PART III

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY.

CHAPTER I.

THE DEUTERONOMIST DISTINCT FROM THE
OTHER WRITERS OF THE PENTATEUCH.

505. THE course of our argument will
lead us to consider next more closely
the age and authorship of the Book
of Deuteronomy. We may now assume
that we are no longer under the neces-
sity of regarding this portion of the
Pentateuch as being an actual authentic
record, by Moses himself or by one of
his contemporaries, of the last ad-
dresses of the great Hebrew lawgiver
to his people.
In fact, if it be true,
as we believe, that the other parts of
the Pentateuch are, generally, of far
later date than the time of the Exodus,
there can be no reason à priori for sup-
posing that this Book forms an excep-
tion to the general rule. And, as we
have seen some ground for concluding
that the original Elohistic story has
been very considerably enlarged in later
days,—perhaps, by more than one
author, in different ages, it is, from
the first, not improbable that the Book
of Deuteronomy also, which, as we
shall presently see, differs remarkably
from the rest, not only in its style and
tone, but also in its very language, and
verbal forms of expression, may have
been added in a still later age.

pointed out hereafter. Otherwise, the Book is complete in itself, and exhibits a perfect unity of style and subject. It consists chiefly of addresses ascribed to Moses shortly before his death; viz.—

(i) An introductory discourse, i.6iv.40, in which he is represented as recounting to the people, by way of encouragement and warning, a brief sketch of their past history, after their escape out of Egypt, which discourse, however, as we have seen (261, 262), is interrupted, here and there, with geographical and archæological notices, very ill-suited to such an occasion, and involves anachronisms, where reference is made to events of the previous weeks as to events of a bygone age, which betray at once the later time at which it was written;

(ii) The main body of the work, v.1-xxvi.19, a long and impressive address, urging upon the people, by reiterated arguments of the most earnest and affectionate kind, the duty and blessedness of obeying the Divine commands, and the danger of disobedience;

(iii) Additional addresses, xxvii.1xxx.20, expressed in language of great eloquence, with powerful-almost, at times, appalling-energy, in which the people are warned, again and again, of the fearful consequences of departing from Jehovah ;

506. There can be no doubt that Deuteronomy is throughout the work of (iv) The conclusion, xxxi.1-xxxiv. one and the same hand, with the ex- 12, containing the 'Song' and last ception of the last chapter, and, per-Blessing' of Moses, with the account haps, one or two other short sections, of his death and burial 'in the land of (such as xxxii.48-52,) which will be Moab, over against Bethpeor; but no

man knoweth of his sepulchre unto | Deuteronomy at all. His language, in this day,' xxxiv.6. fact applies generally, with sufficient 507. No attentive reader of the Bible accuracy, to the other portions of the can have failed to remark the striking Pentateuch. And it is the marked difference above referred to, which contrast between the general plainness exists between the style and contents of style in these other Books, and the of Deuteronomy and those of the other spirit and energy, the fire of holy zeal, Books, generally, of the Pentateuch. the warmth of imagination, which These latter are occupied almost en- characterize everywhere the Book of tirely with long details of legend or Deuteronomy, by which we are from history, with circumstantial directions the first, before instituting any closer for the construction of the Tabernacle enquiries, compelled strongly to the and its vessels, or with multiplied re- conviction that they cannot have had petitions of the minutiae of the cere- the same author or authors. monial Law; so that the writers only very occasionally break forth, from their usual plain, prosaic, style, into grand prophetical utterances, or soar into the higher regions of poetry.

508. But the Book of Deuteronomy, on the contrary, almost from beginning to end, is one magnificent poem, or collection of poems, full of noble thoughts and glowing expressions, containing scarcely a single lengthy detail of a purely historical, artistic, or ceremonial, nature, but wholly devoted to enforcing, the paramount duties of morality and religion, in tones of earnest and impassioned eloquence, now with the most persuasive and touching tenderness, now with the most impressive and terrible denunciations.

509. Prof. RAWLINSON, indeed, writes, Aids to Faith, p.245:—

Considered as a literary work, the Pentateuch is not the production of an advanced or refined, but of a simple and rude, age. Its characteristics are plainness, inartificiality, absence of rhetorical ornament, and occasional defective arrangement.

