TK TORAH KEEPERS

Encouraging Believers in a Torah-Observant Life

Presents

 A Leaven-Free Messianic Torah Commentary Based on the Ancient Triennial Torah Cycle

 By Glenn McWilliams

www.tktorahkeepers.com

 These Words

 THE OVERVIEW

 With this portion we begin the final book of the Torah – the book of Devarim.  The content of the portion consists largely of historical material from earlier portions recounting Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the promised land.  After explicitly identifying the time and place of “these words,” the portion records for us Moses’ first address to “all” Israel in preparation for their entrance into the promised land.  While much of the narrative content is simply an abridged version of earlier stories, their significance to the current generation of Israelites is extremely important.

 THE OUTLINE

 Deuteronomy 1:1-5               The historical setting of Moses’ speech

• Deuteronomy 1:6-8               The command to leave Horeb/Sinai
• Deuteronomy 1:9-18             The appointing of leaders and judges
• Deuteronomy 1:19-21           From Sinai to Kadeshbarnea
• Deuteronomy 1:22-25           The sending of spies
• Deuteronomy 1:26-33           The refusal to enter the land
• Deuteronomy 1:34-40           YHWH’S response to the rebellion
• Deuteronomy 1:41-46           Further rebellion against YHWH

 SUGGESTED STUDY QUESTIONS

 What is the name of this book?

1. What is the literal meaning of the name “Deuteronomy”?
2. Upon what is the English name based?
3. How does this book fit into the overall structure of the Torah?
4. What is the overall outline of the book?
5. What pattern is reflected by this outline?
6. How does the pattern reveal the very purpose of the book?
7. Is Israel’s relationship with YHWH merely a legal one?
8. How is YHWH described in our portion?

10.  Where does this portion fit in the overall outline?

11.  Between whom is the covenant?

12.  Who is speaking?

13.  How does this violate the general pattern?

14.  What does this violation affirm about Moses?

15.  What does this violation affirm about YHWH?

16.  What central, theological declaration is made by this affirmation?

17.  When does Moses speak these words?

18.  Where does Moses speak these words?

19.  To whom does Moses speak these words?

20.  Why does the portion go into such great detail?

21.  What is the biblical view of history?

22.  How is this view evident in the portion?

23.  Where does Moses begin recounting Israel’s history?

24.  What promise is affirmed?

25.  What boundaries are given?

26.  How long is the journey from Horeb to Kadeshbarnea?

27.  How long did it take Israel to complete the journey?

28.  What reason is given for Israel’s failure?

29.  What does Moses confess about himself?

30.  How is Moses’ shortcoming an affirmation of fulfilled prophecy?

31.  How did Moses remedy the situation?

32.  What instructions were given to the judges?

33.  What message was given to Israel concerning the judges?

34.  What truth about YHWH is affirmed in this message?

35.  What attributes of Israel are highlighted?

36.  What attributes of YHWH are revealed by this message?

 THE TEXT

 Devarim 1:1-46 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.  ²(There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)  ³And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that YHWH had given him in commandment unto them; ⁴after he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei: ⁵on this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying, ⁶YHWH our Elohim spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: ⁷turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.  ⁸Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which YHWH sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.  ⁹And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: ¹⁰YHWH your Elohim hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.  ¹¹(YHWH Elohim of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised you!)  ¹²How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?  ¹³Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.  ¹⁴And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.  ¹⁵So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.  ¹⁶And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.  ¹⁷Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is Elohim’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.  ¹⁸And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.  ¹⁹And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as YHWH our Elohim commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.  ²⁰And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which YHWH our Elohim doth give unto us.  ²¹Behold, YHWH thy Elohim hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as YHWH Elohim of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.  ²²And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.  ²³And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: ²⁴and they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.  ²⁵And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which YHWH our Elohim doth give us.  ²⁶Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of YHWH your Elohim: ²⁷and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because YHWH hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.  ²⁸Whither shall we go up?  Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.  ²⁹Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.  ³⁰YHWH your Elohim which goeth before you, He shall fight for you, according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes; ³¹and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that YHWH thy Elohim bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.  ³²Yet in this thing ye did not believe YHWH your Elohim, ³³who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.  ³⁴And YHWH heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, ³⁵Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, ³⁶save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed YHWH.  ³⁷Also YHWH was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.  ³⁸But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.  ³⁹Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.  ⁴⁰But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.  ⁴¹Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against YHWH, we will go up and fight, according to all that YHWH our Elohim commanded us.  And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.  ⁴²And YHWH said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.  ⁴³So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of YHWH, and went presumptuously up into the hill.  ⁴⁴And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.  ⁴⁵And ye returned and wept before YHWH; but YHWH would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.  ⁴⁶So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there. (Deuteronomy 1:1-46 KJV)

THE STUDY

 With this particular portion we begin the study of the fifth and final book of the Torah.  Concerning the name of the fifth book of the Torah, Patrick D. Miller writes:

 The title of a book normally gives some indication of its subject matter.  Sometimes the meaning of the title may be enigmatic or clear only upon reading the book.  Deuteronomy has received several designations, all of which give the reader some indication of the book’s character.

 The Hebrew title of the book is taken, according to custom—as is the case with all five books of the Torah, or Pentateuch—from its opening words, ‘elleh hadebarim, “these are the words.”  In Jewish tradition the book is also sometimes called seper debarim, “the book of words.”  While the title is in part an accident of Hebrew word order, it is exceedingly appropriate as a characterization of the content and subject matter of Deuteronomy.  It is more a book of words than any of the other Pentateuchal books or the following historical books.  There is no action here, except that associated with the words spoken, until the final chapter, when Moses is buried.  The book is entirely the words of Moses; but his words are often a reflection of the Lord’s words, and the book is clearly interested in the relation of Moses’ words to those of the Lord (see: 1:3; 5:22-27, 31-33).  The book is a collection of words of command and instruction, words of preaching and exhortation.  The title of the book is also a reminder of the centrality of the “ten words” (4:13), or the Ten Commandments.  The book is one of the primary biblical sources for understanding the notion of “the word of God.”  It has much to say about the words of this book: They are not to be added to or taken from (4:2).  The word “is very near you” (30:14).  Frequent reference is made to “these words,” sometimes pointing to specific words, sometimes to the whole book (4:30; 5:22; 6:6; 12:28; 30:1).  That is, the title names the whole book but also refers to very specific words.

 A second title from Jewish tradition is seper tokachot, “the book of hortatory[1] directives,” which aptly describes the style and literary genre of Deuteronomy.  From beginning to end, a hortatory and homiletical style characterizes the book.  Motivation clauses and other devices designed to exhort the listener/reader to obey its instructions fill its pages.

