Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 31:26
26“Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God so that it may remain there as a witness against you.
Deuteronomy 31:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
- New International Version (NIV)“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;
Context of Deuteronomy 31:26
24When Moses had finished writing down on a scroll every single word of this law, 25he commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, “Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God so that it may remain there as a witness against you. 27For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are rebelling against the Lord now, while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after I am dead! 28Assemble all your tribal elders and officers before me so that I may speak these words directly to them and call heaven and earth as witnesses against them.
Read all of Deuteronomy 31Deuteronomy 31:26 word by word
לָקֹ֗חַ אֵ֣ת סֵ֤פֶר הַתּוֹרָה֙ הַזֶּ֔ה וְשַׂמְתֶּ֣ם אֹת֔וֹ מִצַּ֛ד אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָֽיָה־שָׁ֥ם בְּךָ֖ לְעֵֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- this bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
- of the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- it in the sideצַדtsad · sideH6654
- of the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
- of the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- that it may be there for a witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 31:26
- 1 Kings 8:9Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt.
- 2 Kings 22:8The high priest Hilkiah told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
- 2 Chronicles 34:14When they brought out the silver that had been deposited in the Lord’s temple, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord written by the hand of Moses.
- Deuteronomy 31:19Therefore write down this song for yourselves and teach it to the Israelites; have them sing it, so that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.
- Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.
- Galatians 2:19For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live for God.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 31:26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26Take this book of the law - The standard copy to which all transcripts must ultimately refer: another copy was put into the bands of the priests. See the note on Deuteronomy 31:9.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24-29Verses 24-29 Moses completes the writing out of the book of the Law, and directs it to be placed by the ark of the covenant. Deuteronomy 31:24 The “book” here spoken of would contain the whole Pentateuch up to this verse, and be “the Book of Moses,” called generally by the Jews “the Law” (compare Matthew 22:40; Galatians 4:21). Deuteronomy 31:25 The Levites, which bare the ark - i. e., as in Deuteronomy 31:9, “the priests the sons of Levi.” The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-30Verses 23-30 The solemn delivery of the book of the law to the Levites, to be deposited in, or rather by the side, of the ark, is again related. The song which follows in the next chapter is delivered to Moses, and by him to the people. He wrote it first, as the Holy Spirit taught him; and then spake it in the hearing of all the people. Moses tells them plainly, I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves. Many a sad thought, no doubt…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26beside the ark: Unlike the stone tablets, they must place the scroll of Deuteronomy near the ark of the covenant, not inside it. It was kept in the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle and later in the temple (see 31:9; Exodus 25:16; 26:33). a witness: Like the song the Israelites were required to sing, the scroll of Deuteronomy served as a constant reminder of Israel's covenant obligations and privileges (see Deuteronomy 31:19; see 31:10, 19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark--The second copy of the law (see on De 31:9) was deposited for greater security and reverence in a little chest beside the ark of the covenant, for there was nothing contained within it but the tables of stone (1Ki 8:9). Others think it was put within the ark, it being certain, from the testimony of Paul (He 9:4), that there were once other things inside the ark, and that this was the copy…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 31:26
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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