We look in vain

through the Pentateuch for the gnomic wisdom
of Solomon, the eloquent denunciations of Ezekiel
or Jeremiah, or the lofty flights of Isaiah.
This, seems, indeed, to be a very strange
assertion. Surely, no one, after reading
the glorious rhetoric of D.xxviii or
D.xxxii, would hesitate for one moment
to pronounce either of these passages
to be one of the most eloquent de-
nunciations,' and one of the most 'lofty
flights' of prophetical, as well as of po-
etical, imagination, that can be found
within the whole compass of sacred
and profane literature. Most probably
Prof. RAWLINSON was not really think-
ing, when he wrote the above words,
of these chapters, or of the Book of

510. But it may, perhaps, be asked, 'Was not Moses himself capable of producing such a Book as this?' At the close of his long life, after so many awful communings with God,-—being now, as it were, in the very hour of his own dissolution, with his bodily eye, indeed, still undimmed, and his natural force unabated, D.xxxiv.7, but with his feet already standing on the verge of the eternal world, and his spirit's eyesight straining into the darkness that lay before him, is it wonderful that he should have felt the prophetical impulse seize him mightily, at such a time, with a power unknown before, and that he should have thus poured forth his dying utterances, of mingled laudation and reproof, encouragement and warning, blessing and cursing, in strains of unwonted force and eloquence?

511. Moses, too, it may be said, like Jacob of old, G.xlix. 1-27, may here have gathered up the manifold and wonderful experiences of his life, in this last burst of grand, heart-stirring, oratory. No longer now occupied with the things of time, the legends of hoar antiquity, the historical records of the events in the wilderness, the ritual of external worship, the requirements of the Camp and of the earthly Sanctuary,—we may well believe that he would have wished to have his last hours occupied, as here, with the enforcement of eternal realities, -of that worship in spirit and in truth, of which these earthly things are but the symbols,--so as to leave lingering in the ears and in the hearts of his people the echo of those words, which sum up

the whole substance of his previous | suddenly change his form of expression teaching,

ticular laws, E.xii. 49, L.vi.9,14,25, vii. 1, 7,11,37, xi.46, xii.7, xiii.59, xiv.2,32,54, 57, xv.32, N.v.29,30, vi. 13,21, xv.16, 29, xix.2,14, xxxi.21.

518. Also the Deuteronomist confines all sacrifices to one place, 'which Jehovah would choose, to put His Name there,' xii.5,11, 13,14,18,21,26,xiv. 23,24,25,xv. 20, xvi. 2,6,7,11,15,16, xvii.8,10, xviii.6, xxvi. 2,xxxi.11. Whereas the other four Books say nothing about this, but expressly imply the contrary,

'In all places, where I record my Name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.' E.xx.24.

521. Again, there are a number of sentiments or statements, repeated again and again by the Deuteronomist, which occur, most of them rarely, and many of them not at all, e.g. (v), (ix), (x),(xi),(xii),(xiv),(xv), in any of the other Books of the Pentateuch: viz.

(i) That Israel should possess the land of nations greater and mightier than itself, iv.38, vii.1, ix.1, xi,23; comp. i.28, vii.17, and also G.xviii.18,N.xiv.12;

(ii) That Jehovah had led them forty years' through the wilderness, viii.2,xxix.5; comp. i.31,ii.7;

(iii) That Jehovah is God and 'none else,' iv.35,39, xxxii.39; comp. vi.4; whereas in the other Books this truth is not thus stated in plain terms, but rather the preeminence and excellence of Jehovah above all other gods is magnified, as it is also in D.x.17;

(iv) That obedience will be blessed with long life, and the contrary, iv.1,40, v.16,33, vi.2, viii.1, xi.21, xvi.20, xxv.15, xxx.6,15-20, xxxii.47; comp. E.xx.12, xxiii.26, N.xiv.23, xxxii.11;

(v) That the statutes, &c., which Moses had taught them, were those which Jehovah they might do them in the land which Jehovah gave them,' iv.5,14, v.31, vi.1, xii.1;

had commanded him to teach them,' that

519. Further, the Deuteronomist, though he strictly enjoins the observance of the three Great Feasts and of the Passover,* xvi. 1-17, yet makes no mention whatever of the 'Feast of Trumpets,' L.xxiii.23–25, N.xxix.1-6, or the Day of Atonement,' L.xxiii.26-32, N.xxix.7-11, on each of which days it was expressly ordered that they should 'do no servile work,' that they should have a holy convocation,' and that they should 'offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah,' just exactly as at the three Great Feasts, and on the latter of which they were to afflict their souls by a statute for ever,' and it added mount in fire,' and in E.xxiv.17 that the 'Whatsoever soul it be, that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people; and whatsoever soul it be, that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I (Jehovah) destroy from among his people.' L.xxiii.29,30.

520. Let it be borne in mind that the directions in N.xxix are supposed to have been laid down by Jehovah Himself only a few weeks previously to this address of Moses. Yet here, while making, as he is represented to be doing, a final summary of their duties, as to the observance of their annual sacred seasons, he omits all mention of these two important days, upon which the same stress is laid in L.xxiii as on the three Great Feasts, and for the neglect of one of which the punishment of death by the stroke of Divine judgment is threatened.

