Deuteronomy 31

Translator Notes

1. The verb vayelekh ('and he went') gives this chapter its traditional name in the Torah reading cycle (Parashat Vayelekh). The phrase el kol Yisra'el ('to all Israel') signals a public address to the entire assembled nation — Moses' final words before transferring leadership. The narrative transition marks the shift from Moses' third discourse (chs 29-30) to his farewell actions.

Translator Notes

1. Moses offers two reasons for the leadership transition: physical limitation (lo ukhal od latset velavo — 'I can no longer go out and come in,' an idiom for military and administrative leadership, not mere walking ability) and divine prohibition (lo ta'avor et haYarden — 'you will not cross this Jordan'). The number 120 (me'ah ve'esrim) represents a full life in Deuteronomic terms — Moses' faculties are not diminished (cf. 34:7, 'his eye was not dim'), but God has set the boundary. The demonstrative 'this Jordan' (haYarden hazzeh) points to the river visible from Moab, making the prohibition concrete and immediate.

Translator Notes

1. The emphatic pronoun hu ('He') appears three times — stressing divine agency first (YHWH hu over lefanekha — 'the LORD, He is the one crossing before you'), then Joshua's role as the visible human counterpart (Yehoshua hu over lefanekha — 'Joshua, he is the one crossing before you'). The verb yashmid ('He will annihilate, destroy completely') is covenant warfare language. Moses assures the people that both the divine commander and the human commander are already appointed — the transition is not a crisis but a plan.

Translator Notes

1. Moses cites recent, living memory as proof of God's future action: the victories over Sihon (king of Heshbon, Numbers 21:21-30) and Og (king of Bashan, Numbers 21:33-35) are evidence that God will do the same to the Canaanite nations. The verb hishmid ('He destroyed, He annihilated') uses the Hiphil stem — God is the causative agent of their destruction. The phrase ule'artsam ('and to their land') extends the destruction from the kings personally to their entire territory.

Translator Notes

1. The verb unetanam ('and He will give them') treats the nations as objects handed over by God — the victory is divine before it is military. The phrase kekhol hammitsvah asher tsivviti ('according to all the commandment I have commanded') refers to the warfare regulations of Deuteronomy 7:1-5 and 20:10-18, which mandate complete removal of Canaanite religion. Moses shifts to first person (tsivviti — 'I commanded'), reinforcing his authority even as he transfers power.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The paired imperatives chizqu ve'imtsu ('be strong and be firm') form one of the most recognized phrases in the Hebrew Bible, repeated in verse 7 (to Joshua), verse 23 (God to Joshua), and prominently in Joshua 1:6-9. The verb chazaq means 'be strong, seize firmly' and emats means 'be resolute, be firm.' The two prohibition verbs — al tir'u ('do not fear') and al ta'artsu ('do not be terrified, do not tremble') — address both ordinary fear and paralyzing dread. The promise lo yarbekha velo ya'azvekka ('He will not let go of you and He will not abandon you') uses two verbs of relational abandonment: raphah ('release, slacken, let go') and azav ('forsake, leave behind'). The setumah paragraph marker indicates a section break.

Translator Notes

1. The public commissioning (le'einei khol Yisra'el — 'before the eyes of all Israel') is critical: Joshua's authority must be visibly established before the nation. The charge chazaq ve'emats ('be strong and be firm') now shifts from plural (v6, to Israel) to singular (to Joshua personally). The verb tavo ('you will enter/accompany') in the Qal form means 'you will go in with' this people — a collaborative role. The verb tanchilennah ('you will cause them to inherit it') uses the Hiphil of nachal, placing the responsibility for land distribution on Joshua. The ancestral oath (nishba YHWH la'avotam — 'the LORD swore to their ancestors') connects Joshua's mission to the Abrahamic promise.

