DID YOU KNOW?
The answer
From the west bank, inside the land. "Beyond the Jordan" names the east side of the river, where Moses stood. It is the view from the west, from the land Moses never entered. The line is the narrator's, not Moses's; it introduces his speeches.
Why it’s interesting
The same words come back four verses on, and this time the place is named: "Beyond the Jordan in the land of Moab" (Deuteronomy 1:5).
Scholarly consensus
Learn the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.