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Topic:
The Book Of Deuteronomy -- A Brief Overview, Part 1 Of 2
In all the Hebrew manuscripts the Pentateuch (q.v.) forms one roll or
volume divided into larger and smaller sections called parshioth and
sedarim . It is not easy to say when it was divided into five books.
This was probably first done by the Greek translators of the book, whom
the Vulgate follows. The fifth of these books was called by the Greeks
Deuteronomion, i.e., the second law, hence our name Deuteronomy, or a
second statement of the laws already promulgated. The Jews designated
the book by the two first Hebrew words that occur, 'Elle haddabharim ,
i.e., "These are the words." They divided it into eleven
parshioth . In the English Bible it contains thirty-four chapters. It
consists chiefly of three discourses delivered by Moses a short time
before his death. They were spoken to all Israel in the plains of Moab,
in the eleventh month of the last year of their wanderings. The first
discourse (1-4:40) recapitulates the chief events of the last forty
years in the wilderness, with earnest exhortations to obedience to the
divine ordinances, and warnings against the danger of forsaking the God
of their fathers. The second discourse (5-26:19) is in effect the body of
the whole book. The first address is introductory to it. It contains
practically a recapitulation of the law already given by God at Mount
Sinai, together with many admonitions and injunctions as to the course
of conduct they were to follow when they were settled in Canaan. The
concluding discourse (ch. 27-30) relates almost wholly to the solemn
sanctions of the law, the blessings to the obedient, and the curse that
would fall on the rebellious. He solemnly adjures them to adhere
faithfully to the covenant God had made with them, and so secure for
themselves and their posterity the promised blessings. These addresses
to the people are followed by what may be called three appendices,
namely (1), a song which God had commanded Moses to write (32:1-47); (2)
the blessings he pronounced on the separate tribes (ch. 33); and (3) the
story of his death (32:48-52) and burial (ch. 34), written by some other
hand, probably that of Joshua.
From: Easton's Bible Dictionary. Fair Use. Presented for educational
purposes only.
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