 23; Joshua 1:6, 7; Joshua 10:25; 1 Chronicles 22:13; 1 Chronicles 28:20
• 10. See Deuteronomy 20:4
• 11. Joshua 1:5
• 12. [Deuteronomy 3:28]
• 13. [See ver. 6 above]
• 14. See Exodus 13:21
• 15. [See ver. 6 above]
• 16. Deuteronomy 1:21; Deuteronomy 7:18; Joshua 1:9; Joshua 8:1; Joshua 10:25