Deuteronomy 31 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

1. Joshua will lead after Moses (1–8)
2. Command to read the law regularly (8–13)
3. Final instructions and warnings (14–29)
4. Song (31:30–32:44)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Final instructions

In the Ancient Near East, it was common for an important leader to give instructions for his people to follow after his death. In this chapter, Moses begins his final words to the people of Israel. These are words that he wants them to remember long after he is gone. This section served to make a smooth transition to Joshua’s leadership.

Translation issues in this chapter

singular and plural issues

• Plural and singular forms of “you” are mixed in this chapter. Most are singular but in verses 5, 13, and 28–29, all are plural while there is a mix in verse 12 and 26–27 (see notes).
• In verses 16–21, Yahweh speaks about “this people” but frequently uses singular pronouns (“he,” “him,” “his”) rather than plural pronouns (“they,” “them,” “their”) to refer to them. This is because Hebrew often treats a collective noun like “people” grammatically as singular, even though it refers to a group. The ULT preserves this singular form to reflect the original Hebrew. For example, in verse 16, Yahweh says “this people will rise up” but then “he is going” and “he will forsake me.” In verse 17, there is even a shift within the same verse, “my nose will burn against him, and I will forsake them.” This mixing of singular and plural when referring to the same group may seem inconsistent in some languages. If using singular pronouns to refer to a group would be confusing or unnatural in your language, you could use plural pronouns throughout these verses to refer to the people of Israel.

Order of events

There are a few events in this chapter that may seem out of order or repeated: Joshua presented by Moses before Yahweh commissions him, Moses gives the law to the Levites twice, Moses announces his old age & retirement before Yahweh tells him it is time to die. It may be helpful to view 31:1–12 as an introduction to chapters 31–34 with the more detailed narration beginning from verse 13. It may also help to consider the chapter thematic within a certain time frame instead of strictly chronological within that same time frame.