The Book of Deuteronomy in Fausset's Bible Dictionary
("repetition of the law".) Containing Moses' three last
discourses before his death, addressed to all Israel in the
Moabite plains E. of Jordan, in the eleventh month of the
last year of their wanderings, the fortieth after their
departure from Egypt; with the solemn appointment of his
successor Joshua, Moses' song, blessing, and the account of
his death subjoined by Joshua or some prophet (Deuteronomy
1:1 - 4:40; Deuteronomy 5:1 - 26:19; Deuteronomy 27:1 -
29:29). The first is introductory, reminding Israel of God's
protection and of their ungrateful rebellion, punished by
the long wandering; and warning them henceforth to obey and
not lose the blessing. The second discourse begins with the
Ten Commandments, the basis of the law, and develops and
applies the first table; next declares special statutes as
to:
(1) religion,
(2) administration of justice and public officers,
(3) private and social duties.
The third discourse renews the covenant, reciting
the blessings and curses. The discourses must have been all
spoken in the eleventh month; for on the tenth day of the
41st year Jordan was crossed (Joshua 4:19). Joshua 1:11;
Joshua 2:22, three days previous were spent in preparations
and waiting for the spies; so the encampment at Shittim was
on the seventh day (Joshua 2:1). Thirty days before were
spent in mourning for Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8); so that
Moses' death would be on the seventh day of the twelfth
month, and Moses began his address the first day of the
eleventh month, fortieth year (Deuteronomy 1:3). Hence, the
discourses, being delivered about the same time, exhibit
marked unity of style, inconsistent with their being
composed at distant intervals. The style throughout is
hortatory, rhetorical, and impressive.
A different generation had sprung up from that to
which the law at Sinai had been addressed. Parts of it had
been unavoidably in abeyance in the wilderness. Circumcision
itself had been omitted (Joshua 5:2). Now when Israel was to
enter Canaan, their permanent abode, they needed to be
reminded of much of the law which they but partially knew or
applied, and to have under divine sanction, besides the
religious ordinances of the previous books, supplementary
enactments, civil and political, for their settled
organization. Thus, Deuteronomy is not a mere summary
recapitulation, for large parts of the previous code are
unnoticed, but Moses' inspired elucidation of the spirit and
end of the law. In it he appears as "the prophet," as in the
previous books he was the historian and legislator. Two
passages especially exhibit him in this character...
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