Q: In Dt 1-34, what is the main point of this book?

A: The book of Deuteronomy is one of the four most often quoted books in the New Testament. It is the last of the five books of the law, called the Torah. It was specifically commanded for Kings to read (and re-read) this book in Deuteronomy 17:14. The English word Deuteronomy comes from the Greek meaning "second law", or "repetition of the law". However, it is not a second law but a restatement and partial summary of laws of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Focused on non-Levites, especially to remember before going into the Promised Land. It is not a complete summary, for example, not going into much detail on the individual social laws, circumcision, etc. Rather Moses was burdened by God to give these speeches for what they needed to focus on as they were about to enter the promised land; for example, repeating the Ten Commandments and other laws, having cities of refuge, and having only one center for the sacrifices. The center shifted from Mt. Ebal  in Deuteronomy 27:1-8; Joshua 8:30-35, Shechem in Joshua 24:1-28, Shiloh Joshua 18:1 and Judges 21:19, then Jerusalem.

   Deuteronomy was given by God through a man whom God told would die soon without entering the Promised Land. In the many years of their sojourn, about to come to an end, Moses in his farewell work is essentially saying, as you encounter material blessings, as well as pagan influence,  "especially remember these things".

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.214 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.6 p.231 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1-34, what are some key phrases of this book?

A: of Deuteronomy include "the Lord your God" 280 times, "take possession" 18 times, "the land" 200 times, and "do not be afraid" 9 times.

Q: In Dt 1-34, why should we study this book?

A: There are at least four reasons. First, all scripture (not just some) is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness according to 2 Timothy 3:16. Second, as the table below shows, Deuteronomy was often on the mind of Jesus and New Testament writers. When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, He answered Satan all three times from Deuteronomy. Third, we need a balanced view of God; His grace, His wrath, and His mysterious and majestic awe. Fourth, we can specifically learn things about how intentional and organized God wants us to be in our pursuit of godliness. We can also be reminded about the importance of community responsibility, witness to our neighbors, materialism, effective leadership despite the drain of constant complaints, and teaching the next generation.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.19-25 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1-34, what is an outline of this book?

A: Scholars including Kenneth A Kitchen have found a number of similarities between the organization of Deuteronomy and Hittite political suzerainty treaties of the second millennium B.C. Peter Craigie also noted some similarities with Egyptian labor contracts too.

Most of Deuteronomy is structured around three long speeches by Moses.

1-4 The first speech: Prolog

. 1:1-5 Preamble

. 1:6-3:29 Historical introduction

. 4:1-40 Basic stipulations

5:1-11:32 The second speech: Terms and conditions of the covenant

12:1-26:29 Application

27-30 The third speech

. 28:1-14 Benefits/blessings of keeping the treaty

. 28:15-38 Punishment/curses of breaking it

. 29:1-30:30 Recap

31-34 Final remarks

Suzerainty treaties would frequently discuss the love of the vassal for the master. There was one big difference between Hittite suzerainty treaties and the structure of Deuteronomy though. Suzerainty treaties typically called on many gods to bear witness to the treaty, and there is none of that in Deuteronomy.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.15-16,67, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.4-7, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.3 p.271-274, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.214 for more info.

Q: Where is Deuteronomy quoted or alluded to in the New Testament?

A: It is referenced in many places.

Q: In Dt 1:1, how long were the Israelites supposed to be in the wilderness?

A: Deuteronomy 1:2 reminds us that the journey to southwest Canaan would take about eleven days. However, since they disobey following God into the land after the bad report of ten out of the twelve spies, it had been 38 to 40 years. The Israelites were disciplined, but not abandoned. But discipline is not forever. You can respond to discipline by making it a time of special devotion.

   Raymond Brown says, "The beaten and dejected rebels were driven back into the bleak wilderness. A grim collection of closely related sins – forgetfulness, disobedience, perversity, and presumption – had robbed them of better things. It all might have been so different. ... During the years that followed many hundreds of those sad unbelievers were carried to their graves. Every funeral was a renewed testimony to the seriousness of sin. Yet their bitter defeat by the Amorites became a fading memory. Gradually, a new day began to dawn. It was time to begin again."

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.45 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.19 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:6,9,14; Dt 15:2,5; Dt 11:2,7, why did Moses tell the people they were witnesses of what happened before the 40 years wandering, since Num 14:29-30 and Num 26:64-65 say all would die in the wilderness?

A: Four points to consider in the answer.

For an estimated seven years, the people were in the wilderness before the curse of 40 years wandering was given.

Numbers 26:64-65 said only all those counted in the army census were not alive before.

Number 14:29-30 promised only that the men counted in the previous census would all die before reaching the promised land, except for Joshua and Caleb.

Thus, excluded from the curse were all the men under 20 (which were not counted in the census), the Levite men of all ages, and all the women. Many of these would be alive as personal witnesses of the previous events. People born after the 40 years started would only be second-hand witnesses, learning from their parents and the community.

   See When Critics Ask p.113-114 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.357-358 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:6-18, what characteristics can we see in Moses' leadership?

A: Moses showed at least six characteristics.

Submissive – Moses' life went through many varied seasons: from court favorite, to outlaw, to bold deliverer, to overburdened judge, to mysterious miracle worker. But the one constant was Moses' submission to God.

Realistic – Moses was realistic about himself and realistic about others. Moses realized his shortcomings, and that he could not bear the burden alone. So, he did not just beat his head against the wall trying to mitigate his failure of not being able to do everything. Rather, Moses did something about it, and found people to help. Moses could not lead people from where he would have liked them to be, rather, moses had to lead the people from where they were.

God Confident – Moses was a very confident person, but he was not confident in himself, especially his speaking and leadership abilities. But Moses was confident in God's abilities and that God would use him, despite whatever he lacked.

Sacrificial – Moses had followers who were far from ideal. Instead of teamwork and harmony, Moses continually had to deal with grumbling and disputes. Except for a brief moment at Meribah, Moses never gave up on them. Moses was not just a leader in a vacuum, he was a leader for them.

Shared – Moses delegate many day-to-day decisions to seventy elders. He did not just delegate to them something to do, but he delegate responsibilities to act justly and wisely.

Vulnerable – Moses mentioned three failings leaders need to watch out for favoritism, fear, and loneliness.

   See  Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.29-37 for a really in depth discussion.

Q: In Dt 1:8-12, is the "I" that is speaking here Moses, or God?

A: In Deuteronomy 1:6 Moses related "This is what God said", so the "I" in verse 8 is God. When Moses finished repeating what God said at the end of verse 8, from verse 9 and onward the "I" refers to Moses.

Q: In Dt 1:8. Since the Israelites would possess the land, why were they later exiled under the Assyrians and Babylonians?

A: They did go and possess the land. However, through their disobedience, the did not keep what they possessed and lost it for 70 years. Deuteronomy 4:25-31; 28:20-28; 29:22-28; 30:1-10; 32:23-43 all warned that this might happen. God can give us promises and blessings too, but if we never take possession of them, we might not have them. However, God giving them the land did not mean they could do whatever they wanted, and still live in the land. They (and we) can also lose them though disobedience.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.22,28 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.66 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:13,16, did the people choose their own judges, or did Moses appoint them in Ex 18:25?

A: An analogy might help here. Does the President of the United States nominate people to cabinet positions, or does the Senate confirm them?

   Both are true. In the Bible, the people brought forward people to be their judges, and Moses choose those men. Moses may have chosen everyone that was brought forward, but He did not necessarily do so. See When Critics Ask p.114-115 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.350-351 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:22-23, why did the followers of an All-Knowing God need to send spies throughout the land?

A: There are two distinct points to consider in the answer.

1. Moses probably thought this was a good idea, because God lets us learn many things on our own. They could spy out Canaan to know the best way to enter, and the relative strength of their armed forces.

2. However, God never commanded them to send out the spies. The people approached Moses with this suggestion, and Moses just thought it was good in verse 23. However, it turned out to be a catastrophe, because when they saw some difficulties they lost faith. They did not lose faith that God was there, rather they lost faith that God would protect them.

   There are two key lessons here for Christians today. First, analyzing a situation is in general a good thing. However, if one purpose of the analysis is to decide whether or not to trust in God, or whether or not to obey God, the analysis itself is evil because it springs from evil motives.

   The second key lesson has to do with leadership. Moses did not have any bad motives here, and he was probably unaware that a hidden motive for some of the people asking to send spies was to decide if they wanted to obey or not. When someone asks us for a strange request that appears harmless, instead of impulsively granting or denying it, it is better to first understand why.

Q: In Dt 1:26-43, since God wanted the Israelites to go to Canaan immediately, and after they first refused, why was God angry with them when they decided to go?

A: Romans 14:23 explicitly states the principle illustrated in Deuteronomy 1:26-43: "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." At first the Israelites refused to go due to a lack of trust in God. Later, they decided to go because they trusted in themselves. God was not as concerned with their going or not at a specific time, as their obedience to Him.

   If you had difficulty with this question before reading the answer, you might want to remember the following. Some people focus on the things to do, or not do, to be right with God. This is missing the point. God wants us not just to try to obey Him at a distance, but to call on Him and draw near to God and obey Him. Read Romans 14 for some examples that you can only understand if you understand this principle.

Q: In Dt 1:27, what did this say about the Israelites?

A: Their fears caused them to misunderstand, despite them seeing evidence to the contrary. They forgot the miraculous ways God saved them in the past, with the Red Sea, manna, and quail. Even in the future, God would send large stones on the southern Canaanites. They thought the God who helped them cross the Red Sea could not save them from the Amorites. They that that God hated them and would destroy them when God was giving them a new challenge. They thought that God's command's had a greater scope than His grace and power. They only saw the short term, and what they could accomplish themselves, not what God could do.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.27 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:28, Dt 2:10, Dt 9:2, who are the sons of Anak (Anakim), Emites, and Rephaites?

A: The Anakites were descendants of a man named Anak. The Anakites were a tribe whose men were fearsome warriors, probably because of their size and strength. Since bows were not that powerful back then, and a long reach and strength were valuable fighting qualities for people who fought with swords and clubs, these three related clans produced many feared warriors. See the discussion on Deuteronomy 31:3 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:34-46 and Dt 1:2, how do people respond after they blew a great opportunity that God gave them?

A: They can respond by starting to obey again. This might be difficult to accomplish that would have been much easier, but God still wants us to accomplish those things. On the other hand, someone could rebel completely and never return. In a sense they are made at themselves, not God.

   See  Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.42-43 for more info.

Q: In Dt 1:39, what is meant by the knowledge of God and the age of accountability?

A: The age of accountability is a concept that children reach an age before which they are accountable before God for their choices. No verse indicates that this age is the same for every child. Three of the principles of God's justice are demonstrated in this passage.

