Interpreting Deuteronomy

Editors David Firth and Philip Johnston help academic readers understand current approaches and issues in study of the Psalms, while also giving them a deeper appreciation for these poetic texts.

In this theological exposition of Deuteronomy, Patrick Miller is sensitive to the character of the book as a part of scripture that self-consciously addresses different generations. He discusses the nature and character of the law as revealed in Deuteronomy, as well as the nature of the moral life under God. The treatment of Deuteronomy in the New Testament, and customary introductory issues such as authorship and date, are dealt with in terms of their significance for interpreting and understanding Deuteronomy's character and intention. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

The book of Deuteronomy has been immensely influential, not least within the Old Testament itself. It is found among the most frequently occurring manuscripts at Qumran, and it is also one of the Old Testament books most frequently cited in the New Testament. In Matthew s Gospel, it is Deuteronomy which Jesus cites in rejecting temptation. As with so many other Old Testament books, study of Deuteronomy is in the midst of significant change. While for many scholars the Documentary Hypothesis has continued to provide a framework for interpretation, it no longer commands the status of an "assured result." Instead, fresh approaches have been developed, engendering their own debates. Recent as well as older study affirms that Deuteronomy represents a distinctive theological voice within the Pentateuch. While many excellent resources are now available, these tend to be either introductory or highly specialized; there are fewer that bridge the gap between the two. This volume contributes to that need: it assumes some foundational knowledge and guides readers through current issues and approaches. Here is evangelical scholarship that will inform, stimulate and reward diligent teachers and preachers of the Old Testament. The contributors are Paul Barker, Jenny Corcoran, David G. Firth, Greg Goswell, Christian Hofreiter, Philip S. Johnston, James Robson, Csilla Saysell, Heath Thomas, Peter T. Vogt and John H. Walton.

David Firth and Philip Johnston edit this new collection of essays from the vanguard of Old Testament studies. Beginning with the unique literary and theological dimensions of Deuteronomy, these essays open up the major approaches, issues and debates occupying today's best evangelical interpreters.

This is a major study on the book of Deuteronomy by an acclaimed expert in the field.Paying particular attention to the legal passages in Deuteronomy, Professor RofT seeks to clarify the contents and unity of each section, its literary history, the origin of the single laws and their relation to other kindred laws in other documents of the Pentateuch.Bringing together different methods of biblical study - traditional Jewish interpretation, classical biblical criticism, form criticism, history of tradition and textual criticism - the author argues that the roots of Deuteronomy lie in monarchial Israel and Judah, that the literary climax belongs to the seventh century BCE, and that the final stages of the text are exilic and early post-exilic.

A lost treasure for large segments of the modern world, the book of Deuteronomy powerfully repays contemporary readers' attention. It represents Scripture pulsing with immediacy, offering gripping discourses that yank readers out of the doldrums and back to Mount Horeb and an encounter with divine Word issuing forth from blazing fire. God's presence and Word in Deuteronomy stir deep longing for God and move readers to a place of intimacy with divine otherness, holism, and will for person-centered community. The consistently theological interpretation reveals the centrality of Deuteronomy for faith and powerfully counters critical accusations about violence, intolerance, and polytheism in the book.

In The Command to Exterminate the Canaanites: Deuteronomy 7, Arie Versluis analyzes the content and background of the Old Testament command to exterminate the nations of Canaan and discusses the moral and theological questions it evokes.

This overture provides the interested reader with a fresh approach to commentary writing, one that engages all the traditional concern with total coverage of the text in question, but with the added feature of uniting that commentary under a single set of larger working concerns. The first-time reader of Deuteronomy is introduced both to the standard critical issues and to the text itself, but within the context of a concern to understand the book's abiding theological legacy. Christopher R. Seitz, from the Editor's Foreword