Devarim 31:19-30 record the phrase “this song” five times, 31:19 (2), 21, 22 and 30. (The phrase also appears in 32:44.) In 31:19,21, the song is referred to as being a witness. What is the song? Rashi, Rashbam and Ramban (all on 31:19) explain that the reference is to 32:1-43, Moshe's song, the bulk of parashat Ha'azinu.
One problem with this approach is that the word “this” in 31:19 should refer to either the preceding or the following verses and not to text twelve verses later. Two, 31:19 records that Moshe was to “put the song in the people’s mouth,” which Ibn Ezra explains means to have the people memorize the song. (Tigay, 1996, p. 295, writes that in Akkadian and Sumerian this phrase to “put in the mouth” also means to memorize.) Could the people memorize such a long and complicated poem as Moshe's song? Even if they could, did Moshe have enough time to teach it to them since it appears that chapter 31 took place on the last day or days of Moshe’s life (31:1)? Three, 31:20 relates the song to the people breaking the covenant in the future, but the covenant is not referred to explicitly in 32:1-43. Four, 31:22 records that Moshe taught the song to the people, but then 31:28-30 records that he told them to gather around and hear it again. Why did he teach the song to the people twice? Five, Moshe's song is very difficult to understand, while one would think that a song that was to function as a witness would be straightforward.
All the questions can be answered by understanding that 31:16-18 is the song being referred to in 31:19,21,22. (To be more precise, the song probably starts with the word ve-kam in 31:16.) It is true that 31:16-18 does not have the usual parallelism found in biblical poetry, but the verses are connected through similar words, azavani in 31:16,17 and histir, in 31:17,18. Also, the song of 31:16-18 is not a usual song that was meant to be chanted, but it was a declaration that was to be a witness to the people. The song was a witness that the straightforward message of 31:16-18 is that the people should understand that if they would violate the covenant in the future, then they would be punished and G-d would not help them.
If 31:16-18 is the song referred to in 31:19,21,22 then there were two songs, 31:16-18, and, 32:1-43, and we can answer all the questions raised above. The phrase, “this song” in 31:19,21,22 is referring to the first song, 31:16-18, its immediate context, while the same phrase in 31:30 and 32:44 is referring to the second song, and even form a bookend around the second song. The first song of 31:16-18 refers explicitly to the covenant, 31:16, as indicated in 31:20. Also, the first song is very short, three verses, which was relatively simple to write down and Moshe was able to quickly teach it to the people, 31:22. On the other hand, 31:28-30 refers to Moshe teaching the people the second song, 32:1-43.
Bibliography:
Tigay, Jeffrey H. 1996, The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society
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