Deuteronomy 31:28

Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God commands Moses to gather the elders and officers of Israel so He may speak to them and call heaven and earth to witness against the people. This occurs as God foretells Israel’s future rebellion and His own impending departure.

The words — הַקְהִ֧ילוּ (hak.Hi.lu) means “assemble” and אֲדַבֵּרָ֣ה (a.da.be.Rah) means “let me speak,” framing the command for a formal gathering where divine speech will be delivered.

The thread — The motif of calling heaven and earth to witness appears in Deuteronomy 4:26 and Deuteronomy 30:19, while Deuteronomy 32:1 extends the imagery by urging the heavens to listen to God’s speech.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that divine warnings are publicly attested and legally binding, requiring the reader to heed the spoken words before the recorded witnesses of creation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הַקְהִ֧ילוּhak.Hi.luassemble אֵלַ֛י'e.La/ito/ me אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all זִקְנֵ֥יzik.Nei[the] elders of שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖םshiv.tei./Khemtribes/ your וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶ֑םve./sho.te.rei./Khemand/ officials/ your וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣הva./'a.da.be.Rahand/ let me speak בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗םve./'a.ze.nei./Hemin/ ears/ their אֵ֚ת'et<obj.>הַדְּבָרִ֣יםha./de.va.Rimthe/ words הָאֵ֔לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ these וְאָעִ֣ידָהve./'a.'I.dahso/ I may call as witnessesבָּ֔םBa/magainst <the>/ themאֶת־'et-<obj.>הַשָּׁמַ֖יִםha./sha.Ma.yimthe/ heavens וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הָאָֽרֶץ׃ha./'A.retzthe/ earth

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
Deuteronomy 32:1 Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,
Luke 19:40 “I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”
Genesis 49:1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come:
Numbers 11:16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you.
Deuteronomy 29:10 All of you are standing today before the LORD your God—you leaders of tribes, elders, officials, and all the men of Israel,
Deuteronomy 31:12 Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law.
Isaiah 1:2 Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
Exodus 18:25 So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.