Deuteronomy 31 Study Notes

31:1-29 Israel was to be a theocratic community with the Lord as King and with his covenant revelation as fundamental constitution and law. The theme of this section is the enshrinement of that law, the proper role of Mosaic succession, and the ultimate authority of covenant mandate over human institutions. All of these were standard elements in ancient Near Eastern covenant making.

31:1-6 The narrative of Moses’s imminent death and the succession of Joshua to leadership is reminiscent of an earlier part of Deuteronomy (3:21-28). It also anticipates the formal call and commissioning of Joshua following Moses’s departure (Jos 1:1-9). Human leaders are only God’s surrogates and therefore are to be followed only if they are obedient to him.

31:7-8 Be strong and courageous is found in vv. 6 and 7, then again in v. 23 and in Jos 1:6-7,9,18; 10:25; 1Ch 22:13; 28:20; 32:7; Ps 27:14; 31:25. He will not leave you or abandon you also occurs in 31:6,8; Jos 1:5; 1Ch 28:20.

31:9 This law is clearly the bulk of the book of Deuteronomy, since chaps. 5-28 make up the body of covenant stipulations. Having been written, it must now be preserved for future generations since the covenant was to be kept not only with Moses’s immediate hearers but also with their descendants (17:18; 29:10-15).

31:10-11 Because there was only one copy of the law at the beginning and in light of the limited literacy of the population of Israel at large, Israel had to assemble to hear it read at the end of every seven years . . . during the Festival of Shelters in the fall of the year at the central sanctuary (12:5,11).

31:12-13 The instruction to the assembly to follow all the words of his covenant law and to teach the children formalized the exhortation given previously to obey the stipulations of the covenant and to teach them to their children (6:1-3,6-9).

31:14-15 The significance of the tent of meeting, as the name implies, is that the Lord met there with his servants, especially Moses, on important occasions (Lv 1:1; Nm 7:89; 11:16; 12:4). Joshua’s succession to the office held by Moses would be such an occasion, requiring an encounter with the Lord himself.

31:16-18 The marriage/prostitute metaphor describes the covenant relationship between the Lord and Israel (Ezk 16:8; 23:36-39; Hs 2:2-13). The worst sin Israel could commit against him was to acknowledge and worship the foreign gods of the pagan nations. Such behavior was a violation of the marriage vows enshrined in the covenant text (27:11-26; Ex 19:8).

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).