Deuteronomy 31:9-13

2. LAW DELIVERED TO THE PRIESTS; COMMANDED To BE READ BEFORE ALL ISREAL EVERY

SEVEN YEARS (Deuteronomy 31:9-13)

And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and unto all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, 11 when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law; 13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear Jehovah your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 31:9-13

537.

This is the first reference to Moses as the one who wrote this book, Read Numbers 33:2; Exodus 24:4 for comparative references.

538.

The priests had a two-fold responsibility to the law of Jehovah; they were not only to protect it, but to.

539.

How often was this command of Moses fulfilled?

540.

There is strong prophetic reference in this passage. To what future place is reference made?

541.

For what purpose is the law of Jehovah to be read?

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 31:9-13

9 And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
10 And Moses commanded them, At the end of every seven years, at the set time of the year of release [of debtors from their debts], at the feast of booths,

11 When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses [for His sanctuary], you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
12 Assemble the people, men, women, and children, and the stranger and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn (reverently) to fear the Lord your God, and be watchful to do all the words of this law,
13 And that their children, who have not known it, may hear, and learn (reverently) to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land which you go over Jordan to possess.

COMMENT 31:9-13

AND MOSES WROTE THIS LAW (Deuteronomy 31:9)The first time Moses-' writing is mentioned in this book. See also Deuteronomy 31:22; Deuteronomy 31:24. But Moses had written much before this time (Exodus 24:4, Numbers 33:2, etc.) See the Introduction, III, (The Writer), and the special works by Rotherham and McGarvey included in this volume.

AND DELIVERED IT UNTO THE PRIESTS. AND UNTO ALL THE ELDERS (Deuteronomy 31:9)A formal presentation, committing the keeping of the law into their hands. It was put by the side of the ark (Deuteronomy 31:25), inside of which the tables of stone were kept. See Deuteronomy 10:1-5, Hebrews 9:1-5.

AT THE END OF EVERY SEVEN YEARS (Deuteronomy 31:10)See Deuteronomy 15:1-2; Deuteronomy 15:9. The law which had been written was to be read to the people at the end of every seven years, during the festival of the year of release, that is, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Leviticus 23:34, Deuteronomy 16:13-16.

Adam Clarke comments: It is strange that this commandment, relative to a public reading of the law every seven years, should have been rarely attended to. It does not appear that from the time mentioned, Joshua 8:30, at which time this public reading took place, till the reign of Jehosphaphat, 2 Chronicles 17:7 [See also Deuteronomy 31:9] there was any public seventh year readinga period of 530 years. The next seventh year reading was not till the eighteenth year of the regin of Joshiah, 2 Chronicles 34:30, a space of two hundred and eighty-two years. Nor do we find any other publicly mentioned from this time till the return from the Babylonish captivity, Neh. viii. 2. Nor is there any other record from that time to the destruction of Jerusalem.

The law was delivered to the priests and elders not merely for safe-keeping. It was to be read and enforced (Deuteronomy 31:12-13). During the centuries of the Dark Ages the Roman Church kept the Bible safelysafely locked to the walls and pulpits of monastaries and cathedrals! Throughout Europe the word of God was preserved in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. The latter language, understood only by the learned, was again used in the sacred services. Thus the ignorance of the common man was perpetuated; for Latin was not understood by the common man.

ASSEMBLE THE PEOPLE, etc. (Deuteronomy 31:12-13)Nehemiah, chapter 8, provides an illustration of this passage. The law was to be read so all Israel could hear. learn. fear. observe. Thus when Ezra read, he did so distinctly; and gave the sense, so that they understood the reading (Nehemiah 8:8), God wants his message communicated to his people! Reading, with understanding, is good; a mere rattling of words, a matter of mechanics, is not enough! Till I arrive, go ahead with the public reading, the preaching and the teaching (1 Timothy 4:13, Berkeley).