 The name most familiar to English readers is “Deuteronomy,” “the second law,” a title of the book taken from the Greek translation of a phrase in Deuteronomy 17:18.  The translation is probably erroneous.  The Hebrew phrase seems to be “copy of the law.”[2] 

 As Miller points out, the name “Deuteronomy” comes from an erroneous translation of Deuteronomy 17:18 from the Hebrew to the Greek.

 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy (mishneh) of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites. (Deuteronomy 17:18 KJV)

 And when he shall be established in his government, then shall he write for himself this repetition (deuteronomion) of the law into a book by the hands of the priests the Levites. (Deuteronomy 17:18 LXX)[3]

 The intent of this passage is clearly not that the king write an entirely new or second law to replace the divinely revealed law of YHWH; rather, the king is to have a copy of the Torah written to guide him in his reign as temporal king.  We should understand that the covenant is presented a second time for affirmation in this book, but it is not an entirely new or second law being given.  A similar erroneous understanding is seen in the idea that the “new covenant” is a sort of second and completely new law given by Yeshua to his followers.  It is important to recognize that just as the word mishneh (mem, shin, nun, hey) above means “a copy of the original,” so too the Hebrew word chadash (chet, dalet, shin), translated as “new” in the title “New Covenant,” means “renewed.”

 Behold, the days come, saith YHWH, that I will make a new (chadashah) covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. (Jeremiah 31:31 KJV)

 We should note that the word “month” or “new moon” has the same Hebrew root, chet-dalet-shin.

 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month (chodesh), the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. (Genesis 8:13 KJV)

 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month (chodesh) they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house. (Exodus 12:3 KJV)

 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon (chodesh), and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. (1 Samuel 20:5 KJV)

 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon (chodesh), in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. (Psalm 81:3 KJV)

 The word chodesh is clearly a reference to the cycle of the moon, indicating the beginning of the new month.  The “new” moon is not a completely new creation; it is the beginning of the new cycle of the same moon YHWH created on the first day of creation.  The same can be said of the “new covenant.”  It is not a completely new agreement between YHWH and His people; it is a reaffirmation of the same covenant.  The only difference in the “reaffirmed” covenant is its location – it is written in the hearts of the people.

 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith YHWH, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:33 KJV)

 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  ²⁷And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.  ²⁸And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your Elohim. (Ezekiel 36:26-28 KJV)

 The same can be said about the title “Deuteronomy,” “the second law.”  It is not a new law or covenant being made with the children of Israel.  It is the same covenant being affirmed with a new generation.

 The name “Devarim,” as we have seen above, follows the Ancient Near Eastern practice of naming a book after a word or phrase in its opening sentence.  Let me give the opening lines of all five books of the Torah by way of example.

 Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamaim v’et ha’aretz—In the beginning created Elohim the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

 Ve’eleh shemot benei Yisrael haba’im mitzraymah et Ya’akov—These are the names of the sons of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob. (Exodus 1:1)

 Vayikra el Mosheh; va’y’daber YHWH elav me’ohel moed le’emor—And He called to Moses, and spake YHWH to him from the tent of meeting to say… (Leviticus 1:1)

 Va’y’daber YHWH el Mosheh bemidbar Sinai—And spake YHWH to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:1)

 Eleh hadevarim asher diber Mosheh el col Yisrael—These are the words which spake Moses to all Israel. (Deuteronomy 1:1)

 Therefore, the Hebrew names of the five books of the Torah are as follows:

 Bereshit—In the Beginning

• Shemot—Names
• Vayikra—And He Called
• Bemidbar—In the Wilderness
• Devarim—Words

 We should note another interesting pattern that appears in these opening sentences.  Note that the opening sentences of the first and last books of the Torah start with letters other than vav, while the middle three books all begin with the letter vav.

 Bereshit bara Elohim

• Ve’eleh shemot benei Yisrael
• Vayikra el Mosheh
• Va’y’daber YHWH el Mosheh bemidbar
• Eleh hadevarim

 In this pattern we see a picture of the Torah that can be likened unto a book.  The first and last books of the Torah serve as the cover, while the middle three books are the pages, bound to the cover by the letter vav.  Let us also note here that the Hebrew letter vav in its ancient Hebrew ideograph is a picture of a nail or hook.  When prefixed to a word, as in the examples above, the letter vav serves as the conjunction “and.”  Therefore, we see from this pattern that the three middle books of the Torah are as pages which are “nailed” or “bound” to the covers of the book.  This pattern seems to indicate that the first five books of the Tanach are a complete unit to be received as one revelation, which is how these first five books have been treated throughout history.  The threefold breakdown of the Scriptures (the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings) is alluded to in the biblical witness.

 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17 KJV) 

 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. (Matthew 11:13 KJV)

 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, YHWH said unto my Lord, Sit thou on My right hand… (Luke 20:42 KJV)

 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. (Acts 1:20 KJV)

 There is yet another pattern that is important for us to understand as we begin studying this final book of the Torah.  To see this pattern, however, we must look at the overall outline of the entire book.  Jeffery H. Tigay offers the following breakdown or outline of the book of Devarim.

 I. Heading (1:1-5)

II. Prologue: First Discourse (1:6-4:43)

1. A.    Retrospective: The journey from Horeb to Moab (1:6-3:29)
2. B.    Exhortation to observe God’s laws (4:1-40)
3. Appendix: Selections  of asylum cities (4:41-43)

III. Second Discourse: The covenant made in Moab (4:44-Chap. 28)

1. Heading (4:44-49)
2. B.    Prologue: The theophany and covenant at Horeb (5)
3. C.    Preamble to the laws given in Moab (6:1-11:30)
4. D.    The laws given in Moab (11:31-26:15)
5. Conclusion to the laws (26:16-28:68)
   1. 1.    Mutual commitments between God and Israel (26:16-19)
   2. Digression: Ceremonies to reaffirm the covenant upon entering the promised land (27)
   3. 3.    Promises and warnings consequent upon fulfilling or violating the covenant (28:1-68)
   4. Subscription (28:69)

IV. Third Discourse: Exhortations to observe the covenant made in Moab (29-30)

V. Epilogue: Moses’ last days (31-34)

            A. Moses’ preparations of Israel for the future (31-32)

                  1. Preparatory acts (31)

                  2. Moses’ poem (32:1-43)

                  3. God’s final instructions to Moses (32:44-52)

            B. Moses’ farewell blessings of Israel (33)

            C. Moses’ death (34)[4]

 From this outline we see that the bulk of the book of Devarim revolves around three main discourses.  Peter C. Craigie, however, observed another very important pattern in the outline of the book of Devarim.

 In the Ancient Near East there were various types of covenants and treaties, such as Promissory, Patron or Royal Grant, Parity, and Suzerainty.

