We should not be surprised that God chose Israel in its weakness. This is exactly what God did in Genesis 12:1-3. The promise of children and a land made to an old, childless couple seemed impossible. Yet they conceived, and the promise of land is about to be fulfilled for Israel now, on the verge of the Jordan, attesting to God's faithfulness.
"Covenant loyalty" (v. 9) is an excellent rendering of the hendiadys "the covenant and the loyalty." (Hendiadys consists of two nouns joined by "and," expressing a single idea.) The word for "loyalty" (hesed) is of the essence in covenantal situations, since it refers to the mutual commitments pledged by each of the parties. On the human side, it becomes synonymous with "obligations." But here, it is God who pledges faithfulness to Israel. The passage concludes with a stern reminder that though God's love may be unswerving, relationship requires the response of a partner, a response demonstrated in the observance of "the commandment" (vv. 9-11). The singular "the commandment," of course, refers to the whole complex of torah.
As an historical document, though, Deuteronomy varies from Number in terms of political history. Additionally, credit for the military exploits on the way to the promised land moves from "Israel sent," to "Moses sent." Listing of kingdoms, other kings and rulers, and armies are given in Numbers as pieces to conquer, while a more crafty, diplomatic approach is given in Deuteronomy. Historical mandates are also in evidence; Deuteronomy (20:19-20) prohibits chopping down fruit trees during a siege, the sensible approach to this is if all the trees are used as siege weapons, there will be no food left; so, the decision is removed from any potential "general" and placed into a biblical pronouncement from God. The complex nature of tribal warfare and rivalry is also in evidence in Deuteronomy -- always using the idea that God was on the side of the chosen people, there was simply no other argument available, nor was one seen as necessary; "YHWH spoke" was enough.
It was clear that the scholars who wrote Deuteronomy no intention of fabricating the history of the Israelite people. He wished to present it objectively and base it upon the material to which he had access. Like an honest broker he began by taking, in principle, a favorable view of the material in the traditions. In describing the various historical events he spoke in his own person only at exceptional points, letting the old traditions speak for themselves instead. He did so even when these old traditions told of events that did not fit in with his central ideas…. Deuteronomy was not a redactor trying to make corrections, but a compiler of historical traditions and a narrator of the history of his people.
Cultural Context - The cultural context of Deuteronomy is dependent on two things: when we believe it was written, or, when the writers actually placed it in context. One of the conundrums is the so-called Covenant Code (Exodus 20:22-23) supposedly written prior to Deuteronomy, yet dependent upon Deuteronomy, with evidence that it was composed during the Babylonian Exile. This is a continual cultural debate, both regarding scope and depth. However, if one strips away that particular argument, one finds that the very central nature of the book (Deuteronomy), is more of a cultural response to a way of living, and, now that we know more about genetic diversity, public health, disease transmission, etc., we can make more cultural sense out of the edicts that God might provide for a wandering culture.
Similarly, in the earlier books of the Pentateuch, God guides all historical events, so much so that history can be interpreted to determine God's will. In this particular example, the covenant is central: Israel's fate is approached in terms of reward for conventional fealty and punishment for disobedience to it. In the earlier books of the Pentateuch, values are conveyed through narrative, most often in ways that must be interpreted by the reader. Here it is made explicit on all counts; history's meaning is here pre-interpreted in clear and consistent terms. It is also more self-contained than the earlier books, one that may be read, if needed, out of context and the meaning and establishment of law remains viable. This, in fact, is one of the most interesting aspects of Deuteronomy, that which law is reinterpreted, For example, if one does a simple textual analysis of Exodus and Deuteronomy and focuses solely on the issue of law, one finds almost a complete repetition in tone, timbre, and often in wording. Similarly, taken a step further, one can extrapolate historical and cultural reasons for these laws in...
" Therefore, Spero says, there is the fifth requirement, calling the reader to keep the commandments and statutes. Spero explains: "where the reverence and love are weak, the actual observance of the commandments, with its evocation of the Presence of God, can strengthen these elemental emotions. Thus, the function of the practical commandments is both expressive and impressive" (p. 155). The book of Deuteronomy, and specifically its tenth chapter, has multiple
Creation Myth Analysis Case Study of the History of Biblical Creation Narratives What Is Myth? What Is History? Manetho Josephus Jeroboam Is Genesis 1:1-2:4 Myth? Is Genesis 1:1-2:4 History? Is Genesis 1:1-2:4 Both Myth and History? An Analysis of the Biblical Creation Narrative of Genesis 1:1-25 and Egypt's Possible Influence on the Historical Record God created the world in just six days, and rested on the seventh, but scholars have not rested at all over the millennia in their investigation of
Furthermore, when groups began people naturally turned to the group leader for direction and advice. It would be accurate to state that most of the relating was to the group leader at that point. However, by exercising linking behavior, I was able to get the group members to look to each other for understanding and help. Initially, I had to point out when people were saying things that would indicate
high degree of misinformation I had received from traditional teachings about the church and the beginning of Christianity. Moreover, I was struck by the notion that most other people in the Western world receive this same degree of intentional misinformation, so much so that I have even heard people defend the idea that knowledge of the historical church is irrelevant to modern Christianity. Reading through the class material, I
The Albeck edition includes an entire volume by Yellin detailing his eclectic method. Two institutes at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have collected major oral archives which hold extensive recordings of Jews chanting the Mishnah using a variety of melodies and many different kinds of pronunciation. These institutes are the Jewish Oral Traditions Research Center and the National Voice Archives. Both the Mishnah and Talmud contain little serious biographical studies
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now