Survey of Commentaries

1
Survey of Commentaries

• Von Rad, Gerhard. Old Testament Library
• Mayes, A. D. H. New Century Bible
• Weinfeld, Moshe. Anchor Bible. Through chapter
  11
• Miller, Patrick. Interpretation
• Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Womens Bible Commentary
• Clements, Ronald E. New Interpreters Bible

2
Historical Setting I

• 640 Josiah becomes king
• 632 and 628 Early reform efforts according to 2
  Chronicles
• 627 Declining power of Assyria death of
  Asshurbanapal
• 625 Nabopolassar became king of Neo- Babylonian
  empire

3
Historical Setting II

• 621 Book of Law (Deuteronomy) found while
  temple repairs going on
• 609 Josiah died Jeremiahs temple sermon
• 605 Nebuchadnezzar comes to power
• 605 Egypt defeated at Carchemish
• 601 Jehoiakim revolts
• 598 Jehoiakim dies. Jehoiachin king

4
Historical Setting III

• 597 First Deportation of Jerusalem
• 593-572 Ezekiels ministry
• 587/6 Jerusalem falls to Babylonians
• 561 Release of Jehoiachin from prison
• 550 Deuteronomistic History Deut 1-4 Joshua
  Judges Samuel Kings
• 547 Second Isaiah
• 539 Babylon falls to Persia

5
Outline of Deuteronomy

• 11-443 First sermon
• 51-2868 Second sermon
• 12-26 Law Code
• 27 Ceremony at Shechem
• 28 Blessings and curses
• 291-3020 Third sermon
• 31-34 appendices

6
Book of the Law--DeWette

• It could not have been lost since it was so
  important
• Many parallels between the reform of Josiah and
  the Book of Deuteronomy
• Date of Deuteronomy Hinge for documentary
  hypothesis
• Terminus ad quem 621B.C.E.
• Northern authorship? role of Levites, elders,
  and prophets

7
Parallels Between Deuteronomy and Josiahs Reform
in 2 Kings

• Cult centralization 1213ff 2 Kgs 238-9, 19
• star worship 173 2 Kgs 2311-12
• male and female cult prostitutes 2317 2 Kgs
  237
• child sacrifice and Molech cult 1810 2 Kgs
  2310

• Necromancy 1811 2 Kgs 234
• Asherim 75 123 2 Kgs 234, 6, 7, 14
• Pillars 75 123 2 Kgs 2314
• high places 75 122, 3 2 Kgs 2313
• centralized passover 161-8 2 Kgs 2321-23

8
Terminology used in scholarly discussions

• Words Name of Deuteronomy in TNK
• Deuteronomium Deut 1718 a copy of this law
• Ur Deuteronomium
• Deuteronomic (D Deut)
• Deuteronomistic History (Dtr) redaction of
  Jeremiah and other books

9
Love

• Amarna The vassal must love Pharaoh
• 1 Kgs 51 Hiram had always loved David
• Hosea--first reference to Gods love for Israel
• Deuteronomy--first to speak also of Israels love
  for God
• Jesus If you love me, keep my commandments

10
Deut 429-31 Hope in Exile

• From there exile you will seek the Lord your
  God, and you will find him if you search after
  him with all your heart .When all these things
  have happened to you in time to come, you will
  return to the Lord your God and heed him. The
  Lord your God is a merciful God, he will neither
  abandon you nor destroy you he will not forget
  the covenant with your ancestors that he swore to
  them.

11
Election

• Terms bachar prized possession
• Deut 437-39 76-11 1014-15
• Reasons for Gods choice
• God loved you
• God kept promises to the ancestors (Abraham? or
  Exodus generation?)
• not because of your righteousness, but because of
  wickedness of the nations

12
The Shema--Deut 64

• NRSV, NLT Hear, O Israel The Lord is our God,
  the Lord alone
• RSV Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one
  Lord
• NIV Hear, O Israel The Lord our God, the Lord
  is one.

13
The Benefits of Obedience

• He will bless the fruit of your womb and the
  fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine
  and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the
  issue of your flock.The Lord will turn away from
  you every illness.You shall devour all the
  peoples that the Lord your God is giving over to
  you. Deut 714-16