1. God judges based on what people know, and little children who do not choose what is right, out of ignorance, are not judged for that. Sin is not counted where there is no law (Romans 4:15; 5:12).

2. God does not judge people for what they could not choose. A woman raped in the countryside, where her screams could not be heard, was not punished for sexual sin (Deuteronomy 22:25-27). Likewise, even teenagers who understood right from wrong, but had no voice in the assembly or its decision, did not fall under the punishment of dying in the wilderness.

3. Nevertheless, in this life people often suffer the consequence of the evil others did. The children still had to live in the wilderness for 40 years. However, God will make everything just on judgment day.

Q: In Dt 1:30-46, why were the Israelites wrong to belatedly obey God and fight the Amorites?

A: The root issue, in the mind most Israelites, was whether to fight the Amorites or not. They were wrong. They root issue was whether to obey God or not. They were outcome-based, not obedience-based. When God said they could no longer go fight the Amorites now, their disobedience now was no different from when they refused to go before.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.28 for more info.

Q: In Dt 2:4-8, why were the Israelites unable to defeat the Edomites, since the Israelites were so much stronger?

A: The Israelites never fought them, and you do not defeat a weaker nation when you refuse to fight them. Nowhere does it say that were incapable of defeating the Edomites. Rather, God commanded them not to fight the Edomites, and they obeyed.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.265, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.31, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.112, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.292,294, and https://www.thetorah.com/article/ar-moab for more info.

Q: In Dt 2:4-7, why did God tell the Israelites they are about to pass through Edom, since Num 20:14-21 and Dt 2:8 shows they never did? Did God not know that in advance?

A: Three points to consider in the answer.

1. God knows everything that is going to happen to us (Psalm 139:16, Isaiah 46:10; 41:22-23; 42:9; 44:7, 1 John 3:20)

2. God told Moses to give the Israelites these orders. A common route through the center of Moab was called the King's Highway, and it could have been easiest to travel on this route.

3. They were "about" to pass through the interior of Edom, and they would have passed through if the Edomites had let them. But since they would not let them, they only passed through the outer edge of Edom.

   Also, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.265 says that today this land only has about five inches of rainfall per year (though probably a bit more back then.) The Edomites might have been concerned that this numerous people would use up all the water.

   As Gleason Archer pointed out in the next question, a different answer is that they were probably in Edom when they made their request of the Edomites, and passed through the outskirts of Edom, so actually they passed through Edom after all.

Q: In Dt 2:4-7 and Num 20:14-21, did the Israelites go around Edom, or through Edom as Dt 2:4-7 says?

A: Deuteronomy 2:4-7 never said they passed through Edom. Rather, prior to their reaching the border of Edom, the Israelites were told they were about to pass through Edom, and make sure not to provoke the Edomites to war.

   Both Numbers 20 shows the Edomites would not let them go through Edom, and the Edomites mobilized their army. So, the Israelites did not take the common route, called the King's Highway, and passed around Edom.

   Sometimes people can be about to do something, and when an army comes against them, the people decide to do something else instead. See also the next question

   Gleason Archer gives a different answer. If you follow their journey, they likely were in Edom when they were discussing things with the Edomites. Then they passed along the (unmarked) border of Edom, so in a sense they still did pass through, though not by the easier route they would have wanted to pass. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.138-139 and Bible Difficulties & Seeming Contradictions p.157 for more info on this answer and When Critics Ask p.106-107 for more on both answers.

Q: In Dt 2:4-19 and Num20:14-21, how do you handle it when you have to take a detour to do what you should be doing, solely because of the obstinacy of others?

A: When God gives you a work to do, do you think that demons or others will never throw up opposition? Sometimes God gives us something to do, and we have to take a detour, but that does not mean to give up but to have the perseverance to do it. When you have a detour, you should handle it with grace, without getting angry, and without any hatred or thoughts of getting them back. You don't need to show them anything. But God has laid out how you will live your life of serving Him, and undoubtedly God has taken this into account too.

Q: In Dt 2:7, did the Israelites lack nothing, or were the conditions bad enough to grumble about as in Ex 16:2-3 and Num 11:4-6?

A: The conditions were tolerable, in that the people had enough food, water, and clothing. However, just like today, whether or not a situation is worth grumbling about depends on the grumbler as much as the situation. For believers, Paul commanded in Philippians 2:14 that we are to do everything without complaining or arguing.

Q: In Dt 2:9-12,22,37, why did the Israelites not conquer the Moabites and Ammonites?

A: For the simple reason that God commanded the Israelites not to fight them. Likely reasons God commanded this are that the Moabites and Ammonites were related to the Israelites, the Israelites were to be focused on the Canaanites, and no use having even a single warrior die in a fight over land that they were not told to take over anyway.

   As an aside, Ar in Moab was not a city (at least at this time) but rather a "settled region" (Numbers 21:14) where there were multiple streams.

   See https://www.thetorah.com/article/ar-moab for more info. The Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.293 has the view that the town of Ar existed too, but that this refers to the region.

Q: In Dt 2:10-12, how was Canaan the "land of their possession", since they had not entered it yet?

A: The land west of the Jordan River was promised as their possession. In addition, Deuteronomy was probably written last, and the 2 1/2 tribes had already taken possession of the land east of the Jordan River.

See When Critics Ask p.115-117 for more info and some interesting contrasts between the view of those who hold to the authority of Scripture versus the critical view of Christian liberals. (The term "Christian liberal" by the way, refers to religious views and not to politics.)

Q: In Dt 2:19, did God not give the Ammonite land to the Israelites, or did Moses give it to them in Joshua 13:25?

A: Both are true. The Ammonites had parts of their kingdom, the ancestral part, and the part they got from conquest. Prior to both verses, the Israelites occupied the second part. Thus, Deuteronomy 2:19 was specifically written to tell the Israelites not to take over the land which the Ammonites currently, and originally, possessed.

   In addition to this, the land on the eastern bank of the Jordan River was not a part of Canaan. The Israelites conquered it and occupied it, but God did not promise it to them. Sometimes today, we can acquire things God does not want us to have, to our later regret. See When Critics Ask p.117 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.365-366 for more info.

Q: In Dt 2:30, why did the Lord harden the heart of Sihon, King of Heshbon?

A: Probably for a similar reason that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Sihon's heart was already hardened against God and His people, and God hardened it even further. Someone once compared God's influence to sunlight. Sunlight softens wax but hardens clay, even though it is the same sunlight.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.212, the New International Bible Commentary p.261, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.295-196, and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.34 for more info.

Q: In Dt 2:31, Num 21:23-26, why did the people have to fight Sihon and have some die, even though God had said He had already given them possession of the land?

A: God gave them the destiny to conquer it and the right to conquer it, but they still had to do the actual work. God might give us some blessing today, but if we are not willing to also work to possess it, we won't get it.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.212-213 for more info.

Q: In Dt 3:11, what was the "bed" of King Og of Bashan and how long was it?

A: This was about 13 to 13 1/2 feet long. The Hebrew word for "bed" here is ambiguous. It could refer to the bed where he spent the night, or it could be the "grave bed", (really sarcophagus or tomb), where his body would rest. Other sarcophagi have been found, as far as Phoenicia that were this size.

   As an aside, Bashan was north of where they needed to go to enter the Promised Land. However, they would not want to send almost all their troops across the Jordan River, and then have a hostile kingdom north of them ravaging their families, flocks, and herds. So Bashan probably would not have been conquered if they had gotten over their desire to fight the Israelites out of fear and been peaceful towards them after Moses sent a peace delegation to them in Numbers 21:21-22.

   The Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.302 and 303 footnote, thinks this is an ordinary bed, not a sarcophagus.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.261, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.49, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.113, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.267, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.295 for more info.

Q: In Dt 3:11, how could King Og's bed be iron, since they did not have sophisticated iron-working technology?

A: According to The New Geneva Study Bible (p.245), this does not necessarily mean the entire bed was made out of iron (that would be rather uncomfortable). Instead, the bed was trimmed with iron. Egyptians used iron from meteorites as ornaments and daggers since at least 3000 B.C. But even though they had some iron from meteorites, it was very hard for them to purify iron ore because you have to have a smelting fire much hotter than bronze or brass.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.46,47 for more info.

Q: In Dt 3:12-17, why did the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh live on the east side of the Jordan, since the people were to live in Canaan?

A: Simply because they chose to live there. Scripture records their choice without approving it. History shows that their choice was not a wise one. It had little rainfall but it was good cattle country.

   Sometimes today, if believers want to do something that is not openly defiant, but is not completely what God wanted us to do, God allows us the freedom to make our unwise choice, and often to see its consequences.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.268 for more info.

Q: In Dt 3:21-22,28 how did Moses prepare the transfer of leadership?

A: Effective leaders can have a reluctance to pass off their ministry to others when they get older; but they need to do it anyway. While this was probably unpleasant to Moses, knowing that he was going to die soon, he started this sooner rather than procrastinating. Moses did not start here; he started a long time ago in training Joshua. It was gradual, expected, and was not a big shock to the organization when it occurred. Christian ministries have sometimes struggled due to a poor job of transfer of leadership. But God reminded Moses to continue to train Joshua in Deuteronomy 3:21-22,28.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.213, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.268, and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.59 for more info.

Q: In Dt 3:23-25, what are some characteristics of Moses' prayer?

A: Moses starts with verse 23, which shows that Moses is more interested in exalting God's name than in making a request for himself. Moses is asking God to relent and allow Moses to enter the promised land in verses 24-25. Moses' entire life, for the last 40 years, was getting the people to the Promised Land, and he was asking God that he could see the number one dream in his life fulfilled. God said no; it would happen, but Moses would not see it while on the earth.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.60 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:1-4,40, how does Israel's experience with the land mirror what God does in our lives?

A: God gave, but they had to possess, and they should want to prolong. God gave Israel the land as a special gift; they did not work for God to give them this promise. Within what God had given them, they could grow, prosper, and (hopefully) be a light for other nations. But they still had to work hard to possess it. But as Deuteronomy 4:43 shows, some could fail to go in because of their wickedness. Their wickedness was instigated by others (Moabites and Midianites in Numbers 22,26), but they were still responsible for choosing to follow along. As the Exile shows, once in the land, God could cast them out for turning their backs on Him. Deuteronomy 4:40 emphasizes that their staying in the land was not a given; they should want to prolong their days in the land by following God's commandments.

   God has given each of us one or more gifts as a "possession". It might be the ability to make money, to physically help people due to your good health, relationships, skills and experience, or some area that God has provided, a "privileged opportunity", or "sphere of excellence", where when you stay there, you will greatly prosper and be able to bless others. But it is not a given that you will stay there. If you turn your back on God He can cast you out. You can also leave your "sphere of excellence" by apathy, love of the world, or being too busy doing inconsequential things.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.66 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:2, does the command not to add to the word God gave, mean there should be no books in the Bible after Deuteronomy?