•  Promissory—A promissory oath is not primarily intended to establish a new relationship between two parties, but simply guarantees future performance of stipulated obligations.  There is thus really one party to this type of covenant, which differs from a vow only in that the vow conditions future stipulated action upon action of deity, whereas the type here termed “promissory oath” is unconditioned.[5]
• Patron—This is a type in which the party in superior position binds himself to some obligation for the benefit of an inferior.[6]
• Parity—In parity covenants both parties are bound by oath.  These may be further subdivided, as it was done by Thucydides long ago, into two classes: those in which specific obligations are imposed, and those which impose no obligation but to preserve the peace between the two parties.[7]
• Suzerainty—In suzerainty covenants a superior binds an inferior to obligations defined by the superior…Though suzerainty treaties bound only the one inferior in power, the superior nevertheless gave up some degree of freedom of action.  His relationship to the vassal was not based on force alone, once a covenant had been established; he had stipulated what he required of the vassal, and further arbitrary exercise of his superior power was not expected.[8]

 It is this last form of treaty that most interests us in this portion.  An example of such a treaty exists between the Hittites and Egypt.  Let me share just a portion of this treaty to give opportunity to those who may not otherwise ever see such a document.

 Year 21, 1st month of the second season, day 21, under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt: User-maat-Re; Son of Re: Ramses Meri-Amon, given life forever, beloved of Amon-Re; Har-akhti; Ptah, South-of-His-Wall, Lord of Life of the Two Lands; Mut, the Lady of Ishru; and Khonsu Neferhotep; appearing on the Horus-Throne of the Living, like his father Har-akhti forever and ever.

 On this day, while his majesty was in the town of Per-Ramses Meri-Amon, doing the pleasure of his father Amon-Re; Har-akhti; Atum, Lord of the Two Lands, the Heliopolitan; Amon of Ramses Meri-Amon; Ptah of Ramses Meri-Amon; and Seth, the Great of Strength, the Son of Nut, according as they give him an eternity of jubilees and an infinity of years of peace, while all lands and all foreign countries are prostrate under his soles forever—there came the Royal Envoy and Deputy . . . Royal Envoy . . . User-maat-Re Setep-en-Re . . . Tar-Teshub, and the Messenger of Hatti, carrying the tablet of silver which the Great Prince of Hatti, Hattusilis caused to be brought to Pharaoh—life, prosperity, health!—in order to beg peace from the majesty of User-maat-Re Setep-en-Re, the Son of Re: Ramses Meri-Amon, given life forever like his father Re every day.

 Copy of the tablet of silver which the Great Prince of Hatti, Hattusilis, caused to be brought to Pharaoh—life, prosperity, health!—by the hand of his envoy Tar-Teshub, and his envoy Ra-mose, in order to beg peace from the majesty of User-maat-Re, Son of Re: Ramses Meri-Amon, the bull of rulers, who has made his frontier where he wished in every land.

 The regulations which the Great Prince of Hatti, Hattusilis, the powerful, the son of Mursilis, the Great Prince of Hatti, the powerful, the son of the son of Suppiluliumas, the Great Prince of Hatti, the powerful, made upon a tablet of silver for User-maat-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, the powerful, the son of Men-maat-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, the powerful, the son of Men-pehti-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, the powerful; the good regulations of peace and of brotherhood, giving peace . . . forever.

 Now from the beginning of the limits of eternity, as for the situation of the great ruler of Egypt with the Great Prince of Hatti, the god did not permit hostility to occur between them, through a regulation.  But in the time of Muwatallis, the Great Prince of Hatti, my brother, he fought with Ramses Meri-Amon, the great ruler of Egypt.  But hereafter, from this day, behold Hattusilis, the Great Prince of Hatti, is under a regulation for making permanent the situation which the Re and Seth made for the land of Egypt with the land of Hatti, in order not to permit hostility to occur between them forever.

 Behold, Hattusilis, the Great Prince of Hatti, has set himself in a regulation with User-maat-Re Setep-en-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, beginning from this day, to cause that good peace and brotherhood occur between us forever, while he is in brotherhood with me and he is at peace with me, and I am in brotherhood with him and I am at peace with him forever.[9]

 The Great Prince of Hatti shall not trespass against the land of Egypt forever, to take anything from it.  And User-maat-Re Setep-en-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, shall not trespass against the land of Hatti, to take from it forever.

 If another enemy come against the lands of User-maat-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, and he send to the Great Prince of Hatti, saying: “Come with me as reinforcement against him,” the Great Prince of Hatti shall come to him and the Great Prince of Hatti shall slay his enemy.  However, if it is not the desire of the Great Prince of Hatti to go (himself), he shall send his infantry and his chariotry, and he shall slay his enemy.  Or, if Ramses Meri-Amon the great ruler of Egypt is enraged against servants that belong to him, and they commit another offence against him, and he go to slay them, the Great Prince of Hatti shall act with him to slay everyone against whom they shall be enraged.

 But if another enemy come against the Great Prince of Hatti, User-maat-Re Setep-en-Re, the great ruler of Egypt, shall come to him as reinforcement to slay his enemy.  If it is (not) the desire of Ramses Meri-Amon, the great ruler of Egypt, to come, he shall . . . Hatti, and he shall send his infantry and his chariotry, besides returning answer to the land of Hatti.  Now if the servants of the Great Prince of Hatti trespass against him, and Ramses Meri-Amon. . .

 As for these words of the regulation which the Great Prince of Hatti made with Ramses Meri-Amon, the great ruler of Egypt, in writing upon this tablet of silver—as for these words, a thousand gods of the male gods and of the female gods of them of the land of Hatti, together with a thousand gods of the male gods and of the female gods of them of the land of Egypt, are with me as witnesses hearing these words. . .

 As for these words which are on this tablet of silver of the land of Hatti and of the land of Egypt—as for him who shall not keep them, a thousand gods of the land of Hatti, together with a thousand gods of the land of Egypt, shall destroy his house, his land, and his servants.  But, as for him who shall keep these words which are on this tablet of silver, whether they are Hatti or whether they are Egyptians, and they are not neglectful of them, a thousand gods of the land of Hatti, together with a thousand gods of the land of Egypt, shall cause that he be well, shall cause that he live, together with his houses and his (land) and his servants.[10]

 This treaty describes the history, the various conditions and terms of the covenant, the divine witnesses, and the various blessings and curses for keeping or violating the covenant.  Peter C. Craigie summarizes the pattern of these covenants as follows:

 1.    Preamble (“These are the words…”).

1. 2.    Historical Prologue (Baltzer: “antecedent history,” i.e., events leading to and forming the basis of the treaty).
2. 3.    General Stipulations (Baltzer: statement of substance concerning the future relationship, which (1) is intimately related to the antecedent history, and (2) summarizes the purpose of the specific stipulations).
3. 4.    Specific Stipulations.
4. 5.    Divine Witnesses: various deities are called to witness the treaty.
5. Blessings and Curses: relating respectively to the maintenance or breach of the covenant.[11]

 Craigie demonstrates that this same treaty or covenant pattern is evident within the very outline of the book of Deuteronomy.

