When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
Parallel Translations
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When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
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And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
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And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
Cross-references (2)
Passages linked to Deuteronomy 31:24 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Deuteronomy 31:9 Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 17:18 It shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write himself a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the Levitical priests.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
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John Gill 1763 · Public Domain That Moses commanded the Levites,.... These were not the…
That Moses commanded the Levites,.... These were not the common Levites, but the priests who were also Levites, to whom the law was given, Deu 31:9; and none but they might touch the ark, or go so near it as, they are bid to do, to put the law on the side of it; so Aben Ezra; it follows:
which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; as the priests are said to do; see Gill on Deu 31:9; for though in journeying the Kohathites carried it, yet not until it was covered by the priests, for they must not touch it; as these must do when they put the law on the side of it, as they are ordered in Deu 31:26.
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saying; as follows.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Moses completes the writing out of the book of…
Moses completes the writing out of the book of the Law, and directs it to be placed by the ark of the covenant.
Deu 31:24
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The “book” here spoken of would contain the whole Pentateuch up to this verse, and be “the Book of Moses,” called generally by the Jews “the Law” (compare Mat 22:40; Gal 4:21).
Deu 31:25
The Levites, which bare the ark - i. e., as in Deu 31:9, “the priests the sons of Levi.” The non-priestly Levites could not so much as enter the sanctuary or touch the ark (compare Num 4:15). Though in the journeys through the wilderness the ark was borne by the non-priestly Kohathites, yet on occasions of a more solemn and public character it was carried by the priests themselves (Jos 3:3 ff, Jos 4:9-10; Jos 6:6, Jos 6:12; Jos 8:33; 1Ki 8:3).
Deu 31:26
Put it in the side of the ark - Rather, by the side of the ark. The two tables of the Decalogue were in the ark 1Ki 8:9; the Book of the Law was to be laid up in the holy of holies close by the ark of the covenant, probably in a chest. Compare 2Ki 22:8.
Deu 31:27
How much more after my death - Hence, Deu 31:24 and the rest of the book (with the exception of the song, Deu 31:19) must be regarded as a kind of appendix added after Moses’ death by another hand; though the Blessing Deut. 33 is of course to be regarded as a composition of Moses.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 24. had made an end of writing the words…
24. had made an end of writing the words of this law] If Law be the original reading, Deu_31:24-26 are not the sequel, but a parallel to Deu_31:9-13, for 9 also implies the completion of the writing of the Law in recording its delivery to the priests, the sons of Levi. But, as already said, it has been conjectured that for Law = Tôrah we should read Song = Shîrah.
until they were finished] Deu_31:30, Deu_2:15; cp. Jos_4:10; Jos_5:6; Jos_8:24; Jos_10:20.
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24–30. Again the Law-Book (?) and the Song
A less vague description of these vv. is not possible. The text says that Moses having written the Law in a book charged the Levites to put it beside the Ark as a witness against thee (Deu_31:24-26). For Israel, which has been rebellious in his life—here the address changes from Sg. to Pl.—will be more so after his death (Deu_31:27). They shall assemble the elders of their tribes and officers that he may recite to them these words and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For after his death they will corrupt themselves and evil will befall them in the latter days (Deu_31:28-30).—These words can hardly refer to the Law, already recited to the people; they must be the words of this Song (Deu_31:30) which follows in 32. If the text be original which reads Tôrah = Law in Deu_31:24; Deu_31:26, then Deu_31:24-26 are parallel (not consecutive) to Deu_31:9-13, and we cannot conjecture a reason for separating the two passages by Deu_31:14-23, on Joshua and the Song.
Staerk (followed by Steuern. and Berth.) holds that Tôrah was originally Shîrah = Song. This conjecture is attractive. It restores unity to Deu_31:24-30 and their natural connection with Deu_31:16-22, and gets rid of the improbable fact that both Law and Song are described as witness against Israel; note too that this book (Deu_31:24; Deu_31:26) is not to be put in, but beside, the Ark. At the same time there is no other evidence (in the versions or elsewhere) that Shîrah may have stood in place of Tôrah, the Law may equally well with the Song be described as a witness against Israel, and the phrase these words more usually refers to what precedes than to what follows it. Notice a symptom of compilation, in that while the Levites are addressed in Deu_31:25 it is all Israel, against thee, which is addressed in Deu_31:26. The whole passage is therefore editorial, and the questions it raises are insoluble by us.
Staerk distinguishes two introductions to the Song, Deu_31:16-22; Deu_31:24-30, and so independently Driver; note the difference in their styles. Cullen (p. 181) retains the reading Tôrah = Law, and takes Deu_31:24-29 as a later addition to Deu_31:9-13, the original conclusion of the epilogue to the Code of D composed when Israel’s attitude to this was still satisfactory, and added when the nation fell away. For another view see the Oxf. Hex.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain Deu_31:24-28. DELIVERY OF THE BOOKS OF MOSES TO THE…
Deu_31:24-28. DELIVERY OF THE BOOKS OF MOSES TO THE LEVITES.