A: Not at all. The verse is specifically a restriction on the people not to add or subtract from the commands in the Book of Deuteronomy. It is not a restriction on God not to send further revelation. In general, restrictions God gives in the Bible do not restrict God.

Q: In Dt 4:9, what was it that Moses wanted them to take special pains to "take heed"?

A: Moses seemed quite "desperate" that they remember. Apparently God had told Moses some about the future in Deuteronomy 4:27-30. Deuteronomy 4:9-40 answers the question on what Moses wanted them to remember. To summary there are four parts.

Verses 8,23 on: Take heed to learn, remember, and teach the law's stipulations and promises , both positive and negative.

Verses 6,23 on: Take heed to obey the law and not make any images or do other things to break the law.

Verses 7,9,33 on: Take head to learn, remember, and teach the wondrous works of God among the people.

Verses 9,25: Take heed to teach them to both your children and grandchildren.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.43 and the New International Bible Commentary p.262 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:9,25; 6:2 how do you teach your grandchildren God's way, even if you don't live with them all the time?

A: Ideally you have taught your children well, and they married well, meaning they married believers, they will teach too. You can reinforce that teaching and be a good example in what you do and say, and be an example of confession admitting when you did wrong.

But sometimes children of Christians turn away from the Lord, or marry a spouse that does not know the Lord. Then it is more challenging. If the parents are amenable, take the grandkids to church, Vacation Bible School, Christmas programs, and other planned activities. Also share with them what Christ means to you during unplanned time. When you make decisions based on what pleases God, share with your grandkids what your options were and why you made the choice you did.

Q: In Dt 4:10-15, did God give Moses the Ten Commandments in Horeb at the Mountain, or at Mt. Sinai as Ex 19:11 says?

A: There are two alternative answers.

Synonyms: The New Bible Dictionary (1978) p.1194 says that the two names were used interchangeably, similar to Moses' father-in-law being named both Jethro and Reul. Multiple names are very common in places where there are multiple languages and cultures. In Alaska there is Mount Denali, which used to be called Mount McKinley. The Believer's Bible Commentary p.205 implies this.

Region: Horeb might include more than just Mt. Sinai. It might be the name for the region or plateau, not just the peak.

   See When Critics Ask p.117 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.376 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:12,16 (KJV), what is a similitude?

A: The King James Version expression, in this context, was a translation of "physical form".

Q: In Dt 4:12, did the people not see God's form, or did Moses see God's form in Num 4:12?

A: Both. Moses was privileged to see the form of God, probably a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. The people did not see any form. This is similar to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus hearing the voice of Jesus while his companions only heard a sound.

   See Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.76 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:13, why were there two stone tables?

A: While some think five commandments could be written on each one, there would have been no difficulty putting all that text on one table. A more likely answer is that in Suzerainty treaties in Moses' time, there were also two copies made of the Treaty: one copy for each party. So one copy was put inside the ark, where no one would see it again, and one copy was on display.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.270 and the New International Bible Commentary p.262 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:16-18, did this command prohibit all artwork of people or animals?

A: Obviously not, because there were statues of cherubim over the ark in Exodus 37:8-9. Moses also was commanded to make a bronze snake in Numbers 21:4-9. In Solomon's temple, there were also cherubim in 1 Kings 6:23-27. Many other pictures of cherubim were carved in the Temple in 1 Kings 6:39,32,35.

   What is prohibited is the use of images as objects of worship in two ways. They were prohibited from worshipping a pagan deity using an image, and they were also prohibited from worshipping the true God using an image. Pagans both worshipped the statues themselves and worshipped pagan gods through the image of their statues.

Q: In Dt 4:20, why was Egypt a "furnace"?

A: It was a furnace in at least three different ways.

1. Egypt was a dry, hot place; hotter than Palestine.

2. Furnaces can consume, burn, and destroy perishable things.

3. Furnaces are useful to refine metals and remove the dross.

Some experiences today are like furnaces. The same experience can destroy one person, and refine another person, purifying the "gold" in the person's heart.

Q: In Dt 4:20, why was Egypt like an "iron" furnace, since 1447 B.C. is pre-Iron age, and they did not have any furnaces made out of iron?

A: Archaeology shows that Egypt had iron implements since 3000 B.C.. However, iron was difficult to work with and very expensive, because iron required a higher temperature than bronze or copper. This verse does not refer to a furnace composed of iron, but rather a furnace built for smelting iron.

Q: In Dt 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Ex 20:5; 34:14; Josh 24:19; Nah 1:2, how is God a jealous God?

A: God emphasized this exclusive demand of God's holy love, as it is a common phrase in scripture. As a husband or wife insists on faithfulness to the marriage covenant, God insists on exclusive worship from us. God lovingly created us, takes care of us, and will be with His children forever. It is like a slap in God's face to turn from Him and worship someone or something else. God does not want any worship of status, or other images. God does not want worship of anything else, even it is not with a physical image. Finally, God does not want us to worship any pictures or images even if they are claimed to be of Him. You have to understand this before you can understand why idolatry was such a big deal to God, even if they worshipped the true God also.

   But it was hard for them to give them up. As Martin Luther said, "If a man will not have God, then he must have his idols." Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.69.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.262, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.215, and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.46 for more info.

Q: Since Dt 4:25-26 said they would utterly perish if they worshipped idols, and they worshipped idols, why did they not utterly perish?

A: You can find the answer by reading the very next verse: Deuteronomy 4:27. God would destroy the Jews as a people, and scatter them among the nations. However, the word for "destroy" here does not mean utterly destroy. Deuteronomy 4:28-29 qualifies verses 25-27 by saying that if they then seek the Lord, that those who did, would return.

   Observing the Jews from a cultural perspective, there was one huge difference between the Jews before they went to Babylon, and after they returned from Babylon. Ever since they returned from Babylon, for all their faults, they no longer succumbed to the temptation to worship idols. If nothing else will work, sometimes it takes a catastrophic event to cure a person or a people of a sin.

Q: In Dt 4:41, 19:1-13, and Num 35:10-34; , why did Moses set apart three cities?

A: They especially set apart these three cities as cities of refuge, where someone who accidentally killed another could flee. They would be safe from a blood avenger only inside the city. But when the high priest died, then they could safely return home.

   See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.114 for more info.

Q: In Dt 4:41, does the literal expression in Hebrew "toward the sun rising" mean the sun goes around the earth?

A: No. Even the most knowledgeable of astronomers today speak of sunrise and sunset. The fact that God used a colloquial expression does not validate a scientific view any more than a scientist today is kicked out of his field for saying he enjoys sunsets.

   For a verse in the Bible to either agree or disagree with a scientific view, the verse needs to be asserting as fact something about our world, like some verses in Genesis do.

Q: In Dt 5:1, what is the importance of "observing" the laws?

A: "Observing" means obeying by doing. Let me illustrate with an example. I know the rules of basketball quite well, but I was going to study to know them even better. Then I was thinking of trying out to play for the Dallas Mavericks. I am sure they would take me due to my great knowledge of the game. Will they take me? Or do they want someone who can "perform" by making backets, passing well, guarding and blocking shots, and rebounding. The rules can be taught, but only some people can perform. Likewise, any Israelite could grow up knowing the law, but God required them to perform. Granted a person has to know the law to obey it, but nowhere does the Old Testament promise any benefit to any who knew the law but did not obey.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.215-216 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:1-30, is the use of the second pronoun in this chapter "you" singular or "you" plural?

A: The singular and plural forms seem to be mixed indiscriminately in this chapter. Kenneth A. Kitchen (AOOT p.129) has found that this is common in Semitic documents. We can see from this that the laws are applicable not just to individuals, but also the people as a whole.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.262 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:2-3, who are the "fathers" here?

A: People have different views.

It could not be the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, despite what Calvin taught.

God made a covenant with the previous generation, now almost died off, as Augustine taught.

But before this, God made a covenant with patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.329

Q: In Dt 5:3 why does it say God did not, make a covenant with their fathers, when the Dt 5:2 says that God did?

A: Moses, in his role as God's prophet, is making a point here. It has been summed up as "God has no grandchildren".

God did make a covenant, with Abraham, Isaac, and their ancestors in the past. But that will not help them now. Reaffirming the covenant is serious business; they are making a covenant with God themselves. It can be Either you have made a covenant with God, or you have not. But your parents making a covenant with God is no help at all to you, if you don't make a covenant yourself. You are either a child of God or not. Ezekiel 18 gives a more detailed explanation of this point.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.216 and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.115 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:6-10, why are the first two commandments the first?

A: The Ten Commandments did not begin with the prohibitions, but rather on who God is. Jesus said that loving the Lord your God with all your heart, min, soul, and strength was the greatest commandment, and these first two commandments focused on that. They are also the foundation for all else. If you are not loyal to God, then they others do not matter so much. You can be disloyal by going after something else you think is a god, or else having an image, that you know is not a god itself, draws you away from the True,  invisible God.

   By the way, Roman Catholic teaching has a different ordering of the Ten Commandments than Protestants and Jews. Some Roman Catholic teaching considers Deuteronomy 5:6-10 as all just one commandment, and they split the last commandment, on coveting into two. From around 500 to 700 A.D., when the Orthodox Catholic church tried to come up with lists of sins, both mortal and venial, the one sin that fell off their radar was image worship.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.62 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:6-21, why was this just a paraphrase of Ex 20:2-17, which was the exact words of God?

A: The short answer is that Deuteronomy 5:6-21 records a reminder to the people and Moses paraphrased here. This is probably deliberately this way to demonstrate to us that it is the meaning that matters, not the exact words.

   The long answer shows the differences and gives four points to consider in the answer.

Differences in Exodus vs. Deuteronomy

Remember (20:8) vs. Observe ... as the Lord God has commanded you (5:12)

Nor your animals (20:10) vs. nor you ox, your donkey or any of your animals (5:13)

[absent] (20:10) vs. (5:14) add so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do."

All of 20:11 vs. all of 5:15

[absent] (20:12) vs. as the LORD your God has commanded you... and that it may go well with you (5:16)

house ... wife (20:17) vs. wife ... house or land" (5:21)

Same commands: There are no differences at all in what was to be obeyed.

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 may be exact too: Deuteronomy might also be exact words. It might be the exact words of the paraphrase of Moses. However, there is no problem if it were not Moses' exact words. The ancient concept of quoting included both exact quotes and what we call paraphrases.

What we can learn: It is the meaning that God wanted people to remember more than the exact words.