 1.    Preamble (1:1-5); “These are the words which Moses addressed to all Israel…”

1. 2.    Historical Prologue (1:6-4:49)
2. 3.    General Stipulations (chs. 5-11)
3. 4.    Specific Stipulations (chs.12-26)
4. 5.    Witnesses (see 30:19, 31:19; 32:1-43)
5. Blessings and Curses (chs. 27-28)[12]

 From this pattern we can see that the whole of the book of Devarim is genuinely about the covenant relationship between YHWH and His chosen people.  While these treaties are legal documents describing a legal relationship between the sovereign or suzerain and the vassal, we should not see the relationship between YHWH and His people as merely a legal matter.  We have already observed in our study in the book of Exodus that the covenant between YHWH and Israel is more aptly described as a marriage.  While marriages are indeed legally binding relationships, they are based upon love, not mere legalities.  The same is true with the covenant between YHWH and the children of Israel.  In fact, love is a constant theme throughout the book of Deuteronomy.

 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10 KJV)

 And thou shalt love YHWH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV)

 YHWH did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. (Deuteronomy 7:7 KJV)

 Know therefore that YHWH thy Elohim, He is Elohim, the faithful Elohim, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:9 KJV)

 And He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which He sware unto thy fathers to give thee. (Deuteronomy 7:13 KJV)

 And now, Israel, what doth YHWH thy Elohim require of thee, but to fear YHWH thy Elohim, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve YHWH thy Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 10:12 KJV)

 Only YHWH had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 10:15 KJV)

 Therefore thou shalt love YHWH thy Elohim, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments, alway. (Deuteronomy 11:1 KJV)

 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your Elohim, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul… (Deuteronomy 11:13 KJV)

 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love YHWH your Elohim, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him… (Deuteronomy 11:22 KJV)

 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for YHWH your Elohim proveth you, to know whether ye love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:3 KJV)

 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love YHWH thy Elohim, and to walk ever in His ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three. (Deuteronomy 19:9 KJV)

 And YHWH thy Elohim will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love YHWH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. (Deuteronomy 30:6 KJV)

 In that I command thee this day to love YHWH thy Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and YHWH thy Elohim shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:16 KJV)

 That thou mayest love YHWH thy Elohim, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which YHWH sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:20 KJV)

 We should note that the love so frequently alluded to and commanded in the book of Devarim is bi-directional.  While love is to be the motivation for the children of Israel’s obedience to the covenant, we must recognize that love is also YHWH’S motivation for showering Israel with grace, election, favor, and the blessing of land.  It is this mutual love that is the basis for the unique relationship that exists between YHWH and the children of Israel and keeps the “yoke” of the covenant from becoming the “bondage” to the law.  We should understand the commandment to love YHWH with all of our heart, mind, and strength not so much in the sense of a direct command to control our emotions but as a command that love of YHWH be the foundation for all that we do.  We should also understand this command as instruction concerning the proper response to the love and grace that YHWH has first shown us.  The apostle John declared:

 We love Him, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)

 We observe YHWH’S love for the children of Israel even in this portion, where the Sovereign One is described as a loving Father to the children of Israel.

 And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that YHWH thy Elohim bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. (Deuteronomy 1:31 KJV)

 Let us recall that earlier in Israel’s life, YHWH referred to Israel as being His firstborn son.

 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith YHWH, Israel is My son, even My firstborn: ²³and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. (Exodus 4:22-23 KJV)

 Of this parental love, Jeffery H. Tigay writes:

 The LORD carried you, as a man carries his son—this refers to God’s protection of Israel from danger (cf. Isa. 46:3-4; Ps. 91:11-12).  Other passages, such as Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11, compare God’s protection to the way an eagle carries its young.  The comparison to a father adds a note of reassurance, since the compassion of a father for his offspring was proverbial.[13]

 Let us recall some other passages of Scripture where this parental love is likewise affirmed.

 Like as a father pitieth his children, so YHWH pitieth them that fear Him. (Psalm 103:13 KJV)

 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37 KJV)

 Peter C. Craigie reminds us that parental love has two equal characteristics.

 The imagery employed to illustrate the principle of love is important, for it indicates which of the many facets of love underlies the covenant relationship.  The imagery is that of a father’s love for his son; similar imagery is employed in the political treaties.  God’s fatherly love has two characteristics.  It may be expressed in his compassionate care for his people (see 1:3) or it may be expressed in his disciplining them (see 8:5); but the two aspects of God, compassionate and stern, are both aspects of fatherly love.[14]

 The image of YHWH as “Father,” while evoking comforting thoughts of provision, protection, security, and nurturing, must also include discipline, chastisement, and accountability.  We must be careful to remember that discipline, chastisement, and accountability are also expressions of parental love.

 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so YHWH thy Elohim chasteneth thee. (Deuteronomy 8:5 KJV)

 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. (Proverbs 13:24 KJV)

 For whom YHWH loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.  ⁷If ye endure chastening, Elohim dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (Hebrews 12:6-7 KJV)

 Behold, happy is the man whom Elohim correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of Shaddai. (Job 5:17 KJV)

 My son, despise not the chastening of YHWH; neither be weary of His correction. (Proverbs 3:11 KJV)

 It is clearly in this spirit of parental love that we must understand Moses’ words in our portion when he recounts Israel’s history, including their many failures and rebellions and the consequences suffered because of them.  If the purpose of Moses’ words in the book of Devarim is to encourage the wilderness generation to reaffirm the covenant of love between themselves and YHWH, then the focus of the stories is going to point largely to the loving and caring character and attitude of YHWH toward Israel.  Even the forty years in the wilderness must be understood in terms of a father’s love for his children.

 Recognizing this loving foundation for the covenant, let us now begin our study of the opening portion of the book of Devarim.  Given the overall outline of the book of Devarim above and the pattern of the Ancient Near Eastern covenants, we should note that the beginning of our portion can be identified as the “heading” or “introduction” to the first discourse by Moses.  The bulk of the text covers only a small portion of Israel’s history – from Horeb/Sinai to Kadeshbarnea and the plains of Moab.  The opening discourse serves as a historical narrative explaining the very reason for the rest of the document and for the act of renewing the covenant.  Had the covenant not been broken, there would be no reason for its renewal.  It should not surprise us, therefore, that many of the issues revisited in this portion recount the shortcomings of Moses and Israel.

