Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Deuteronomy
Chapter 31: He Will Not Fail Thee nor Forsake Thee
Moses is a hundred and twenty years old, and his work is nearly done. He hands the leadership to Joshua with words that have strengthened God's people ever since: 'Be strong and of a good courage... the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.' He writes the law and commands it read to all Israel every seven years, so every generation might hear. And God gives a song to be a witness, knowing the people would one day turn away. It is a chapter about the God who goes with us and never forsakes us, and the word that stands as a lasting witness.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Deuteronomy chapter 31. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter records Moses handing leadership to Joshua, the command to read the law to all Israel, and the song given as a witness. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Be Strong
Moses charges Joshua and the people to be strong and of a good courage as they enter the land.
He Will Not Forsake
The ground of their courage: God goes with them and will never fail nor forsake them.
Read It to All
The law was to be read to everyone, that each generation might hear, learn, and fear God.
A Song for a Witness
God gave a song and had the law laid by the ark to stand as a witness for all time.
He Will Not Fail Thee nor Forsake Thee (Deuteronomy 31:1-8)
Moses charges Joshua and all Israel to be strong and unafraid, resting not on their own strength but on the God who goes with them and will never forsake them.
The LORD Goes With Thee
"And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan. The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said. And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed. And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 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. 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. 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. 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, 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."
Hebrew Study
"forsake," azab (עָזַב). To leave, to abandon, to let go. God's promise is a double negative for double assurance: He will not fail (let drop) and will not azab (abandon). Whatever else changes, His presence with His people does not; He will not walk off and leave them.
Explanation
At a hundred and twenty years old, Moses tells Israel he can no longer lead them, and that he will not cross the Jordan. But God would go before them, and Joshua would lead them in. To the whole nation Moses says, "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not," and gives the reason: "the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Then, calling Joshua before all Israel, he charges him with the same words, "Be strong and of a good courage... the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee." Their courage was to rest not on Moses, nor even on Joshua, but on the abiding presence of God.
Gospel Focus
This promise has carried God's people through every generation since. Notice where the courage comes from: not from feeling strong, but from knowing God goes with us and "will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." The command "be strong and of a good courage" is not a demand to manufacture bravery, but an invitation to lean on His presence. God gave these very words to Joshua again as he took command, "as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Joshua 1:5). And the New Testament hands the same promise to us: "he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper" (Hebrews 13:5-6). The God who went with Israel into Canaan goes with you into whatever you face. Leaders change, seasons pass, strength fails, but His presence remains. Be strong, not because you are equal to the task, but because the God who never forsakes His people goes with you.
Read This Law to All (Deuteronomy 31:9-13)
Moses wrote the law and commanded it read to the whole assembly every seven years, so that every generation, even the children and the stranger, might hear and learn to fear God.
That They May Hear, and Learn, and Fear
"Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation. And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle. And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods. Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant. And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware. Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,"
Hebrew Study
Every seventh year the whole law is to be read aloud to "men, and women, and children, and thy stranger" — none excluded, "that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD." God's word was never the private property of scholars or priests; it was to be read publicly to the whole assembly, including the little ones and the outsider, so that each rising generation would know the God of the covenant. The word is for everyone.
Explanation
Moses wrote the law and gave it to the priests and elders, commanding that at the end of every seven years, at the feast of tabernacles, it be read aloud "before all Israel in their hearing." No one was left out: "men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates." The purpose was spelled out plainly, "that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law." Even the little ones who "have not known any thing" were to be present, so that from the youngest age they would hear God's word and grow up in the fear of Him.
Gospel Focus
God's word was meant to be heard by all, and heard again and again, generation after generation. The public reading of Scripture was not for scholars only but for everyone, men, women, children, and the outsider alike, so that faith and the fear of God would be passed on. Notice the sequence: they hear, then they learn, then they fear God, then they obey. It begins with hearing. This is why Paul insists, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). No one grows in God apart from His word; the faith and reverence of a people rise or fall with whether they hear the Scriptures. And children were deliberately included, even the smallest, for the fear of God is planted early by exposure to His word. Do not neglect the hearing of Scripture, for yourself or for your children. Make God's word heard in your home and your church, for hearing is where faith begins.
A Song and a Book for a Witness (Deuteronomy 31:19-26)
Knowing the people would one day turn away, God gave a song to be a witness and had the book of the law laid beside the ark, so His word would stand against every excuse.
There for a Witness Against Thee
"Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death? Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended."
Hebrew Study
God has Moses write down a Song and place the book of the law "in the side of the ark... that it may be there for a witness against thee." Knowing the people will turn away after his death, God provides a standing testimony — a song they cannot forget and a book beside the ark — so that when trouble comes, the word will testify that they were warned. God's grace even in judgment leaves a witness that calls the wanderer home.
Explanation
God spoke plainly to Moses of what lay ahead: after his death the people would "rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers" and forsake the covenant. So God gave Moses a song to write and teach the people, "that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel," lodged in their memory so that when trouble came, they would remember the warning. And the written law was to be placed beside the ark, "that it may be there for a witness against thee." God did not leave His people without warning; He set His word before them and among them, so that no one could ever say they had not been told.
Gospel Focus
There is something both sobering and gracious here. God knew His people would turn away, and yet He did not abandon them; He gave a song and a book to stand as a faithful witness, so that His word would outlast their failure and call them back. God's word is a witness that endures, "the word of God... liveth and abideth for ever." It testifies to the truth whether we heed it or not; it will either guide us or, if we turn away, stand as a witness against us. This is a mercy, for it means God always warns before He judges, and always leaves His word within reach to bring the wanderer home. And it is a solemn call: we cannot plead ignorance, for the word has been given, sung into our memory, laid up beside us. Let God's word be a witness for you and not against you. Take it to heart, keep it near, and let it call you back whenever you begin to stray, for it abides forever and will not fail.
Chapter 31 in Review
Deuteronomy 31 records the passing of leadership and the securing of God's word. Moses, at a hundred and twenty, handed the work to Joshua and charged both him and the people, "Be strong and of a good courage... the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." He commanded the law read to all Israel every seven years, "that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD." And knowing the people would turn away, God gave a song and had the law laid by the ark to stand "for a witness."
For the Apostolic reader, the chapter breathes assurance and responsibility. The promise "he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" is handed down to us in Hebrews, so that we too may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper." God's word is to be heard by all, for faith comes by hearing, and children are never too young to begin. And His word stands as an enduring witness, warning before it judges and always able to call the wanderer home. Draw your courage from the God who goes with you, fill your life and home with the hearing of His word, and let that word be a witness for you, keeping you near to Him.
- Courage rests on God's presence: "he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (31:6; Joshua 1:5).
- The same promise is ours in Christ: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).
- God's word was read to all, "that they may hear, and... learn, and fear" (31:12).
- Faith comes by hearing the word of God, so make it heard (Romans 10:17).
- God's word stands as an enduring witness, warning before it judges (31:19, 26).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you draw your courage from your own strength, or from the God who never forsakes you?
- Is the hearing of God's word a regular part of your life and your children's?
- Is God's word a witness for you, keeping you near, or one you are ignoring?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- God will not fail nor forsake His people: Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5.
- Reading the law to all, that faith may come by hearing: Deuteronomy 31:9-13; Romans 10:17.
- The song and the book as an enduring witness: Deuteronomy 31:19-26.