  See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.146-147, When Critics Ask p.119, and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.172-173 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:9, since God visits iniquity down to the third and fourth generation of those that hate God, is God just?

A: The Bible teaches that all God's ways are just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 99:4), but before we can understand what justice is, we have to define four terms.

Justice: God gives the rewards for righteous deed that He promised, and God gives the punishment for disobedience to Him as He promised. God's justice is not some mysterious, incomprehensible thing, but is described in His word, the Bible.

Equitable: Equitable means both that everyone is treated exactly the same, and that God would always treat everyone exactly the same. God is not equitable, nor does God claim to be in the Bible, as Matthew 20:1-16, Deuteronomy 5:9, Romans 9:10-18, and other verses show. John 19:11 and 2 Peter 2:21 shows that those who have more knowledge are judged more strictly. This implicitly shows that everyone is not given the same amount of knowledge, which is inequitable. God is still just though, and God takes this into account (Romans 4:15; 5:12). Many humans have very different concepts of justice, and if your opinion on justice does not permit any inequitableness, remember that God has only promised to be just by His definition of justice, as shown in the Bible, and not by any particular human definition.

Guilt/Liability: Guilt can be a human emotion, but that is not the type of guilt discussed here. Here guilt is liability, by the demands of God's justice, to be under the wrath of God. There is greater and lesser guilt (John 19:11). Each person is guilty for his own sin; we are not liable for the sins of our ancestors (Ezekiel 18; Deuteronomy 24:16), and we do not share the guilt of our children (Ezekiel 18:20).

Consequences: Many blessings, curses, and other consequences for one person's actions are inherited and passed to others. When a mother can choose to refrain from or indulge in smoking, drinking, poor diet, or cocaine and other drugs, the baby has the consequences. Some examples of passed on consequences are someone born of Christian parents, a baby with birth defects born in a very polluted area, and babies who are aborted or murdered after birth.

   Consequences seem unjust, and they would seem to make God unjust if this short, earthly life was all there is. A former editor of Scientific American, an agnostic named Martin Gardiner, made a profound point in his book, The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener. He said that if you believe in justice (and he did), then you have to believe in an afterlife. In other words, life is so unjust on this earth, that if everyone does get justice, there must be a time after death when justice is dealt out. We Christians call this Judgment Day. Centuries before, Lactantius (c.303-325 A.D.) made almost the same point in The Divine Institutes book 6 ch.9 p.171-172.

   Now to answer the question on God's justice in Deuteronomy 6:4. God is just, but not equitable. People can inherit consequences, but not guilt. But praise God that He is not only just, but merciful.

Q: In Dt 5:11 and Ex 20:7, what are different ways people take God's name in vain?

A: The Hebrew meaning is very broad here. It literally means to attach God's name to emptiness. It includes using God's name as a swear word, or to curse someone, of as a magical phrase.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.54 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament p.272-273 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:14, since animals do not know about Moses' Law, why weren't they allowed to work?

A: While scripture does not state why, we can see a number of possible reasons.

They were not to bring their owners benefit while working.

It would be healthier for the animal to have a day of rest too.

We should not forget (like the Israelites themselves did) that they were to be a light and an example to other nations that they should take God's command very seriously.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.55 and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.214 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:15, were the Israelites to keep the Sabbath because they were slaves in Egypt, or did God command it because He created the heavens and the earth in six days as Ex 20:11 says?

A: Both reasons are true. The reason of following God's work in Creation is given in Exodus 20:11. An additional reason, because they were slaves (with no Sabbath) in Egypt is given in Deuteronomy 5:15.

   It might be useful to consider a human example of doing things for three different motivations. We may tell one person not to gossip because that is what God commands. We may tell a second person not to gossip because that shows their love and respect for God. We may tell a third person not to gossip because of their love for others. See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.209-210 for another example.

   Generalizing on this, Christians can be motivated to do good based on God's character, based on the past experience of themselves or others, based on present love for God and others, or based on future hope. The strongest motivation is probably all of the above combined. When Critics Ask p.118 has a similar answer, saying that something can be remembered for two reasons. One was the "initial" reason for Creation, and the other was a "subsequent" reason for redemption. See also Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.234 for more info.

Q: Since Dt 5:17 and Ex 20:13, "thou shalt not kill?" (KJV), why was there capital punishment?

A: God never said "thou shalt not kill" (KJV), rather God commanded "though shalt not murder" (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). Not only can this be seen from the Hebrew, but the context itself shows this, as the Israelites were instructed to execute people for certain crimes, as in Exodus 21:12-17. Furthermore, in both Exodus and Deuteronomy wars were justified under certain circumstances.

   In the New Testament, we are told to love our enemies (Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5:43-44), and as individuals we should not take revenge, as Romans 12:17-21 teaches. However, balancing that, the very next chapter teaches that the government has a responsibility to God to "bear the sword as an agent of wrath to punish evildoers", as Romans 13:4 shows.

Q: In Dt 5:19 and Ex 20:15, what are some ways people can steal?

A: The most obvious way is stealing money or material goods as in Exodus 22:2. But it also refers to stealing people, such as kidnapping or enslaving as Deuteronomy 24:7 and Exodus 21:16 show. It can also refer to taking money wrongly through fraud of deception. Stealing can be using things illegally, such as software, DVD's, or songs. Stealing can be stealing time from an employer. Stealing can be illegal, or it can be done through bad laws, but either way, it is evil in God's eyes.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament p.273 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.58 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:20 and Ex 20:16, what are some ways people can bear false witness?

A: In addition to perjury in court, it can also refer to telling lies to make a sale, turn someone against something else, or trying to get someone to like you. God is not glorified if you were to say something you knew was untrue in order to persuade someone to be a Christian. In sharing the gospel there sometimes comes to us the option of "shading the truth" to be more persuasive, to telling all the truth honestly, even if it is less persuasive. Whenever you find yourself in a situation like that, realize that the first option "shade the truth" is a temptation for us to displease God. Always choose the second option.

Q: In Dt 5:21 and Ex 20:17, what is different about this commandment than the other nine?

A: There is outward, physical evidence when someone breaks any of the first nine commandments, but a person can inwardly covet without showing any signs. You can covet someone's wealth, spouse, fame, popularity, or looks and not take any action. But the heart attitude of coveting is still a sin.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament p.273 for more info.

Q: Why does Dt 5:21, the last of the ten commandments, [allegedly] teach that wives are the possessions of men? (A Muslim asserted this.)

A: It does NOT teach wives are the possessions of men. It says a man is not to covet his neighbor's wife or possessions, but that does not mean the wife is a possession.

   On the other hand, I know of at least one Muslim who, when he came to America and had to declare his possessions, and put his wife on the list. After you have explained "women your right hands possess" in the Qur'an, perhaps we would want to explain the following from the Sunni hadiths.

   When one is given a woman, servant, or cattle, one should seize its forehead and pray to Allah. Ibn-i-Majah vol.3 no.1918 p.157

   Treat women well, for they are [like] domestic animals ('awan) with you and do not possess anything for themselves." al-Tabari vol.9 p.113. [Other Muslim scholars did not agree with Tabari, that women were forbidden to own anything themselves.]

Q: Why does Dt 5:22 says that God added no more when there were other commandments?

A: There is a lesser point and a great point.

First, at the time and place where God gave the Ten Commandments, God did not any more at that time.

The greater point is that at any time, God never made an eleventh commandment. God gave many commands, the Jewish counted 613 in the Torah, but these are the primary "big ten" and not any additional ones.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.206 and the New International Bible Commentary p.263 for more info.

Q: In Dt 5:28-29, what exacting is God pleased with and commending here?

A: He is not commending their keeping of the Ten Commandments, because they had just been given and at this point they had no track record of following what they had been given. Rather, God is pleased with their attitude of reverential awe and they wholehearted commitment to obey them. But God, who knows the future, in Deuteronomy 5:29 how much He desired, in vain, that the people would always remain faithful to their commitment to please Him.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.207 and Raymond Brown's The message of Deuteronomy p.95 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:3, 11:9; 26:9,15; 27:3; 31:20; Ex 3:8,17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; 14:8; 16:14; Josh 5:6; Jer 11:5; 32:22; and Ezek 20:6,15; why does the Old Testament frequently refer to the land of milk and honey?

A: Let's look first and milk, and then honey.

Milk that people drank came from cows, sheep, goats, and camels. Herders could not live on a diet of only meat; and milk makes up for most of the other nutrients. After all, milk is the only thing a baby animal has. So milk was found in almost all lands; but there would be more where people could raise more livestock.

Honey: Honey was a delicacy, to sweeten things. To raise lots of honey you need lots of flowers, which Egypt generally did not have. Canaan was well known for honey according to PEQ 98 (July-Dec, 1966). Around 1950/1920 B.C., the Egyptian traveler Sinuhe said Canan had abundant honey and olives (ANET p.19-20). Pharaoh Thutmose III (1483-1450 B.C.) collected hundreds of jars of honey from Canaan as tribute. However, the Israelite grumblers Dathan and Abiram called Egypt a land of milk and honey in Numbers 16:13. In Ugarit, (on the northwest coast of modern Syria) they hyperbolically wrote of Canaan "The heavens rained oil; and the creeks ran with honey" (BA. 27 Dec 1965). Honey was plentiful as Jonathan ate some honey that was just on the ground in 1 Samuel 14:29-43. John the Baptist subsisted on only locusts and wild honey in Matthew 3:4. King Hezekiah had domesticated bee hives.

   See the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.624-625, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.63,  The New Unger's Bible Dictionary p.585, and the New International Bible Commentary p.263 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:4, since God is "One", what about the Trinity?

A: First of all, in many Hebrew manuscripts this verse has extra-large letters at the ends, called majuscula in Latin and English, Here are some of the words for one used in the Old Testament.

chad: simply means "one" and is rarely used.

'ishshah: one, each, every, female

'oysh: a man or an individual. (very common in the Old Testament)

'echad: which means "united, alike, alone, and altogether."(very common in the Old Testament)

The word used in Deuteronomy 6:4 is 'echad. Thus, one could translate this word as "united", though "one" is a broader and more preferred translation. The same word is also used in:

Genesis 2:24 says the husband and wife are one flesh.

Deuteronomy 6:4 says there is one God.

Genesis 1:5 says, "evening and morning were one day."

   The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.64 says an example of this word meaning a unity made up of several parts in Exodus 26:6,11, where fifty clasps hold the curtains (plural) so the tent would be "one". Ezekiel 37:17,19,22, also talks of two sticks being joined together as "one", using the same word.

   See also When Cultists Ask p.41-42, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.274, The Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 Deuteronomy p.322-323, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.64, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.207 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:4, why does this commandment, called the shema, say heart, soul, and strength?