(24) When Moses had made an end of writing.—This means the completion of the books of Moses as he delivered them to Israel; not merely Deuteronomy, as above, in Deu_31:9, but the whole, including the song mentioned in Deu_31:22. The song was probably the end of the book as delivered to them by Moses.
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In a book.—’Al-sêpher; upon a roll. The Pentateuch is written upon a single roll to this day.
(25) The Levites, which bare the ark.—Observe this, and comp. Deu_31:9, above.
(26) In the side of the ark.—More literally, beside, Rashi says, “The wise men of Israel differ about this in the treatise Baba Bathra (in the Talmud). Some of them say there was a leaf or slab projecting from the ark outside, and there the book was placed. Others say that it was placed beside the tables of the covenant in the ark itself.”
(28) Gather unto me all the elders.—In like manner Joshua gave a special charge to the elders at the close of his life (Joshua 23).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 24-29. After the installation of Joshua, only one…
Vers. 24-29. After the installation of Joshua, only one thing remained for Moses to do that all things might be set in order before his departure. This was the finishing of the writing of the Book of the Law, and the committing it finally to the priests, to be by them placed by the ark of the covenant, that it might be kept for all future generations as a witness against the people, whose apostasy and rebellion were foreseen.
Whether this section is to be regarded as wholly written by Moses himself, or as an appendix to his writing added by some other writer, has been made matter of question. It is quite possible, however, that Moses himself, ere he laid down the pen, may have recorded what he said when delivering the Book of the Law to the priests, and there is nothing in the manner or style of the record to render it probable that it was added by another. What follows from ver. 30 to the end of the book was probably added to the writing of Moses by some one after his death, though, of course, both the song in Deuteronomy 32, and the blessing in Deuteronomy 33, are the composition of Moses (see Introduction,
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Vers. 24-30. The Divine testimony deposited in the ark.
Moses, being thus commissioned of God to utter the inspired warning, loses no time in summoning the congregation. But while doing so, he gives precise directions to the Kohathites, who had charge of the ark, to deposit his manuscripts within it. Is anything to be learned from this consignment of the sacred books?
I THE SACRED BOOKS ARE NOT COMPLIMENTARY TO HUMAN NATURE. The Pentateuch, in its tremendous charges and indictments against mankind, is in unison with the rest of the Word. It is a sustained witness against the human race. "Others may perhaps suspect," says Henry Rogers, "that Jewish vanity led the writers thus to ignore or treat lightly the affairs of all nations except their own. The answer is concise, but conclusive. Let Jewish vanity in general be what the reader pleases, these writers would seem to have had none of it. If they have passed by the glorious achievements of secular history, they have recorded all the infamies of their own nation; and, indeed, their principal references to other nations are as "scourges" of their own scourges justly sent, they confess and avow, for apostasies which had wearied out the patience of Heaven!" The marvel is that the Jews and Christians should conspire to preserve what is a most humiliating account of the race.
II THE ARK WAS THE TREASURE-HOUSE OF GOD PROTECTED BY HIS PRESENCE. It was the "safe" of Israel, not, alas! "fire-proof," like Milner"s, as the Babylonians demonstrated, yet as durable and as sacred as the times allowed. It was fenced around by the holiest sanctions. Nowhere could the manuscripts be so safe. Now, the ark is regarded as a type of Jesus; and if so, then the depositing of the Law within the ark would convey the idea of the Law of God being within the heart of Christ. (Psa_40:8) In other words, Jesus Christ embodies the Divine Law or will, add is at once its most brilliant exposition and the most tremendous indictment of human nature. The Jews were not so careful of the living Law as their forefathers were of the written Law. They recognized its charge against themselves: the charge had become oral; it walked before them; it was something that they could not shake off except through the desperate alternative of assassination. They killed in Christ their living Conscience.
III WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST TO TREASURE UP GOD"S LAW WITHIN OUR OWN HEARTS. We cannot have too much of the Bible in our minds and memories. The more we study it, the more like Christ shall we become. He whose "delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth he meditate day and night," is blessed, and he shall be like the tree whose roots are in the waters, duly fruitful and ever green. (Psa_1:2, Psa_1:3) His conscience shall be reinforced and become increasingly tender; his heart shall be elevated in its affections and longings; and his mind shall be trained to what is high and holy. Thus is the whole being enriched and the life enlarged. May we deposit the Word of God with as much care in our hearts as the Levites did the rolls of Moses in the ark! R.M.E.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 witness against you
witness against you
Moses speaks to the Levites as if they were one man, so the word "you" is singular. (See: Forms of You)
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translationWords
Moses
word
law
command
Levi
ark of the covenant
testimony
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.