Deuteronomy 31:14-23 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 31:14-23 Commentary: Joshua's Commission & Song
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine God's commissioning of Joshua, the prediction of Israel's apostasy, and the song as a witness in Deuteronomy 31:14-23.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God publicly commissions Joshua after announcing Moses' death, predicts Israel's apostasy, and commands a song as a permanent witness.
- Key words: zanah (play the prostitute), hister panim (hide my face), shir (song), chazak ve'ematz (be strong and courageous).
- Main debate: Whether the charge to Joshua in v.23 comes directly from God or from Moses; and whether the song primarily warns or primarily testifies after judgment.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty is shown in His foreknowledge of sin, but His grace provides a means of remembrance and eventual restoration.
- Best use: Leadership transition, honest preaching about human sinfulness, and the power of liturgy (song) to carry truth across generations.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.
15Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.
16And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.
17On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’
18And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.
19Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.
20When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.
21And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.”
22So that very day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.
23Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
14Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.
15Yahweh appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door.
16Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land where they go to be among them, and will forsake me and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17Then 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 come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?’
18I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.
19“Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
21It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.”
22So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.”
KJV King James Version 1769
14And 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.
15And 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.
16And 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.
17Then 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?
18And 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.
19Now 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.
20For 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.
21And 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.
22Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
23And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
14And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
15And Jehovah appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent.
16And Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17Then 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 come upon them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?
18And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
19Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
21And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
22So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
23And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
14And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thy days have drawn near to die; call Joshua, and station yourselves in the tent of meeting, and I charge him;' and Moses goeth--Joshua also--and they station themselves in the tent of meeting,
15and Jehovah is seen in the tent, in a pillar of a cloud; and the pillar of the cloud standeth at the opening of the tent.
16And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Lo, thou art lying down with thy fathers, and this people hath risen, and gone a-whoring after the gods of the stranger of the land into the midst of which it hath entered, and forsaken Me, and broken My covenant which I made with it;
17and Mine anger hath burned against it in that day, and I have forsaken them, and hidden My face from them, and it hath been for consumption, and many evils and distresses have found it, and it hath said in that day, Is it not because that my God is not in my midst--these evils have found me?
18and I certainly hide My face in that day for all the evil which it hath done, for it hath turned unto other gods.
19`And now, write for you this song, and teach it the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the sons of Israel,
20and I bring them in unto the ground which I have sworn to their fathers--flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten, and been satisfied, and been fat, and have turned unto other gods, and they have served them, and despised Me, and broken My covenant.
21`And it hath been, when many evils and distresses do meet it, that this song hath testified to its face for a witness; for it is not forgotten out of the mouth of its seed, for I have known its imagining which it is doing to-day, before I bring them in unto the land of which I have sworn.'
22And Moses writeth this song on that day, and doth teach it the sons of Israel,
23and He commandeth Joshua son of Nun, and saith, `Be strong and courageous, for thou dost bring in the sons of Israel unto the land which I have sworn to them, and I--I am with thee.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
14And Jehovah said to Moses, Lo, the days are near for thee to die; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.
15And Jehovah appeared at the tent in the pillar of cloud; and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.
16And Jehovah said to Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the strangegods of the land into which they enter, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
17And 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, and they will say in that day, Have not these evils befallen me because my God is not in my midst?
18And I will entirely hide my face in that day for all the evils that they have wrought, because they turned unto othergods.
19And now, write ye this song, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
20For I shall bring them into the land which I swore unto their fathers, which floweth with milk and honey; and they will eat and fill themselves, and wax fat, and will turn unto othergods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
21And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have 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 are forming already this day, before I bring them into the land which I have sworn [unto them].
22And Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23And [Jehovah] commanded Joshua the son of Nun, and said, Be strong and courageous; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I have sworn unto them; and I will be with thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
14And the Lord said to Moses: Behold the days of thy death are nigh: call Josue, and stand ye in the tabernacle of the testimony, that I may give him a charge. So Moses and Josue went and stood in the tabernacle of the testimony:
15And the Lord appeared there in the pillar of a cloud, which stood in the entry of the tabernacle.
16And the Lord said to Moses: Behold thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and this people rising up will go a fornicating after strange gods in the land, to which it goeth in to dwell: there will they forsake me, and will make void the covenant, which I have made with them,
17And my wrath shall be kindled against them in that day: and I will forsake them, and will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured: all evils and afflictions shall find them, so that they shall say in that day: In truth it is because God is not with me, that these evils have found me.
18But I will hide, and cover my face in that day, for all the evils which they have done, because they have followed strange gods.