A: Scripture does not say, but we can see the following.

1. Imagine the Bible said to only love God with our soul. We would trust Him to preserve our life, and we might want to keep our soul clean, but that does not mean we would have any commitment to God.

2. Imagine the Bible said to only love God with our strength. We would do our duty for God, and work hard in God's service, but commitment does not mean we have any affection or fondness for God.

3. Imagine the Bible said to only love God with our heart. We would have great desire for a deeper relationship with God, without ceasing to trust in ourselves and without diligently doing anything to obey and serve Him.

   Try as we might, we cannot completely love God without all three elements. For a fourth element, see the Mark 12:30.

   As an aside, Deuteronomy 6:4 can be considered a summary of all of Deuteronomy 6-11. The word shema literally means "hear".

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.274, the New International Bible Commentary p.263-264, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.65, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.207 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:7,20 should we train our kids, or just let them grow up to decide for themselves?

A: Teaching is not brainwashing, and just as a parent would be remiss in not teaching his children about safety, Christian parents are remiss if they do not teach their children about God. Our children are our responsibility. We are not accountable to God for the choices they freely make, but we are held to account for how we raised them and what we taught them. Proverbs 22:6 says to train up a child in the way he should go. Ephesians 6:4 is a command for fathers to bring their kids up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Jesus in Matthew 19:14 said to let the children come unto Him, and do not hinder them.

   Rather than worry about teaching them right things, be concerned about the evil attitudes they can pick up from their surroundings if they are not careful. Rather than leaving them on their own, pray for them, and pray with them, every day. The family has the primary responsibility for teaching their children about God, and the church secondary, not the other way around.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.216-217 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:8-9, should believers have the shema (Dt 6:4) on their forehead, and hands?

A: See the next question for how to know when you are taking something hyper-literally and legalistically.

   There is no evidence that anyone in Israel understood this passage hyper-literally until the time of the Pharisees. We have no record that Moses or Joshua themselves did this.

   On the other hand, Christians today often have decorations in their home with Bible verses on them. This is not done out of legalism, but out of desire to have God's word in our hearts.

Q: In Dt 6:8-9, since believers do not need to be wearing Bible verses on their forehead, how can you tell if you are interpreting a passage hyper-literally?

A: If you are going to take this passage hyper-literally, you should be consistent and take the entire passage the same way. Deuteronomy 6:6 says the words should be on our heart, and since open-heart surgery is done today...

   Seriously, before finding the answer on how to interpret a passage, it is important to prayerfully ask the correct question. The correct question is, "how did God and the human writer intend for believers to interpret the passage." There is a five-part test you should apply to your interpretation of any passage, to answer this question.

1. Is my interpretation consistent, or am I interpreting part of the passage one way and part of it the other way?

2. Does my interpretation make parts of the passage meaningless? If so, there is something wrong with my interpretation.

3. Does my interpretation make sense in light of the context of the verses before and after the passage?

4. Is my interpretation consistent with what God said in the rest of Scripture about these truths and about this passage. However, keep in mind that a passage can contain more than one truth.

5. Finally there is a test of lesser importance. See how God has God led Biblical Christians, both early and modern, to interpret this passage.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.98 and the New International Bible Commentary p.264 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:10-13, when godly people come into prosperity or improved health, what factors tend to make some stay grateful and close to God, while others drift away now that they do not have any immediate needs?

A: Believers can have very different responses to the temptation to drift away due to wealth, for a combination of a number of reasons.

Some don't even see the temptation to drift away, until they have already fallen into it.

Ungrateful

Ensnared by the love of the world. (1 John 2:15)

They have lost touch with the awe-inspiring nature of God. (Psalm 50:21)

Pride because they thought they did it themselves. (Psalm 115:1)

They don't think that they need God to do anything else for them now. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

Trapped by money; either wanting to make more, fearful of losing it all, or else fearful of leaving money on the table. 1 Timothy 6:9-11

Seduced their new-found friends.

They forget God's precious promises to us.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.275 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.96-99,111,117 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:16, what is significant about Massah?

A: In Hebrew massah means "testing". This is the name they gave the place where they grumbled against God because they had no water. They forgot how God had taken care of them before, through the danger of Pharoah's army, and their previous travels in the desert, and they began to doubt if God would continue to take care of them.

   Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12 when Satan tempted Jesus by telling Jesus to throw Himself off the wing of the temple. Likewise we should not do something crazy just to see if God will protect us.

   Christians can have rough times in their lives where they start to doubt if God will still take care of them. That can be a place name massah for us. When we are in that place, still continue to praise God, remember how God has taken care of you in the past, and keep your hope that He will still take care of you on earth, until it is time for you to go home to heaven.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.208, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.101, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.217, and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.68 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:20, what is intended in the teaching here?

A: Parents were supposed to teach their children day by day. When a child had a question, especially an important one like this one, parents are not supposed to go away and prepare an answer. We should be able to answer immediately because we already have an answer ready. We be able to teach as much as the child wants, at the level appropriate for the child.

See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.217 and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.116 for more info.

Q: In Dt 6:20, why were daughters not mentioned?

A: They were supposed to teach all the children, male and female, in Deuteronomy 6:7. In Hebrew, man can refer to people in general, and sons can refer to children in general. According to an article in Christianity Today 10/27/1997 p.35, there is no Hebrew word for "children", only a word for "sons" and a word for "daughters". When a Hebrew speaker meant both sons and daughters, the word "sons" was used.

Q: In Dt 7:1, what was the estimated population of the seven nations in Canaan who were greater than the Israelites?

A: No. The point is that when the Israelites were looking at their identity as a nation and a holy people, they did not need to waste time thinking about their military prowess, because God said that compared to the Canaanites it was not that great. There are three parts to the answer.

1. The Israelites had fewer people than the combined population of the Canaanites.

2. There was more abundant rainfall in Palestine back then, so the land could support more people. 2.5 million Israelites in Bible times is still less than the 5 million Israelis today.

3. Here are the population figures at the time of Joshua, estimated at ±40%.

See the next question for the source of these figures.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.103,109-110 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:1, what is the source of the population figures in the previous question?

A: I did not find any literature that had the ancient population broken down to this level of detail, so the previous is a summary of my own estimates. Here are my numbers. Remember that the number beside a particular town is not the population living inside that town, but rather the town's population plus the surrounding rural area.

Q: In Dt 7:1, who were the Girgashites?

A: Today we do not know who they were. However, outside of the Bible writings in Ugarit mentions them according to G. Douglas Young, Concordance of Ugaritic p.14 and C.H. Gordon, UT p.381.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.69 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:1, how come Moses said they would cross the Jordan River this day, since it was very likely more than 24 hours later?

A: The Hebrew word for day, yom, can also mean a period of time, such as the Day of the Lord. Another example is the coming "Day of the Lord" immediately preceding Christ's return, which will be more than 24 hours. Of course, they still could have crossed the Jordan in 24 hours too, if the column of the people crossing was very wide.

Q: In Dt 7:1-5, what was the real danger the Israelites were about to enter?

A: Humanly thinking, it would appear the real danger was them going into a land where their enemies were well-armed and more numerous than the Israelites. But that was not the real danger; God could handle that, even if he had to send rocks from the sky to fight against them, which He did. But there was a very real and greater danger that they would stop fighting and compromise. They would respect their gods, intermarry, allow their children to intermarry. When they started respecting the Canaanite gods, then God withheld His help against the visible danger of the Canaanite and Philistine armies.

  The future was bright with promise, but fraught with danger. They were going to a great land of milk and honey, but they were going through big life changes. Sometimes when God gives us good things, we overlook the fact that we will need to change, or have big life changes happen to us too.

   A little detail is that the issue was not turning away from the One True God. The issue was turning to other gods, regardless of whether they still paid lip service to the One True God or not.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.218 and Raymond Brown's The message of Deuteronomy p.94,117,119 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:2-5, what are some ways today that we are to "make no covenant" with other things when there is a temptation to do so?

A: Why else would a Christian dabble in astrology, getting drunk, marijuana or other drugs? Eating healthy is fine, but why would a gullible person, Christian or not, want to pay for the healing power of crystals? Demons have almost no end of things that they can tempt Christians to dabble in or split their allegiance with: LGBTQ+, abortion, combining Christianity and Islam, combining Christianity and Hinduism, classical Greco-Roman mythology. Combining Christianity and secular psychology, combining Christianity and secular philosophy. But you can put these into a few categories.

Pleasure or Self-gain (Prosperity Gospel)

1896-1911 Wallace Wattles was a socialist New Thought writer. He wrote The Science of Getting Rich and was excommunicated by the Methodists.

1879-1925 Russell H. Conwell was a Philadelphia Baptist who pastored the largest church in the United States at that time. He taught that you could find diamonds in your backyard if you look. (World Christian Trends AD 30-AD 2200 p.143)

Trying to innovate with new ideas (itching ears)

1831-1844 Lay Baptist pastor William Miller in NE Yew York started the Millerites. He said Christ would return between Mar 21, 1843 and Mar. 21, 1844. 50K to 100K followers. Then Oct. 22, 1844, which was later known as The Great Disappointment. The movement spawned the Jehovah's Witnesses (around 8.8 million), Christadelphians (only 60K left today), and Seventh-Day Adventists (around 21 million).

1843-1864 Hung Hsiu-Chuan called himself "Jesus' brother". He started the Tai-ping rebellion in which 35 million were killed while he was trying to start the "Great Peaceful Heavenly Kingdom". While few westerners know about this, this happened around the same time as the American Civil War, and made the Civil War look like just a little skirmish by comparison.

1783-1872 N.F.S Grundvig wanted to absorb Norse mythology into Lutheranism.

1867 First national Holiness Camp meeting in Vinland, New Jersey Had shouting, dancing in the Spirit, holy laughter, holy rolling, per World Christian Trends AD 30 – AD 2200 p.142

1855-1900 A great many Pacific Islanders convert from Christianity to Mormonism. The Hawaiian Mormon Temple was dedicated in 1909.

1907- "The Age of Aquarius" L.H. Dowling wrote the Aquarian Gospel of Jeus Christ. He claimed Jesus studied Hinduism under gurus.

1919- Le Van Trung founds the Cao Daist Missionary Church in Vietnam mixes Buddhism, Confucian ethics, ancestor worship, and Catholic-type organization.

1954- Sung Myung Moon believed he was Christ [not Jesus] returned, wrote The Divine Principle, and founded the Unification Church.

1933-1959 Victor and Florence Houteff left the Seventh-Day Adventists to start the Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists. God will kill the wicked Seventh-Day Adventists on April 22, 1959. After that they split, and one group became the Branch Davidians.

