King James Version
What Does Deuteronomy 31:9 Mean?
“And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.”
Context
7
And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
8
And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
9
And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.
10
And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
11
When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English ReadersDeuteronomy 31:9-13. **MOSES RESIGNS HIS CHARGE AS LAWGIVER TO THE PRIESTS.**
(9-11) **And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests . . . And . . . commanded them, saying . . . thou shalt read.**—This must be distinguished from the deliverance of the “book” to the Levites in Deuteronomy 31:25-26. The deliverance here must be understood as a charge and a trust conveyed to the priests, making them responsible for the “reading of the law,” and for the instruction of the people. This is the special duty of the priests. They are said to “bear” the ark of the covenant here; not because they always carried it (they did sometimes, as in Joshua 3), but because they were responsible for it, just as they were also responsible for the exposition of the law (Deuteronomy 17:9). This is another example of the distinction between priests and Levites in the book of Deuteronomy.
(10, 11) **At the end of every seven years, in the . . . year of release, in the feast of tabernacles . . . thou shalt read this law.**—The fulfilment of this command, as far as the reading of the law is concerned, is described in Joshua 8:34-35; and again “at the feast of tabernacles” in *Nehemiah 8. *That the law read on these occasions was especially the book of Deuteronomy appears from the Talmudical treatise Sotah (p. 41), where the reading of it by the king is described as beginning with Deuteronomy 1:1 : “These are the words.” It is in this connection that the story is told of Agrippa that he wept when he came to Deuteronomy 17:15, “Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee.” But they said, “Fear not, Agrippa, thou art our brother,” and he then finished the reading. It was read from a platform erected in the forecourt of the temple. From this passage it is clear that the “reading” was understood to refer specially to the book of Deuteronomy.
(13) **That their children . . . may hear.**—It is obvious from this that the existence of many copies of the law was not contemplated by the writer. Comp. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 : “These words shall be *in thine heart, *and thou *shalt teach them.”*
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Deuteronomy 31:9 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Deuteronomy 31:9
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge