Why must all the people, including children and resident strangers, hear the law at the appointed gathering?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

They are to hear, learn, fear the Lord, and keep and fulfill all the law’s words. Children who are still ignorant must also hear and fear him throughout their life in the land. Moses specifies the gathering after seven years, in the year of remission, at the Feast of Tabernacles.

Chapter breakdown

Moses speaks to all Israel. He is one hundred and twenty that day and can no longer go out and come in, especially because the Lord has said he will not cross the Jordan. The Lord will go before Israel, destroy the nations in its sight, and give it possession; Josue will also go before it as the Lord said. He will do to the nations as to Sehon and Og, kings of the Amorrhites, and their land. When he delivers them, Israel must act as Moses commanded. The people must act bravely and be of good heart, without fear or dismay, because the Lord leads and will not leave or forsake them. Moses calls Josue before all Israel, telling him to be courageous and valiant: he will bring the people to the land sworn to their fathers and divide it by lot. The Lord will be with him as leader and will not leave or forsake him; he must not fear or be dismayed.

Moses writes the law and delivers it to the priests, sons of Levi carrying the covenant ark, and all Israel’s elders. He commands that after seven years, in the year of remission at the Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel gathers before the Lord at his chosen place, the law be read before everyone in their hearing. Men, women, children, and strangers within the gates must all assemble to hear, learn, fear the Lord, and keep and fulfill every word. Children still ignorant must also hear and fear him all their days in the land they cross the Jordan to possess.

The Lord tells Moses his death is near and directs him to call Josue and stand with him in the tabernacle of testimony for a charge. They go and stand there; the Lord appears in a pillar of cloud at its entrance. He tells Moses he will sleep with his fathers, and the people will turn to strange gods in their new land, forsake the Lord, and void his covenant. His wrath will burn; he will forsake them and hide his face, and they will be devoured and encounter evils and afflictions. They will say these evils came because God is not with them. He will hide and cover his face because of their evil and following strange gods.

The Lord commands the song to be written and taught to Israel so it knows it by heart and sings by mouth as testimony for him among the people. He will bring them to the sworn land flowing with milk and honey; when they have eaten and are full and fat, they will turn to strange gods, serve them, despise him, and void his covenant. After many evils and afflictions, the song will answer them as testimony, not forgotten from their descendants’ mouths. He knows their thoughts and what they are about to do that day before entering the promised land. Moses writes and teaches the song. The Lord charges Josue, son of Nun, to be courageous and valiant, saying he will bring Israel to the promised land and the Lord will be with him.

After finishing the law’s words in a volume, Moses commands the ark-carrying Levites to put the book in the side of the covenant ark as testimony against Israel. He knows its obstinacy and stiff neck: it has always rebelled while he is living and among them, and he asks how much more after his death. He directs the elders of their tribes and their doctors or teachers to gather so he may speak in their hearing and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them. He knows they will do wickedly after his death and quickly leave his commanded way; evils will come in latter times when their works provoke the Lord. Moses speaks the song’s words before the whole assembly and finishes to the end.

The story inside

Moses’ spoken directions are accompanied by actions the chapter records. He writes and delivers the law to the named priests and elders, then gives the appointed reading instructions. When the Lord calls him and Josue to the tabernacle, they go and stand there. The Lord foretells Israel’s turning and commands a memorized, sung testimony; Moses writes and teaches it. After finishing the law volume, he directs the Levites where to put it as another testimony and calls for the elders and teachers to gather. The chapter ends with his full recitation. The purposes of hearing and testimony are explicit, while the foretold rebellion remains future. No peaceful succession, tamper-proof custody, or successful prevention of rebellion is reported.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The hearing audience is complete. Men, women, children, and resident strangers must assemble at the appointed seven-year gathering. Learning, fear, keeping, and fulfilling are stated purposes, with ignorant children specifically included.
2
The song is taught for testimony. Knowing it by heart and singing it by mouth accompany the prediction that it will answer Israel after many afflictions and remain in descendants’ mouths. Moses’ writing and teaching are actual recorded actions.
3
The book also has a stated place and purpose. The ark-carrying Levites are told to put it in the side of the ark as testimony against Israel. Moses explains this through its rebellion in his lifetime and his warning about what follows his death.

Test your recall

Why must even children who are still ignorant hear the law at the appointed gathering?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 21892–21926
Deuteronomy Chapter 31 Moses encourageth the people, and Josue, who is appointed to succeed him. He delivereth the law to the priests. God foretelleth that the people will often forsake him, and that he will punish them. He commandeth Moses to write a canticle, as a constant remembrancer of the law. 31:1. And Moses went, and spoke all these words to all Israel, 31:2. And he said to them: I am this day a hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer go out and come in, especially as the Lord also hath said to me: Thou shalt not pass over this Jordan. 31:3. The Lord thy God then will pass over before thee: he will destroy all these nations in thy sight, and thou shalt possess them: and this Josue shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath spoken. 31:4. And the Lord shall do to them as he did to Sehon and Og the kings of the Amorrhites, and to their land, and shall destroy them. 31:5. Therefore when the Lord shall have delivered these also to you, you shall do in like manner to them as I have commanded you. 31:6. Do manfully and be of good heart: fear not, nor be ye dismayed at their sight: for the Lord thy God he himself is thy leader, and will not leave thee nor forsake thee. 31:7. And Moses called Josue, and said to him before all Israel: Take courage, and be valiant: for thou shalt bring this people into the land which the Lord swore he would give to their fathers, and thou shalt divide it by lot. 31:8. And the Lord who is your leader, he himself will be with thee: he will not leave thee, nor forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Lines 21928–21946
31:9. And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the ancients of Israel. 31:10. And he commanded them, saying: After seven years, in the year of remission, in the feast of tabernacles, 31:11. When all Israel come together, to appear in the sight of the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall choose, thou shalt read the words of this law before all Israel, in their hearing. 31:12. And the people being all assembled together, both men and women, children and strangers, that are within thy gates: that hearing they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and keep, and fulfil all the words of this law: 31:13. That their children also, who now are ignorant, may hear, and fear the Lord their God, all the days that they live in the land whither you are going over the Jordan to possess it.
Lines 21948–21969
31:14. And the Lord said to Moses: Behold the days of thy death are nigh: call Josue, and stand ye in the tabernacle of the testimony, that I may give him a charge. So Moses and Josue went and stood in the tabernacle of the testimony: 31:15. And the Lord appeared there in the pillar of a cloud, which stood in the entry of the tabernacle. 31:16. And the Lord said to Moses: Behold thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people rising up will go a fornicating after strange gods in the land, to which it goeth in to dwell: there will they forsake me, and will make void the covenant, which I have made with them, 31:17. And my wrath shall be kindled against them in that day: and I will forsake them, and will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured: all evils and afflictions shall find them, so that they shall say in that day: In truth it is because God is not with me, that these evils have found me. 31:18. But I will hide, and cover my face in that day, for all the evils which they have done, because they have followed strange gods.
Lines 21971–21991
31:19. Now therefore write you this canticle, and teach the children of Israel: that they may know it by heart, and sing it by mouth, and this song may be unto me for a testimony among the children of Israel. 31:20. For I will bring them into the land, for which I swore to their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey. And when they have eaten, and are full and fat, they will turn away after strange gods, and will serve them: and will despise me, and make void my covenant. 31:21. And after many evils and afflictions shall have come upon them, this canticle shall answer them for a testimony, which no oblivion shall take away out of the mouth of their seed. For I know their thoughts, and what they are about to do this day, before that I bring them into the land which I have promised them. 31:22. Moses therefore wrote the canticle, and taught it to the children of Israel. 31:23. And the Lord commanded Josue the son of Nun, and said: Take courage, and be valiant: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I have promised, and I will be with thee.
Lines 21993–22019
31:24. Therefore after Moses had wrote the words of this law in a volume, and finished it: 31:25. He commanded the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 31:26. Take this book, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God: that it may be there for a testimony against thee. 31:27. For I know thy obstinacy, and thy most stiff neck. While I am yet living, and going in with you, you have always been rebellious against the Lord: how much more when I shall be dead? 31:28. Gather unto me all the ancients of your tribes, and your doctors, and I will speak these words in their hearing, and will call heaven and earth to witness against them. 31:29. For I know that, after my death, you will do wickedly, and will quickly turn aside from the way that I have commanded you: and evils shall come upon you in the latter times, when you shall do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him by the works of your hands. 31:30. Moses therefore spoke, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel, the words of this canticle, and finished it even to the end.