Deuteronomy 31:26

Deu 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.

Ver. 26. In the side of the ark.] That it might be heard and regarded as the very law of God, though penned by Moses. And indeed the Jews at this day show exceeding great respect to the law; no man may touch it but with the right hand, and without a kiss of reverence, nor carry it behind him, but lay it next to his heart in his travel; if it but fall to the ground, they institute a fast for it, &c. The very Turks have so high an esteem of Moses, that if they find any piece of his writings, be it but a torn paper, lying on the ground, they presently take it up and kiss it. {a}

That it may be therefor a witness.] Hence haply the ark was called "the ark of the testimony." The law might be called the Doomsday Book; such a book there is in our common law, so called, saith Matthew Paris, because it spares no man.

{a} Schicard. Weemse. Pareus, Prol. in Genes.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

31:26 beside the Ark: Unlike the stone tablets, the scroll of Deuteronomy was not to be placed in the Ark but near it, in the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and, later, of the Temple (see 31:9; Exod 25:16; 26:33). • a witness: Like the song that the Israelites were to sing (see Deut 31:19), the presence of the scroll of Deuteronomy would be a perpetual reminder of Israel’s covenant obligations and privileges (see 31:10, 19).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Of thine infidelity, when thou shalt turn away from the doctrine contained therein.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark--The second copy of the law (see on Deu 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 (Kg1 8:9). Others think it was put within the ark, it being certain, from the testimony of Paul (Heb 9:4), that there were once other things inside the ark, and that this was the copy found in the time of Josiah (Kg2 22:8).

Next: Deuteronomy Chapter 32

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 26. Take 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 Clarke on De 31:9.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. this book of the law] Deu_29:21 (20), Deu_30:10.

for a witness, etc.] Not a deuteronomic phrase; but cp. testimonies in Deu_4:45; against thee, here all Israel is addressed, whereas in Deu_31:25 it is the Levites.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck,.... How rebellious they were against the Lord and his laws, and how unwilling they were to admit the yoke of his commandments to be put upon them, and submit to it; this he had an experience of for forty years past:

behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; murmuring at his providences, Exo 16:8, speaking against his ministers, Exo 16:2; breaking his laws, particularly being guilty of idolatry, in making and worshipping the golden calf, Exo 32:8; and even now, as in Deu 31:21, were imagining, forming, and framing in their minds something of the same kind, from the time of their coming out of Egypt unto this time they were now on the borders of Canaan; this had all along been their character; see Deu 9:7,

and how much more after my death? When he would be no more with them to instruct and advise them, to caution and reprove them, and to keep them in awe by his authority.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Side. But not within, (Menochius) according to the generality of interpreters, whom Calmet follows, Exodus xxv. 10. But here he adopts the contrary opinion of Jonathan and Grotius, and asserts that this writing, containing the 29th, 30th, and 31st chapters, on thin boards, was placed in the ark, beside the tables of the law, in the same manner as the Philistines placed in it a coffer of gold, 1 Kings vi. 8. We read (3 Kings viii. 9,) that there was nothing in the ark except the two tables, which might be true at the time that book was written; though St. Paul (Hebrews ix. 4,) tells us, that the golden pot, and the rod of Aaron, were in the ark. If they were there in the days when the author of the first book of Kings lived, the passage in question must be understood with these exceptions. (Calmet) --- This difficulty cannot, however, be now easily decided, as the Scripture often uses the word in to denote near to, &c., ver. 14. The coffer of the Philistines might also be on the outside of the ark. (Haydock) --- Thee. This act of ratification of the covenant, which had been made at Horeb 39 years before, (Calmet) was placed in or near the ark. (Haydock) --- The three chapters, of which it probably consisted, seem to have been what was discovered in the reign of Josias; as the threats and blessings which they contain, would naturally tend to make a strong impression upon all, 4 Kings xxii. 8. (Calmet) --- Kennicott thinks that Helcias discovered the very manuscript, which Moses had written with his own hand, and which he deposited neither in, nor fastened to any side of the ark, but only placed by the side (mitsad, juxta, Noldius) of it, or upon the same table; so that it might not be taken by the Philistines, but kept in some suitable place. (Dis. ii.) It is surprising that Huet cites Jonathan as delivering this sentiment, in capsa ad latus dextrum. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

In the side, i.e. in the outside, in a little chest fixed to it, for nothing but the tables of stone were contained in the ark, 1Ki 8:9. Here it was kept for greater security and reverence.

A witness against thee, i.e. against thy people, to whom he turns his speech, that they might be more affected with it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

26. In the side of the ark — Better rendered, by the side of the ark. The two tables of the Decalogue were placed in the ark. 1Ki_8:9; Heb_9:4. The Targum of Jonathan says, “This law was placed in a chest near the ark. It was deposited there, not as a mere place of safety, but close by the place of the typical atonement for sin, the ark of the covenant, as a protest against their national breach of that covenant by idolatry.” See PUSEY on Daniel, p. 308. Some have thought that this is the copy found in the time of Josiah. 2Ki_22:8 : “And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the side of the ark; at or by the side of the ark. According to the Targum of Jonathan, it was in a coffer by the right side of the ark that the book was placed; but the Talmudists say it was put within the ark, along with the two tables of the Decalogue ("Baba Bathra," 14); but see 1Ki_8:8.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Take this book - Probably the very same book, which (after having been some way misplaced) was found in the house of the Lord, in the days of Josiah, and publickly read by the king himself, for a witness against a people, who were then almost ripe for ruin. In the side - In the outside, in a little chest fixed to it, for nothing but the tables of stone were contained in the ark, 1 Kings viii, 9, here it was kept for greater security and reverence. A witness against thee - Against thy people, to whom he turns his speech that they might be the more affected with it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

לקח — The grammatical form and its meaning are the same as in (Exodus 20:8) זכור; (Deuteronomy 5:12) שמור; (Jeremiah 2:2) הלוך‎.

מצד ארון ברית ה׳ [TAKE THIS BOOK OF THE LAW AND PUT IT] AT THE SIDE OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD — The sages of Israel differ about it (the meaning of the phrase “at the side of the Ark”) in Treatise Bava Batra 14a. Some of them say: A board projected from the Ark outside it and there it (the song) lay, whilst others say that it lay at the side of the Tablets within the Ark.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.