Deuteronomy 31:22 kjv
Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:22 nkjv
Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:22 niv
So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 31:22 esv
So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:22 nlt
So that very day Moses wrote down the words of the song and taught it to the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 31 verses
Deuteronomy 31 22 Meaning
Deuteronomy 31:22 records the immediate and obedient action of Moses in fulfilling God's direct command from the preceding verse (Deut 31:19). On that very day, Moses personally wrote down the specific "Song of Moses" (found in Deut 32) and then diligently taught it to the entire assembly of the people of Israel. This act ensured that the prophetic and instructive song, which foretold Israel's future apostasy and God's eventual judgment and faithfulness, would be preserved and understood as a perpetual witness against them.
Deuteronomy 31 22 Cross References
Deuteronomy 31 22 Verse | Text | Reference Note
Deut 31:19 | Now therefore write this song for yourselves and teach it to the people of Israel... | God commands Moses to write and teach the song.Deut 31:21 | When many troubles... will confront them as a witness... | The song's purpose as an enduring witness.Deut 32:1-43 | "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak... " | The full text of the Song of Moses.Exod 17:14 | Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial..." | Moses commanded to record divine words.Exod 24:4 | And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. | Moses as a diligent scribe of God's commands.Num 33:2 | Moses recorded their starting places, stage by stage... | Moses' historical record-keeping.Deut 31:9 | So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests... | Moses' role in writing down the Law.Deut 31:24 | When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book... | Emphasizes the completion of Moses' writing task.Deut 6:7 | You shall teach them diligently to your children... | Command to diligently teach God's word across generations.Deut 11:19 | You shall teach them to your children, talking of them... | Continued emphasis on teaching and discourse.Josh 1:8 | This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth... meditate... | Importance of continual engagement with God's word.Ps 78:1-8 | My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words... | Psalms used as teaching/memory aids of God's deeds and law.Judg 5:1 | Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day... | Example of another significant "song" in Israel's history.2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching... | All Scripture (including Moses' writings) is divinely inspired.Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active... | The dynamic power and relevance of God's word.Deut 31:16 | This people will soon rise up and play the harlot after the foreign gods... | Prophecy of Israel's future disobedience.Deut 31:29 | For I know that after my death... you will corrupt yourselves... | Moses' explicit foresight of Israel's corruption.Judg 2:11-13 | And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD... | Fulfillment of the prophecy of apostasy in the period of judges.Jer 2:13 | For my people have committed two evils... | God's indictment of Israel's rebellion.Amos 5:25-26 | "Did you bring me sacrifices... during the forty years... You shall take up Sikkuth..." | Historical example of Israel's idolatry.Gen 6:22 | Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him. | Parallel instance of immediate obedience to divine command.Exod 7:6 | Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. | Another instance of direct obedience by Moses.Heb 11:8 | By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called... | Faith demonstrated through obedience to God's command.Rev 15:3-4 | And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb... | The enduring significance of Moses' song in eschatological context.
Deuteronomy 31 22 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 31 records the climactic transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua and Moses' final instructions to the Israelites before his death. Moses, knowing his time is short, commands Joshua, ensures the regular public reading of the Law (vv. 9-13), and importantly, receives a direct prophetic instruction from God. In verses 14-21, the LORD foretells Israel's inevitable future apostasy after Moses' death. To provide a permanent and unavoidable witness against them in their apostasy, God commands Moses to write "this song" and teach it to the people. Verse 22 describes Moses' immediate and faithful response to this divine mandate, directly preceding the recording of the song itself in chapter 32. This verse marks the crucial moment when God's prophetic word, in the form of a didactic song, becomes physically embodied and orally transmitted. Historically, it positions the song as a crucial covenant document and a tool for remembering God's fidelity and Israel's responsibility, designed to resonate through generations.
Deuteronomy 31 22 Word analysis
- וַיִּכְתֹּב (va-yikhtov): "And he wrote." This verb is a waw-consecutive imperfect, conveying immediate sequential action. It emphasizes the direct fulfillment of God's command from Deut 31:19. The act of writing denotes permanence and authority, contrasting with the oral transmission that was common but less lasting.
