Contents of this article
I. Introductory Remark
II. Outline of Deuteronomy
III. Contents of Deuteronomy
IV. What the Scholars are Saying
V. Importance of Deuteronomy
INTRODUCTION
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch. It contains Moses’ historical overview of Israel, the repetition and explanation of the law of the covenant, and the renewal of the covenant of God with Israel. Moses’ discourse of Israel’s history and law of the covenant is given in the plains of Moab. He begins his oratory with events at Mt. Sinai, where the law was proclaimed, prior to Israel’s forty-year walk in the wilderness. This dissertation is given to the children of the Israelites who died in the wilderness.
OUTLINE DEUTERONOMY
I. Introduction:
A. Historical Review (Chapters 1-4:43)
In these chapters, Moses rehearses Israel’s history. Included in the review is Moses’ reminder to Israel of God’s victories on their behalf. He also puts them in remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt, their travels and their rebellion.
B. Introduction to the Law of the Covenant (Chapter 4:44-11:1-32)
This section is an introduction to the law of the covenant. Included is the repetition of the Ten Commandments in Chapter 5, and various statutes and ordinances.
II. Laws: Chapters 12-26
In this section, the law of the covenant given to Israel through Moses from God are repeated and explained. Warnings against idolatry, which animals were clean or unclean, and worship are among the laws that Moses reiterated and explained to the Israelites. He also gave the blessings and curses that the Israelites could expect for their obedience/disobedience to the laws of the covenant.
III. Closing: Chapters 27-34
These chapters include Moses’ final words to Israel. The blessings God pronounces for obedience and the curses pronounced for disobedience are a part of this section, also. Joshua’s elevation to leadership and Moses’ song, as well as his death and burial are, among the events in these chapters.
CONTENTS OF THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
Historical review (Chapters 1-4:43): The Book of Deuteronomy begins with Moses reviewing Israel’s history and his exhortation to them. This review begins at the end of the fortieth year of the Israelites wandering in the desert, after the defeat of two kings, Sihon and Og. Moses starts his review from the time the Israelites leave Mt. Horeb and travel to Kadesh-barnea, the land of the Amorites. At this point twelve me were chosen to spy the land.
Upon their return, ten men gave an evil report concerning the land, and two gave a good report. Because of the evil reports, the people refused to obey God and take the land. God declared not one Israelite of that generation would enter the promised land, except the two who gave the good reports and the children who did not know good from bad. God sent Israel back into the desert.
After all of those who rebelled died in the desert, God instructed Israel to go North through Seir, Edom, Moab and the land of the Ammonites. They were not to enter conflict with the people of the land because they were the descendants of Esau and Lot. They were to enter into the land of Heshbon and Bashan and begin the conquest of the land.
Introduction to the Law of the Covenant (Chapter 4:44-11:1-32): This section is an introduction to the laws of covenant. Included is the repetition of the Decalogue in chapter five, the great commandment in chapter six, in which Moses tells Israel to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength. He admonishes the Israelites to teach God’s law to their children.
Moses tells the Israelites in chapter seven that they will be blessed for their obedience to God and in chapter eight to not let prosperity cause them to forget their God. Moses tells Israel in chapter nine that the success they will have in occupying the land is because God would go before them in battle, not because of their merits or integrity. The incident of the golden calf and the tablets of stone containing the law are reviewed in chapter nine, as well as other times the Israelites had provoked God to anger. He ends by telling them when they enter the land, pronounce the blessings of keeping God’s commandments on Mt. Gerizim and the curses of not keeping them on Mt. Ebal.
The Law of the Covenant (Chapter 12–26): Moses repeats the laws given to Israel by God. Included in the many laws given, Moses admonishes them to not add to, nor take away from, the commandments of God, and warns them concerning idolatry. Moses gave specifics of what foods could and could not be eaten, what animal and fowl were clean and unclean, tithes and offerings, and the Feasts of Passover, Weeks and Booths. He reminded the Israelites that the priestly tribe of Levi would not share in the heritage of Israel, but were to live on the gifts to the Lord and what was due God. They were warned not to consult fortune-tellers, soothysayers, charmers, diviners, witches, warlocks and necromancers. They were informed of the punishment for those who did consult with people who dealt in witchcraft. They were to have one place of worship, and God would choose that place.
Moses ends the rehearsal of the law to Israel by informing them that they were making an agreement with God concerning the covenant and God was also making an agreement with them. Israel was his peculiar people and they were a holy people to the Lord. He would raise them high above all nations.