 One of the first things we should note about the covenant is that it is between YHWH, the Sovereign Creator of the universe, and the children of Israel.  Given the pattern of the Suzerain-Vassal covenant, we should understand YHWH as the sovereign or suzerain and Israel as the pledging vassal.  Generally, when two parties enter into a covenant, the two parties speak for themselves.  They swear allegiance, invoke curses upon themselves, and make promises for themselves.  Therefore, we should expect our portion to begin with YHWH speaking to the children of Israel and the children of Israel speaking back.  However, this is not what we see.  Instead, it is Moses who does the talking.

 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. (Deuteronomy 1:1 KJV)

 Given the typical Ancient Near Eastern manner of making covenants, it appears from this verse that the covenant is actually between Moses, the king or sovereign of Israel, and the children of Israel.  To understand this violation of the typical pattern we must return to Mount Sinai.  YHWH promised the children of Israel that He would liberate them from the harsh bondage and oppression of Egypt and bring them to Himself.

 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant.  ⁶Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am YHWH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: ⁷and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you an Elohim: and ye shall know that I am YHWH your Elohim, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  ⁸And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am YHWH. (Exodus 6:5-8 KJV)

 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto Myself. (Exodus 19:4 KJV)

 YHWH met with the children of Israel on Mount Sinai in a most dramatic and memorable fashion.

 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with Elohim; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  ¹⁸And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because YHWH descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.  ¹⁹And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and Elohim answered him by a voice.  ²⁰And YHWH came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and YHWH called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. (Exodus 19:17-20 KJV)

 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. (Exodus 20:18 KJV)

 So afraid were the people of the voice and presence of YHWH that they begged Moses to serve as an intermediary between themselves and YHWH, lest they should hear His voice and die.

 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die. (Exodus 20:19 KJV)

 Moses was honored with a most profound, unique, and intimate relationship with the Creator.

 And YHWH said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto YHWH, lest He break forth upon them. (Exodus 19:24 KJV)

 And He said unto Moses, Come up unto YHWH, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.  ²And Moses alone shall come near YHWH: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. (Exodus 24:1-2 KJV)

 And YHWH said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. (Exodus 24:12 KJV)

 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. (Exodus 34:3 KJV)

 And YHWH spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.  And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:11 KJV)

 And He said, Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I YHWH will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.  ⁷My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house.  ⁸With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of YHWH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses? (Numbers 12:6-8 KJV)

 Moses alone could stand in such closeness with YHWH and not be consumed by His holiness.  We must understand that Moses was a prophet and more.  YHWH declared that He would speak to His prophets in visions and dreams.  With Moses, however, YHWH speaks “mouth to mouth.”  Therefore, we should understand that although the words being spoken in our portion are by the mouth of the man Moses, they are, nonetheless, the words of YHWH.  Two powerful truths are affirmed by this reality.  The first affirmation is that Moses is the chosen “mouthpiece” of YHWH.  We should listen carefully to the words of Moses, for they are from the mouth of YHWH.  The words of Moses, therefore, hold a special place of honor among the children of Israel.  It is for this reason that we are not to add to or subtract from these words.

 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of YHWH your Elohim which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2 KJV)

 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32 KJV)

 The second affirmation is that YHWH is truly the Sovereign King of Israel.

 YHWH shall reign forever and ever. (Exodus 15:18 KJV)

 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: YHWH his Elohim is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. (Numbers 23:21 KJV)

 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.  ²³And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: YHWH shall rule over you. (Judges 8:22-23 KJV)

 And YHWH said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7 KJV)

 A third affirmation that can be made from the opening verse of our portion is the fact that YHWH can and does work through human agency.  In other words, YHWH is both transcendent and immanent.  While beyond the limits of time and space, and beyond the limits of human comprehension, the Sovereign Creator of the universe is still manifestly present through His creation – especially through man.  Thus, we should understand the words of Moses to be the words of YHWH.  It is, in fact, the immanence of YHWH that explains the many details given concerning this particular address.  Let us note the great specificity in which the Torah describes the context of this speech.

 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.  ²(There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)  ³And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that YHWH had given him in commandment unto them; ⁴after he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei: ⁵on this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying… (Deuteronomy 1:1-5 KJV)

 Here we are given all the details to locate this event in time and space.  We are told when it takes place; we are told where it takes place; and we are told who is speaking and to whom it is addressed.

 When—The fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, after Moses had slain Sihon and Og.

• Where—In the Transjordan, in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab, in the land of Moab.
• Who spoke—Moses spake these words.
• What did he speak—Moses began to declare this Torah.
• To whom did he speak—Moses spake unto all Israel.

 We have already identified the true speaker of these words.  Let us remember that Deuteronomy is the renewing of a covenant.  Therefore, the speaker is the rightful partner in the covenant.  While Moses is the human agent or vessel, the genuine speaker and, therefore, partner in this covenant is YHWH, not Moses.  However, it is equally important that we understand who the audience for “these words” is.  The phrase “all Israel” is very important.  Let us note several truths about this phrase.  First, we should understand it to mean “every member of the children of Israel” – every man, woman, and child – regardless of tribe, economic status, or standing in the community of Israel.  These words are addressed to ALL the children of Israel without qualification.  This definition is overtly affirmed for us later in the book of Devarim.

 Ye stand this day all of you before YHWH your Elohim; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, ¹¹your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water: ¹²that thou shouldest enter into covenant with YHWH thy Elohim, and into His oath, which YHWH thy Elohim maketh with thee this day: ¹³that He may establish thee today for a people unto Himself, and that He may be unto thee an Elohim, as He hath said unto thee, and as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. (Deuteronomy 29:10-13 KJV)

 Beyond this obvious understanding of the phrase, we should also understand that the phrase points beyond the immediate generation being addressed to all the generations of Israel yet to come.  The letter to the Hebrews helps us gain understanding on this matter.

 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.  ⁵And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: ⁶but he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.  ⁷And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.  ⁸And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.  ⁹And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.  ¹⁰For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. (Hebrews 7:4-10 KJV)

 The point being made by the author of the letter to the Hebrews is the fact that Levi was in Abraham (as a seed) when Abraham gave the tithe; therefore, Levi tithed through Abraham.  Let us recall that when Abraham was yet childless, YHWH made a covenant with him and his seed.

 In the same day YHWH made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (Genesis 15:18 KJV)

 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be an Elohim unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (Genesis 17:7 KJV)

 By keeping the covenant of circumcision, the “seed” of the fathers passed through the cutting to enter the covenant with YHWH.

 The apostle Shaul likewise uses this logic to explain why all men die, even if they are not guilty of the particular sin of Adam.

