Deuteronomy 31:5-15

5 And when the Lorde hath delyuered them to the, se that ye doo vnto them acordynge vnto all the comaundmentes which I haue comaunded you.

6 Plucke vpp youre hartes and be stronge, dreade not nor be aferde of them: for the Lorde thi God him selfe will goo with the, and wil nether let the goo nor forsake the:

7 And Moses called vnto Iosua and sayed vnto him in the sighte of all Israel: Be stroge and bolde, for thou must goo with this people vnto the londe which the Lorde hath sworne vnto their fathers to geue them, and thou shalt geue it them to enheret.

8 And the Lorde he shall goo before the ad he shall be with the, and wil not let the goo nor forsake the, feare not therfore nor be discomforted.

9 And Moses wrote this lawe and delyuered it vnto the preastes the sonnes of Leui which bare the arke of the testament of the Lorde, and vnto all the elders of Israel,

10 and commaunded them sayenge: At the ende of .vij. yere, in the tyme of the fre yere, in the fest of the tabernacles,

11 when all Israel is come to appere before the Lorde thi God, in the place which he hath chosen: se that thou reade this lawe before all Israel in their eares

12 Gather the people together: both men, wemen and childern and the straungers that are in thi cities, that they maye heare, lerne and feare the Lorde youre God, and be diligent to kepe all the wordes of this lawe,

13 and that theyr childern which knowe nothinge maye heare and lerne to feare the Lorde youre God, as longe as ye lyue in the londe whother ye goo ouer Iordayne to possesse it.

14 And the Lorde sayed vnto Moses: Beholde thy dayes are come, that thou must dye. Call Iosua and come and stonde in the tabernacle of witnesse, that I maye geue him a charge. And Moses and Iosua went and stode in the tabernacle off witnesse.

15 And the Lorde apeared in the tabernacle: euen in the pyler off the cloude. And the piler of the cloude stode ouer the dore of the tabernacle.

Deuteronomy 31:5-15 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.