Deuteronomy 31:1-7

1 And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

2 And he said to them, I [am] a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said to me, thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

3 The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, [and] he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: [and] Joshua he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.

4 And the LORD shall do to them as he did to Sihon, and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and to the land of them, whom he destroyed.

5 And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that ye may do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

7 And Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people to the land which the LORD hath sworn to their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

Deuteronomy 31:1-7 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.