Deuteronomy 1:3
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This isn't just a date; it's the very end of an era. Moses speaking here, right before his death, isn't just repeating laws but giving a final, divinely-ordained legacy to a new generation on the brink of their destiny.
In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This marks the beginning of Moses' final speeches to the Israelites, delivered just weeks before his death and their entry into the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering, the generation that left Egypt had largely passed away, and Moses was preparing a new generation for the challenges ahead by restating God's law and reminding them of His faithfulness, especially after their recent victories against Sihon and Og.
Forty years in the wilderness. Can you imagine? This wasn't just a date on a calendar; it was a lifetime of waiting and learning.
This verse drops us right at the end of Israel's wilderness wandering. Forty years! It's a stark reminder of how long it took for a generation to pass away and for a new one, ready to enter the Promised Land, to emerge.
A Generational Shift
Think about it: the people who left Egypt were not the same people who were about to enter Canaan. The disobedience and lack of faith at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 14) had led to a forty-year sentence in the desert. This wasn't a punishment meant to be endless, but a period of transition and judgment.
The Final Proclamation
Moses begins to speak in the eleventh month, just a few months before the fortieth year is complete and just before his own death. It's a deeply poignant moment – a final, urgent message from their leader, delivered on God's direct command, right at the cusp of a new beginning.
Moses wasn't making this up as he went along. Every word he spoke was straight from the Lord. What does that tell us about the authority of his message?
The phrase 'according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them' is crucial. Moses isn't delivering a personal sermon or sharing his own opinions. He is an ambassador, faithfully relaying God's exact instructions.
Divine Authority
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This highlights the absolute authority of God's Word. The commands Moses restates are not suggestions; they are divine mandates that carried the weight of life and blessing, or disobedience and judgment. Deuteronomy itself is often called a 'second giving' of the Law, but here we see it's a divinely appointed repetition.
Legacy of Obedience
Moses' obedience in delivering God's commands, even at the end of his life and leadership, sets a powerful example. He understood his role was to declare God's will, not to create his own. This legacy encourages us to seek God's commands for our own lives and to speak His truth with conviction.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A proper name for the one true God of Israel, the covenant-keeping I AM, who revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush and redeemed His people from Egypt.
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
A divine instruction, decree, or precept given by God to His people. It signifies not just a rule, but a life-giving instruction that reveals God's character and righteous requirements.
This verse is placed at the very end of Israel's 40-year wilderness journey. Moses is speaking these words just weeks before his own death and the people's entry into the Promised Land, giving his final exhortations and a review of God's law.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Exits Egypt
The Israelites, led by Moses, depart from Egypt after centuries of slavery. This marks the beginning of their 40-year journey in the wilderness.
c. 1445 BC
Journey to Kadesh-Barnea
After receiving the Law at Mount Sinai, the Israelites travel towards the Promised Land. They reach Kadesh-Barnea, the gateway to Canaan, but their journey is delayed.
c. 1445 BC
Rebellion and Sentence
Spies return with a negative report, and the people rebel. God sentences that generation to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until they die.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Sihon and Og
As the Israelites near the Promised Land, they conquer the Amorite king Sihon and the king of Bashan, Og. This victory clears their path into Canaan.
c. 1406 BC
Miriam Dies
Miriam, Moses' sister, dies at the beginning of the 40th year of wandering. This marks a significant loss for the people and Moses.
c. 1406 BC
Aaron Dies
Aaron, the High Priest and Moses' brother, dies shortly after Miriam, further underscoring the end of an era for Israel.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses' Final Address
In the eleventh month of the 40th year, just before the people cross the Jordan River, Moses delivers his final speeches, recounting their history and reiterating God's commands. This is the context for the book of Deuteronomy.
This passage highlights the consequence of Israel's unbelief forty years prior, directly contrasting with Moses' final address to lead them into the land God promised them, as recounted in Deuteronomy.
Joshua 1:1-2This shows the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua immediately after Moses' death, emphasizing that the words spoken in Deuteronomy were a final charge before the new era began.
Hebrews 3:7-19This New Testament passage directly references the Israelites' forty years of wandering and their failure to enter the promised land due to disobedience, underscoring the importance of heeding Moses' final words in Deuteronomy.
John 14:26This verse speaks of the Holy Spirit bringing to remembrance all that Jesus taught, paralleling Moses' role in reminding the Israelites of God's commandments before their entry into the land.
gillDeuteronomy 1:3: "And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;"
And it came to pass in the fortieth year,.... That is, of the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt: in the eleventh month; the month Shebet, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of January and part of February: in the first day of the month, th…
bensonDeuteronomy 1:3: "And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;"
Deuteronomy 1:3-4 . The eleventh month — Which was but a little before his death. All that the Lord had given him in command — Which shows not only that what he now delivered was in substance the same with what had formerly been commanded, but that God now commande…
This isn't just a date; it's the very end of an era. Moses speaking here, right before his death, isn't just repeating laws but giving a final, divinely-ordained legacy to a new generation on the brink of their destiny.
This marks the beginning of Moses' final speeches to the Israelites, delivered just weeks before his death and their entry into the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering, the generation that left Egypt had largely passed away, and Moses was preparing a new generation for the challenges ahead by restating God's law and reminding them of His faithfulness, especially after their recent victories against Sihon and Og.
This marks the beginning of Moses' final speeches to the Israelites, delivered just weeks before his death and their entry into the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering, the generation that left Egypt had largely passed away, and Moses was preparing a new generation for the challenges ahead by restating God's law and reminding them of His faithfulness, especially after their recent victories against Sihon and Og.
"In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them," — This isn't just a date; it's the very end of an era. Moses speaking here, right before his death, isn't just repeating laws but giving a final, divinely-ordained legacy to a new generation on the b…
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Last reviewed October 2026