*The 'Passover' is evidently distinguished from the Feast of Unleavened Bread,' (with which it was connected,) in L.xxiii.5,6, N.xxviii.16,17.

(vi) That they should teach their children about Jehovah's doings, &c., iv.9,10, vi.7,20,&c., xi.19; comp. E.xii. 26, xiii.8,14;

(vii) That Mount Sinai 'burned with fire,'

and Jehovah spake out of the midst of the fire,' iv.11,12,15,33,36, v.4,5,22,23,24,25,26, ix. 10,15, x.4, xviii.16, xxxiii.2; it is mentioned in E.xix.18 that Jehovah' descended on the

appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like Moses out of the midst of the cloud,' and not, as devouring fire;' but it is said, 'He called unto in Deuteronomy, out of the midst of the fire'

(viii) That Jehovah would inherit Israel,' iv.20, ix.26,29, xxxii.9; comp. E.xxxiv.9;

(ix) That they should not, when 'fat' and full with the good things of Canaan, corrupt themselves,' &c., iv.25, vi.10,&c., viii.10,&c., xi.15,&c., xxxi.20, xxxii.15,&c.;

(x) That idolatry in every form is specially abomination to Jehovah,' iv.25, xi.16, xxvii. 15, xxviii.36,64, xxix.17, xxx.17, xxxi.16,20,

xxxii.16,17;

(xi) That Jehovah is to be served with inward, spiritual worship, with all the heart, and with all the soul,' iv.29, vi.5, x.12, xi.13, xiii.4, xxvi.16, xxx.2,6,10;

(xii) That Jehovah had chastened' (instructed) them, as a father his child, iv.36, viii.5, xi.2;

38, ix.4,5, xi.23, xviii.12, cast out,' vi.19, vii. 1,22, ix.4, 'deliver,' vii.2,23, xxxi.5, 'destroy,' vii.23, viii.20, ix.3, xxxi.3, cut off,' xii.29, xix. 1, the nations before Israel; comp. E.xxiii. 23,27,30,31, xxxiv.11, L.xviii.24;

(xiii) That Jehovah 'would drive out,' iv.

(xiv) That Jehovah had brought out Israel by temptations, signs, wonders, &c.,' iv.34, vi.22, vii.19, xi.3, xxvi.8, xxix.2,3;

(xv) That Israel should hear and observe to do Jehovah's commands, that it might be

well with them,' and that they might be| L.xiv.34,34, xxv.10,13,24,25,27,28,32,33,33,34, multiplied, &c., vi.3, vii.13, viii.1, xiii.17, 41,45,46, xxvii. 16,21,22,24,28, N.xxvii.4,7, xxviii.63, xxx.16;

(xvi) That Israel should 'fear' Jehovah, vi.24, viii.6, xiv.23, xxviii.58; comp. L.xix. 14,32, xxv.17,36,43;

(xvii) That Israel should smite,' vii.2, 'exterminate,' vii.2, xx.17, 'devour, vii.16, 'destroy with a mighty destruction,' vii.23, 'drive out and destroy,' ix.3, leave nothing alive of,' xx.16, the nations of Canaan; comp. N.xxxiii.52,53;

(xviii) That the nations of Canaan would be likely to turn the Israelites to idolatrous practices, vii.4, xii.31, xx.18; comp. E.xxiii.32, 33, xxxiv.12-16;

(xix) That Israel is 'holy unto Jehovah,' above all nations upon earth, vii.6, x.15, xiv. 2,21, xxvi.19; comp. E.xix.6, L.xx.24,26;

(xx) That Jehovah would bless' them, if obedient, with plentiful supplies of food and all earthly blessings, vii.12-15, xi. 13-15,xxviii. 1-14; comp. E.xxiii.25, L.xxvi.4,5,10;

(xxi) That no man should stand' before Israel, vii.24, xi.25; comp. ix.2, E.xxiii.27; (xxii) That Jehovah would go before' them, and lead them into the promised land, ix.3, xxxi.3;

Xxxii.5,22,29,32, xxxv.2,8,28,-nowhere in Deuteronomy, except in xxxii.49, and this verse belongs to v.48-52, which is evidently a passage of the older narrative, (referring to the death of Moses, and corresponding to N.xx.22-29, where the death of Aaron is described in similar terms,) inserted in this place by the Deuteronomist.

Instead of akhuzzah, the Deut. always uses yěrushah, for 'possession,' ii.5,9,9,12,19,19, iii. 20,-which word is never used in the first four Books of the Pentateuch.

