Deuteronomy Chapter 10
The book of Deuteronomy is the second reading of the law. It is located in the Old Testament and is the last book of Pentateuch. Deuteronomistic theories of interpretation are utilized as a means to better comprehend the relationship between God and the people of Israel and their implications at the time of publication. Deuteronomistic history is composed of many works, contributed by various individuals. The earliest writings were dated as early as 609 BC and the final edition was completed during the post exhilic period. (1) The adoption of both the earlier and the later versions greatly contributes to the difficulty surrounding the ideal meaning and its interpretation. Chapter ten of the book of Deuteronomy mainly concentrates on God's mercy to Israel after the rebellion and the exhortation to obedience.
God's reconciliation with the people of Israel is the underlying essence of Chapter ten. It attempts to depict and explain the omniscient components of God and his mercy. Moses is set forth in order to retrieve and renew the tablets of the covenant. Moses was told, "…cut two tablets of stone like the former; then come up to the mountain with me." He carved two tablets and brought them before the Lord. The manual labor involved can represent how man created the basis for the law of man; each of us answering to a higher power, "come up the mountain to me." When God inscribes the commandments on the tablets in verse two, it is evident that God possesses humanistic qualities such as forgiveness; he forgives the people for breaking the laws of the first two tablets. When the new, clean tablets were carried up the mountain to the Lord, the ways in which the people of Israel hold the Lord and his wor...
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... were held more sacred then, perhaps because people conformed to their standards of society. Today, conformity is opposed and frowned upon; everybody wants to be an individual and live by his or her own standards.
Every interpretation of the Bible and its passages are different. Some passages criticize intended wrong moral behavior while others condone it. However, it is important to interpret what you read from an objective point of view. "Circumcise your hearts.." The meaning of the Law of God, from a literary standpoint is inconsistent. The interpretation is only as genuine as the morals and beliefs of the person who reads it.
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Works Cited
1. Harrington, Daniel J. Interpreting the Old Testament. Delaware: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1981
2. Senior, Donald, ed.: The Cathoplic Study Bible. N.Y: Oxford University, Press, 1990
Many scriptures found in Deuteronomy along with several scriptures in the Old and New Testament point to Moses as being the author of Deuteronomy. One main verse that points to Moses as being the author of Deuteronomy is 31:9 which states, “9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. The book of Deuteronomy never clearly states who the author is, but by all viewing all other scripture and the scripture found in the book of Deuteronomy Moses seems to be the only person that could have possibly written the book of Deuteronomy. Moses audiences in this book are the tribes of Israel. Many Jewish scholars who interpret the book of Deuteronomy believe that Moses audience were the elders of each tribe who delivered what Moses had spoke. The starting date of Deuteronomy is 1451 BC. Moses gives three speeches throughout this book, but there are five parts that make up the covenant renewal. The five parts of the covenant renewal that take place in Deuteronomy are the Preamble, Historical Prologue, Terms, Sanctions, and Ratifications. The Ten Commandments are given to people of Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is all about renewing the covenant between God and His people. God spoke to Moses and used Moses to speak to the people of Israel. The covenant renewal took place in the desert which was east of the Jordan River. Everything that took place in the book of Deuteronomy was in the Plains of Moab and in the crossing of the Jordan River to the Promise Land. The generation of Exodus was no more and Moses now led the new generation. In order for the people of Israel to enter into the Promis...
The book of 2 Samuel tells the story of King David and his rise to power, as well as reign- the good and the bad. The focus here will be on 2 Samuel, chapters eleven through thirteen, which depict some of the darker times in David’s rule.
Their unfaithfulness led to enslavement in Egypt for approximately four hundred years. When the Lord finally freed his people through Moses, He established a second covenant. This new covenant bound the twelve tribes of Israel into one community under a set of commandments by which the people would model their lives. The Ten Commandments serve to protect the Hebrew community. The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” must come first because it reestablishes the foundation that God defines right and wrong. The second, third and fourth commandments aim to prevent divisive values from forming in the community. Commandments five through nine focus on specific actions and the timing of their consequences. For example, killing has immediate consequences, whereas adultery has future implications. The Israelites separate themselves from other civilizations with the final commandment. God commands the Hebrews to control their thoughts, so that their thoughts may not lead to sinful actions. The Ten Commandments were not concerned with granting justice among the people, but firmly established the first principles of one of the longest lasting cultures in human
In Judaism, God is seen as having a contractual relationship with the Jewish people where they must obey his holy laws in return for their status of the chosen people. God rewards or punishes Jewish people based on whether they obey or disobey his will. In parts of the Old Testament, however, God does show mercy or forgiveness, and in later interpretations God’s laws such as the Ten Commandments are followed
Verse 14: this verse begins with a strange Hebrew idiom “return the captivity of my people” (Greek Septuagint). This seems very absurd to the Western mind but it simply means “to restore what was lost in the years of Captivity”. Again, God promises to physically bless his restored people. This verse and the previous should be considered and applied as one
In Judaism, God is seen as having a contractual relationship with the Jewish people where they must obey his holy laws in return for their status of the chosen people. God rewards or punishes Jewish people based on whether they obey or disobey his will. In parts of the Old Testament, however, God does show mercy or forgiveness, and in later interpretations God’s laws such as the Ten Commandments are followed not only out of loyalty to God but also because of their high moral character.
