Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 31:3
The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, [and] he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: [and] Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.
3. will go over before thee ] Deu 9:3, where also there follows (with much else) as here, he will destroy, thou shalt dispossess or succeed them (but in another form of the vb.). This part of the v. may be a later intrusion, for the remainder follows naturally in Deu 31:2.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Joshua, he shall go over before thee] See Clarke on Nu 27:17, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee,…. This he said to encourage the people of Israel; that though he should die, and not go over with them, their ever living and true God, the great Jehovah, the Lord of hosts, he would go before them, and fight their battles for them; so that they had nothing to fear from their enemies:
[and] he will destroy those nations from before thee; the seven nations which then inhabited the land:
and thou shalt possess them; their countries, cities, and houses, fields, and vineyards:
[and] Joshua, he shall go over before thee; as their general to fight for them, subdue their enemies, and put them into the possession of the land, and divide it to them:
as the Lord hath said; De 3:28.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 The Lord thy God, he will go over. By no ordinary consolation does he encourage their minds to renewed alacrity, because they should experience, even when he was dead, the unceasing favor of God. Hence we gather a lesson of especial usefulness, that whenever God raises up to us men endowed with excellent gifts, He is wont so to make use of their labors for a time, as still to retain others in His hand, and constantly to substitute others, unless our sins stand in the way. Hence it follows that the power of God is not to be tied to the illustrious qualities of men, as if their death was His destruction. It is true, indeed, that eminent men are rarely succeeded by their equals, (232) because our wickedness stifles the light of spiritual gifts, and, as far as it can, extinguishes them; still let this be deemed certain that, when God promotes our welfare by ministers of special eminence, He gives us a taste of His goodness, in order that we may expect its continuance; “because he forsakes not the work of his own hands.” (Psa 138:8.) Moses says, therefore, that although he may be taken away by death, still God will undertake the office of their leader, or rather that He will continue to be their leader, as the Israelites had before experienced Him to be.
But h sustains their infirmity by another consolation also, pointing out Joshua as his successor; otherwise the people might have been ready to object that, if God was willing to go before them, why did he not manifest it by the election of a representative, by whose hand He might continue what He had begun by Moses. In this respect, therefore, he also shows that God’s favor was by no means obscure, since Joshua was already chosen to sustain the care and burden of governing the people: for it is not by his own authority that he obtrudes Joshua and sets him over them, but he declares him to be called by God. Still, it is not a matter hitherto unknown which he puts before them, but only bids them remember what God had long ago revealed, as we have elsewhere seen.
(232) “Pareils et de mesme calibre;” equal and of the sanc calibre. — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Observe, how Moses dwells upon the sweet title of the LORD thy GOD: Not JEHOVAH alone, but JEHOVAH in covenant with Israel. Oh! it is precious to connect these things. And is there not somewhat referring to the LORD JESUS, in what is said here of Joshua? Not only the LORD thy GOD shall go over before thee, but it is said, that Joshua shall go over before the people. Is not this typical of JESUS our Joshua?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 31:3 The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, [and] he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: [and] Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.
Ver. 3. And Joshua. ] Called Jesus. Heb 4:8 A clear type of Jesus Christ. What Moses could not do because of the people’s unbelief – viz., to bring them to Canaan, Joshua did. So what Moses’s law could not do – viz., to bring us to heaven, because of the infirmity of our flesh, Christ by his gospel hath done for us. Rom 8:3
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the LORD = Jehovah. Note the Figure of speech Epanadiplosis (App-6) in this verse, which in the Hebrew text begins and ends with “Jehovah”.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
as = according as. Compare the references to past statements: Deu 2:9; Deu 3:28. Exo 23:20, Exo 23:23; Exo 33:2. Num 27:15-23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
thy God: Deu 9:3, Gen 48:21, Psa 44:2, Psa 44:3, Psa 146:3-6
and Joshua: Deu 31:7, Deu 31:8, Deu 31:14, Deu 31:23, Deu 3:28, Deu 34:9, Num 27:18-21, Jos 1:2, Jos 3:7, Jos 4:14, Act 7:45, Heb 4:8, Jesus
Reciprocal: Deu 7:1 – the Lord Jos 1:1 – Joshua Jos 13:1 – to be possessed Jos 21:44 – General 1Ki 8:44 – go out to battle