The Meaning of Deuteronomy 31:28 Explained

Deuteronomy 31:28

KJV: Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.

YLT: 'Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your authorities, and I speak in their ears these words, and cause to testify against them the heavens and the earth,

Darby: Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and take heaven and earth to witness against them.

ASV: Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Gather  unto me all the elders  of your tribes,  and your officers,  that I may speak  these words  in their ears,  and call  heaven  and earth  to record  against them. 

What does Deuteronomy 31:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 31:14-29 - The Charge To His Successor
Moses had already announced that Joshua would succeed him; but in view of the great difficulties which confronted the new leader, it was expedient that the guiding pillar should give him the symbol and pledge of God's endorsement.
Two other sources of their allegiance were proposed. First, a song. National songs lay hold on memory and have a powerful effect in stirring the deepest emotions. This song, composed under the divine impulse, embodied the substance of the preceding pleadings and exhortations, and was suitable to be taught to the generations that followed. Be sure that nothing more efficiently preserves religion than noble hymns! Learn and teach them! Secondly, the book. See Deuteronomy 31:24, etc. We have already heard of this. See Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:4-7. No doubt it was to this necessity of recording the Law and chronicling the story of the Exodus that we owe the origin of the sacred books which bear the name of Moses. See John 5:46. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 31

1  Moses encourages the people
7  He encourages Joshua
9  He delivers the law unto the priests to be read in the seventh year
14  God gives a charge to Joshua
19  and a song to testify against the people
24  Moses delivers the book of the law to the Levites to keep
28  He makes a protestation

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 31:28 mean?

Gather to me - all the elders of your tribes and your officers that I may speak in their hearing - words these and call to witness against them heaven and earth
הַקְהִ֧ילוּ אֵלַ֛י אֶת־ כָּל־ זִקְנֵ֥י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֔ם הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־ הָאָֽרֶץ

הַקְהִ֧ילוּ  Gather 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָהַל  
Sense: to assemble, gather.
אֵלַ֛י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זִקְנֵ֥י  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם  of  your  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶ֑ם  and  your  officers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁטַר  
Sense: (Qal) official, officer.
וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה  that  I  may  speak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗ם  in  their  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדְּבָרִ֣ים  words 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָאֵ֔לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וְאָעִ֣ידָה  and  call  to  witness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בָּ֔ם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הָאָֽרֶץ  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.