Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Meaning: Why Did Moses Go to Speak?
1Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.
2He 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.’
3Yahweh your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua will go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken.
4Yahweh will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.
5Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.
6Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them, for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”
7Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.
8Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”
1And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.
2And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
3The 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.
4And the Lord shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed.
5And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.
6Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
7And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
8And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
1And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel.
2And 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 said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
3Jehovah thy God, he will go over before thee; he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt dispossess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken.
4And Jehovah will do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and unto their land; whom he destroyed.
5And Jehovah will deliver them up before you, and ye shall do unto them according unto all the commandment which I have commanded you.
6Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be affrighted at them: for Jehovah thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
7And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for thou shalt go with this people into the land which Jehovah hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
8And Jehovah, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
1And Moses goeth and speaketh these words unto all Israel,
2and he saith unto them, `A son of a hundred and twenty years am I to-day; I am not able any more to go out and to come in, and Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou dost not pass over this Jordan,
3`Jehovah thy God He is passing over before thee, He doth destroy these nations from before thee, and thou hast possessed them; Joshua--he is passing over before thee as Jehovah hath spoken,
4and Jehovah hath done to them as he hath done to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorite, and to their land, whom He destroyed.
5And Jehovah hath given them before your face, and ye have done to them according to all the command which I have commanded you;
6be strong and courageous, fear not, nor be terrified because of them, for Jehovah thy God is He who is going with thee; He doth not fail thee nor forsake thee.'
7And Moses calleth for Joshua, and saith unto him before the eyes of all Israel, `Be strong and courageous, for thou--thou dost go in with this people unto the land which Jehovah hath sworn to their fathers to give to them, and thou--thou dost cause them to inherit it;
8and Jehovah is He who is going before thee, He himself is with thee; He doth not fail thee nor forsake thee; fear not, nor be affrighted.'
1And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel;
2and 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 said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
3Jehovah thy God, he will go over before thee, he will destroy these nations from before thee, that thou mayest take possession of them: Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as Jehovah hath said.
4And Jehovah will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land; whom he destroyed.
5And when Jehovah giveth them up before you, ye shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.
6Be strong and courageous, fear them not, neither be afraid of them; for Jehovah thy God, he it is that goeth with thee; he will not leave thee, nor forsake thee.
7And Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and courageous, for thou must go with this people into the land which Jehovah hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
8And Jehovah, he it is that goeth before thee: he will be with thee; he will not leave thee, nor forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.
Meaning in one sentence
Moses, at 120, knows he won't cross the Jordan.
Context
For forty years Moses has led Israel through the wilderness. Now they stand on the east side of the Jordan, ready to enter the land God swore to their ancestors. But Moses will not cross with them. God told him that earlier, after the incident at Meribah. So at 120 years old, Moses does something deliberate. The text says he 'went and spoke these words to all Israel.' The Hebrew verb halak (went) signals intentional movement, he prepared himself, maybe rose from where he sat or walked to a new place among the assembly. This is not a casual remark. He is formally handing over his office. First he addresses the whole nation, then he calls Joshua forward in public view, laying the weight of leadership on the younger man. Everything in these eight verses revolves around one truth: the God who led them this far will keep leading them even when Moses is gone.
Key Words
Two pairs of verbs carry the force of this passage. First, Moses tells the people and Joshua to 'be strong and courageous.' The Hebrew word chazaq means to be firm, to take hold of something and not let go. The second word, amats, means to be alert, determined, even bold. Together they form a call to active trust, not a wish but a command. You are to strengthen yourself by leaning into God's promise.
The second pair comes right after: God 'will not fail you nor forsake you.' Raphah (fail) pictures a hand going slack, letting something drop. God will not loosen his grip on you. Azav (forsake) means to leave behind or abandon. These two words together are as close to a divine guarantee as Scripture offers. You are not leaning on your own courage. You are leaning on God’s firm hold.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across traditions, this passage has been a touchstone for trusting God in times of transition. Reformers like Calvin saw here the lesson that God’s help does not depend on any one human leader, he remains faithful even when his servants pass away. Wesleyan commentators emphasize the grace that enables the command: 'Be strong' is possible because God says 'I will be with you.' Anglicans like the Cambridge editors point out that the same phrase 'fear not, neither be dismayed' appears in Joshua’s commissioning, binding the two leaders together under one promise. Catholic readers have long drawn comfort from these verses during the passing of ecclesiastical authority, seeing God's unchanging presence behind every change. All point to the same center: the God who goes before is the reason we can stand.
A common misunderstanding
Some read Moses saying 'I can no more go out and come in' as a complaint about old age and failing strength. But the same phrase appears in Numbers 27:17, where it describes a shepherd's role, leading the people in and out. Moses is not admitting he is too frail to walk. He is saying his time as their leader is finished. The vigor of his body is not the point; the transfer of office is.
Living This Out
Perhaps you are facing a transition you did not ask for, a leader leaving, a job ending, a child moving out, a health change that rewrites your normal. That is where this passage meets you. Moses did not pretend the change was easy; he named it plainly. Then he turned everyone’s eyes toward the One who does not change. This week, try this: name one fear you have about an upcoming change, then say aloud, 'God goes before me. He will not drop me. He will not abandon me.' The courage will come from that, not from pretending you are unafraid.
Main takeaway: God himself goes before you into every unknown tomorrow, and he will not let you go.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Moses was very old and told the people he could not go with them into the new land. But God said he would go with them. God never leaves us. When you are scared, remember God goes with you.
For ages 9, 12
Moses was handing over leadership to Joshua. He told Joshua not to be afraid because God would go ahead of him and never leave him. When you face something new and scary, starting a new school, moving to a new place, or losing someone you counted on, the same promise is for you. God already knows what is ahead, and he walks with you every step.
Questions People Ask
What does 'go out and come in' mean in Deuteronomy 31:2?
It is an Old Testament idiom for leadership, guiding the people in their daily life and in battle. Moses is not saying he is too weak to walk; he is saying his time as leader is over, and he is passing that role to Joshua.
Why did Moses say he could no longer lead the people?
It wasn't because his physical strength had failed. Deuteronomy 34:7 says his eyes were not dim and his vigor had not diminished. The reason was that God had told Moses he would not enter Canaan, due to what happened at Meribah (Numbers 20:12). So Moses is acknowledging God's decision and handing the leadership to Joshua.
What is the significance of Moses 'going' to speak when he was already among the people?
The Hebrew verb halak indicates deliberate action, he prepared himself or moved to a specific place to deliver these final words. It marks a formal transition. He is not just chatting; he is officially laying down his office and commissioning the next leader in front of the whole nation.
What does 'be strong and courageous' mean in the original Hebrew?
The first verb, chazaq, means to be firm, to strengthen yourself, it is an active choice. The second, amats, means to be determined, alert, bold. Together they command a posture of reliance on God, not an emotional feeling of bravery. The strength comes from trusting God's promise, not from your own resolve.
How does this passage apply to Christians today?
It teaches that God's faithfulness does not depend on any one human leader. When we face transitions, a church change, a job loss, a move, we can rest on the same promise God gave to Joshua: 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' That promise is repeated in Hebrews 13:5 for the new covenant people.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study