1964- World Mission Society Church of God (=Church of Ahnsahnghong, =Elohists) (2 million) Believes in a heavenly Father and heavenly mother. Founded by Ahnsahnghong, who said he was the incarnation of heavenly father. Have to keep O.T. feasts.

-1978 Jim Jones and Jonestown, Guyana where 925 people died. Jonestown residents were given red Kool-Aid with cyanide to drink.

1985- Apollo Quiboloy is a Philippine Oneness evangelist. Said he is the "Appointed Son of God" who decides who goes to heaven.

1931-1986 Herbert W. Armstrong founds the Worldwide Church of God. Taught the rapture would come in 1986. Taught British-Israelism and followed Mosaic dietary laws. Thought the Trinity was Satanic. After his death there were splits, and one group did accept the Trinity.

1941-2000 George Hunston Williams, Unitarian heretic Historian of Socinian Unitarians

1985-2014 Andrew B. Murray and Shepherd's Chapel. Modalists, serpent seed doctrine, pre-existence of souls, British Israelism, Christian Identity Movement, deny the rapture, Annihilationism

Being able to reach more people with your message

I won't say reaching them with the gospel, because they often have to "gut the gospel" and they are only reaching people with a short-changed version of the gospel. Here are some examples:

Wycliffe Bible translators made a Bible translation in Arabic, and also Turkish, where they replace the words "Son" and "Father when referring to God.

Andy Stanley and accepting practicing LGBTQ+ people without telling them they need to repent and repudiate their lifestyle.

Rick Warren (author of the Purpose Driven Life) and taught that Muslims believed the same God.

To try to blend in or avoid persecution

This can mean taking aspects from other religions and trying to combine them with Christianity.

130- Thirty or so Gnostic cults in the first few centuries of Christianity did this, especially the Hermetic Gnostics. God sent Adam, then Moses, then Hercules, then Jesus.

1870- The Insider Movement to Hindus was started in 1870 by Kali Chan Banurji.

1875/1879- Mary Baker Eddy wanted to incorporate "scientific principles" into Christianity as "Christian Science". (100K to 400K members today, after prior falling out)

1899- Charles Fillmore was a founder of the Unity School of Christianity (1 million)

1870's "Chrislam", is a syncretistic religion in Nigeria 

1970's- Insider (C5) Movement to Muslims. It says that the Qur'an and Mohammed are from God too, and generally reject the Trinity. They don't want to be called Christians, (except when asking for money from western churches.)

Liberal Christian compromise with the world

1930-1945 the Lutheran Deitrich Bonhoeffer followed the social gospel. He denied the physical resurrection of Christ. He was in a plot to assassinate Hitler and executed right before Germany surrendered.

1848- World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1990 has 404 million members. Supported Marxist guerillas in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, who killed Christian missionaries.

1951-1963 Liberal Paul Tillich God = love so love = God.

1901-1965 Albert Sweitzer, liberal Christian and medical missionary. Wrote about the quest for the historical Jesus.

1955-1968 Martin Luther King, Jr., American Baptist minister. Significant non-violent Civil Rights leader who denied the bodily resurrection of Jesus and had many affairs.

1944-1969 Agnostic then Episcopal priest James Pike. Later he was threatened to be kicked out. Seances questioned the virgin birth, Hell, the Trinity. One of the first on radio, he had a more popular radio show than Fulton J. Sheen. Union Theological Seminary grad.

1915-1973 C.H. Dodd directed the New English Bible translation. He believed in "present realities", not an apocalyptic future, and Paul was just wrong on some things.

1966-2021 Desmund Tutu. South African Anglican priest, Nobel Peace Prize winner, later politician. Against apartheid and segregation. He was for church same-sex marriage and Liberation Theology excluding the violence.

   H. Richard Neibuhr was a Barthian "post-liberal" (1924-1962) who summed up liberal theology aptly: "A god without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross."

Compromise with Agnosticism or Atheism

1950-1979 Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India. Won the Nobel Peace Prize. Founder of the Sisters of Charity in India. Roman Catholic, pro-life, helped the poor. Rather than relieving pain thought that pain glorified God.

Compromise with Marxism

1964- Leonardo Boff Liberation Theology. ex-Catholic Priest. Called the Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) a leader of religious terrorism.

1954-1966 Camilo Torres Restrepo. Marxist-Leninist Roman Catholic for Liberation theology. Killed fighting for the ELN guerillas against the Colombian government. His most famous quote is: "If Jesus were alive today, He would be a guerrillero."

1950's-1971 Gustavo Guitierrez was a founder of Liberation Theology

1981 Apparition of Mary of Medjugorje in Bosnia. Among other things she told people to study the book Poem of the God-Man. This is on the Roman Catholic list of forbidden books because it has heretical doctrine. Catholic church only approved her in 2019 by Pope Francis.

1962-2003 Canaan Banana, ex-Methodist pastor and first president of Zimbabwe. He wrote The Gospel According to the Ghetto. As for his view of Liberation theology: "When I see a guerilla I see Jesus." He served 6 months in jail for homosexuality. He was active in the World Council of Churches and the Organization of African Unity.

Summary

   The point here is not that these things are wrong (as they are), but that Christians are wrong to accept any of these things as Christian. Yes, there are genuine Christians in some of these things, and some genuine Christians were even named here. But we should not accept these errors are Christian. In Revelation 2:20-23, if you look carefully, the false prophetess Jezebel is not the one being rebuked here. Rather, it is the church that put up with and accepted her. This is a part of the ancient theme started in Jeremiah and continuing through Revelation to "Flee Babylon" and come out and be separate from her.

   Do you get the impression that demonic forces are "blasting the church with deception". Well, demons are good at what they do, and they are very busy. It is almost like the metaphor of we are an army of Christians going forward to preach the gospel and serve God, but our fellow soldiers are getting picked off right and left by demonic lies. But as you read through the list of what various Christians have accepted, please avoid the temptation to think that Christians are incredibly foolish, gullible patsies. This is only for some (though perhaps a majority) of those who call themselves Christians, not all of them. So what do you think when a Christian pastor praises Mother Theresa, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu, or the World Council of Churches.

   See Raymond Brown's The message of Deuteronomy p.105 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:6-8, why did God choose the Israelites?

A: Part of the answer is given in Deuteronomy 7:7-9. It was not because they were a powerful or wonderful people. Rather it was because of God's love and choosing of Abraham, and then Isaac and Jacob. Many times people have good consequences because of what others before them have done. Will other people have good consequences because of things you do?

   See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.131, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.208, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.218 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:10, why does God feel the need to repay some people, especially since we are not supposed to get revenge ourselves?

A: We are not to get revenge, not because others never deserve it, but because God is the judge who meets out the appropriate punishment. If God dealt punishment to some who committed a wrong, and just ignored others who committed the same wrong or others equally serious, this would not be consistent with what God has revealed in the Bible about His justice. See also the next question.

Q: In Dt 7:10, given that God has to deal out punishment justly, why does God want to deal out any punishment at all?

A: Should God let everybody get away with anything and still go to Heaven? What if they did not want to go to Heaven and live with God forever? Also, what kind of Heaven would that be?

   Imagine Hitler, Tamerlane, Stalin, Idi Amin, or other "great" murderers, unrepentant, being in Heaven anyway? What kind of pure place would that be? If the greatest thing in Heaven is to worship God, can you imagine God forcing people to be in Heaven forever against their will? I cannot.

Q: In Dt 7:13 (KJV), what is "kine"?

A: This King James expression means "kind" or "kinfolk. God was going to increase their population.

Q: In Dt 7:14, since God would take infertility away from the Israelite women, what about Michal (2 Sam 6:20-23), Hannah (1 Sam 1:2,5-8), and Elizabeth (Lk 1:7)?

A: Michal was not necessarily barren. It is more likely David had no conjugal relations with her. Hannah and Elizabeth were both barren for part of their lives, but God took their infertility and made it a special blessing. Sometimes, when God is going to give us something wonderful, like children, we have to wait for His timing.

Q: In Dt 7:15, why is there specific mention not just of disease, but of "diseases of Egypt"?

A: Egypt had pesky sand flies, and the wester bank of the Nile had West Nile virus, but being in a swampy region Egypt also had malaria. Because of the Nile River and stagnant water there were more diseases there than in a place with little water. The historian Pliny the Elder, after discusses various diseases of Egypt, called Egypt "the mother of diseases".

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.74, The Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 Deuteronomy p.328-329, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.277, and the New International Bible Commentary p.265 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:19, Ex 13:14, Ex 15:8,12,16, Ex 31:8; Ps 91:4; Heb 4:13, do these prove that God has fingers, hands, arms, nostrils, wings, feathers, and eyes?

A: No. This is an anthropomorphic expression. See the discussion on Exodus 8:19 for the answer.

Q: In Dt 7:22, why does God sometimes drive things out our lives little by little vs. all at once?

A: Sometimes God's sees His purposes best accomplished gradually. William Carey worked as a missionary in India for seven years before he saw the first person come to know the Lord. Sometimes the delay is due to preparation that needs to be done in your life. But many times the reason God has a delay has nothing whatsoever to do with you. It might be preparing world events, preparing the hearts of non-believers, or receiving needed help from other believers. It will be amazing in heaven when we see how God brought so many strands with no apparent immediate connection together to accomplish one task. But though we do not often understand, we should be patient in how God works.

   There was a parable about a wealthy king, and his beloved son the prince. Once a year the son would come before his father and ask for his allowance, which the father gave. Then the father would almost never see the son for a whole year. The king was not only wealthy but also wise. So the next time the son asked for his allowance the father gave him all that was sufficient for that day only. That way the son had to come and talk with his dad every day, if he wanted his allowance? Do you ever feel like you treat your heavenly Father the way the prince originally treated his father?

   I read about two young Scottish men, friends, who were both alcoholics. Eventually they went their separate ways, and then both of them became Christians. They saw each other and shared their faith walk. One man shared how when he first got saved, God miraculously took away all of his desire for alcohol. The second shared how he was sorely tempted to give in and drink again, many times, but he never gave in. Sometimes God works in people's lives, sanctifying them of their sin the first way, and sometimes God works the second way. In the second way, the man chad to call out for God's help with temptation day-by-day. Both ways are glorifying to God, but who is to say that the second way glorifies God any less than the first?

   So some things take time so that we can cultivate a close relationship with God. But other things just take time for us to grasp and learn. Even the best teacher in the world took three years to train His twelve disciples. Even then, there were many disappointments, and one was a total failure.

   See Raymond Brown's The message of Deuteronomy p.115-117 for more info.

Q: In Dt 7:25-26 when should we not benefit from what was done by people we should make no covenant with, and when should we, as in Ex 11:2-3; 12:35-36?

