John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:3
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, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them ; repeated to them the several commandments, which the Lord had delivered to him at different times. read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:1-8
We have here, I. The date of this sermon which Moses preached to the people of Israel. A great auditory, no question, he had, as many as could crowd within hearing, and particularly all the elders and officers, the representatives of the people; and, probably, it was on the sabbath day that he delivered this to them. 1. The place were they were now encamped was in the plain, in the land of Moab (Deut. 1:1, 5), where they were just ready to enter Canaan, and engage in a war with the Canaanites.... read more