Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 31:12
A historical reference excerpt for this verse.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.
Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, etc.] At the three grand festivals in other years, only males were obliged to appear; women might if they would, but they were not bound to it; but at this time all of every age and sex were to be summoned and assembled together; and it is said f561, when the king read in the book of the law, all the people were obliged to come and bring their families, as it is said (<053112>Deuteronomy 31:12); “gather the people”, etc. and as it could not be done when it happened on the sabbath day, the reading of the section was put off to the day following: and thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; not only the proselyte of righteousness, but the proselyte of the gate that renounced idolatry, for his further conviction and thorough conversion to the religion of the true God; or, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it, that they might see the honour and glory of the law. The end is more fully expressed as follows, that they may hear; all the laws which God had given: and that they may learn; and attain unto the true knowledge and right understanding of them: and fear the Lord your God; serve and worship him internally and externally, according to these laws: and observe to do all the words of this law; so take notice of them as to put them in practice; and reading them in such a solemn and reverent manner made them the more servable, and raised the greater attention to them, to the importance of them; otherwise they were read in their families, and on sabbath days in their synagogues; (see <050607>Deuteronomy 6:7) (<441315>Acts 13:15 15:21).
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