Closing (Chapters 27-34): In chapter 27, Moses instructs the Israelites that on the day they cross the Jordan, they were to get some large stones and write the words of the law upon them. After crossing the Jordan, they were to gather more stones to build an altar to God, and specific instructions were given for building that altar. After crossing the Jordan, certain of the tribes were to pronounce the blessings and certain tribes were to pronounce the curses on the specified mountains. Also, twelve curses were given for the Levites to proclaim. Chapter 28 gives the blessings for obedience to God and the curses for disobedience to God. Chapter 29 tells of Israel being bound to the Covenant, warns them against idolatry and the punishment for unfaithfulness to God. In chapter 30, Moses explains there is mercy is provided for repentance, and informs Israel that they have a choice, life or death.
Joshua is commissioned to leadership position, and the law is placed in the Ark of the Covenant. Moses continues to address the congregation with a song. When he completes the song, he again encourages the people of Israel to obey God’s law. God tells Moses to ascend Mount Nebo to view the land of Canaan, then Moses would die on that very mountain. Moses blessed the tribes of Israel before he died. Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were clear and he was still virile. After his passing, the Israelites mourned him 30 days.
The people gave their obedience to Joshua. He was filled with the spirit of wisdom, just as Moses was, and they carried out the command God had given Moses.
WHAT THE SCHOLARS SAY ABOUT DEUTERONOMY
Authorship of Deuteronomy: One of the issues in Deuteronomy among the scholars is who authored the book. Many scholars who have studied this book have come to the conclusion that Moses was not the author of Deuteronomy. Some have speculated that more than one person is responsible for penning the book.
In the Anchor Bible Dictionary, the article Deuteronomistic History indicates that scholars do not agree on who was, nor how many persons were, the writer, or writers of Deuteronomy. Martin Noth believes that one exilic author is responsible for this book. He suggests one exilic writer because of the comparable language and philosophy apparent throughout the Deuteronomistic History (DH) indicates an individual hand. (pg. 161) Not only does Noth indicate one author (the Deuteronomist, "Dtr") for this book, he states that this one Dtr "composed the first history of Israel on the basis of traditions which he collected." (pg. 161) He dated the final form of Deuteronomy to be the middle of the sixth century B.C.E, shortly after 562.
In that same article in the ABD, included is E. W. Nicholson’s and M. Weinfeld’s position on the authorship of Deuteronomy. It informs that both Nicholson and Weinfeld published books with the focal point of authorship being a circle of "Deuteronomistic traditionalist." Nicholson’s theory was that "northern prophetic circles" preserved and handed down ancient traditions. (pg. 162) He believes that members of that prophetic circle fled to Judah after the devastation of Israel in 721 B.C.E., and, according to Nicholson, during the reign of Manasseh (ca. 687-642 B.C.E.), they drew their own program for reform based, in part, upon traditional materials. The program produced an early form of the book of Deuteronomy, and a copy was placed in the Temple. This copy was discovered during Josiah’s reign, and was used for reform activity. According to Nicholson, the Deuteronomistic school was revived and in due time generated the DH. Nicholson was in agreement with Roth’s date for the final form of the DH. However, Nicholson believed the work was started in late pre-exilic times.
Although Weinfeld’s opinion of the writing is similar to Nicholson’s, he traced three stages of development regarding the composition. His belief is that the book of Deuteronomy was composed in the second half of the seventh century B.C.E., Joshua through Kings was edited in the first half of the sixth century B.C.E. and the prose sermon in Jeremiah was during the latter half of the sixth century.
In reading Rolf Rendtorff’s The Old Testament, An Introduction, he has not made it clear to this writer who he thinks may, or may not, be the author, or authors of Deuteronomy. Notwithstanding, he does give some insight of his opinion regarding authorship, in stating that "The different editors or redactors who may have been at work here all evidently belonged to the same school, and despite its literary unevenness, the final form seems very much to be a unity." (pg. 155) However, it is rather interesting that Mr. Rendtorff states that "Deuteronomy is a theological book." (pg. 155) He also states that Deuteronomy "outlines an overall view of Israel’s faith in one God and in the unique relationship of this God to the people whom he has chosen;..." (pg. 155) According to Rendtorff, this outline is consistent, and yet in numerous places, the book appears not be a literary unity. This disunity has lead to many endeavors to show the different stages regarding the composition of Deuteronomy
Purpose of Deuteronomy: Another issue among the scholars pertaining to Deuteronomy is the writer’s purpose for the book. In the ABD article, Noth’s theory indicates the purpose of the Dtr writer was completely negative. Israel was doomed, and had no hope. The Dtr wanted those in the Babylonian exile to know that they deserved the sufferings they were going through because of their turning away from Yahweh. According to the Dtr, Israel’s loyalty was measured by their obedience and conformity to the Deuteronomic law, and since Judah and Israel had failed consistently to adhere to this law, the divine judgment expressed concisely in Deuteronomy was upon them. The Dtr gave no hope for the future of Israel.
