Deuteronomy << `doo` tuh RON uh mee >> is the name of the fifth book of the Bible, and the last book of the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses. The book is written as if it were Moses’s farewell speech to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, though the book does not claim that Moses was the author (see Moses). Scholars agree that some parts may date back to the time of Moses but that the book as a whole is probably from the 700’s B.C. During the reign of Josiah (639 to 608 B.C.), a book of law usually identified as an early form of Deuteronomy was found in the Temple in Jerusalem. It became part of a sweeping reform of Israelite life.
Deuteronomy is presented in the style of a sermon. It contains history, laws, a covenant (solemn agreement between the people and God), and poetry. It presents these materials in a personal way, calling on the people to obey God.
Deuteronomy can be divided into five main sections. (1) The introductory speeches (1:1-4:43) review the historical basis of Israel’s obligation to accept God’s rule. (2) The laws (4:44-26:19) deal with all areas of life. Many of them, including the Ten Commandments (5:6-21), repeat or expand laws that appear earlier in the Pentateuch. (3) The covenant section (27-30) ends with a vivid description of the blessings for the people if they are loyal to God and the curses if they are not. (4) Moses’s farewell (31-33) includes two well-known poetic songs about his death, the Song of Moses (32) and the Blessing of Moses (33). (5) Moses’s death (34) is a moving account of that event.
In addition to obedience to God, Deuteronomy is concerned with justice and equality for all members of society, especially the weaker ones. The book also emphasizes God’s great love for the people. The book’s ideas influenced the next six Biblical books, which are sometimes called the Deuteronomic History. Deuteronomy is also one of the works most frequently quoted in the New Testament.
See also Josiah; Pentateuch; Ten Commandments.
