Deuteronomy 1:3 tells us when Moses began his final series of speeches to the people of Israel: in the fortieth year after the Exodus, on the first day of the eleventh month. The verse also makes clear that what Moses said was not his own opinion but everything the LORD had commanded him to deliver. Moses, the long-serving leader, is the speaker, and his audience is the whole generation of Israelites about to enter the Promised Land.
In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them…
Deuteronomy 1:3 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 1:3 Means
The verse begins with a precise timestamp, “in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month.” Ancient Israel counted time from its national deliverance, so this marks the close of the forty years of wilderness wandering. The people are no longer in the desert waiting for judgment to play out; they are standing at the edge of the land God promised their ancestors.
The phrase “according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment” tells you where Moses’s words came from. He was not improvising a farewell address. Everything that follows in Deuteronomy is presented as God’s instruction passed through Moses. The verse does not promise anything for the reader directly, but it sets up the trustworthiness of the message: what comes next is meant to be heard as the word of God, not merely the memories of an aging man.
The Context of Deuteronomy 1:3
Deuteronomy means “second law” in Greek, a title taken from the Septuagint’s rendering of a phrase in Deuteronomy 17:18. The book is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it presents itself as a series of addresses he gave on the plains of Moab just before the Israelites crossed the Jordan. Its audience is the new generation, most of whom were children when the Law was first given at Sinai and who had not personally stood there. Verse 3 is the book’s opening frame, reminding these listeners that they are hearing the same God-given commands, now renewed for a new season.
The verses just before and after set the scene. Verse 1 places Moses “beyond the Jordan in the wilderness,” and verses 4 through 5 mention the defeat of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, showing that Israel has already begun to take the land. Verse 6 then opens with God’s words at Horeb. Read in that setting, verse 3 is a hinge: the wandering is ending, the conquests have begun, and the people need to hear again what God requires of them before they move forward.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 1:3
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(WEB)
Joshua 1:9 comes as Israel stands ready to enter the land that Moses could not enter. God’s command to be strong and courageous echoes the sense that the people are at a turning point, and it shows how the instructions Moses passed on were meant to carry them into the next chapter of their story.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for the LORD your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”
(WEB)
Deuteronomy 31:6 comes near the end of the book, where Moses encourages the people as he hands leadership to Joshua. Reading it alongside Deuteronomy 1:3 shows the arc of the book: the same God who commissioned Moses to speak continues to go before his people into the land.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 1:3
Lord, you have spoken, and your word has carried your people through long seasons of waiting and wandering. Help me to hear what you have commanded and not to rely only on my own understanding. As I stand at whatever threshold I face today, give me the humility to receive your instruction and the courage to act on it. Keep my heart steady in your truth, and lead me forward in your faithfulness. Amen.