19Now therefore write you this canticle, and teach the children of Israel: that they may know it by heart, and sing it by mouth, and this song may be unto me for a testimony among the children of Israel.
20For I will bring them into the land, for which I swore to their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey. And when they have eaten, and are full and fat, they will turn away after strange gods, and will serve them: and will despise me, and make void my covenant.
21And after many evils and afflictions shall have come upon them, this canticle shall answer them for a testimony, which no oblivion shall take away out of the mouth of their seed. For I know their thoughts, and what they are about to do this day, before that I bring them into the land which I have promised them.
22Moses therefore wrote the canticle, and taught it to the children of Israel.
23And the Lord commanded Josue the son of Nun, and said: Take courage, and be valiant: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I have promised, and I will be with thee.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 31:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Deuteronomy 31:14-23 records a solemn transition of leadership. Moses is told his death is near (v.14); he and Joshua present themselves at the Tent of Meeting, where God appears in the pillar of cloud (v.15). The divine commission to Joshua is public and accompanied by a stark prophecy: Israel will forsake God and break the covenant (v.16). Barnes notes that this announcement is made in Joshua's presence so he would be fully aware of the danger. Calvin sees God's foreknowledge of Israel's 'indomitable perverseness' as a motive for the warning. The command to write a song (v.19) is, according to Keil & Delitzsch, a perpetual witness against the people, designed to outlast their forgetfulness. Clarke adds that ancient cultures used verse for memorizing important instruction. The unit closes with Joshua charged to be strong and courageous, a charge grounded in God's promise: 'I will be with you' (v.23).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Source of the charge in v.23: The relative pronoun 'he' is ambiguous; Keil & Delitzsch attribute it to God, but Gill notes it could be Moses. The surrounding context (vv.14-15) has God speaking, yet v.22 focuses on Moses' action.
- Purpose of the song (preventative vs. retrospective): Clarke sees the song as a warning that shows how to avoid evil; others, citing v.21, emphasize its testimony after calamity when Israel will confess, 'Haven’t these evils come on us because our God is not among us?'
What is clear: God knows Israel's future unfaithfulness and provides a written song as a permanent witness that will survive human memory and testify when judgment comes.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the song | It serves as a witness for God against Israel, reminding them of their covenant duties. | Some interpreters see the song mainly as preventative, a warning to deter apostasy; others regard it as a retroactive testimony that will confront Israel when judgment comes. |
| Source of the charge in v.23 | Joshua receives a charge to be strong and courageous and to bring Israel into the land. | The subject of 'he commissioned' is ambiguous: Gill notes it could be Moses (the immediate actor in v.22) or God (the speaker throughout the passage). |
| Nature of God hiding His face | It means withdrawal of divine favor and protection. | Calvin views it as a discipline meant to drive Israel to repentance; others see it as judicial abandonment for covenant unfaithfulness. |
| Sleeping with your fathers | A metaphor for death. | Clarke notes the Targum interprets it as including the soul's preservation, but he cautions against using the phrase alone to prove immortality of the soul. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Tent of Meeting was the place where God's glory dwelt among Israel during the wilderness wanderings. The pillar of cloud that stood at its entrance (v.15) signified God's immediate presence, the same cloud that had guided the nation since the Exodus (Exodus 13:21). This setting marks Joshua's induction as more than a human handover; it is a divine appointment.
The language of apostasy in v.16 is deliberately graphic. The Hebrew verb zanah, 'to play the prostitute,' frames covenant breaking as marital unfaithfulness, a metaphor rooted in the Sinai covenant where God is the husband of Israel (Exodus 34:15-16). The 'strange gods of the land' refer to the Canaanite deities (Baal, Ashtoreth) that Israel would be tempted to worship in the land flowing with milk and honey (v.20).
Culturally, this commission resembles ancient Near Eastern succession ceremonies where the designated heir is presented to the deity in the temple. The immediate writing of the song (v.22) matches the practice of inscribing important treaties and teaching them by recitation, as noted by Clarke and Barnes. The entire passage functions as a covenant renewal moment: the leader departs, the people are warned of their future failure, and a witness (the song) is established to testify.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The Hebrew text is stable across the major manuscript traditions, with minor differences in spelling only.