A: In these specific cases, the short answer is: when God tells you not to, and when God tells you it is OK. Generalizing on that though, we observe that it was OK for the Israelites to trade and make treaties with other people who were pagans, just not the Canaanites. So today we can make agreements with and do business with people in general, regardless of their religious beliefs. However, if an organization exists to oppose Christians, or do immoral activities, we should not have anything to do with them. So for example being an account for gangsters, or playing piano in a brothel are not OK for believers.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.218 for more info.

Q: In Dt 8:1, why is this period usually referred to as being in the wilderness?

A: It was not desert like the Sahara desert or Arabian empty quarter. It did not have enough water to grow crops but enough vegetation for grazing.. Abraham was in the wilderness. David was also in the wilderness, as was John the Baptist. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days. The woman in Revelation 12 will be protected in the wilderness. Throughout Scripture, as the New International Bible Commentary p.265 says, "the wilderness is a place where God meets man in discipline and deliverance." The wilderness is a protective place, and a place to grow, especially in obedience, faith, and intimacy with God. They would trust in God in the wilderness; what alternative did they have? The wilderness is not always a fun place to be though.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.277 for more info.

Q: In Dt 8:1, how were there about to be big changes?

A: They would leave the wilderness and enter a land of prosperity and temptation. They would go from desert tent-dwellers to living in towns and cities. They would go from relying on manna, the same food for 40 years, to a varied, more delicious diet including honey, grapes, olives, figs, pomegranates, apples, berries, wheat, and barley. They needed to be careful not to forget their first love: God.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.118,122 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.278 for more info.

Q: In Dt 8:1, how do you handle it when you see there are about to be big changes in your life?

A: The circumstances might change a lot, but it is the same God. You were supposed to glorify God, be joyful, obedient, and thrive in your prior circumstances. Now you are to do the same in your new circumstances.

Q: In Dt 8:2, is God really all-knowing?

A: Yes. Nothing that has happened, is happening, or ever will happen is hidden from God. God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). Every day of our lives was written in God's book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). Who would be saved was known before we existed (Romans 9:10-23; 8:29; Ephesians 1:4. God examines all our paths (Proverbs 5:21)

   In John 21:17, Peter said to Jesus that Jesus knew all things, and Jesus did not correct that view. 1 John 3:20 says that God knows everything. However, a hypothetical instance is not necessarily a thing. For example, if pigs could fly, would the sky be green? Scripture is silent about God and "meta-knowledge", God knowing every hypothetical detail of every possibility. The view that God knows the meta-knowledge of every possibility also is called Molinism.

   See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.215-216 and When Critics Ask p.119 for more info.

Q: In Dt 8:3, how was eating manna a humiliation?

A: It was a reminder to the people that for 40 years they did not primarily eat their own food. Every morning they simply collected the manna that God provided.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.330 for more info.

Q: In Dt 8:4; 29:5, how could the Israelites' clothes and sandals not wear out?

A: It is not natural for clothes and sandals to last forty years in the desert sun. This shows one way supernatural blessing are given by God. It is wonderful to see that God not only does a few big miracles, but He can also do millions of similar little miracles.

Q: In Dt 8:7, is Palestine today drier than it was in Moses' time?

A: Yes. In historical times, the weather has varied greatly. For example, weather scientists say there as a "Medieval warm epoch" in the last part of the Middle Ages. They have even seen evidence of this in a drought in California in 1340 A.D. (Natural History September, 1996). Barley was grown in Greenland after 1,000 A.D. For another example, climatologists say the Sahara was not a desert before around 4000 B.C.

Q: In Dt 8:9 where were the hills containing copper the Israelites were promised?

A: There were many furnaces and copper slag found 20 miles (33 km) south of the Dead Sea. Some of the deposits of copper are still visible on the surface. See Can Archaeology Prove the Old Testament? p.27 for more info on this.

   The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 3 p.75 also mentions the famed copper mines of Solomon at Ezion Geber. Warner Keller's The Bible as History p.123-125 also says a lot about this.

   The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.1124 says that copper workers lived in Beersheba as early as the Chalcolithic Age (4500-3100 B.C. The ore came from 60 miles to the south. The oldest copper object in Palestine is from Jericho, as early as 4500-4400 B.C.

Q: In Dt 8:16-20, what are the two key points here?

A: In the face of the temptation of prosperity, they needed to remember two things.

Don't ascribe to yourself or your own ability the glory that rightfully belongs to God.

Since you have a covenant with the Lord, don't let any other idol "steal" the devotion that rightly belongs to God. God is warning them that if they act like Canaanites God will treat them like Canaanites.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.218-219, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.123-124, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.117, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.209 for more info.

Q: In Dt 8:16-20, when you are tempted by prosperity to put God "on hold" and rely on yourself, what can you do to redirect yourself to the right path of dependence on God?

A: Look up to God and remember. There is nothing you can have, material possessions, relationships, health, your life, etc., that cannot be taken away in an instant. Be sure to tell your family today that you love them, because you don't know for certain that you will be able to tell them that tomorrow. But while you don't know what tomorrow holds, you do know Who holds tomorrow. So in this moment, right now, rejoice and draw peace and contentment from the Lord.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.265 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:1, when did they cross the Jordan River?

A: "This day" means at this time, not this 24-hour period according to The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.78. The NIV translates this as "now". Rather, it was about a month before they crossed the Jordan.

   In Zechariah 14:7 the phrase "one day" yom 'ehad is the same word used in Genesis 1. It is not specified if this is exactly 24 hours or not.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.78 and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.335 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:3-6, were the Canaanites destroyed quickly, or were they destroyed slowly as in Dt 7:22?

A: The Israelites occupied Canaan with lightning speed. This is because God did quickly destroy the Canaanites before Israel a number of times, including at Jericho and the Valley of Aijalon. Deuteronomy 9:3 is prophesying God would do this. A danger in them being destroyed all at once is that they might think they did it in their own power and trust in themselves.

   However, while some of the Canaanite peoples were totally annihilated, Deuteronomy 9:3 does not say every Canaanite nation would be quickly 100% annihilated. In fact, anyone reading through the book would see that Deuteronomy 7:22 qualifies Deuteronomy 9:3 by saying that not all the Canaanites would be destroyed quickly.

   See When Critics Ask p.119, Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.403-404, the New International Bible Commentary p.265, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.209, and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.125-126 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:3, what is the difference between God being with/among them, and God going ahead of them?

A: We might tend to mix these together, because both are true, but they are actually distinct. God was among them, and they could see the provision of manna and quail, the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. But God would also go before them, to prepare their way. So today we can praise God for being with us, but we can also praise Him for going before us.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.126 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:4-6, why are people often so reluctant to recognize a gift as a gift, but rather so quick to take credit themselves?

A: Given that the work or blessing has already happened, we sometimes want to take credit, telling others that it was because we were so good or strong, when it was not all our own effort, or sometimes only secondarily our own effort. Second, we want to tell ourselves that, because our self-esteem and pride might be based, at least in part, on what WE have accomplished.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.125-126 and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.334 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:4, what is the difference between God being with/among them, and God going ahead of them?

A: We might tend to mix these together, because both are true, but they are actually distinct. God was among them, and they could see the provision of manna and quail, the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. But God would also go before them, to prepare their way. So today we can praise God for being with us, but we can also praise Him for going before us.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.126-127 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:7-12,20-24, why did Moses emphasize the negative of the great sins they committed vs. emphasizing the positive?

A: There is a time and place for both. Moses brought this up so that they would not be arrogant but to do better and try harder to obey God. Today if a worker, student, child, or friend really "fell down on the job" you don't want to falsely say they did a good job, falsely say it didn't really matter when in fact it did, or lead them to believe there is no need for change. Usually the theology in many Christian songs is good, but I heard an exception last week. It said that God loves you as you are and doesn't want to change a thing. Actually, as believers God loves us as we are, but God loves us too much to want us to stay that way.

   To keep them from being arrogant in their own righteousness, Moses told them they were eleven things: arrogant (9:4), stubborn (9:6,13,27), rebellious (9:7,23-24), provocative (9:8,18), corrupt (9:12), idolatrous (9:12,16), sinful (9:16), evil (9:18), unbelieving (9:23), disobedient (9:23), and wicked (9:27). Perhaps Deuteronomy 9:7-24 could be thought of a one big question. God is asking, after all these times of rebellion, have you learned enough to trust me now?

   There is a time to be negative. But on the other hand, we don't want to exasperate our children (Ephesians 6:4) or others. Do not dishearten them but even in rebuke show them a picture of what they can be and hope for.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.127 and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.209-210 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:13-18, 25-29, why did Moses turn down this offer of God making a great nation from Moses?

A: This showed Moses' heart. Was Moses interested more in his own power and fame, or was he more interested in the people? Like a true leader, he was more interested in God's honor and the people. Church leaders today should be the same.

   Moses argument in Deuteronomy 9:25-29 is that if the people were destroyed, then it might be said that God was unable to take care of and preserve His people. Sometimes God can be "between a rock and a hard place" because He considers all the ramifications of His actions.

   Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.129-133 has a good discussion on the characteristics of a godly leader like Moses. He was submissive (9:18,25), persistent (9:18,25), sacrificial (9:18), specific (9:14), compassionate (9:20), comprehensive (9:26,28-29), and ultimately effective. Moses spent more time praying for them than reasoning with them.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.265-266 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:25-29, Ex 32:9-14, what is important about this prayer?

A: This was a critical prayer of intercession for the people. I am sure Aaron was also glad Moses prayed for him. Moses had not prayed for Dathan and Abiram. Note that in this prayer Moses did not pray for the people, or "my" people, but rather in talking with God YOUR people, emphasizing not only their relationship to God, but God's leadership of them.

   Another critical prayer of intercession was Samuel at Mizpah in 1 Samuel 7:5-9.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.334-335 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.80 for more info.

Q: In Dt 9:18, did Moses really fast, without even water, for forty days and nights?

A: This was no ordinary fast, as this would be impossible by natural means. However, when we are in Heaven, we will have no earthly sustenance, and when Moses was with God, God was capable of keeping Moses alive without eating, too.

Q: In Dt 9:28, Ex 32:31-35, and Num 14:11-19, did Moses have a valid point?

A: Yes. God spoke this to Moses so that Moses could demonstrate His correct understanding of God's character in two ways.

1. Moses took God's words very seriously, as Moses knew God, by His justice, had every right to totally destroy the Israelites.

2. Moses knew enough of God's promises and faithfulness to "remind" God that He would not destroy these stiff-necked people.

   There is a point here we can learn about our conversation with God. In our prayers, it is fine to stand on the promises God has made.

Q: In Dt 10:1-3 and Ex 34:1-3, what is the significance of the second tablets like the first?

