Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Deuteronomy 31:14 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
De 31:14	Strong Concordance	And the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto Moses [04872], Behold, thy days [03117] approach [07126] that thou must die [04191]: call [07121] Joshua [03091], and present [03320] yourselves in the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150], that I may give him a charge [06680]. And Moses [04872] and Joshua [03091] went [03212], and presented [03320] themselves in the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150].
	King James	And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
the Lord said unto Moses, . . .call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation--Joshua had been publicly designated to the office of commander by Moses [Num 27:22-23]; and God was pleased to confirm his appointment by the visible symbols of His presence and approval. As none but the priests were privileged to enter the sanctuary, it is probable that this significant manifestation of the cloudy pillar was made while the leaders stood at the door of the tabernacle.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

the Lord said unto Moses, . . .call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation--Joshua had been publicly designated to the office of commander by Moses [Num 27:22-23]; and God was pleased to confirm his appointment by the visible symbols of His presence and approval. As none but the priests were privileged to enter the sanctuary, it is probable that this significant manifestation of the cloudy pillar was made while the leaders stood at the door of the tabernacle.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
The transaction recorded in these verses may be regarded as the solemn inauguration of Joshua to the office to which he had some time before Num 27:22 been called, and his recognition in it by God, which were manifested by his being summoned into the tabernacle with Moses while the Lord appeared in the pillar of cloud (compare Num 11:25; Num 12:5). Deu 31:16 The future apostasy of the people is announced in the presence of Joshua that the latter might be fully aware of the danger and strive in his day to avert it. This he faithfully did (compare Jos 24:31); but we find him in his own last address to Israel repeating Jos 23:15-16 the self-same prediction and warning. Deu 31:19 A witness for me against them - i. e., an attestation from their own mouths at once of God's benefits, their own duties, and their deserts when they should fall away. Being in verse it would be the more easily learned and kept in memory. The use of songs for such didactic purposes was not unknown to the legislators of antiquity. Compare also the advice of Paul, "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" Col 3:16. Deu 31:23 He gave - i. e., the Lord gave.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
After handing over the office to Joshua, and the law to the priests and elders, Moses was called by the Lord to come to the tabernacle with Joshua, to command him (צוּה), i.e., to appoint him, confirm him in his office. To this end the Lord appeared in the tabernacle (Deu 31:15), in a pillar of cloud, which remained standing before it, as in Num 12:5 (see the exposition of Num 11:25). But before appointing Joshua, He announced to Moses that after his death the nation would go a whoring after other gods, and would break the covenant, for which it would be visited with severe afflictions, and directed him to write an ode and teach it to the children of Israel, that when the apostasy should take place, and punishment from God be felt in consequence, it might speak as a witness against the people, as it would not vanish from their memory. The Lord communicated this commission to Moses in the presence of Joshua, that he also might hear from the mouth of God that the Lord foreknew the future apostasy of the people, and yet nevertheless would bring them into the promised land. In this there was also implied an admonition to Joshua, not only to take care that the Israelites learned the ode and kept it in their memories, but also to strive with all his might to prevent the apostasy, so long as he was leader of Israel; which Joshua did most faithfully to the very end of his life (vid., Josh 23 and 24). - The announcement of the falling away of the Israelites from the Lord into idolatry, and the burning of the wrath of God in consequence (Deu 31:16-18), serves as a basis for the command in Deu 31:19. In this announcement the different points are simply linked together with "and," whereas in their actual signification they are subordinate to one another: When thou shalt lie with thy fathers, and the people shall rise up, and go a whoring after other gods: My anger will burn against them, etc. קוּם, to rise up, to prepare, serves to bring out distinctly the course which the thing would take. The expression, "foreign gods of the land," indicates that in the land which Jehovah gave His people, He (Jehovah) alone was God and Lord, and that He alone was to be worshipped there. בּקרבּו is in apposition to שׁמּה, "whither thou comest, in the midst of it." The punishment announced in Deu 31:17 corresponds most closely to the sin of the nation. For going a whoring after strange gods, the anger of the Lord would burn against them; for forsaking Him, He would forsake them; and for breaking His covenant, He would hide His face from them, i.e., withdraw His favour from them, so that they would be destroyed. לאכל היה, it (the nation) will be for devouring, i.e., will be devoured or destroyed (see Ewald, 237, c.; and on אכל in this sense, see Deu 7:16, and Num 14:9). "And many evils and troubles will befall it; and it will say in that day, Do not these evils befall me, because my God is not in the midst of me?" When the evils and troubles broke in upon the nation, the people would inquire the cause, and would find it in the fact that they were forsaken by their God; but the Lord ("but I" in Deu 31:18 forms the antithesis to "they" in Deu 31:17) would still hide His face, namely, because simply missing God is not true repentance.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

