King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Take this book of the Torah and put it next to the ark with the covenant of ADONAI your God, so that it can be there to witness against you.
Berean Standard Bible:
“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.
American Standard Version:
Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Take{H3947} this book{H5612} of the law{H8451}, and put{H7760} it in the side{H6654} of the ark{H727} of the covenant{H1285} of the LORD{H3068} your God{H430}, that it may be there for a witness{H5707} against thee.
Cross-References (KJV):
Deuteronomy 31:19
- Now 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.
Romans 3:19
- ¶ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Romans 3:20
- Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.
Galatians 2:19
- For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
2 Kings 22:13
- Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great [is] the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
2 Kings 22:19
- Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard [thee], saith the LORD.
1 Kings 8:9
- [There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Deuteronomy 31:26
Deuteronomy 31:26 is a verse set within the broader context of Moses preparing the Israelites for his impending death and the transition of leadership to Joshua. This verse is part of Moses' final address to the Israelites, where he reiterates the importance of the Law (Torah) that God had given them through him. By instructing the Levitical priests to place the book of the Law beside the Ark of the Covenant, Moses establishes a tangible and central reminder of God's covenant with Israel and the laws that govern their relationship with Him and with each other.
The Ark of the Covenant was a gold-covered wooden chest that housed the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna. It symbolized God's presence and was the most sacred object in the Tabernacle, the portable dwelling place of God among the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings. The placement of the book of the Law next to the Ark underscores its importance and the role it was to play in the life of the nation.
The verse conveys several themes: the enduring authority of God's Law, the need for a physical reminder of the covenant, and the idea of the Law serving as a witness. This last point suggests that the Law would stand as a testament to Israel's commitment to God and would serve to hold the people accountable to their covenantal obligations. It was a way of ensuring that the Law would not be forgotten or neglected, and it highlighted the expectation that the Israelites live according to God's commandments.
In summary, Deuteronomy 31:26 captures a pivotal moment in Israel's history as Moses ensures the Law's centrality in the life of the nation. It emphasizes the Law's role as a perpetual witness to the covenant between God and Israel, and it illustrates the significance of the Ark of the Covenant as a symbol of God's abiding presence and guidance for His people.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3947
There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָקַח
Transliteration: lâqach
Pronunciation: law-kakh'
Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win. - Strong's Number: H5612
There are 174 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סֵפֶר
Transliteration: çêpher
Pronunciation: say'-fer
Description: or (feminine) סִפְרָה; (Psalm 56:8 (אֲבֵדָה)), from סָפַר; properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book; bill, book, evidence, [idiom] learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll. - Strong's Number: H8451
There are 213 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תּוֹרָה
Transliteration: tôwrâh
Pronunciation: to-raw'
Description: or תֹּרָה; from יָרָה; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch; law. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H6654
There are 27 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: צַד
Transliteration: tsad
Pronunciation: tsad
Description: contr. from an unused root meaning to sidle off; a side; figuratively, an adversary; (be-) side. - Strong's Number: H727
There are 467 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָרוֹן
Transliteration: ʼârôwn
Pronunciation: aw-rone'
Description: or אָרֹן; from אָרָה (in the sense of gathering); a box; ark, chest, coffin. - Strong's Number: H1285
There are 264 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בְּרִית
Transliteration: bᵉrîyth
Pronunciation: ber-eeth'
Description: from בָּרָה (in the sense of cutting (like בָּרָא)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh); confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H5707
There are 59 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵד
Transliteration: ʻêd
Pronunciation: ayd
Description: contracted from עוּד; concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince; witness.