About the book: Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch (five volumes). The word Deuteronomy comes from the Greek word “deuteronomion” meaning “the second law”. It continues the wilderness story till the death of Moses. It contains laws, history and the relationship between God and his people. Many quotes throughout the Bible come from Deuteronomy.
Date: There is no exact date, but it is the same time as Leviticus and Numbers because they are still in the Wilderness story. Scholars believe that the book was first compiled at sanctuaries in the north after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. Another theory suggests that the basic form of the book was composed during late Manasseh reign or early Josiah reign (650-640 B.C.) It's believed that the book reached its present form during or immediately following the Exile (587-539 B.C.)
Authorship: Although most stories are about Moses, scholars believe that the book was made using several authors. The Pentateuch actually names some of the authors. The documentary hypothesis in the 19th century looked at doublets using different names for the same place or person. The author was once believed to be Moses because he was commanded by God to record the events and Deuteronomy contains his speeches. However, there is no direct statement claiming that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Another older theory claims that the Pentateuch had been made using pre-existing documents.
Historical Background: Deuteronomy is one of the books in the Bible that doesn't include much historical background. The book is a continuation from the previous books about Israel wandering in the desert. After forty years of wandering, Israel was finally allowed to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy takes place in a time when Israel constantly disobeyed God.
Key Themes and Content:
- Family: The book emphasizes the importance of keeping the Covenant in family life. Having a strong family bond was believed to be important in a strong nation. The creed also stresses on family importance. One key aspect is that families would be bound together under the covenant.
- Nation: National concerns were also strongly emphasized. Many of the speeches in Deuteronomy were made to address the whole community for more general purposes. The Law Code begins and ends with the law about making pilgrimage to one central sanctuary (later seen as Jerusalem). Parts of Deuteronomy talk about people bound together under the worship of one God.
- Death of Moses: Moses had done everything God commanded him to do but now was Moses' time to die like every human. He was given the opportunity to see the Promised Land, but was not able to enter the Promised Land because he publically disobeyed God. He realized he was dying and made his final speech to the Israelites and made Joshua the leader. Then Moses died at the age of 120 and God buried him in Moab.