After handing over the office to Joshua, and the law to the priests and elders, Moses was called by the Lord to come to the tabernacle with Joshua, to command him (צוּה), i.e., to appoint him, confirm him in his office. To this end the Lord appeared in the tabernacle (Deu 31:15), in a pillar of cloud, which remained standing before it, as in Num 12:5 (see the exposition of Num 11:25). But before appointing Joshua, He announced to Moses that after his death the nation would go a whoring after other gods, and would break the covenant, for which it would be visited with severe afflictions, and directed him to write an ode and teach it to the children of Israel, that when the apostasy should take place, and punishment from God be felt in consequence, it might speak as a witness against the people, as it would not vanish from their memory. The Lord communicated this commission to Moses in the presence of Joshua, that he also might hear from the mouth of God that the Lord foreknew the future apostasy of the people, and yet nevertheless would bring them into the promised land. In this there was also implied an admonition to Joshua, not only to take care that the Israelites learned the ode and kept it in their memories, but also to strive with all his might to prevent the apostasy, so long as he was leader of Israel; which Joshua did most faithfully to the very end of his life (vid., Josh 23 and 24). - The announcement of the falling away of the Israelites from the Lord into idolatry, and the burning of the wrath of God in consequence (Deu 31:16-18), serves as a basis for the command in Deu 31:19. In this announcement the different points are simply linked together with "and," whereas in their actual signification they are subordinate to one another: When thou shalt lie with thy fathers, and the people shall rise up, and go a whoring after other gods: My anger will burn against them, etc. קוּם, to rise up, to prepare, serves to bring out distinctly the course which the thing would take. The expression, "foreign gods of the land," indicates that in the land which Jehovah gave His people, He (Jehovah) alone was God and Lord, and that He alone was to be worshipped there. בּקרבּו is in apposition to שׁמּה, "whither thou comest, in the midst of it." The punishment announced in Deu 31:17 corresponds most closely to the sin of the nation. For going a whoring after strange gods, the anger of the Lord would burn against them; for forsaking Him, He would forsake them; and for breaking His covenant, He would hide His face from them, i.e., withdraw His favour from them, so that they would be destroyed. לאכל היה, it (the nation) will be for devouring, i.e., will be devoured or destroyed (see Ewald, 237, c.; and on אכל in this sense, see Deu 7:16, and Num 14:9). "And many evils and troubles will befall it; and it will say in that day, Do not these evils befall me, because my God is not in the midst of me?" When the evils and troubles broke in upon the nation, the people would inquire the cause, and would find it in the fact that they were forsaken by their God; but the Lord ("but I" in Deu 31:18 forms the antithesis to "they" in Deu 31:17) would still hide His face, namely, because simply missing God is not true repentance.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Give him a charge - Immediately from myself for his greater encouragement, and to gain him more authority with the people.

Top

²² And Moses [04872] did [06213] as the LORD [03068] commanded [06680] him: and he took [03947] Joshua [03091], and set [05975] him before [06440] Eleazar [0499] the priest [03548], and before [06440] all the congregation [05712]:
²³ And he laid [05564] his hands [03027] upon him, and gave him a charge [06680], as the LORD [03068] commanded [01696] by the hand [03027] of Moses [04872].

²³ And he gave Joshua [03091] the son [01121] of Nun [05126] a charge [06680], and said [0559], Be strong [02388] and of a good courage [0553]: for thou shalt bring [0935] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] into the land [0776] which I sware [07650] unto them: and I will be with thee.

¹⁶ Let [1774] the word [3056] of Christ [5547] dwell [1774] in [1722] you [5213] richly [4146] in [1722] all [3956] wisdom [4678]; teaching [1321] and [2532] admonishing [3560] one another [1438] in psalms [5568] and [2532] hymns [5215] and [2532] spiritual [4152] songs [5603], singing [103] with [1722] grace [5485] in [1722] your [5216] hearts [2588] to the Lord [2962].

¹⁹ Now therefore write [03789] ye this song [07892] for you, and teach [03925] it the children [01121] of Israel [03478]: put [07760] it in their mouths [06310], that this song [07892] may be a witness [05707] for me against the children [01121] of Israel [03478].

¹⁵ Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good [02896] things [01697] are come [0935] upon you, which the LORD [03068] your God [0430] promised [01696] you; so shall the LORD [03068] bring [0935] upon you all evil [07451] things [01697], until he have destroyed [08045] you from off this good [02896] land [0127] which the LORD [03068] your God [0430] hath given [05414] you.
¹⁶ When ye have transgressed [05674] the covenant [01285] of the LORD [03068] your God [0430], which he commanded [06680] you, and have gone [01980] and served [05647] other [0312] gods [0430], and bowed [07812] yourselves to them; then shall the anger [0639] of the LORD [03068] be kindled [02734] against you, and ye shall perish [06] quickly [04120] from off the good [02896] land [0776] which he hath given [05414] unto you.

³¹ And Israel [03478] served [05647] the LORD [03068] all the days [03117] of Joshua [03091], and all the days [03117] of the elders [02205] that overlived [0748] [03117] [0310] Joshua [03091], and which had known [03045] all the works [04639] of the LORD [03068], that he had done [06213] for Israel [03478].

¹⁶ And the LORD [03068] said [0559] unto Moses [04872], Behold, thou shalt sleep [07901] with thy fathers [01]; and this people [05971] will rise up [06965], and go a whoring [02181] after [0310] the gods [0430] of the strangers [05236] of the land [0776], whither they go [0935] to be among [07130] them, and will forsake [05800] me, and break [06565] my covenant [01285] which I have made [03772] with them.

⁵ And the LORD [03068] came down [03381] in the pillar [05982] of the cloud [06051], and stood [05975] in the door [06607] of the tabernacle [0168], and called [07121] Aaron [0175] and Miriam [04813]: and they both [08147] came forth [03318].

²⁵ And the LORD [03068] came down [03381] in a cloud [06051], and spake [01696] unto him, and took [0680] of the spirit [07307] that was upon him, and gave [05414] it unto the seventy [07657] elders [02205] [0376]: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit [07307] rested [05117] upon them, they prophesied [05012], and did not cease [03254].