Deuteronomy 31

AND Moses went and spake (i. e.) Proceeded or continued to speak, An usual Hebrew phrase. Or, went to the place where he had assembled the people that he might speak to them. these words unto all Israel.

And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day: I can no more go out and come in (i. e.) Perform the Office of a Leader or Governour, either because I now find a decay of my mind and body: which seems not well to agree with Deut. 34. 7. or because I foresee the time of my death approaches.: also the LORD has said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

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 has said.

And the LORD shall do unto them, as he did to Sihon, and to Og, kings of the Amorite, and unto the land of them Which he gave to you to possess. whom he destroyed.

And the LORD shall give them up before your face (i. e.) Into your power. See on Deut. 1. 8., that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.

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

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

And the LORD he it is that does go before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

And Moses wrote this law Largely so called, the whole Law or Doctrine delivered unto Moses contained in these five books., and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi That they might keep it carefully and religiously, and bring it forth upon occasion, and read it, and instruct the people out of it., which bare the ark To wit, sometimes in great solemnities, as Ios. 3. 13, 17. and 6. 12. 1 King. 8. 3. though the Levites also might bear it, as appears from Numb. 3. and 4. and 10. 1 Chron. 15. 2. of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel Who were Assistants to the Priests, and overseers to take care that the Law should be kept, and read, and observed..

And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release When they were freed from debts and troubles, and cares of worldly matters, and thereby fitter to attend upon God and his service., in the feast of tabernacles,

When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read Thy self in part, for the Jews tell us that the King was in person to read some part of it, or at least, thou shalt cause it to be read by the Priests or Levites, for he could not read it himself in the hearing of all Israel, but this was to be done by several persons, and to the people met in several congregations. See Nehem. 8. 1, &c. this law before all Israel in their hearing.

Gather the people together Not into one place, where all could not hear, but into divers Assemblies or Synagogues., men, and women Who hereby are required to go to Ierusalem at this solemnity, as they were permitted to do in other solemnities, when the Males only were enjoyned to go, Exod. 23. 17., and children To wit, such of them as could understand, as appears from Neh. 8. 2, 3., and thy stranger (i. e.) The Proselytes, though others also were admitted. that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn That they may then certainly and constantly do so, though they had also other opportunities to do so, as upon the Sabbath-days, Act. 15. 21. and other solemn feasts, yea even in their private houses., and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:

And that their children which have not known any thing, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present your selves in the tabernacle Either properly so called, for though the Priests only might ordinarily enter there, yet others might go in upon a call and command from God, which here they had: or in the court of the Tabernacle, at the door of which God stood in the cloudy pillar, v. 15. the Court coming here under the name of the Tabernacle, as elsewhere it comes under the name of the Temple. of the congregation, that I may give him a charge Immediately from my self for his greater encouragement, and to gain him more authority with the people.. And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle, in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud, stood over the door of the tabernacle.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep The death of men, both good and bad, is oft called a sleep, because they shall certainly awake out of it by resurrection. See Psal. 76. 5. Dan. 12. 2. 1 Thess. 4. 13, &c. 2 Pet. 3. 4. with thy fathers, and this people will rise up, and go a whoring God certainly foresees all things to come, yea, even those which depend upon the wills of men, or contingencies of the things, as this unquestionably did. after the gods of the strangers of the land (i. e.) Of the Canaanites, who now are possessours, but shortly will be turned out of their possessions, and become as strangers in their own land. This aggravates their folly to worship such Gods as could neither preserve their friends, nor annoy their enemies., whither they go to be amongst them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face (i. e.) Withdraw my favour and help. from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not amongst us?

And I will surely hide my face in that day, for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

Now therefore write ye this song Which is contained Deut. 32. and is put into a song that it be better learned, and more fixed in their minds and memories. for you and teach it the children of Israel, put it in their mouths Cause them to learn it, and sing it one to another, to oblige them to more circumspection and watchfulness., that this song may be a witness for me Of my kindness in giving them so many blessings, of my patience in bearing so long with them, of my clemency in giving them such fair and plain warnings, and my justice in punishing such an unthankful perverse and incorrigible people. against the children of Israel.

For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testifie against them as a witness: for it shall not be forgotten This seems not to be a precept that they should remember it, but a prediction, that God would give them sad occasion to remember it, by bringing upon them the dreadful calamities mentioned in it. out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination, which they go about even now Either their inward inclinations to Idolatry, which they do not check, as they ought, but rather entertain with delight, and some of them do not only cherish it in their hearts, but as far as they can and dare, secretly practise it, as may be gathered from Amos 5. 25. Act. 7. 43. or their secret purposes to allow themselves therein, when they are settled in their land, which were clearly known to God, though it may be not fully evident to themselves., before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.

And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them This wickedness of theirs which I now foresee and foretell shall not hinder me from bringing them into Canaan.: and I will be with thee.

And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished;

That Moses commanded the Levites (i. e.) The Priests ver. 9. who also were Levites. which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,

Take this book of the law, and put it in the side (i. e.) In the outside, in a little chest fixed to it, for nothing but the Tables of stone were contained in the Ark, 1 King. 8. 9. Here it was kept for greater security and reverence. of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee (i. e.) Against thy people, to whom he here turns his speech that they might be more affected with it.:

For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff-neck; behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD, and how much more after my death?

Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.

For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt your selves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you: and evil will befall you in the later days, because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

And Mosesspake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were ended.