Deuteronomy Flashcards
What does the name Deuteronomy mean?
It means “second law” in the Greek.
What is the book of Deuteronomy composed of?
Mostly Moses speaking to the people. It’s like a sermon. It’s a set of speeches he tells the people before his death. It’s law, or torah (instruction).
Who buried Moses?
The text doesn’t say. It’s possible that the Lord himself buried Moses.
How long were the people in the wilderness, and why? Why is this significant?
They were in the wilderness for 40 years. One year for each of the 40 nights that the 12 had spend spying out the land of Canaan.
This is significant because 40 years is a long time. The generation dies off, and their children don’t have memories of Egypt. Moses, in Deuteronomy, has to remind them of who they are and where they come from. Don’t forget, people used to live shorter lives. They didn’t know the Exodus event, they head it from their parents. They never saw the pillar of fire, or the plagues, or the burning bush.
What pivotal role does the book of Deuteronomy hold in the canon of scripture?
Deuteronomy occupies a pivotal place in the canon of scripture. It is simultaneously
-The End of the Pentateuch
The Culmination of Genesis – Deuteronomy
Summary of the new life with God
-The Introduction to the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua – 2 Kings)
Sets up the covenantal situation
And the criteria by which future kings would be evaluated
The Deuteronomistic History (or DtrH; first posited by Martin Noth) are the books of Joshua, Judges, 1/2 Samuel, and 1/2 Kings. The books share a common perspective, theology, and terminology that is quite similar to what we find in Deuteronomy. The kings of Israel and Judah are evaluated, especially in the books of Kings, and the criteria by which they are evaluated appear to come from Deuteronomy.
What is the purpose of Deuteronomy?
“the central purpose of Deuteronomy is to furnish Israel with a complete order of faith and life which is the prerequisite for a prosperous and secure existence on the God-given land. The historian [of the DtrH] shows how Israel failed to keep it and what the consequences were.”
G. Ernest Wright
What is the general structure of Deuteronomy?
There is a fair amount of agreement on the general structure of Deuteronomy (as opposed to Numbers, where there is no consensus).
- 1 – 4.43 1st sermon: Historical Prologue
- 44-49 Heading
- 1 – 28.69 2nd sermon
5 Ten Commandments
6 – 11 Exhortation to Love God
12 – 28 Terms of the Covenant
12 – 26 Laws
27 – 28 Covenant ceremony; blessings and curses
29 – 30 3rd sermon
31 – 34 Final matters
31 Joshua as successor
32-34 Song, Blessing, and Death of Moses
What is the covenant structure of Deuteronomy?
Structure of Deuteronomy (COVENANT STRUCTURE)
- 1 – 4.43 1st sermon: Historical Prologue (PREAMBLE)
- 44-49 Heading
- 1 – 28.69 2nd sermon (HISTORICAL PROLOGUE)
5 Ten Commandments (STIPULATIONS)
6 – 11 Exhortation to Love God
12 – 28 Terms of the Covenant (WITNESSES)
12 – 26 Laws
27 – 28 Covenant ceremony; blessings and curses (BLESSINGS AND CURSES)
29 – 30 3rd sermon (PROVISION FOR PERIODIC PUBLIC READING)
31 – 34 Final matters
31 Joshua as successor (RATIFICATION CEREMONY)
32-34 Song, Blessing, and Death of Moses
Preamble
Historical prologue
Stipulations
Witnesses
Blessings and curses
Provision for periodic public reading
Ratification ceremony
What is the Historical Prologue of Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy starts with a Historical Prologue.
Deuteronomy 6.6-7: Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.
Memory is very important in Deuteronomy. Remembering what Yhwh has done is crucial to maintaining a sense of identity, either after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, or at any other point in Israel’s history.
In the beginning of Deuteronomy Moses recaps the events in the wilderness. What is different in his retelling of the story, and why does he tell it this way?
What’s different is that the sin of the people is highlighted, they are made to look more evil than what Numbers told us. The reason Moses does this is as a preamble for why they need to Sinai covenant; we are evil, and we need to become people who WILL obey the law.
Why are the laws different in Deuteronomy?
The laws of Deuteronomy cover a lot of the same topics as the laws in Exodus – Numbers. However, the societal situation envisioned by Deuteronomy seems a bit different from that envisioned in the other laws.
What book does Josiah find in the temple?
The consensus among scholars (as far back as Jerome) is that this book found in the Temple was either Deuteronomy or an early form of Deuteronomy (the book of the law).
When was Josiah king of Judah?
Josiah came to the throne of the southern kingdom of Judah at age 8 around 640 BCE. When he was 26, he initiated a program to clean up the Temple, which seems to have fallen quite into disrepair.
What does Josiah do when he finds the book of the law?
He tears his clothes and begins to reform the kingdom. And the people reaffirm the covenant.
What reforms does Josiah make?
On the basis of what he reads in this book, Josiah then embarked on a series of religious reforms in Judah:
- The people re-affirm the covenant
- He removed all the idolatrous worship from
The high places
Many placed around Judah
Bethel (where Jeroboam had set up a calf)
The Temple
- He centralized the worship in Jerusalem
- Observed the Passover
For the first time since the days of the Judges (2 Kings 23.22)
These reforms closely reflect the concerns of Deuteronomy.
