Deuteronomy 31:9

And Moses wrote this law,.... The book of Deuteronomy, or the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, which he had now finished, and which all of them together are sometimes called the law, Galatians

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. Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests.

This law, largely so called, the whole law or doctrine delivered unto Moses contained in these five books. Delivered it unto the priests, that they might keep it carefully and religiously, and bring it forth upon occasion, and read it, and instruct the people out of it. Which bare the ark, to wit, sometimes in great solemnities, as ,17 6:12 ; though the Levites also might bear it, as appears from Numbers 3 Numbers 4 Numbers 10 . The elders of Israel were assistants to the priests, and overseers to take care that the law should be kept, and read, and observed.

Deuteronomy 31:9 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.Ver. 9. Unto the priests.] God’ s library-keepers, his depositaries. Unto all the elders of Israel.] As to the keepers of both tables.

Deuteronomy 31:9-13. MOSES RESIGNS HIS CHARGE AS 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.”

Verse 9. Moses wrote this law] Not the whole Pentateuch, but either the discourses and precepts mentioned in the preceding chapters, or the book of Deuteronomy, which is most likely. Some of the rabbins have pretended that Moses wrote thirteen copies of the whole Pentateuch; that he gave one to each of the twelve tribes, and the thirteenth was laid up by the ark. This opinion deserves little credit. Some think that he wrote two copies, one of which he gave to the priests and Levites for general use, according to what is said in this verse, the other to be laid up beside the ark as a standard copy for reference, and to be a witness against the people should they break it or become idolatrous. This second copy is supposed to be intended Deuteronomy 31:26. As the law was properly a covenant or contract between God and the people, it is natural to suppose there were two copies of it, that each of the contracting parties might have one: therefore one was laid up beside the ark, this was the Lord's copy; another was given to the priests and Levites, this was the people's copy.

9–13. The Law written and delivered to the Levites, etc. Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the priests and elders, charging them to read it every seventh year at the Feast of Booths to all Israel, women, little ones and gerim included, that they and their children might evermore fear God and do its words upon the land.—The language is almost purely deuteronomic, and the passage may be original to D (Dillm. Dri., etc.) or from the edition of D, introduced by 1–3 (‘not impossible,’ Berth. Marti). Steuern. takes parts of it as original to his Sg. author, the rest due to later expansion, but his analysis is precarious; Cullen (147, 159) as part of the epilogue to the Torah. The order of the passage, between two others relating the commission to Joshua, is inexplicable, unless we suppose that in place of the priests, the sons of Levi … and the elders, to whom Deuteronomy 31:9 describes that Moses entrusted the written law, the name of Joshua himself originally stood. And for this there is some evidence in the sing. thou shalt read and assemble of Deu 31:11 f. But the text is not certain.

9. And Moses wrote this law — This law need not mean the whole of the book of Deuteronomy, but only the most important part. At this time it was formally handed over to the priests for safe keeping.