Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 31:11
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God, etc.] As all the males were obliged to do three times in the year, and one of those times was the feast of tabernacles, and so a proper season for the reading of the law; (see <022314>Exodus 23:14-17); in the place which the Lord shall choose; the city of Jerusalem, and the temple there: thou shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing; the book of Deuteronomy, as Jarchi, or it may be the whole Pentateuch: who were to read it is not expressly said; the speech seems to be directed to the priests and elders, to whom the law written by Moses was delivered, (<053109>Deuteronomy 31:9); and who were either to read it themselves, or take care that it should be read. Josephus f559 ascribes this service to the high priest; he says, standing in an high pulpit (or on an high bench), “from whence he may be heard, he must read the laws to all;” but the Jewish writers commonly allot this work to the king, or supreme governor, who at least was to read some parts of it; so Jarchi says, the king at first read Deuteronomy, as it is said in the Misnah f560; “he read from the beginning of Deuteronomy to (<050604>Deuteronomy 6:4); hear, O Israel, etc. and then added (<051113>Deuteronomy 11:13); then (<051422>Deuteronomy 14:22); after that (<052612>Deuteronomy 26:12); then the section of the king, (<051714>Deuteronomy 17:14); next the blessings and the curses, (<052715>Deuteronomy 27:15-26 28:16-68), with which he finished the whole section;” and so we find that Joshua, the governor of the people after Moses, read all his laws, (<060835>Joshua 8:35); and so did King Josiah at the finding of the book of the law, (<122302>2 Kings 23:2), and Ezra, (<160803>Nehemiah 8:3). The king received the book from the high priest standing, and read it sitting; but King Agrippa stood and read, for which he was praised.
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