 For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)

 All humanity was “in Adam” when Adam fell.  Therefore, the consequence of his sin falls upon all the descendants of Adam.  The same can be said for “all Israel.”  The phrase “all Israel” should not be limited simply to those who are being addressed by Moses in the plains of Moab.  Rather, the words of YHWH spoken by Moses to “all Israel” are to all the descendants, in both flesh and faith, who would descend from the current generation.  We should, therefore, understand the phrase “all Israel” to mean “all Israel throughout all time and space.”  The unchanging words of the covenant are to be renewed and affirmed by every generation of Israelites – those present and those yet to come.

 Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; ¹⁵but with him that standeth here with us this day before YHWH our Elohim, and also with him that is not here with us this day. (Deuteronomy 29:14-15 KJV)

 We should remember that the covenant of YHWH is an “everlasting” covenant that extends throughout the generations.  Therefore, the people of each generation must affirm their commitment to the covenant.

 There is yet another way to understand the phrase “all Israel.”  We should understand this phrase to emphatically emphasize the word “all.”  In other words, the words of YHWH being spoken by Moses to the children of Israel are not merely being spoken to each individual man, woman, and child; they are being spoken to “all” Israel as a whole.  It is important to understand that Israel is to function as a body.  Keeping the covenant is not a private affair.  All Israel provides the testimony of YHWH to the world.  All Israel in unity (not uniformity) manifests the character and attributes of YHWH in the world.  It is in Israel’s collective life that the most compelling testimony is given.  It is unacceptable for only a part of the people of Israel to be keeping the commandments and covenant while the rest of the body is doing its own thing.  This is the reason for the sobering call to remove the evil from among the body of Israel – even by death, if necessary.

 And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before YHWH thy Elohim, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 KJV)

 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. (Deuteronomy 22:22 KJV)

 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from YHWH thy Elohim, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 13:10 KJV)

 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. (Deuteronomy 21:21 KJV)

 Let us not forget that the Holy One dwells among the children of Israel; therefore, the camp cannot be defiled.

 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying, ²Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: ³both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. (Numbers 5:1-3 KJV)

 We should remember that the purpose for the giving of the Torah to the children of Israel is so that they can restore and manifest the image of YHWH in the world.  Israel is to fulfill this calling by obediently living out the commandments, judgments, statutes, and ordinances contained in the Torah.  Within each of these commandments, judgments, statutes, and ordinances is a revelation of the character and nature of YHWH.  When Israel obediently lives the commandments, judgments, statutes, and ordinances, they embody the very attributes revealed by them.  The second way Israel becomes the manifest presence of YHWH is by following the protocols and distinctions taught in the Torah that allow the Holy One of Israel to dwell among the children of Israel and manifest Himself through them.  Once again, we should recognize that the transcendent Creator is immanently present among His creation.  This is the point of all the historical detail in Moses’ discourse.

 By specifically pinpointing these words and events in time and space, YHWH reveals Himself to be immanently present among His people.  YHWH is not some distant, aloof deity, beyond the realm of human life.  Instead, YHWH reveals Himself to be intimately involved in the events of human history through His people Israel.  Biblical history is not simply the recalling of mere facts.  Biblical history is the declaration of the Creator’s activity and intervention in and through His creation.  Peter C. Craigie describes biblical history as follows:

 History plays a particular role in the covenant; in the covenant prologue, the recounting of history indicates those events antecedent to the founding of the covenant, which were of fundamental importance.  History, however, in the biblical tradition, does not have the same connotations as do modern conceptions of history.  History is not an unbroken continuum of causes and effects, which is an enclosed system, free from the intervention of a transcendent God.  Rather, history reflects the will of God, in word and in deed, within the creation of God.  To be particular, the historical prologue of the covenant is a description of the enacted will and word of God within the sphere of history; it provides the basis upon which the covenant between God and his people is compacted.  Thus, the central element of this history is the Exodus, but it cannot be called historical in the modern scientific sense.  This does not mean that “it didn’t happen”; but it means that the essence of the Exodus was an act of God, which by its very nature is trans-historical in relation to a modern concept of history.[15]

 We shall see that this portion and the following one, which deal with the biblical history of the covenant, are not merely reporting secular events.  Rather, each of the stories recalled in this and subsequent portions is a proclamation of YHWH’S underlying love and grace toward Israel and toward His whole creation through Israel.  We see the truth of this matter in our present portion.  Moses begins his historical discourse not with the exodus or the making of the covenant at Mount Sinai but with the journey from Mount Sinai, here referred to as Mount Horeb.

 YHWH our Elohim spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: ⁷turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.  ⁸Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which YHWH sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. (Deuteronomy 1:6-8 KJV)

 Here we witness the direct interaction between YHWH and His people.  YHWH meets with His people, speaks to them, directs them, blesses them with land and possessions, and makes covenants with them.  Let us note that YHWH is fulfilling the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.

 In the same day YHWH made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: ¹⁹the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, ²⁰and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, ²¹and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. (Genesis 15:18-21 KJV)

 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. (Genesis 26:3 KJV)

 And, behold, YHWH stood above it, and said, I am YHWH Elohim of Abraham thy father, and the Elohim of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. (Genesis 28:13 KJV)

 Through the retelling of these events, the current wilderness generation is told of YHWH’S faithfulness.

 In previous portions we noted the conflict between the boundaries as promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18, which stretch from the Nile in Egypt to the Euphrates in Iran, and the boundaries in Numbers 34:3-13, which denote a much smaller expanse of land.  The English translations have caused some confusion over these landmarks.  In the covenant made with Abraham we were given two very significant landmarks – “the river of Egypt” and the “the great river, the river Euphrates.”

 In the same day YHWH made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (Genesis 15:18 KJV)

 The first landmark is “the river of Egypt.”  The second is “the great river, the river Euphrates.”  The phrase “the river of Egypt” has raised numerous questions as to whether it is a reference to the Nile River or whether it is referring to the Wadi El-Arish, located at the border between the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula.  Jacob Milgrom clearly defines the phrase as referring to the Wadi El Arish.

 Hebrew nachlah mitzrayim, modern Wadi El-‘Arish, is a long and deep watercourse that is full only after a substantial rain.  It constitutes a natural barrier between the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula.[16]

 We must note, however, that two different Hebrew words are used to describe the boundaries of the land.  In the covenant made with Abraham, the Hebrew phrase being translated as “the river of Egypt” is nehar Mitzrayim.  The Hebrew word nahar (nun, hey, resh) or nehar (when used before the name of the river) means “river” or “stream.”  It is the same word used to describe “the great river, the river Euphrates” – hanahar hagadol nehar Prat.