(ii) ish ish, 'every man,' lit. 'man, man,' E.xxxvi.4, L.xv.2, xvii.3,8,10, xviii.6, xx.2,9, xxii.4,18, xxiv. 15, N.i.4, iv.19,49, v.12, ix.10, -nowhere in Deuteronomy.

The Deut, always uses ish, only, i.16,41, iii. 20, xii,8,xvi. 17, xviii. 19,xix. 11,15,16,xxi.15,18, 22, xxii.13,22,25,26,28, xxiii.10, xxiv. 1,5,7,16.

(iii) gavah, die,' G.vi.17, vii.21, xxv.8,17, xxxv.29, xlix.33, N.xvii.12,13, xx.3,29,-nowhere in Deuteronomy.

(iv) matteh, tribe,' 96 times in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers,-nowhere in Deuteronomy.

The Deut. always uses shevet, for 'tribe,' ex-i.13,15,15,23, iii. 13, v.23, x.8, xii.5,14, xvi.18, xviii. 1,5, xxix.8,10,18,21, xxxi.28,xxxiii.5.

(xxiii) That great impression may be pected to be made by capital punishments, xiii.12, xvii.13, xix.20, xxi.21.

CHAPTER II.

CHARACTERISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF THE

BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY.

522. BESIDES the above phenomena, there is a mass of evidence of a similar

kind, but still more satisfactory and con. vincing, from which it will appear that the language of Deuteronomy differs so remarkably from that of the other Books of the Pentateuch, that it cannot be believed that so great a change, as is implied by this difference, can have passed over the mind of Moses, or any other writer, in the course of a few days or weeks. We shall find, for instance, several expressions, which occur frequently and familiarly throughout the other four Books, but which never occur at all in Deuteronomy. And, on the other hand, we shall find a multitude of other words and turns of expression, which are used freely by the Deuteronomist, and were evidently favourites with him, but which never appear in the other four Books of the Pentateuch.

523. Expressions used freely in the first four Books of the Pentateuch, but never occurring in Deuteronomy.

(i) ǎkhuzzah, 'possession, G.xvii.8,xxiii. 4,9,20, xxxvi.43, xlvii.11, xlviii.4, xlix.30, 1.13,

(v) in the bone of this day,'' on the selfsame day,' G.vii.13, xvii.23,26, E.xii.17,41,51, L.xxiii. 14,21,28,29,30,— nowhere in Deuteronomy, except xxxii.48, as above (i).

(vi)' gathered to his people' die. G.xxv.8, 17, xxxv.29, xlix.29,33, N.xx.24,26, xxvii.13, 13, xxxi.2,-nowhere in Deuteronomy, except xxxii.50, as above (i).

(vii) That soul shall be cut off' from

Israel, from his people, G.xvii.14, E.xii. 15,19,

xxx.33,38, xxxi.14, L.vii. 20,21,25,27, xvii.4,9, xviii. 29, xix.8, xx.17,18, xxii.3, xxiii. 29, N.ix.13, xv.30, xix.13,20,-nowhere in Deuteronomy.

The Deut. says always that man shall die' or shall be stoned with stones,' and 'thou shalt put away (lit. burn up') the evil from the midst of you,' xiii.5, xvii.7,12, xix.13,19, xxi.9,21, xxii. 21,22,24, xxiv.7.

(viii) khok or khukkah, ordinance,' in the singular, E.xv.25,xxx.21, L.vi.11,15, vii.34, x.15, N.xviii.8,11,19, -nowhere in Deuteronomy. 4, xvi.35, L.xiv.34, xviii.3, xxv.38, N.xiii.2,17, xxvi.19, xxxii.30,32, xxxiii.40,51, xxxiv.2,2, 29, xxxv.10,14,-nowhere in Deuteronomy, except xxxii.49, as above (i).

(ix) land of Canaan,' G. (35 times), E.vi,

The Deut. uses twice the expression 'land of the Canaanites,' i.7, xi.30; but he generally uses some periphrasis, such as the 'land which Jehovah sware unto your fathers,' 1.8.35, vi.10,18,23, viii. 1, &c., the 'good land,' iii.25, iv.21,22, vi.18, viii.7,10, &c., the 'land which Jehovah giveth thee,' iv.1,21, v.31, &c., the land whither ye go over to possess it,' iv.5, 14,26, vi.1, vii.1, &c., the 'land that floweth with milk and honey,' vi.3, xi.9, xxvi.15, &c.

(x) par, bullock,' occurs 9 times in Exodus,

29 times in Leviticus, 52 times in Numbers,—

nowhere in Deuteronomy.

The Deut. always uses shor, for 'bullock,' v.14,21, xiv. 4, xv. 19, xvii. 1, xviii.3, xxii. 1,4,10, xxv.4, xxviii.31, xxxiii.17.