- מֹשֶׁה (Moshe): "Moses." Moses is explicitly named as the sole agent of both writing and teaching, underscoring his unique role as God's mediator and final prophet for the Law. His obedience here is paramount.
- אֶת-הַשִּׁירָה (et-ha-shirah): "this song." `הַשִּׁירָה` (ha-shirah) includes the definite article, "the song," implying it's a specific, unique song. This refers directly to the composition in Deut 32. Songs in ancient Near Eastern culture often served as legal documents, historical records, or prophetic utterances, designed for memorization and proclamation.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot): "this." A demonstrative pronoun that emphatically points to the particular song commanded by God, distinguishing it from other songs.
- בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא (ba-yom ha-hu): "on that day" or "the same day." This phrase signifies immediate action and prompt obedience. There was no delay in Moses' response to God's command, highlighting the urgency and importance of the task. It implies the gravity of the divine revelation and the imminence of the people's entry into the land.
- וַיְלַמְּדֶהָ (va-yelamdedah): "and he taught it." Another waw-consecutive imperfect. The root `לָמַד` (lamad) here is in the intensive (Piel or Hipil equivalent) stem, meaning "he caused them to learn" or "he instructed them thoroughly." This goes beyond a simple reading; it implies active engagement, repetition, and memorization on the part of the people. Teaching ensures widespread dissemination and embedding of the message in the collective memory. The suffix `-הָ` clearly refers back to "the song."
- אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (et-b'nei Yisra'el): "to the people of Israel" or "to the sons of Israel." The entire community is the direct recipient of this instruction, indicating its universal relevance for the covenant people. It ensures that the warning is public and undeniable.
- "Moses wrote this song... and taught it": This highlights the dual mode of transmission for crucial divine truth: written preservation for permanence and oral teaching for widespread immediate understanding and memorization. Both methods were essential for embedding the song's prophetic warning and theological lessons within the community.
- "this song... the same day": The immediate action emphasizes Moses' obedience and the divine imperative behind the song. Its unique nature as a prophetic witness is underscored by its rapid production and dissemination before Moses' departure.
- "taught it to the people of Israel": This demonstrates God's desire for His word to be actively known and internalized by His people, not just recorded. The collective learning implies community responsibility for covenant faithfulness. The teaching act transforms divine instruction into a living, active warning.
Deuteronomy 31 22 Bonus section
The Song of Moses (Deut 32) is not merely a historical recounting but a highly theological and prophetic composition. Its structure is akin to a covenant lawsuit, with God as the prosecutor, Israel as the defendant, and heaven and earth as witnesses. The command in Deut 31:19 and its fulfillment in 31:22 underscore God's unwavering foreknowledge and His character as a God who warns before judging. This particular song became part of the enduring spiritual heritage of Israel, echoed even in the New Testament as part of the "song of Moses and of the Lamb" (Rev 15:3), signifying its continued prophetic and redemptive relevance throughout salvation history. This shows God's method of ensuring His truths are imprinted upon the hearts and minds of His people through both written scripture and active, living instruction.
Deuteronomy 31 22 Commentary
Deuteronomy 31:22 is a pivotal verse demonstrating the direct fulfillment of a divine command by Moses, marking the inception of the Song of Moses as a perpetual witness. God foresaw Israel's future defection and ordained this song, not as a preventative measure to compel obedience, but as an undeniable, prophetic testament against their future unfaithfulness. Moses' prompt action, captured by "the same day," underscores the urgency and obedience inherent in handling God's word. The dual act of "writing" and "teaching" speaks volumes about ancient pedagogical methods for preserving critical information: writing ensured permanence and future accessibility, while teaching (with active engagement, implied by the Hebrew term) ensured immediate communal understanding and memorization across generations. This verse emphasizes that God, in His sovereignty, anticipates humanity's failure and provides His warning in an accessible and memorable form, making Israel fully accountable to His covenant while also showcasing His own long-suffering and ultimate justice as depicted in the song itself. The song would echo through their history, constantly reminding them of their origins, their covenant, their failures, and God's steadfastness.