Translator Notes

1. Moses reassures Joshua with the same promise given to the nation in verse 6, now personalized with singular pronouns. The emphatic YHWH hu ('the LORD — He') stresses divine identity as the true leader. Two pairs of prohibitions bookend the verse: God's commitment (lo yarbekha velo ya'azvekka — 'He will not release you or forsake you') and Joshua's response (lo tira velo techat — 'do not fear and do not be shattered'). The verb tachat means 'be broken, be shattered, be dismayed' — it addresses the inner collapse that can follow overwhelming responsibility.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb vayikhtov ('and he wrote') is a pivotal action: Moses inscribes the Torah (hattorah hazot — 'this instruction/teaching') as a physical document. The dual recipients are the Levitical priests (hakkohanim benei Levi — 'the priests, sons of Levi') who carry the Ark, and the elders (ziqnei Yisra'el) who serve as civil authorities. This dual custody — priestly and civil — ensures both religious and political accountability for preserving the text. The phrase aron berit YHWH ('Ark of the Covenant of the LORD') identifies the Ark as the primary repository for covenant documents, following ancient Near Eastern treaty practice where copies were deposited in sanctuaries.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The timing is specified with three nested markers: the seven-year cycle (miqqets sheva shanim — 'at the end of seven years'), the sabbatical year (shenat hashemittah — 'the year of release,' when debts are canceled per Deuteronomy 15:1-2), and the specific festival (chag hasSukkot — the Festival of Booths/Shelters, the autumn harvest celebration). The convergence of debt release and Torah reading creates a powerful social moment: the economically liberated community gathers to hear the covenant that established their freedom.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase lera'ot et penei YHWH ('to see the face of the LORD' — traditionally vocalized as the Niphal 'to appear before the LORD') describes the pilgrimage obligation. The verb tiqra ('you shall read aloud, you shall proclaim') makes the Torah a public oral event, not a private document. The phrase neged kol Yisra'el be'ozneihem ('opposite all Israel, in their ears') specifies audible, communal reception — every Israelite must hear the words personally. The unnamed place (bamaqom asher yivchar — 'in the place He will choose') is the centralized sanctuary formula characteristic of Deuteronomy.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The imperative haqhel ('assemble!') gives this ceremony its traditional name: Hakhel ('the Assembly'). The inclusivity is remarkable for the ancient world: men, women, children (ha'anashim vehanashim vehattaf), and resident foreigners (gerekha asher bish'arekha — 'your foreigner who is within your gates') — all four social categories must be present. The four-part purpose clause establishes a pedagogical sequence: listen (yishme'u), learn (yilmedu), revere (yare'u), and practice (shameru la'asot). Hearing leads to learning, learning leads to reverence, and reverence leads to obedience.

Translator Notes

1. The intergenerational purpose is explicit: uveneihem asher lo yade'u ('and their children who have not known') targets the next generation who were not present at Sinai and have no direct experience of the covenant events. The septennial cycle ensures each generation encounters the Torah during childhood. The phrase kol hayyamim asher attem chayyim ('all the days that you are alive') extends the obligation across the full life of the community. The pe (open paragraph marker) signals the close of the Hakhel legislation.

Translator Notes

1. God initiates the formal transfer: hen qarevu yamekha lamut ('look, your days to die have drawn near') uses hen as a solemn attention-marker rather than a casual interjection. The divine commissioning (va'atsavvennu — 'and I will commission him/charge him') shifts the authority source from Moses to God directly. The ohel mo'ed ('Tent of Meeting') is the place where God communicates with Moses (Exodus 33:7-11) — the venue itself signals that this is a direct divine appointment, not merely Moses' personal recommendation. The Hitpael vehityatsevu ('present yourselves') indicates formal, standing presentation before the divine presence.

Translator Notes

1. The theophany (vayera YHWH — 'the LORD appeared') manifests as the ammud anan ('pillar of cloud'), the same visible sign of divine presence that led Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22) and descended on Sinai (Exodus 19:9). The pillar's position al petach ha'ohel ('above the entrance of the Tent') marks the threshold between divine and human space. This visual manifestation before both Moses and Joshua publicly validates the leadership transfer with divine authorization visible to any observers.

Translator Notes

1. The euphemism shokev im avotekha ('lying down with your ancestors') is the standard idiom for death. The verb zanah ('to prostitute, to commit sexual infidelity') is the prophetic metaphor for idolatry — Israel's covenant with God is framed as a marriage, and worship of other gods is adultery. The phrase elohei nekhar ha'arets ('the foreign gods of the land') identifies the specific threat: indigenous Canaanite deities. The sequence — abandonment (azavani — 'they will forsake Me') followed by covenant violation (hefer et beriti — 'they will break My covenant') — presents apostasy as a relational betrayal before it is a legal breach.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The phrase vehistarti fanai mehem ('and I will hide My face from them') introduces the theological concept of hester panim — the hiding or concealment of God's face, one of the most consequential ideas in Jewish theology. When God hides His face, divine protection and providence are withdrawn — not as petty punishment but as the natural consequence of the broken relationship. The people's response (halo al ki ein Elohai beqirbi — 'is it not because my God is not in my midst?') shows partial recognition of the cause, but verse 18 reveals this self-diagnosis is insufficient. The verb le'ekhol ('to be consumed, to become prey') treats the unprotected people as food for predators.

Translator Notes

1. The intensified construction haster astir panai ('hiding I will hide My face' — the infinitive absolute with finite verb) makes the concealment emphatic and total. The people's partial repentance in verse 17 ('our God is not among us') is not enough — the divine withdrawal continues because the root cause (ki fanah el elohim acherim — 'because he turned to other gods') has not been addressed. The theological sequence is precise: Israel turns their face toward other gods (fanah — 'he turned'), so God turns His face away from them (astir panai — 'I will hide My face'). The relational symmetry is devastating.

Translator Notes

1. God commands the composition of hashirah hazot ('this song') — the poem of chapter 32 (the Song of Moses / Ha'azinu). The triple instruction is pedagogically layered: write it (kitvu — preserve it in text), teach it (lamedah — transmit it through instruction), and place it in their mouths (simah befihim — make it memorized and recited). The song's purpose is legal: le'ed ('as a witness') — it will testify against Israel when they break the covenant, because they cannot claim ignorance of a song they have memorized. The plurals kitvu lakhem ('write for yourselves') may address both Moses and Joshua, or Moses and the elders.

Translator Notes

1. God predicts the precise mechanism of apostasy: prosperity leads to forgetfulness. The progression is physical and spiritual: akhala ('they will eat'), save'a ('they will be satisfied'), dashen ('they will grow fat/prosperous'). The same progression appears in Deuteronomy 32:15 (the Song itself): 'Jeshurun grew fat and kicked.' The verb ni'atsuni ('they will treat Me with contempt, they will spurn Me') is stronger than mere neglect — it implies active disdain. The land zavat chalav udevash ('flowing with milk and honey') — God's gift — becomes the very context for covenant betrayal.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The song's endurance is guaranteed: lo tishakach mippi zar'o ('it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their offspring') — the memorized song persists across generations, ensuring the witness endures. The word yitsro ('his inclination, his impulse') is significant — it is cognate with the later rabbinic concept of yetser hara ('evil inclination'). God knows Israel's formative tendency (asher hu oseh hayom — 'which he is forming/doing today') before the sin occurs. The phrase beterem avi'ennu ('before I have brought them') indicates God enters the covenant with full knowledge that it will be violated — the covenant is not naive but informed.

Translator Notes

1. Moses immediately obeys the divine command of verse 19: vayyikhtov Mosheh ('and Moses wrote') matches the command kitvu ('write'). The phrase bayyom hahu ('on that day') emphasizes immediacy — there is no delay between divine instruction and prophetic action. The verb vaylamedah ('and he taught it') fulfills the second part of the command. The song referenced is Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-43).