Moses is the speaker now, and he says that God made a covenant with them at Horeb. Additionally, he says that last time they would not go up the mountain because they were afraid of the fire. Then, Moses repeats the Decalogue to the Israelites, and he explains that they were written on two stone tablets. Here the third commandment differs from Exodus. Instead of Remember the Sabbath, it states “Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy as the Lord your God commanded you.” (Deut 5:12). In comparison, observe has a more commanding connotation. Furthermore, at the end of the first line of the commandment the text adds as “your God commanded you” (Deut. 5:12,). This sets a more domineering tone and implies that the Israelites will not follow unless commanded. Another key distinction occurs when the texts are describing why one must follow the Sabbath commandment. The text reminds the Israelites that they were once slaves in Egypt and that “God brought [them] out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut 5:15). Here God is guilt-tripping the Israelites into following the Sabbath by reminding them of what God did for them in their relationship. Thus, it seems that in Deuteronomy God is attempting to invoke fear in order to convince the Israelites to follow. Nonetheless, Deuteronomy is not only based on the Israelites following God out of fear. It also states that they will change their reasoning to aspire to be similar to God, like Exodus. For instance, when asked what would they tell their children when asked why they follow the Decalogue, they should say that if we follow it “as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.” (Deut 6:25). This indicates that after they followed out of fear that they changed their reasoning to be aspirational. Moses concludes with how they should follow the commandments
Cindy Pereyra The Pentateuch Dr. Luther 5 May 2014 Deuteronomy Study Assignment 1. Read Deuteronomy 16:18-20. a. Describe the requirements of judges in Israel based on this passage. In this passage, the requirements of judges in Israel are shown. The people are told to appoint judges and officers for themselves in all the towns that the Lord is giving to them according to their tribes.
The Mosaic Covenant from exodus is a promise made between God and the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. To begin with, the pattern of the covenant is very similar to other ancient covenants of that time because it is between God and his people. In the textbook, it explains how the Hebrews have struggled with the pharaoh around 1250 B.C.E. Moses, who was a prince that grew up in the household of the pharaoh, ran away. After returning he led the Hebrew slaves at the bottom of Mount Sinai. God spoke to the Hebrews who he freed them and explained the Ten Commandments. In addition, a quote form the readings “ I am the lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (Judaism, pg. 397) This quote is the first commandment stating that he,
The bible is more than history though, it is a map that leads us to the words of God, and the Pentateuch especially tells us the story of God and his plan for humanity. Just like all history though, it has to be questioned and examined in order to have a strong belief that the stories passed down through generations is true. The Pentateuch’s history can be analyzed by dates, genealogy, archeology, and traditions. The writing of the Pentateuch spanned over many centuries, so in effort to present the history The Book of Deuteronomy will be the base. Deuteronomy is said to be written around 621 B.C., making it the time of Joshua. This is because the Judean and Assyrian kings were against the work of Deuteronomists, which was the central focus of Joshua in his efforts to make one “central shrine” in Jerusalem where all could gather to worship the Lord. Joshua had to wait until the kings fell out of power before his work could be available. Joshua and the Deuteronomists determine that the shrine will be located in Jerusalem, whereas the The Book of Deuteronomy does not make reference to a central shrine being located in Jerusalem. This inconsistency caused for the higher critics to determine that the central shrine would have already been created when the author was writing this because the Deuteronomy or any books before it do not
Talbert, Charles H. Ephesians and Colossians. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007The New Interpreter's Bible: General Articles and Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections for Each Book of the Bible, Including the Apocryphal deuterocanonical Books. Vol. XI. Nashville: Abingdon Press, ©1994-2004.
The following paper examines a close reading of the figure of Moses in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with respect to the issue of why he is barred from entering the Promised Land of Canaan as well as in the Quran. Moreover, after considering the stories and character of Moses in these respective texts, I will then analyze the two accounts in order to examine their similarities and differences.
Tarwater explains that even through the small snippet of information how “the God we serve in the New Testament is the same God who worked on behalf of the people of Israel in Exodus.” Through the last chapters, I began to appreciate Jesus’ teachings and the correlation to the commandments of the Old Testament. Before this book, reading through the Old Testament did not bring about the importance within the books of Leviticus or Numbers. However, the author’s strong statement “the laws were meant to demonstrate how obedience and holiness were to permeate every aspect of the people’s lives” highlights the nature of the Bible to be a continual work highlighting God’s mercy and forgiveness. Digging deeper into the context of the stories through the author’s visual narrative that I could see how the theme of each book extended into another. Ultimately, the book of Leviticus is clarified with the realities of how sinful the people are and why God had to ultimately bring to earth His son to take away our