Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
Moses completes the writing out of the book of the Law, and directs it to be placed by the ark of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 31:24
The "book" here spoken of would contain the whole Pentateuch up to this verse, and be "the Book of Moses," called generally by the Jews "the Law" (compare Matthew 22:40; Galatians 4:21).
Deuteronomy 31:25
The Levites, which bare the ark - i. e., as in Deuteronomy 31:9, "the priests the sons of Levi." The non-priestly Levites could not so much as enter the sanctuary or touch the ark (compare Numbers 4:15). Though in the journeys through the wilderness the ark was borne by the non-priestly Kohathites, yet on occasions of a more solemn and public character it was carried by the priests themselves (Joshua 3:3 ff, Joshua 4:9-10; Joshua 6:6, Joshua 6:12; Joshua 8:33; I Kings 8:3).
Deuteronomy 31:26
Put it in the side of the ark - Rather, by the side of the ark. The two tables of the Decalogue were in the ark I Kings 8:9; the Book of the Law was to be laid up in the holy of holies close by the ark of the covenant, probably in a chest. Compare II Kings 22:8.
Deuteronomy 31:27
How much more after my death - Hence, Deuteronomy 31:24 and the rest of the book (with the exception of the song, Deuteronomy 31:19) must be regarded as a kind of appendix added after Moses' death by another hand; though the Blessing Deut. 33 is of course to be regarded as a composition of Moses.
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