Deuteronomy 31:17-27

17 And then my wrath will waxe whote agenst them, and I will forsake them and will hyde my face from them, and they shalbe consumed. And when moch aduersyte and tribulacion is come vppon them, then they will saye: because oure God is not amonge us,
18 these tribulacions are come vppon us. But I wil hyde my face that same tyme for all the euels sake which they shall haue wrought, in that they are turned vnto straunge goddes.
19 Now therfore write ye this songe, and teach it the childern of Israel and put it in their mouthes that this songe maye be my witnesse vnto the childern of Israel.
20 For when I haue brought them in to the londe whiche I sware vnto their fathers that runneth with mylke ad honye, then they will eate and fyll them selues and waxe fatt and turne vnto straunge goddes and serue them and rayle on me and breake my testament.
21 And then when moch myschefe and tribulacion is come vppon them, this songe shall answere before them, and be a witnesse. It shall not be forgetten out of the mouthes of their seed: for I knowe their imaginacyon whiche they goo aboute euen now before I haue broughte them in to the londe which I sware.
22 And Moses wrote this songe the same season, and taught it the childern of Israel.
23 And the Lorde gaue Iosua the sonne off Nun a charge and sayed: be bolde and stronge for thou shalt brynge the childern of Israel in to the lond which I sware vnto them, ad I will be with the.
24 When Moses had made an ende of wrytynge out the wordes of this lawe in a boke vnto the ende
25 of them he commaunded the Leuites which bare the arcke of the testamet of the Lorde sayenge:
26 take the boke off thys lawe and put it by the syde of the arcke of the testament of the Lorde youre God, and let it be there for a witnesse vnto the.
27 I For knowe thi stubernesse and thi stiffe necke: beholde, while I am yet a lyue with you this daye, ye haue bene dishobedient vnto the Lorde: ad how moch moare after my deeth.

Deuteronomy 31:17-27 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.

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