This point of purpose of the writer has been looked upon as the weakest aspect of Noth’s theory, and has provoked much criticism. Von Rad depicted a theme of grace in his 1947 article on the theology of history in the DH. This theme of grace provided a balance to the judgment outlined by Noth.
Von Rad’s article demonstrated that the DH manifested the history of Yahweh’s word at work. The description of the precise fulfillment of prophesy by the prophets of God that the Dtr reported, indicated that destruction of Israel and Judah was in keeping with their disobedience. However, Yahweh was unwilling to bring final destruction upon his chosen people because of the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7. (ABD, pg. 161) This furnished a basis of hope according to the Dtr. God’s punishment could not be dismissed by the Dtr, but it was impossible for the writer to confess that Yahweh’s promise to David had failed.
H. W. Wolff wrote an article in 1961 criticizing Noth’s and von Rad’s stand on the purpose of the DH. Wolff wrote that Noth contradicted himself when Noth explained the inclusion of Jehoiachin’s release in 2 Kings 25:27-30 and the conclusion regarding the Dtr’s discriminating use of sources. Wolff’s criticism of von Rad was that Nathan’s revelation to David was of lesser value compared to the Mosiac covenant. Hence, the disobedience of the law invalidated the promise to David. Also, since their was a lack of reference to the prophesy of Nathan in 2 Kings 25:27-30, the indication is that the Dtr did not translate Jehoiachin’s release as the continuation of the Davidic promise.
Wolff did not see the Dtr’s purpose as entirely negative, nor giving specific hope. He saw the Dtr’s examples of the cycles of apostasy, punishment, repentance and deliverance as common in the DH, and the intent was to show Israel and Judah that they were in the punishment stage of the cycle. Therefore, the Dtr raised the possibility of hope for the exiles, informing them they needed to repent and cry out the Yahweh. The key to this were the Deuteronomistic passages saying "to return," especially I King 8 containing Solomon’s speech. (pg. 162)
Structure of Deuteronomy: Rendtorff’s article on Deuteronomy does not include an issue such as the purpose of the Dtr in writing the book. However, he does deal with the structure of Deuteronomy, the centralization of the cult and other issues. In regards to the structure, Rendtorff states that the structure of the book is easy to recognize, and references the double introductory speech. He then expounds on both speeches.
Rendtorff explains that the structure of Deuteronomy begins with a double introductory speech (1:1-4, 40; 4:44-11:32). Next are the collection of laws in chapters 12-26, followed by the closing section, chapters 28-30. According to Rendtorff, chapters 28-30 are formulated as a speech of Moses and is the end of the speech which began in 1:1.
Double Introductory of Deuteronomy: It seems that the double introductory speech is one of the issues among scholars concerning this book, also. Wellhausen viewed the speeches as an indication of two different renderings of Deuteronomy with different introductions that were later combined. Some scholars perceived chapters 1:1-4:40 to be part of a framework, and the second half of the introduction appearing in chapters 31-34. Noth postulated that chapters 1:1-4:40 were meant to introduce not only Deuteronomy, but all of the Deuteronomistc history. He further theorizes that 4:44-11:32 are the real introductory speech to Deuteronomy. Childs conjectures that the first speech focuses on the laws that followed the introduction and perhaps the two speeches came from different facets of the history of Deuteronomy.
Treaty Analogy of Deuteronomy: In Restoration Quarterly (1983), Gary Collier’s article "In Search of a Perspective" does not include the purpose of the Dtr in writing the DH, nor does he address the double introductory speech to Deuteronomy. However, he does include material on redactions that alludes to more than one author of the DH, and he opens interest in the section The Treaty Analogy.
This particular aspect of the form of Deuteronomy, is intriguing. Collier writes that George Mendenhall identified the structure of the Hittite suzerainty treaties as a key to the original form of the Sinai covenant. He based it on Hittite-Israelite contracts. Later, Meredith Kline investigated the structure of Deuteronomy, based on Mendenhall’s discoveries. Kline examined Deuteronomy as the covenant between Yahweh and Israel in the framework of vassal treaties. Kline determined that every component of Deuteronomy paralleled the classic form of the Hittite suzerainty treaties. These conclusions, according to Kline, gave undeniable weight not only to the authorship of Deuteronomy in Mosaic times, but it validated the covenant renewal ritual in Shechem.
