Deuteronomy 31:8

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-8 Moses assures Israel of the constant presence of God with them. This is applied by the apostle to all God's spiritual Israel, to encourage their faith and hope; unto us is this gospel preached, as well as unto them; he will never fail thee, nor forsake thee, Hebrews 13:5. Moses commends Joshua to them for a leader; one whose wisdom, and courage, and affection they had long known; one whom God had appointed to be their leader; and therefore would own and bless. Joshua is well pleased to be admonished by Moses to be strong and of good courage. Those shall speed well, who have God with them; therefore they ought to be of good courage. Through God let us do valiantly, for through him we shall do victoriously; if we resist the devil, he will flee from us....

Verse Deuteronomy 31:8. _THE LORD - DOTH GO BEFORE THEE_] To prepare thy way, and to direct thee. _HE WILL BE WITH THEE_] Accompany thee in all thy journeys, and assist thee in all thy enterprises. _HE WILL NOT FAIL THEE_] Thy expectation, however strong and extensive, shall never be disappointed: thou canst not expect too much from him. _NEITHER FORSAKE THEE_] He knows that without him thou canst do nothing, and therefore he will continue with thee, and in such a manner too that the excellence of the power shall appear to be of _him_, and not of _man_....

Moses hands over to Joshua that office as leader of the people, to which he had already been designated Deuteronomy 1:38; Numbers 27:23. He assigns also to the Levitical priests and the elders, as the ecclesiastical and civil heads of the nation, the responsibility of teaching the law and enforcing its observance Deuteronomy 31:10. Both these were symbolic acts, designed to mark the responsibility of the parties concerned after the death of Moses....

PART IV.—FAREWELL ADDRESS OF MOSES, WITH HIS PARTING SONG AND BENEDICTION. CHAPTERS 31-33. EXPOSITION _Moses _had now finished his work as the legislator and ruler and leader of Israel. But ere he finally retired from his place, he had to take order for the carrying forward of the work by the nomination of a successor to himself in the leadership; by committing the keeping of the Law to the priests; and by anew admonishing the people to obedience, encouraging them to go forward to the conquest of Canaan, animating them with the assurance of the Divine favor and blessing, and pronouncing on them his parting benediction. Deuteronomy

AND THE LORD, HE [IT IS] THAT DOTH GO BEFORE THEE,.... The Word of the Lord, his Shechinah, according to the above Targum, and so in the next clause; the same that brought Israel out of Egypt, had gone before them in the wilderness, and now would go before Joshua and them into the land of Canaan: HE WILL BE WITH THEE; to guide and direct, to assist and strengthen, to protect and defend, to give success to his arms, and victory over his enemies: HE WILL NOT FAIL THEE, NEITHER FORSAKE THEE; not fail to give him counsel and direction, to afford him strength, and to fill him with courage, and to deliver his enemies into his hands; nor forsake him till he had finished the work he was to do, had made a complete conquest of the Canaanites, and settled the people of Israel in their land: FEAR NOT, NEITHER BE DISMAYED; at the number and strength of the enemy, nor at any difficulties that might...

III. THE FINAL WORDS OF MOSES AND THE VISION OF THE FUTURE 1. Moses' Final Charge, The Written Law Delivered, and Jehovah's Word to Moses CHAPTER 31 _ 1. The final charge of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1)_ 2. The written law delivered (Deuteronomy 31:9) 3. Jehovah's word to Moses--Moses to Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:14) 4. A prophecy (Deuteronomy 31:24) The final words of Moses to the people are full of tenderness and affection. There he stood, an hundred and twenty years old, a witness to the grace of His God. His eye was still the eye of youth, for it knew

DEUTERONOMY 31-34. Moses-' last words and the closing events of his life. The narrative parts (based on JE and in part on P) resemble chs. 1- 3, and are probably by the same author or compiler. Deuteronomy 32:1 (the Song of Moses) and Deuteronomy 33 (the Blessing of Moses) are independent pieces of unknown origin. DEUTERONOMY 31:1. See RV refs. for parallel passages. Deuteronomy 31:1. Read (with LXX), And when Moses had finished speaking these words, etc. Deuteronomy 31:7. go with: read (with Sam. Syr., Vulg., and two Heb. MSS), bring, as in...

See on Deuteronomy 31:6. On the phrase _fear not, neither be dismayed_, characteristic of the Sg. passages, see on Deuteronomy 1:21....

LESSON TWENTY-THREE DEUTERONOMY 31:1 TO DEUTERONOMY 32:47 IV. MOSES-' LAST DAYS Deuteronomy 31:1 to Deuteronomy 34:12 A. CHARGE TO JOSHUA (Deuteronomy 31:1-23) JOSHUA PRESENTED TO THE PEOPLE (Deuteronomy 31:1-8) And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. 2 And he said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: and Jehovah hath