The
Book of Deuteronomy (from
Greek Δευτερονόμιον,
Deuteronómion, "second law";
Hebrew: דְּבָרִים,
Devārīm, "[spoken] words") is the fifth book of the
Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish
Torah. The
Hebrew title is taken from the opening phrase
Eleh ha-devarim, "These are the words..."; the English title is from a Greek mistranslation of the Hebrew phrase
mishneh ha-torah ha-zoth, "a copy of this law", in
Deuteronomy 17:18, as
to deuteronomion touto – "this second law".
[1]
The book consists of three sermons or speeches delivered to the
Israelites by
Moses on the plains of
Moab, shortly before they enter the
Promised Land. The first sermon recapitulates the
forty years of wilderness wanderings which have led to this moment, and ends with an exhortation to observe the law (or teachings), later referred to as the
Law of Moses; the second reminds the Israelites of the need for
exclusive allegiance to one God and observance of the laws (or teachings) he has given them, on which their possession of the land depends; and the third offers the comfort that even should Israel prove unfaithful and so lose the land, with
repentance all can be restored.
[2]
Traditionally seen as the words of
Moses delivered before the conquest of
Canaan, modern scholarship sees its origins in traditions from
Israel (the northern kingdom) brought south to the
Kingdom of Judah in the wake of the
Assyrian destruction of Samaria (8th century BC) and then adapted to a program of nationalist reform in the time of
King Josiah (late 7th century), with the final form of the modern book emerging in the milieu of the return from the
Babylonian exile during the late 6th century.
[3] Many scholars see the book as reflecting the economic needs and social status of the
Levitical caste, who are believed to have provided its authors.
[4]
One of its most significant verses is
Deuteronomy 6:4, the
Shema, which has become the definitive statement of
Jewish identity: "Hear, O Israel: the
LORD our God, the LORD is one." Verses 6:4–5 were also quoted by
Jesus in
Mark 12:28–34 as part of the
Great Commandment.