Reception History
This passage has shaped Christian thinking on leadership transitions and God's foreknowledge of human failure. Joshua's commission is frequently cited in ordination sermons as a model of divine appointment witnessed by the community. The song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) has been used in both Jewish and Christian liturgy, particularly in seasons of lament and confession. Early church writers such as Origen saw the 'hiding of God's face' as a temporary concealment that anticipates restoration. The command to write a song has also been invoked to explain the didactic purpose of psalms and hymns in worship (Colossians 3:16). Through the centuries, the passage has reminded believers that God does not enter into covenant naively; He knows the worst and still provides a way of remembrance and hope.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The leader's departure and God's provision (v.14-15): Moses' approaching death does not leave Israel without guidance. God calls both Moses and Joshua to the Tent, visibly affirming the new leader.
- Foreknown failure and a strange remedy (v.16-21): God predicts Israel's apostasy with painful clarity. Rather than prevent it by force, He commands a song to be written, a witness that will outrun human forgetfulness and confront the people in their distress.
- Courage on the basis of promise (v.22-23): Joshua is told to be strong and courageous not because the task is easy, but because God who swore to give the land will be with him.
Five-point outline
- Transition of leadership in God's presence (v.14-15)
- Honest warning about the people's tendency to stray (v.16)
- The consequences: God's hidden face and the people's own confession (v.17-18)
- The unexpected answer: a song as a witness (v.19-21)
- The charge to Joshua: courage grounded in a faithful promise (v.22-23)
Illustration hooks
- A departing CEO writes a letter to be opened when the company faces a crisis, not to prevent the crisis, but to remind the staff of the mission.
- A parent who knows a teenager will struggle during a move writes notes to be found later, containing warnings and love.
- A team captain retiring hands the jersey to the successor in front of the entire team, with the coach saying, 'I am with you.'
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God knew Israel would fail, why did He bring them into the land anyway?
- Does God ever 'hide his face' from believers today, or is that only for covenant-breaking Israel?
- How can music and liturgy serve as 'witnesses' to our faith when we lose focus?
Leading a Discussion
This passage places a giant promise and a giant warning side by side. It is meant to steady Joshua while humbling the people. As you discuss, notice that God does not sugarcoat the future, yet He provides a song to keep memory alive.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 14-15. Why is it important that Joshua is commissioned at the Tent of Meeting itself, not just in a public assembly?
- In verse 16, God says Israel 'will rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods.' Why does the Bible use such a strong image for turning from God?
- Verse 17 describes God's response: He hides His face. What does that phrase mean to you, abandonment, discipline, or something else?
- The song is described as 'a witness for me against them' (v.19). How can a song become a witness for God, especially when written before the sin occurs?
- Verses 20-21 show prosperity leading to turning away. Why do times of satisfaction often lead to spiritual drift?
- Joshua is told to 'be strong and courageous' not because of his own ability, but because of God's promise. What does that look like in a difficult responsibility you face?
- How does knowing that God fully knows our weaknesses (v.21: 'I know their imagination') change the way you view His grace?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 34:2 | Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. |
| Numbers 27:13 | When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; |
| Numbers 27:19 | Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight. |
| Numbers 27:20 | You shall give authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. |
| Deuteronomy 31:2 | He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Yahweh has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ |
| Deuteronomy 32:50 | Die on the mountain where you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor, and was gathered to his people; |
| Deuteronomy 34:5 | So Moses the servant of Yahweh died there in the land of Moab, according to Yahweh’s word. |
| Joshua 23:14 | “Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that God announced Israel's future apostasy in Joshua's presence so he would be fully aware of the danger and strive to avert it. The song was given as a witness, an attestation from the people's own mouths of God's benefits, their duties, and their deserts. Joshua faithfully responded to his charge.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that verses 14-15 and 23 form a commission of Joshua from a source resembling E, running parallel to the deuteronomic one earlier. This account is interrupted by a separate address to Moses about Israel's future apostasy, which introduces the Song in chapter 32 and draws on phrases from multiple sources in a way that
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God commanded this song as a deliberate witness because He foreknew Israel's future apostasy. The song would testify against them when their predicted rebellion and resulting calamities occurred, proving God's faithfulness and their own ingratitude. Its poetic form helped it endure in memory across generations.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that God publicly confirmed Joshua's appointment through the visible symbol of the cloudy pillar at the tabernacle door. The song Moses was told to write was a divinely inspired national anthem, designed to embed God's past favor and future warnings deep in Israel's collective memory through each generation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that God commanded a song as a lasting witness against Israel precisely because He knew their hearts would turn away once they were prosperous and satisfied. The song would remain in their mouths across generations, testifying even when they denied His presence among them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that the song was meant as an enduring witness against Israel: it would testify to God's kindness, patience, and justice when the people turned to idols. He sees this written record as a permanent rebuke, proving that Israel had been fairly warned and could not claim ignorance.