Deuteronomy 31:19

19 Now therefore write ye to you this song, and teach ye the sons of Israel, that they hold it in mind, and sing it in mouth; and that this song be to me for a witnessing among the sons of Israel. (And so now write down this song for you, and teach ye it to the Israelites, so that they can remember it, and sing it with their mouths; and so that this song can be a witness for me against the Israelites.)

Deuteronomy 31:19 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:19

Now, therefore, write ye this song for you
Which was now dictated by the Lord, and given to Moses and Joshua to write, which is recorded in ( Deuteronomy 32:1-43 ) :

and teach it the children of Israel;
teach them by it, instructing them in the meaning of it: thus it was usual in ancient times to write things in verses, that they might be the more pleasingly attended to and regarded, and be longer retained in memory; and especially this practice was used with children, and still is:

put it in their mouths;
oblige them to get it by heart, or lay it up in their memories, and repeat it frequently, that it may be familiar to them, and not be forgotten by them:

that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel;
when in times to come they shall call to mind how in this song they were cautioned against such and such sins, and what they were threatened with should befall them on account of them, and how all things have come to pass exactly as foretold in it; which would be a testimony for God of his goodness to them, of his tender care of them, and concern for them, in the previous cautions he gave them; and of his foreknowledge of future events; and a testimony against them for their ingratitude and other sins.

Deuteronomy 31:19 In-Context

17 And my strong vengeance shall be wroth against that people in that day, and I shall forsake it, and I shall hide my face from it, and it shall be into devouring; all evils and tormentings shall find it, so that it say in that day, Verily for the Lord is not with me, these evils have found me. (And my strong vengeance shall be stirred against them in that day, and I shall forsake them, and I shall hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured; and many evils and torments shall find them, so that they say on that day, Truly these evils have found us, because the Lord is not with us.)

18 Soothly I shall hide my face, and cover it in that day, for all the evils which this people hath done, for it hath followed alien gods. (And I shall hide my face, and cover it on that day, for all the evils which this people hath done, for they have followed foreign, or other, gods.)

19 Now therefore write ye to you this song, and teach ye the sons of Israel, that they hold it in mind, and sing it in mouth; and that this song be to me for a witnessing among the sons of Israel. (And so now write down this song for you, and teach ye it to the Israelites, so that they can remember it, and sing it with their mouths; and so that this song can be a witness for me against the Israelites.)

20 For I shall lead him into the land, for which I swore to his fathers, flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be full-filled, and be made fat, they shall turn to alien gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and shall make void my covenant. (For I shall lead them into the land, for which I swore to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey; and when they have eaten, and be filled full, and be made fat, then they shall turn to foreign, or to other, gods, and they shall serve them; and they shall backbite me, and they shall make void, or shall break, my covenant.)

21 After that many evils and tormentings have found them, this song shall answer to him for (a) witnessing, which song no forgetting shall do away from the mouth of thy seed. For I know the thoughts thereof today, what things it shall do, before that I bring it into the land which I promised to it. (And after that many evils and torments have found them, this song shall speak against them as a witness, which no forgetting shall do away from the mouths of their descendants. For I know their thoughts today, and what things they shall do, before that I bring them into the land which I promised them.)