Translator Notes

1. The speaker here is God (not Moses), as indicated by the first person nishba'ti ('I swore') and anokhi ehyeh immakh ('I Myself will be with you') — only God swore the land oath to the ancestors. This is the third occurrence of chazaq ve'emats in the chapter: v6 (Moses to Israel, plural), v7 (Moses to Joshua), v23 (God to Joshua). The progression from human commission to divine commission completes the transfer. Notably, God uses tavi ('you will bring' — Hiphil causative) where Moses used tavo ('you will come/accompany' — Qal) in verse 7 — God's charge gives Joshua a stronger, more active leadership role than Moses' charge did.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kekhalot Mosheh likhtov ('when Moses completed writing') marks the physical document's completion. The term sefer ('scroll, book, document') refers to a written scroll — the material object that will be deposited alongside the Ark. The phrase ad tummam ('until their completion' — from tamam, 'to be complete, to be finished') emphasizes that the Torah document is a complete, finished text, not a partial draft. This verse establishes the physicality and finality of the written Torah.

Translator Notes

1. The Levites are identified by their physical function: nos'ei aron berit YHWH ('carriers of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD'). They are the custodians of the Ark and therefore the appropriate recipients of the Torah scroll that will be placed beside it. The Levites here may overlap with the Levitical priests of verse 9 or constitute a broader group responsible for sanctuary transport.

Translator Notes

1. The instruction places the Torah scroll mitsad aron berit YHWH ('at the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD') — not inside the Ark (which contains the stone tablets per Deuteronomy 10:1-5) but alongside it. This distinction reflects ancient Near Eastern treaty practice: treaty documents were deposited in sanctuaries near the deity's image or symbol. The Torah scroll serves as le'ed ('a witness') — a legal document that testifies to the terms of the covenant. The phrase bekha ('against you') makes Israel the defendant and the Torah the prosecution's evidence.

Translator Notes

1. Moses' candid assessment names two character flaws: meryekha ('your rebellion, your defiance') and orpekha haqqashah ('your stiff neck' — literally 'your hard back-of-the-neck,' the image of an ox that refuses to turn when pulled). The qal vachomer argument (kal vahomer — 'light and heavy,' an a fortiori inference) is a classic rabbinic reasoning form: if they rebel while Moses is alive and present (be'odeni chai immakhem — 'while I am still living with you'), how much more (ve'af ki — 'and even more so') after his restraining influence is removed. Moses has no illusions about the people he has led.

Translator Notes

1. Moses summons the leadership — ziqnei shivtekhem veshotrekhem ('the elders of your tribes and your officials') — for the song's formal recitation. The verb haqhilu ('assemble!' — Hiphil imperative of qahal) echoes the Hakhel command of verse 12, but here the audience is the leadership specifically. The cosmic witness formula — va'a'idah bahem et hashamayim ve'et ha'arets ('I will call heaven and earth as witnesses against them') — invokes the created order as permanent, enduring witnesses to the covenant, a convention from ancient Near Eastern treaty practice where gods and natural elements served as treaty guarantors.

Translator Notes

1. The infinitive absolute hashchet tashchitun ('corrupting you will corrupt' — 'you will completely corrupt yourselves') uses the emphatic doubled-verb construction to express certainty and totality. The phrase vesartem min hadderekh ('you will turn aside from the path') uses the standard Deuteronomic metaphor of covenant life as a path or road. The temporal phrase be'acharit hayyamim ('in the latter days, in the end of days') looks beyond the immediate future to an eschatological horizon. The phrase bema'aseh yedekhem ('through the work of your hands') refers to idols — handmade objects of worship — the ultimate provocation (lehakh'iso — 'to provoke Him to anger').

Translator Notes

1. The verse frames the recitation: be'oznei kol qehal Yisra'el ('in the ears of the entire assembly of Israel') emphasizes audible, communal reception — every person hears. The phrase ad tummam ('until their completion') indicates Moses recited the song in its entirety — no abbreviation, no summary. The qahal ('assembly') is the same word from which Hakhel (v12) derives, linking this first recitation to the future septennial readings. The pe (open paragraph marker) signals the close of the narrative frame, setting the stage for the Song itself in chapter 32.