What does it mean that Moses "wrote this law" and gave it to the priests?

When it says Moses “wrote this law,” it means he did not just speak God’s commands, he put them into written form so they could be kept, copied, and read again and again. He then handed this written law to the Levite priests, who carried the ark of the covenant, and to the elders, who led the people. The priests were to teach the people from it, and the elders were to govern by it. Writing the law protected it from being forgotten or changed and made it a standard for every generation.

Why was the law to be read every seven years in the year of release?

The law was read in a special way every seven years during the year of release, when debts were cancelled and the land rested. This timing meant people were less tied up with farming and work and could gather more easily. It also reminded them that the same God who freed them and released debts had the right to command their lives. Hearing the law at this set time helped the whole nation stop, listen, and renew their obedience together as they enjoyed God’s kindness and provision.

Why was the feast of tabernacles chosen for the public reading of the law?

The feast of tabernacles was a joyful time when Israel lived in booths to remember how God cared for them in the wilderness. It came after the harvest, when people were already gathered and had reasons to thank God. Reading the law then did two things. It kept their joy from turning careless by reminding them of God’s commands, and it let them rejoice in God’s word itself. With the people assembled and at rest from work, they could listen carefully and let God’s instructions shape their lives.

Who was supposed to hear the law according to this passage?

This passage is very clear that the law was for everyone. Moses says to gather men, women, and children, and even the foreigner living inside their gates. It was not just for leaders, priests, or the well‑taught. Adults were to hear so they could learn, fear the Lord, and obey. Children who “had not known anything” yet were to hear so they could start learning to fear God. Even outsiders living among them were included, so they too could see and hear what the true God commands.

What does it mean to "hear, and learn, and fear the LORD your God"?

In this passage, hearing is not just about sound reaching the ears. They were to hear in order to learn, to gain real understanding of what God said. Learning then was meant to produce fear of the Lord, meaning deep respect, awe, and a desire not to rebel against him. That fear shows itself in doing “all the words of this law.” So the order matters: hear the word, learn what it means, be moved in your heart to fear God, and then obey what he says in everyday life.

What was happening in Israel when Moses gave this command about the law?

Moses spoke these words near the end of his life, as Israel was camped on the east side of the Jordan River, about to enter the land God promised them. He had been rehearsing God’s commands and reminders of God’s past care. Knowing he would soon die and not cross the river with them, he finished writing the law and handed it over to the priests and elders. This command about reading the law every seven years was part of preparing the people to live under God’s rule after Moses was gone.

What does this passage show about God’s desire for children and future generations?

The passage shows that God cares very much about children and those still growing in understanding. It speaks of “their children, which have not known anything,” and commands that they must also hear the law. The goal is that they will “learn to fear the LORD” as long as they live in the land. This means the older generation is not meant to keep God’s word to themselves. They are to bring their children into the gatherings, let them hear Scripture, and help them grow up knowing and respecting God.

How does including the stranger "within thy gates" fit into God’s plan here?

Including the stranger living among Israel shows that God’s word is not locked away for one small group. The foreigner who had turned from idols and lived in Israel’s towns was to stand there too and listen. Hearing the law would show them who God is and how his people are to live. It also reminded Israel that their life with God was meant to be seen, not hidden. The presence of strangers in the assembly pointed to God’s desire that people from outside Israel come to know and fear him as well.

How can the command to read the law publicly every seven years apply to believers today?

Today, the exact seven‑year ceremony is not followed, but the heart of the command still speaks. God’s people are not meant to rely only on private reading. There is value in gathering so Scripture can be read aloud to all ages together, with attention and reverence. It reminds us that faith is shared, not just personal, and that children and newer believers need to hear the word alongside those who know it well. Regular public reading keeps God’s word in front of the whole community so it is not forgotten.

Deut.31.9

Deuteronomy 31:9

King James Version (KJV)

¶ 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.

Chapter:

Context:

The Reading of the Law

¶ 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.

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.

Cross References

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