Deuteronomy 31 · Verse 19

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.

Deuteronomy 31:19, King James Version

Deuteronomy 31:19 in other translations

BSB	Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.
WEB	“Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
ASV	Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
YLT	‘And now, write for you this song, and teach it the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, so that this song is to Me for a witness against the sons of Israel,
DARBY	And now, write ye this song, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
BBE	Make then this song for yourselves, teaching it to the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
Webster	Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it to the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

What does Deuteronomy 31:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 31:16-22

16-22. the Lord said unto Moses, ... this people will rise up--In this remarkable interview, Moses was distinctly apprised of the infidelity of Israel, their corruptions of the true religion through intercourse with the idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan (Am 5:26), and their chastisements in consequence of those national defections.

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 31:16-22 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 19 Write ye this song - The song which follows in the next chapter. Things which were of great importance and of common concern were, among the ancients, put into verse, as this was found the best method of keeping them in remembrance, especially in those times when writing was little practiced. Even prose was sometimes sung. The history of Herodotus was divided into Nine books, and each inscribed with the name of one of the Nine Muses, because these books were anciently sung. Homer is reported to have sung his poems through different Greek cities. Aristotle observes that anciently the people sung their laws. And Cicero observes that it was a custom among the ancient Romans to sing the praises of their heroes at the public festivals. This was the case among the northern inhabitants of Europe, particularly in Ireland and Scotland; hence the Gaelic poetry of Ossian and others. See Dodd; and see the note on Exo 15:1, where the subject is largely treated.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 31:14-22

Moses and Joshua attended the Divine Majesty at the door of the tabernacle. Moses is told again that he must shortly die; even those who are most ready and willing to die, need to be often reminded of its coming. The Lord tells Moses, that, after his death, the covenant he had taken so much pains to make between Israel and their God, would certainly be broken. Israel would forsake Him; then God would forsake Israel…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 31:14-22 →

Deuteronomy 31:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְעַתָּ֗הve.'a.Tahand thereforeH6258

כִּתְב֤וּkit.Vuwrite downH3789

לָכֶם֙la.Khemfor <the> yourselves

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הַשִּׁירָ֣הha.shi.Rahthe songH7892

הַזֹּ֔אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063

וְלַמְּדָ֥הּve.la.me.Dahand teach itH3925

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

בְּנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

שִׂימָ֣הּsi.Mahput itH7760

בְּפִיהֶ֑םbe.fi.Hemin mouth theirH6310

לְמַ֨עַןle.Ma.'anso thatH4616

תִּהְיֶה\־tih.yeh-it may becomeH1961

לִּ֜יlifor <the> me

הַשִּׁירָ֥הha.shi.Rahthe songH7892

הַזֹּ֛אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063

לְעֵ֖דle.'Ed<into> a witnessH5707

בִּבְנֵ֥יbiv.Neion [the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 31:19

Deuteronomy 6:7
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deuteronomy 31:21-22
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware. Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 31:26
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.
John 12:48
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Deuteronomy 31:30-32:45
And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. …
Deuteronomy 4:9-10
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Deuteronomy 11:19
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
2 Samuel 14:3
And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
Ezekiel 2:5
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
Jeremiah 1:9
Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Exodus 4:15
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Isaiah 51:16
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

this song.
22,30; 32:1-43,44,45
and teach it.
4:9,10; 6:7; 11:19
put it in their.
Ex 4:15; 2Sa 14:3; Isa 51:16; 59:21; Jer 1:9
a witness.
21,26; Eze 2:5; Mt 10:18; Joh 12:48

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Deuteronomy 31:18
And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
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.
Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.

Read all of Deuteronomy 31

Deuteronomy 31:19 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Ahora pues, escribíos este cántico, y enséñalo á los hijos de Israel: ponlo en boca de ellos, para que este cántico me sea por testigo contra los hijos de Israel.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et maintenant, écrivez ce cantique, et enseigne-le aux fils d’Israël; mets-le dans leur bouche, afin que ce cantique me serve de témoignage contre les fils d’Israël.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und nun, schreibet euch dieses Lied auf, und lehre es die Kinder Israel, lege es in ihren Mund, auf daß dieses Lied mir zum Zeugen sei gegen die Kinder Israel.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Nunc itaque scribite vobis canticum istud, et docete filios Israël: ut memoriter teneant, et ore decantent, et sit mihi carmen istud pro testimonio inter filios Israël.