DeuteronomyChapter 31

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Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

He said to them: "I am a hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in, and the LORD has told me, 'You shall not cross this Jordan.'

The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD has said.

The LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.

The LORD will hand them over to you, and you are to deal with them according to every command I have given you.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be terrified before them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never fail you or forsake you."

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as their inheritance.

The LORD himself goes before you; he will be with you. He will never fail you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be dismayed."

So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

Moses commanded them: "At the end of every seven years, in the year appointed for release from debts, at the Festival of Booths,

when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law aloud in the hearing of all Israel.

Assemble the people—the men, the women, the children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law.

Then their children, who do not know it, will hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

The LORD said to Moses, "The day of your death is near. Summon Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.

Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

And the LORD said to Moses: "You are about to lie down with your fathers, and this people will rise up and prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.

On that day my anger will burn against them. I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. Many disasters and calamities will come upon them, and on that day they will say, 'Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer among us?'

And on that day I will surely hide my face because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods.

Now write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, so that it may be a witness for me against them.

When I bring them into the land I promised on oath to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, and when they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them; they will despise me and break my covenant.

And when many disasters and calamities come upon them, this song will testify against them, for it will not be lost from the lips of their descendants. For I know what they are inclined to do even now, before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.

So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

The LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."

When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, from beginning to end,

he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:

"Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. Even now, while I am still alive and with you, you have rebelled against the LORD; how much more after I die!

Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.

For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come disaster will overtake you, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made."

Then Moses recited the words of this song in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel, from beginning to end:

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Summary2

Chapter 31

Main Theme: Moses prepares for the leadership transition to Joshua and ensures that God's law and a prophetic song are preserved as a testimony for future generations.

Content: Moses, 120 years old, announces that he will not cross the Jordan and presents Joshua as leader, urging him to be strong and courageous. He gives the Torah to the priests and the elders with the command to read it publicly every seventh year. God reveals Himself in the pillar of cloud, predicts that Israel will turn away from the covenant, and commands that a song be written as a witness. The book of the law is placed beside the ark of the covenant, and Moses recites the entire song before the assembly.

Key Words/Images:

Be strong and courageous (חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ): A repeated exhortation to Joshua and the people not to fear, because the Lord goes before them.
The pillar of cloud: God's visible presence at the tent of meeting when He gave Joshua his commission and predicted the people's turning away.
The song as a witness: A prophetic song commanded by God, to be preserved through generations and to testify against Israel when they turn away.
The Torah beside the ark: The book of the law is placed next to the ark of the covenant as a permanent testimony to the covenant.

Historical context

People

Joshua (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ) stands central in this chapter as Moses' appointed successor. His name means "The Lord saves" or "The Lord is salvation." The chapter describes a formal public installation where Moses calls Joshua forward "before all Israel's eyes" (v. 7) and gives him the task of leading the people into the promised land. This public ceremony was important to establish Joshua's authority as a legitimate leader. In verses 14-15 and verse 23, Joshua also receives direct divine confirmation at the tent of meeting, where God Himself gives him the promise of His presence.

The Levites and priests are mentioned as guardians of the ark of the covenant and recipients of the written law (v. 9, 25). They were responsible for carrying "the Lord's ark of the covenant" and for keeping the book of the law beside the ark as a witness against the people.

Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, are mentioned in verse 4 as examples of God's previous victories. These victories serve as assurance to Israel that God will act in the same way toward the peoples in Canaan.

Events and Customs

Moses' farewell speech begins with his declaration that he is 120 years old (v. 2). This marks not physical weakness, but the end of his leadership and the transition to Joshua.

Public reading of the law (v. 10-13) was to take place every seventh year during the Feast of Tabernacles in the year of release (שְׁמִטָּה, shemittah). This practice, called hakhel (הַקְהֵל, "assemble"), ensured that all the people—men, women, children, and foreigners—heard the law read aloud. This was an educational institution designed to preserve the covenant relationship across generations. Later Jewish tradition describes how the king performed this reading.

Storing covenant texts at the sanctuary (v. 26) reflects a widespread practice in the ancient Near East. Treaties and important documents were often placed at the feet of divine statues or in temples as holy witnesses. In Israel's case, the book of the law was laid "beside" the ark of the covenant—not inside it—but as a witness against the people.

Key Terms

"Be strong and courageous" (חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ) is repeated three times in the chapter (v. 6, 7, 23)—first to all Israel, then to Joshua from Moses, and finally to Joshua from God Himself. This repetition underscores the chapter's central message of trust in God's presence during the transition to new leadership.

"To go out and come in" (לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא) in verse 2 is a Hebrew idiom describing a leader's full activity, especially military leadership and public duties. Moses does not say that he is physically weak, but that his time as leader is over.

"Lie down with your fathers" (שֹׁכֵב עִם־אֲבֹתֶיךָ) in verse 16 is a common euphemism for death in the Old Testament, expressing connection to the ancestors in death.

"The song" (הַשִּׁירָה) mentioned in verses 19-22 and 30 refers to Moses' song in chapter 32. Songs were important mnemonic tools in oral cultures, and this one was to function as a "witness" (לְעֵד) against Israel in case of future apostasy.

"Hide my face" (הִסְתַּרְתִּי פָנַי) in verses 17-18 describes God's withdrawal of protection and blessing. In contrast to the blessing "light of His face" (Num 6:25-26), the hidden face represents the consequences of covenant breaking.

Places

The tent of meeting (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד) in verses 14-15 was the meeting place between God and Moses. There the Lord appeared in the pillar of cloud at the entrance to the tent to install Joshua. This tent functioned as God's "throne room" in the wilderness and the place of divine revelation.

People6

And (King of Bashan)1 Joshua4 Nun (Joshua's father)1 Sihon (Amorite king)1 Jacob4 Moses8

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Key words5

Moses — The prophet and leader of the people of Israel who received the Ten Commandments and led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness.
Inheritance — The area or property given to the tribes of Israel by God after they entered the promised land.
Book of the Law — A collection of God's laws and instructions given to the Israelites through Moses, including the Ten Commandments and other regulations.
Joshua — Moses' successor as leader of the people of Israel, who led them into the promised land after Moses' death.
Encouragement — To give strength, hope, or courage to someone, especially in difficult situations or challenges.

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