Collier references Moshe Weinfeld’s discussion of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School. Weinfeld’s thesis is that "Deuteronomy is a seventh century scribal creation in the tradition of contemporary Assyrian vassal treaties." (pg. 220) According to Weinfeld, the Hittite treaties furnishes a close comparison to the capacious structure of Deuteronomy, specifically comparing the curses in chapter 28, which attests to a greater confidence on the eighth and seventh century Assyrian treaty wording.
Collier also discusses the work of Dennis McCarthy’s revised Treaty and Covenant. The information rendered by Collier tells us that McCarthy studied ancient texts from the third to the first millennia BC and compared them to several Old Testament texts. However, since there was "only one treaty form which was used for international agreements throughout most of the history of pre-Hellenic near east," there was no basis for dating given. Nevertheless, of all the Old Testament texts, Deuteronomy mirrors, most completely, the treaty form.
IMPORTANCE OF DEUTERONOMY
As I read Deuteronomy, it appeared that the book was just a lot of repetition from other books in the Pentateuch. This observation led me to wondering why so much repetition. As I studied this most interesting book, it also appeared to me that some of the law was changed, or different, during Moses’ commentary. I questioned this aspect of Deuteronomy, also. I wondered what the relevance and the need for Deuteronomy might be in this day and age. I thought these were good questions to attempt to answer in this section of the paper.
As I re-read Deuteronomy, and pondered the question as the reason for repetition, I realized Moses was talking to people who were children when the journey through the wilderness began. In chapter one, twelve men were chosen to spy the land of Canaan and bring a report back to the people. Ten spies said there were giants in the land, and Israel would not be able to defeat them. Two spies said that Israel was well able to take the land.
The people listened to the voice of those giving a negative report and determined that they would believe them. In verse 34, God became angry with his people and vowed that no one in that generation would enter the land of promise. Only their children who did not know good from evil, and Caleb and Joshua (the two with the good report), would enter the land.
Moses was exhorting those who, forty years prior to the present event, were too young to understand what had transpired between God and Israel when Israel refused to obey God. I believe that the historical review and the repetition of the law were for the benefit of those children who grew up in the wilderness as the generation before them died. Perhaps during the forty-year journey, the law was not taught to them. Perhaps the history of their people were not told to them. Therefore, when the time had come for them to possess the land of promise, Moses needed to enlighten them as to what God expected and what God’s law was.
During my study, I came to the conclusion that Deuteronomy was not a second law in the truest form of the term. However, I could grasp it as the repeated law, with variations pertaining to the law. Upon recognizing that Moses was talking to a new generation of Israelites, I perceived this also meant he was talking to a generation that probably did not act or think like the prior generation. The people in the latter generation were different from those in the former generation. Therefore, I believe the law was updated or adjusted for the times, and for the people involved in the transition.
Concerning the relevance of Deuteronomy for contemporary times: I believe the Book of Deuteronomy has relevance for all times. God’s word will stand and not pass away. I believe that all scripture is for our example, correction and reproof, and I believe that is how Moses interpreted the law for the children of Israel as they were about to enter the land of promise.
Moses was reciting the history of Israel and the law of God to a people that were probably not familiar with either. As he repeated the law, adjustments to the law were made for that time and those people. Just as Moses repeated the law with commentary for the new generation of Israelites, so did the New Testament writers use the Old Testament to explain the law and will of God in their contemporary time. We, in this day, must do the same.
Many of the laws recited in Deuteronomy are not appropriate for our times. We, in this day and age, do not offer animal sacrifices as the Israelites did in their worship and celebrations. The Israelites had one place of worship designated by God for them, as opposed to the many houses of worship in this age. Modern man does not kill his child for being stubborn or unruly (with approval of the law), neither are we bound to law of tithes and offerings. Therefore, as we read and study the Word of God, we must have an understanding of how to appropriate God’s law for contemporary times.
God had Moses to give understanding of his law to his people for their time. God, by his Spirit, did the same with the New Testament writers. God’s Spirit will still guide us into the truth of God’s Word, for this age.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anchor Bible Dictionary, Deuteronomy History, 1992
Anchor Bible Dictionary, Deuteronomy, Book of, 1992
Collier, Gary, The Problem of Deuteronomy: In Search of a Perspective, Restoration Quarterly, 1983
Rendtorff, R., The Old Testament, An Introduction, Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1991
