Deuteronomy 31 Study Notes

31:19 Covenant ceremonies and their reaffirmations required a witness who could testify to the legality of what was done and who could bear testimony for or against the covenant partners in the event of a breach of contract by either one (30:19; Ex 24:3-8).

31:20-22 The need for a song of witness (v. 19) is apparent. The question is not whether Israel would sin but when and what should be done about their sinful behavior. Sadly, Israel’s future behavior mirrored that of her past. The song of witness was forever a nagging reminder of her lack of gratitude to God. The song is found in 32:1-43.

31:23 Joshua would hear these words again after Moses’s death (Jos 1:6-7).

31:24 The statement that Moses wrote every single word of this law attests to the ancient tradition of his authorship of the book of Deuteronomy, the “law” clearly intended here.

31:25-26 The stone tablets of the Decalogue had already been placed inside the ark of the covenant (Ex 25:16) and now the book of the law—no doubt Deuteronomy—must be housed in the most holy place beside the ark (cp. Ex 26:33), which represented the earthly dwelling place of the Lord.

31:27-30 Like God in v. 20, Moses has no delusion that even the book of Deuteronomy will keep Israel from rebelling against the Lord.

31:28 The Lord now, at the point of covenant renewal, would call heaven and earth as witnesses against them (cp. 4:26; 30:19). This is in line with the principle that formal legal matters must be addressed in the presence of at least two witnesses in order for them to be valid (17:6; 19:15).