 In Numbers 34:5 and in our current portion the southern border is marked by the landmark nachlah Mitzrayim.  The Hebrew word nachlah comes from the root nachal (nun, chet, lammed), which means “wadi,” “ravine,” “valley,” or “torrent.”  There is a big difference between a nahar or “river” and a nachal or “wadi.”  A wadi is a valley or ravine, generally caused by erosion from seasonal rains.  In the desert where the mountains are rocky, seasonal rains pour down the mountains with great force.  A wadi is generally carved into the topography of the land with very steep banks.  For much of the year the wadi is empty, like a dry river bed.  Because wadis are a path for water, they are often filled with fertile silt and vegetation.  Since the sides of a wadi are steep, they are used for grazing animals.  A river or nahar, like the Euphrates or the Nile, is filled with water year round and is often the source of irrigation for fields and orchards.  These two different Hebrew words clearly describe two different types of landmarks.

 I will suggest, therefore, that the boundaries of the Abrahamic covenant stretch from the Nile River (nahar) all the way to the Euphrates River (nahar).  This territory is most often referred to by modern geologists and anthropologists as the “Fertile Crescent.”  In Numbers 34 and our current portion, however, the boundaries being described are clearly much smaller.  In Numbers 34 “the river of Egypt” is referring to the Wadi El Arish on the southeastern border between the Sinai Peninsula and the Negev.  The western border of the land is the Mediterranean Sea, and the eastern border is, for the most part, the western bank of the Jordan River.  The southern border of the land borders on the land of Edom in the wilderness of Zin, even to the southern tip of the Dead Sea.  In the north, the border extends well into what is today Lebanon and Syria.  When reading the landmarks of the northern border in Numbers 34, we must be careful not to confuse the Mount Hor mentioned there with the Mount Hor where Aaron died.

 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.  ²³And YHWH spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, ²⁴Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.  ²⁵Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: ²⁶and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.  ²⁷And Moses did as YHWH commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.  ²⁸And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.  ²⁹And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel. (Numbers 20:22-29 KJV)

 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: ⁸from mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad. (Numbers 34:7-8 KJV)

 In reference to the Mount Hor of Aaron’s death, we need to take note of several important details.  First, let us understand the name of the place of Aaron’s death.  The Hebrew word for “mountain” is har (hey, resh).  In every other place a mountain is mentioned in the Bible, the name of the mountain follows the word har: har Sinai, har Horeb, har Seir, etc.  In the reference to this mountain, however, the order is reversed – hor ha-har.  It is possible that this expression is not a proper name but that hor is simply an archaic form of har; thus, the expression hor ha-har may mean, as the Septuagint translates it, oros to oros) “the mountain of the mountain,” or “the summit of the mountain.”[17]  If this is, in fact, the case, then we may understand that the whole ceremony performed by Moses at Aaron’s death may well have been on the summit of a mountain in the sight of all the children of Israel.  This same expression is used in Numbers 34 to describe the northern border.  I would suggest, therefore, that hor ha-har is not to be used as a proper name but as a description of the summit of a mountain range in the north.  Jacob Milgrom writes:

 Mount Hor—Not the Mount Hor that lies near the border of Edom where Aaron died (20:22-29; 33:38).  It is probably one of the northwestern summits of the Lebanese range north of Byblos (perhaps Ras Shaqqah or Jebel Akkar.[18]

 In our portion we see that the northern border is defined by “the great river, the river Euphrates.”

 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (Deuteronomy 1:7 KJV)

 While we most often think of the River Euphrates and the Tigris River flowing through Iraq and Iran to the Gulf, we should understand that the Euphrates starts in the mountains of the North in Turkey.  In our portion it is the beginning of the river, not the end, which defines the border.

 We have already discussed the reason for Israel inheriting smaller borders.  We should not surmise that YHWH changed His promise or that He was not able to deliver the whole land as promised to Abraham and his seed.  The shortcoming was not YHWH’S; it was Israel’s.  Even with 2.5 to 3 million people and 600,000 men of war, Israel was simply not large enough to conquer and occupy all the land promised to Abraham.  Therefore, YHWH declared that He would give the children of Israel the land little by little as they were capable of occupying it.

 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.  ³⁰By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. (Exodus 23:29-30 KJV)

 Let us also note in our portion that the journey from Sinai/Horeb to Kadeshbarnea was only an eleven-day journey.

 (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.) (Deuteronomy 1:2 KJV)

 Israel spent an entire year at Mount Sinai receiving the Torah, entering the covenant, building the Tabernacle, and organizing the camp.  Once all this was complete, YHWH sent the children of Israel to possess their land.

 YHWH our Elohim spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: ⁷turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. (Deuteronomy 1:6-7 KJV)

 However, the children of Israel did not enter and possess the land in eleven days.  Instead, the children of Israel demanded that Moses send spies into the land to scout out the best possible way to enter it.

 And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.  ²³And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: ²⁴and they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out. (Deuteronomy 1:22-24 KJV)

 Here we are given the important detail that the idea of the spies originated with the people themselves, not with YHWH, as may be assumed from the report in Numbers 13.

 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying, ²Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. (Numbers 13:1-2 KJV)

 To reconcile these two passages, we need only to turn to the advice Jethro gave Moses in Midian.  Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, observed Moses holding court among the children of Israel.  The system of Moses being the only judge in Israel was clearly inefficient and unhealthy.  Jethro suggested that Moses appoint other qualified men to help him fulfill this duty.

 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and Elohim shall be with thee: be thou for the people to Elohim-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto Elohim: ²⁰and thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.  ²¹Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear Elohim, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: ²²and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.  ²³If thou shalt do this thing, and Elohim command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. (Exodus 18:19-23 KJV)

 Let us note carefully that while the idea may have originated with a man – in this case, Jethro – it was not implemented until the Sovereign One commanded it.  In the case of the spies, we learn in our portion that the idea originated with the leaders of Israel, whereas in Numbers 13 we were made aware of YHWH’S permission to Moses to appoint scouts for this requested duty.

 Moses recalls that regardless of whose idea it was to send the spies, the result of the efforts was devastating.  Twelve men went up to search the land.  However, ten of the men came back from the land with an evil report that disheartened the rest of the children of Israel.

 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.  ²⁸Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.  ²⁹The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.  ³⁰And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.  ³¹But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.  ³²And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.  ³³And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.  And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.  ²And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would Elohim that we had died in the land of Egypt!  Or would Elohim we had died in this wilderness! (Numbers 13:27-14:2 KJV)

 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of YHWH your Elohim: ²⁷and ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because YHWH hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.  ²⁸Whither shall we go up?  Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.  ²⁹Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.  ³⁰YHWH your Elohim which goeth before you, He shall fight for you, according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes; ³¹and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that YHWH thy Elohim bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.  ³²Yet in this thing ye did not believe YHWH your Elohim. (Deuteronomy 1:26-32 KJV)

 The sin of the exodus generation was clear – they did not believe YHWH their Elohim.  It was because of their great unbelief in the Elohim who redeemed, delivered, and saved them with an outstretched arm that the exodus generation wandered in the wilderness for forty years.

