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Deuteronomy 31:22-24,28
Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel…

Numbers 33:2
And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and theseare their journeys according to their goings out.

Daniel 9:13
Asit is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

delivered

Deuteronomy 31:24-26
And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, …

Deuteronomy 17:18
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out ofthat which is before the priests the Levites:

the priests

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Malachi 2:7
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for heis the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

which bare

Numbers 4:15
And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bearit: but they shall not touchany holy thing, lest they die. Thesethings are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Joshua 3:3,14-17
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it…

Joshua 6:12
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi
The Levites were chosen by God to serve as priests and caretakers of the tabernacle. By entrusting the law to the Levites, Moses ensured that those who were responsible for spiritual leadership and instruction had direct access to God's commandments. This highlights the role of spiritual leaders in teaching and upholding God's Word. The Levites' role as mediators between God and the people foreshadows the priesthood of all believers through Christ.

who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD
The ark of the covenant was the most sacred object in Israel, symbolizing God's presence among His people. It contained the tablets of the law, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna. The Levites' duty to carry the ark underscores their responsibility to uphold and protect the holiness of God's covenant. This also points to the centrality of God's presence and law in the life of the community.

and to all the elders of Israel
The elders were leaders and representatives of the tribes of Israel. By giving the law to the elders, Moses ensured that the entire community was accountable to God's commandments. This distribution of the law to both religious and civil leaders emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's covenant, affecting all aspects of life. It also reflects the communal responsibility to uphold and teach God's Word, a principle that continues in the church today.

“So Moses wrote down this law…”

• Moses isn’t simply recording random thoughts; he is inscribing the whole covenant code just delivered in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 31:24–26).

• Writing secures permanence. God’s commands are not left to fading memory (Exodus 17:14;Joshua 24:26).

• By putting words on scroll, Moses ensures every generation can read the same unaltered truth, echoing later assurance that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16).

“…and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi…”

• The Levites were already set apart “to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister” (Deuteronomy 10:8). Receiving the written law adds teaching responsibility (Leviticus 10:11).

• This hand-off underlines accountability: the same men who handle sacred objects must also guard sacred words (Malachi 2:7).

• It also reminds us that spiritual leadership involves both worship and discipleship—word and service together.

“…who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD…”

• Linking the law with the ark ties written words to God’s throne of presence (Exodus 25:21–22).

• The priests’ physical closeness to the ark shows the law is not mere literature; it is covenant testimony placed “inside the ark” (Deuteronomy 31:26), under God’s mercy seat.

• When priests later step into the Jordan carrying the ark (Joshua 3:3, 6), the written law they safeguard travels with them—God’s guidance goes wherever His people go.

“…and to all the elders of Israel.”

• Elders represent every tribe and household (Exodus 18:21;Deuteronomy 27:1). Moses ensures no one can claim ignorance; leadership at every level receives the law.

• This distribution promotes communal responsibility. Elders must teach, enforce, and model obedience (Deuteronomy 31:12–13, 28).

• Notice the balance: priests handle sacred ceremony, elders oversee daily life. Together they weave God’s word into Israel’s worship and society.

Moses secures God’s covenant by writing it down, entrusting it to spiritual and civic leaders alike. Priests guard and teach; elders implement and embody. The verse underscores the permanence, authority, and shared stewardship of Scripture—truth preserved for every generation so that God’s people can know, obey, and pass it on.

(9-11)And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests . . . And . . . commanded them, saying . . . thou shalt read.--This must be distinguished from the deliverance of the "book" to the Levites inDeuteronomy 31:25-26. The deliverance here must be understood as a charge and a trust conveyed to the priests, making them responsible for the "reading of the law," and for the instruction of the people. This is the special duty of the priests. They are said to "bear" the ark of the covenant here; not because they always carried it (they did sometimes, as in Joshua 3), but because they were responsible for it, just as they were also responsible for the exposition of the law (Deuteronomy 17:9). This is another example of the distinction between priests and Levites in the book of Deuteronomy.

(10, 11)At the end of every seven years, in the . . . year of release, in the feast of tabernacles . . . thou shalt read this law.--The fulfilment of this command, as far as the reading of the law is concerned, is described inJoshua 8:34-35; and again "at the feast of tabernacles" inNehemiah 8.That the law read on these occasions was especially the book of Deuteronomy appears from the Talmudical treatise Sotah (p. 41), where the reading of it by the king is described as beginning withDeuteronomy 1:1 : "These are the words." It is in this connection that the story is told of Agrippa that he wept when he came toDeuteronomy 17:15, "Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee." But they said, "Fear not, Agrippa, thou art our brother," and he then finished the reading. It was read from a platform erected in the forecourt of the temple. From this passage it is clear that the "reading" was understood to refer specially to the book of Deuteronomy. . . .