Deuteronomy 31 - Introduction

E. Chs. 31 34. Last Days and Discourses of Moses

The Laws and Discourses accompanying are at an end (cp. Deuteronomy 31:1) except for some belated fragments, Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (24 26?), Deuteronomy 32:45-47, that contain only one fresh statement: that Moses wrote the Law. The remaining chs. though with deuteronomic elements contain contributions from JE, P, and other sources, belong therefore to the Pent. as a whole, complete its framework, and connect it with the Book of Joshua. This is recognised even by critics otherwise most conservative.

E.g. Orr (Problem of the O.T.pp. 248, 251) says that 31 34 are -appended" to Deut. and due to an editor; -the last part of the work, with its account of Moses" death and in one or two places what seem unmistakeable indications of JE and P hands, points clearly to such a redaction."

The sections, in great disorder as to their subjects unless we adopt some emendation of their text are as follows: Deuteronomy 31:1-8, Appointment of Joshua (deuteronomic); Deuteronomy 31:9-13, Moses" delivery of the written Law to the Priests and Elders, though possibly Joshua was originally in place of them (deuteronomic); Deuteronomy 31:14 f., Deuteronomy 31:23, God's charge to Joshua (E); Deuteronomy 31:16-22, God's revelation to Moses of Israel's delinquency after his death, as the motive to the Song in ch. 32 (partly deuteronomic, partly not); Deuteronomy 31:24-29, another delivery of the Law to the Levites (Deuteronomy 31:24-26) unless we read Songfor Law, with another introduction to the Song (Deuteronomy 31:27-29) (deuteronomic); Deuteronomy 31:30, editorial title to the Song; Deuteronomy 32:1-43, the Song of Moses (source unknown); Deuteronomy 32:44, concluding note; Deuteronomy 32:45-47, exhortation on the Law (deuteronomic); Deuteronomy 32:48-52, Moses" call to death (P); Deuteronomy 32:33, the Blessing of Moses (source unknown); Deuteronomy 32:34, the death of Moses (JE, P, etc.).

Appointment of Joshua

Moses declares his inability to continue his active offices with the people and God's decree that he shall not cross Jordan (Deuteronomy 31:1 f.). Under God Joshua shall lead Israel, the nations shall be destroyed like Siḥon and -Og, and Israel shall treat them as commanded (Deuteronomy 31:3-5). May Israel be strong and unafraid, God shall not fail it (Deuteronomy 31:6). Joshua is exhorted in similar terms (Deuteronomy 31:7 f.). The style is almost wholly deuteronomic, but consists largely of phrases common in 1 3 and 5 11, contains (Deuteronomy 31:3) doublets and a change in the form of address, and (Deuteronomy 31:2) a trace of P; so that it is probably due to an editor. The design of such a passage just here along with the other fragments on Joshua, Deuteronomy 31:14 f., Deuteronomy 31:23, and possibly Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (q.v.), must have been to connect the Books of Deut. and Joshua.

By many (Dillm., Dri., Steuern., Berth., Marti) the passage is taken, in whole or part, as from the same hand as chs 1 3 and as the necessary continuation of Deuteronomy 3:26-28, on these grounds: it contains many of the phrases of 1 3; Deuteronomy 31:1, these words, can refer only to something preceding and implies not words already spoken by Moses to Israel (such as now immediately precede, in chs 29 30) but words addressed to Moses himself, and on the subject of Joshua's succession (such as Deuteronomy 3:26-28). But the text of Deuteronomy 31:1 is uncertain (see below) and we have already found the completion of Deuteronomy 3:26-28 in the misplaced Deuteronomy 3:21 f. More probably the passage is editorial (cp. Bacon, Triple Tradition of Exodus, 265, 267) and this is borne out by its containing echoes not only of 1 3 but of 5 11 (see above). If some clauses are due to the author of 1 3 they have been worked over. Cullen (pp. 182 ff.) defends the interesting theory of a -Joshua redaction" of Deut. in the Exile, with special regard to Joshua the colleague of Zerubbabel in leading back the exiles to the holy land (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 3:1).