 Yet in this thing ye did not believe YHWH your Elohim, ³³who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.  ³⁴And YHWH heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, ³⁵Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, ³⁶save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed YHWH. (Deuteronomy 1:32-36 KJV)

 Even after this great chastisement was declared upon the exodus generation, they continued to rebel.  At first, they were told to go and possess the land, but they refused.  Then YHWH told them to turn away from the land – not to enter it – but they ignored His command and went up to take the land.

 But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.  ⁴¹Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against YHWH, we will go up and fight, according to all that YHWH our Elohim commanded us.  And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.  ⁴²And YHWH said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.  ⁴³So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of YHWH, and went presumptuously up into the hill.  ⁴⁴And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.  ⁴⁵And ye returned and wept before YHWH; but YHWH would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.  ⁴⁶So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there. (Deuteronomy 1:40-46 KJV)

 If the purpose of this historical discourse is to encourage the children of Israel to obey the covenant and to enter and possess the land, it may seem strange that Moses begins by recounting Israel’s failures.  The hope of this portion is found in the following verse:

 Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it. (Deuteronomy 1:39 KJV)

 When we remember that the covenant can only be kept by love, then these stories of Israel’s failures begin to make perfect sense.  The wilderness generation is listening to these words on the edge of the promised land.  They have already endured the forty years of wandering.  They have already conquered the Transjordan, and are now on the verge of entering the land of promise.  By recalling these shortcomings on the part of Israel, the love, grace, and faithfulness of YHWH are manifested.  It is as though Moses is saying to the wilderness generation, as well as to “all Israel,” that in spite of all their weaknesses, shortcomings, and sinfulness, YHWH is faithful to bring them to this day, this moment, and the blessing He promised them.  The same positive proclamation of YHWH through the weaknesses and shortcomings of men is seen in Moses’ own confession.

 And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone: ¹⁰YHWH your Elohim hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.  ¹¹(YHWH Elohim of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised you!)  ¹²How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? (Deuteronomy 1:9-12 KJV)

 As one man, Moses confesses that he could not rightly lead the multitude of Israel alone.  This is a very honest confession of one’s own limitations.  Note, however, that this is still a very positive proclamation about YHWH.  The reason Moses could not rule Israel alone was not simply because he was limited, or even worse, inept, but because YHWH had faithfully fulfilled His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. (Genesis 13:16 KJV)

 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 28:14 KJV)

 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. (Genesis 22:17 KJV)

 And Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. (Genesis 32:12 KJV)

 And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (Genesis 15:5 KJV)

 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 26:4 KJV)

 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou swarest by Thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever. (Exodus 32:13 KJV)

 Here we should recognize a powerful principle in our calling to manifest YHWH in the world.  While we all strive to be our best and even to give YHWH our best, we must recognize that sometimes it is our weakness and inability that allow the love, grace, and power of YHWH to be most visibly seen.  When we put forth our best and perfect image, it may appear to others that this is what is necessary for YHWH to love them.  The testimony of the perfect may be more of a hindrance than a help to proclaiming YHWH’S love and grace.  However, when we honestly admit our weaknesses, confess our shortcomings, and yet continue walk with YHWH, then His love and grace are manifested in a most compelling way.

 This is not to say that we do not strive to correct our weaknesses and shortcomings.  When Moses realized he could not properly lead the nation of Israel alone, he appointed leaders to help him.

 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.  ¹⁴And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.  ¹⁵So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. (Deuteronomy 1:13-15 KJV)

 Some of those whom Moses appointed were the judges or shoftim, who helped him teach the Torah, maintain justice, and judge the children of Israel, as suggested by his father-in-law Jethro.

 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.  ¹⁷Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is Elohim’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. (Deuteronomy 1:16-17 KJV)

 Moses ardently instructed the judges of Israel to judge righteously.  Judges are not to be respecters of persons, nor are they to fear man.  What is critical for “all Israel” to understand is that the judgment is Elohim’s.

 Here we must be very clear as to the meaning of this expression.  We must be careful that we do not teach that whatever a human judge says is the will of YHWH.  Judges are human and will make mistakes.  What is being taught in the verses above is that the judges of Israel are not free to make their own rulings.  The judgment that comes from the judges of Israel must be consistent with the Torah.  The judge is to decide a matter based upon the commandments, distinctions, statutes, ordinances, and judgments of YHWH.  Since judges are human and capable of making mistakes, there is an appeal system that allows an unsettled or difficult case to be appealed to Moses or the Cohen Gadol, who can consult the Urim and Thummim for YHWH’S final judgment.  When this final judgment comes, it must be accepted by the children of Israel as having come directly from YHWH.

 Once more, we see affirmed in this teaching the truth that YHWH is immanently present among His people.  Thus, the history recounted by Moses is not merely a secular history of random events but also a declaration of the very presence of the love of YHWH among His people.

If you have been blessed by these Torah Studies and would like to support the continuance of this ministry then please partner with us.

Name____________________________________________________Amount__________________

Address___________________________________________

 City_______________________________________State______________Zip__________________

E-mail_________________________ Phone___________________________________

 Please make checks payable to TK Torah Keepers, or make a donation through PayPal

Send contributions to: TK Torah Keepers 524 Westwind Drive, Muskegon MI 49445

---

[1] Marked by exhortation or strong urging; giving strong encouragement

[2] Deuteronomy (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching), Patrick D. Miller, John Knox Press, Pp. 1-2

[3] The Septuagint and Apocrypha, Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton, “Deuteronomy 17:18,” Hendrickson Publishers, Pg. 255

[4] The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, Jeffrey H. Tigay, Jewish Publication Society, Pg. xii

[5] The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 1, George A. Butterick and Keith R. Crim, “Covenant,” G.E. Mendenhall, Abingdon Press, Pg. 717

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid., Pg. 716

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, James B. Pritchard, “Egyptian and Hittite Treaties,” John A. Wilson, Translator, Princeton University Press, Pg. 199

[10] Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, James B. Pritchard, “Egyptian and Hittite Treaties,” John A. Wilson, Translator, Princeton University Press, Pp.200-201

[11] The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Deuteronomy, Peter C. Craigie, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Pp. 22-23

[12] Ibid.

[13] The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, Jeffrey H. Tigay, Jewish Publication Society, Pg. 18

[14] The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Deuteronomy, Peter C. Craigie, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Pg. 41

[15] The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Deuteronomy, Peter C. Craigie, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Pp. 39-40

[16] The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers, Jacob Milgrom, Jewish Publication Society, Pg. 286

[17] The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Numbers, Timothy R. Ashley, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Note 7, Pg. 395

[18] The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers, Jacob Milgrom, Jewish Publication Society, Pg. 186