Deuteronomy 31:18

31:14-22 Moses and Joshua attended the Divine Majesty at the door of the tabernacle. Moses is told again that he must shortly die; even those who are most ready and willing to die, need to be often reminded of its coming. The Lord tells Moses, that, after his death, the covenant he had taken so much pains to make between Israel and their God, would certainly be broken. Israel would forsake Him; then God would forsake Israel. Justly does he cast those off who so unjustly cast him off. Moses is directed to deliver them a song, which should remain a standing testimony for God, as faithful to them in giving them warning, and against them, as persons false to themselves in not taking the warning. The word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of men's hearts, and meets them by reproofs and correction. Ministers who preach the word, know not the imaginations of men; but God, whose word it is, knows perfectly.

I will surely hide my face in that day,.... Which is repeated for the certainty of it, and that it might be taken notice of; that he was the spring and source of all their good things, their sun and their shield, who being withdrawn from them, they would be deprived of every thing that was good, and be liable to all evil; and this he would do: for all the evils which they shall have wrought; for all the immoralities they should be guilty of, every transgression of his law, whether of the first or second table, and especially idolatry: in that they are turned unto other gods; to the worship and service of them, which of all evils would be the most provoking to God; and the way of speaking suggests as if all evils were included in idolatry, and sprang from it, or were committed with it.

The future apostasy of the people is announced in the presence of Joshua that the latter might be fully aware of the danger and strive in his day to avert it. This he faithfully did (compare Joshua 24:31 ); but we find him in his own last address to Israel repeating Joshua 23:15-16 the self-same prediction and warning.

17. Then my anger shall be kindled, … and I will hide my face from them—an announcement of the withdrawal of the divine favor and protection of which the Shekinah was the symbol and pledge. It never appeared in the second temple; and its non-appearance was a prelude of "all the evils that came upon them, because their God was not among them."

18 . hide my face ] Some Heb. MSS, Sam., LXX, etc., add from them ; but the Heb. has the next vbs. in Sg. evil which it has wrought , and it turned to other gods (Sam. they and they ). The Heb. vb. is panah , not used exactly so elsewhere in Deut., but cp. Deuteronomy 29:18 (17), Deuteronomy 30:17 , and below Deuteronomy 31:20 . Deuteronomy 31:18

1 . Hear, O Israel ] Deuteronomy 6:4 . thou art to pass over Jordan this day ] Similarly Deuteronomy 30:18 (and cp. Deuteronomy 2:18 ), Sg.; Deuteronomy 4:14 ; Deuteronomy 4:26 ; Deuteronomy 11:31 ; Deuteronomy 31:13 , Pl., but apparently editorial. to possess ] or dispossess . Deuteronomy 2:12 ; Deuteronomy 2:21 f., Deuteronomy 11:23 , Deuteronomy 12:2 ; Deuteronomy 12:29 , Deuteronomy 18:14 , Deuteronomy 19:1 , Deuteronomy 31:3 , with personal object as here. For another form of same vb. see on Deuteronomy 4:38 . nations greater and mightier than thyself ] So Deuteronomy 4:38 also Sg.; Deuteronomy 11:23 , Pl.: cp. Joshua 23:9 . cities … fenced , etc.] See on Deuteronomy 1:28 .

After handing over the office to Joshua, and the law to the priests and elders, Moses was called by the Lord to come to the tabernacle with Joshua, to command him (צוּה), i.e., to appoint him, confirm him in his office. To this end the Lord appeared in the tabernacle ( Deuteronomy 31:15 ), in a pillar of cloud, which remained standing before it, as in Numbers 12:5 (see the exposition of Numbers 11:25 ). But before appointing Joshua, He announced to Moses that after his death the nation would go a whoring after other gods, and would break the covenant, for which it would be visited with severe afflictions, and directed him to write an ode and teach it to the children of Israel, that when the apostasy should take place, and punishment from God be felt in consequence, it might speak as a witness against the people, as it would not vanish from their memory. The Lord communicated this commission to Moses in the presence of Joshua, that he also might hear from the mouth of God that the Lord foreknew the future apostasy of the people, and yet nevertheless would bring them into the promised land.

In this there was also implied an admonition to Joshua, not only to take care that the Israelites learned the ode and kept it in their memories, but also to strive with all his might to prevent the apostasy, so long as he was leader of Israel; which Joshua did most faithfully to the very end of his life (vid., Joshua 23 and 24). - The announcement of the falling away of the Israelites from the Lord into idolatry, and the burning of the wrath of God in consequence ( Deuteronomy 31:16-18 ), serves as a basis for the command in Deuteronomy 31:19 . In this announcement the different points are simply linked together with "and," whereas in their actual signification they are subordinate to one another: When thou shalt lie with thy fathers, and the people shall rise up, and go a whoring after other gods: My anger will burn against them, etc. קוּם, to rise up, to prepare, serves to bring out distinctly the course which the thing would take. The expression, "foreign gods of the land," indicates that in the land which Jehovah gave His people, He (Jehovah) alone was God and Lord, and that He alone was to be worshipped there. בּקרבּו is in apposition to שׁמּה, "whither thou comest, in the midst of it." The punishment announced in Deuteronomy 31:17 corresponds most closely to the sin of the nation.