Deuteronomy 1:5

Ver. 5. Began Moses to declare, &c.— Houbigant very properly renders this, It seemed good to Moses, when on the bank of Jordan, in the land of Moab, fully to explain this law: he makes use of the word באר beer, to explain (a word he has never before used), because he does not now establish fresh laws dictated by God, but undertakes to explain to the children the laws which were given to their fathers. The original word, rendered began, is never used in that sense.