A: When Moses came down from the mountain with the first set of tablets, Moses smashed them when he saw the Israelites throwing a great party for the golden calf. After God dealt with that situation, Moses went up to the mountain again and brought a new set of stone tablets. After the Israelites' disobedience, punishment, and repentance, it was just like it was before. There were a few differences, like God made the first set of stone tablets in Exodus 32:15-16, and Moses had to make the new set in Exodus 34:1. But God

   Likewise when we are disobedient, and we repent, our relationship with God can be just like it was before. God wrote the Ten Commandments on the new stone tablets just like He did on the old, and they resumed their journey as if it were an unbroken relationship.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.135 and the New International Bible Commentary p.266 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:3, was the ark made after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, or prior to the 40 years as Ex 25:10; 35:12; and 37:1 imply?

A: There are two issues here.

1. Deuteronomy in general, including chapter 10, is a condensed summary of their journeys. It says the ark was made prior to the second set of stone tablets; it does not say how long before this the ark was made.

2. The ark was made after the first trip to Mount Sinai in Exodus 19. The Expositors Commentary vol.3 p.83 mentions that when Deuteronomy 10:1 says, "at that time" it refers to the time of the prayer in Deuteronomy 9:25-29, not the time later when chapter 10 was written down.

   See also When Critics Ask p.119-120 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.407 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:3, did Moses make the Ark of the Covenant himself, or did Bezalel make it in Ex 37:1-9?

A: Moses closely directed the making of the ark by Bazalel. As The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 3 p.84 mentions, it is not uncommon for a leader to say he did something (like build a pyramid or collect taxes), when it was done by workers under his direction. Deuteronomy is a summary of the law, so Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers are where the details are.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.83, the New International Bible Commentary p.266 and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.210 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:3, was the ark built after Moses came down from the mountain, or before as Ex 37:1-9 shows?

A: It was built by Bezalel before. Deuteronomy 10:3 says it was made, but the events here are not necessarily in chronological order. But in both Exodus and Deuteronomy the ark was not used to store the Ten Commandments until after. Usually for a Suzerainty treaty, there were two copies; each one was stored by one of the parties.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.340, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.84,85 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:6, did Aaron die at Moserah, or was it at the top of Mount Hor as Num 20:22-29, Num 33:37-39, and Dt 32:50 say?

A: There are two different answers.

Region of Moserah: This is no mention of "Mount" Moserah, but simply Moserah and Mount Hor. While Aaron died specifically on Mount Hor, it was in the region of Moserah.

Multiple "bitterness" places: The word Moserah means bitterness, and it is not known as a place name outside of the Bible. It could be a nameless region, and the Israelites could likely have named more than one place Moserah. As an example, there are two places in Arabia fairly close together called Nakhla. One is outside of Mecca towards Ta'if, and the other is a valley outside of Mecca on the way to Iraq. In Israel there were two towns each with the names of Beth-Shemesh and Bethlehem.

   See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.166, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.147, When Critics Ask p.120 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 3 p.84 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:6, did the Israelites camp at Bene Jaakan and then at Moserah, or at Moseroth and then Bene Jaakan as Num 33:37-38 says?

A: Christians have two different answers.

Two different places: Moserah and Moseroth are different places. The names are similar, the but the consonants are different in Hebrew. Numbers 33 and Deuteronomy 10 are of different times during the Exodus, when they returned to the same general region.

One place and one region: Moserah was the region, and Moserath was the actual place. While Aaron died specifically on Mount Hor, it was in the region of Moserah.

   See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.166, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.147, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.84, and When Critics Ask p.120 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:12, what does it mean to "walk in God's ways"?

A: In part, it means to obey God's laws, to do what God explicitly says to do, and not do explicitly what God says not to do. However, it means much more than just that. We are to seek to know God, to draw near to God, and to find out what pleases the Lord.

   Walking in God's ways is so easy a child can do it, and so rigorous that the most righteous and wisest adult is challenged by it.

Q: In Dt 10:12-13, what role is there today for us to tell people that God "requires" and commands us to do certain things?

A: If we don't, then we are not sharing all of the gospel. They have a decision to make, whether to accept Jesus as Lord and do those things or else not. They had a decision to make, and God required their response, in both words and actions.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.266 and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.118 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:12-16, what do you think of the statement that the Old Testament God was concerned about the outward actions, while in the New Testament God is concerned with the inward heart?

A: That is not just wrong, but doubly wrong. For example, in Deuteronomy 10:12-16,19 first and foremost was fearing the Lord. The Israelites were to "circumcise their heart". Of course the Old Testament emphasizes actions also, such as in Deuteronomy 10:13,19 shows. Of course in the New Testament we have the Holy Spirit living within us. But we are to shun unrepentant people who say they are Christians but are immoral, greedy, swindlers, or idolators, habitually drink as 1 Corinthians 5:11-12 commands.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.139 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:17 since God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, could there be more than one God?

A: No and Yes. No, in that there was, is, and will forever be only one true God. Yes, in that besides the one true God, there are many counterfeit false gods. While the nations around them worshipped many national and other idols, the God of Israel, was not equivalent to them. He was the God over all nations, idols, and superstitions too. Second, if someone is ever afraid of an idol, or of an evil spirit, they should know that the evil spirit has more to be afraid of from the One True God than a believer has to be afraid of the evil spirit.

   See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.22 for more info.

Q: In Dt 10:17f-18, how is God paradoxically both impartial just and shows mercy and love?

A: This might have been a mystery in Old Testament times, but we can see the answer the same. God rewards those who love and follow Him, but God punishes all sin all sin impartially. Heaven is a great place, but if only the perfect can go to heaven, then is heaven empty of people? We know that God satisfied the demands of justice, yet still extending His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ's taking the punishment for our sins. Our salvation is not free. God made it free to us, but it was very costly; it cost the death of God's Son.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.266 for more info.

Q: In Dt 11:2-9, what is unusual here?

A: While the Old Testament did not originally have any punctuation, Deuteronomy 11:2-9 seems to be all one sentence. There are some long sentences in the Paul's letters too. The "strict requirement" of no long sentences is in modern English writing, not ancient Hebrew or Greek.

   Moses probably was not aware of how he talked because Moses was very concerned here. The people who were coming out of the wilderness obeyed God, going through the hard times and seeing God's miracles and His judgment. But how well would the future generation obey when they had not experienced those things?

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.220-221 and the New International Bible Commentary p.266 for more info.

Q: In Dt 11:6-7, Ex 16:1-35, what did Dathan and Abiram and their family do wrong?

A: The did wrong actions by starting a mutiny against Moses, and against the authority of God. Their mind was not just lazy or apathetic; they actively rejected God's way, and they wanted to abandon Moses and go back to Egypt. Even their heart was in the wrong place, not only because they presumptuously thought themselves the same as Moses, but also because longed to go to the "land of milk and honey", and they said that was Egypt in Exodus 16:13. Moses saw that there was nothing Moses could say or do except tell them to go before the Lord, and Moses also did.

   Sometimes in our lives we have struggles that we don't see how we can do anything about them. But we can always do one thing; - turn them over to the Lord.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.282 for more info.

Q: In Dt 11:6, is the earth female since the earth opened "her" mouth?

A: No. The King James Version simply literally translated the gender of the Hebrew pronoun. Today we speak of ocean-going ships as "her" and hurricanes and typhoons by women's and men's names, but that does not mean they are male or female.

Q: In Dt 11:10-12, what does "watered by foot" mean?

A: Egypt was a breadbasket of the Mediterranean world because of the large Nile River plus irrigation. Apparently this refers to an irrigation pump powered by some kind of pedals. They will not need to do that in the promised land.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.211, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.90, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.347 for more info.

Q: In Dt 11:18-22, what responsibility do we have to teach our own and other's children?

A: God's word should be learned, shared, and performed. These verses give the impression that God is speaking to the parents and children as one. We should care about our kids, and their souls, just as much as our own. God's truth should be freely available to them, at their level. God's truth should be taught in words and demonstrated by our lives.

  If a child does not have Christian parents, and does not go to church, then our challenge is how do we share the truth with them. One way in America is through Backyard Bible Clubs, where neighborhood kids come over, five days in one week, for 90 minutes each day, for learning and fun.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.140-141 for more info and https://www.namb.net/resource/backyard-bible-club/ for putting on a backyard Bible club and suggestions for curriculum.

Q: In Dt 11:24, when did Israel control such as wide area, even all the way to the Euphrates?

A: Israel had its widest area of control, even Damascus, in the time of David and Solomon. However, the did not live in Syria up to the Euphrates River; rather those lands paid tribute. But this will be completely fulfilled during the Millennium.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.267 and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.211 for more info.

Q: In Dt 11:25, since no one would stand against the Israelites because of the dread God would put into Israel's enemies, how come Israel's enemies sometimes defeated the Israelites?

A: Deuteronomy 11:22 begins with one very important word "if", and the entire passage of Deuteronomy 11:23-25, starts out with another important word, "then". This is one of many examples of a conditional promise, and when the conditions are not met, there is no assurance that it will come true.

   Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.344 summarizes this by saying that the first passage was in the context of a conditional promise by God. When the conditions were not met, the promise was not binding. See also When Critics Ask p.120-121 for more info.

Q: In Dt 11:26-28, why did God lay before them a curse, since God loved them?

A: God uses curses in a variety of ways. Curses can be used as reminders, to get people's attention, as discipline, as punishment, and to destroy. Since whatever words God says comes to pass, curses also are God's way of executing discipline, punishment, judgment, and wrath.

Q: In Dt 11:26-32, since the covenant could be both a blessing and a curse, what are some things that could be either a blessing or a curse today?

A: Some things that can be used for good or evil are relationships, money, influence, or fame.

Relationships: If in a relationship (or a church) you and others around you are getting "warmer" towards God because of your influence that is good. But if they are not, and you are getting "colder", then it might be time to move on.

Money: A Christian (in Arkansas if I remember correctly) won big in the lottery. He immediately gave ten percent of it to the church, and held on to the rest not knowing what he would do. He started going to bars more, then strip clubs, and got robbed a couple of times walking to and from his car and clubs. His life was in bad shape, and at then end he said, "I will I had never won the lottery".

Influence: America in the past was a "city on a hill" encouraging democracy, and human rights (especially under Jimmy Carter.) However, since those times, America has funded abortions world-wide, and pressured countries to allow abortions. Our tax dollars, even of Christians, were used to encourage and fund things that God would be angry with.

Fame: Many people seemed to start off a decent people, but once they got famous then they started treating people poorly. It would have been better for them if they had never become famous.

   A common factor in all of these is that when someone wanted to have a relationship more than anything else, or wanted to possess money, influence, or fame, those things ended up possessing them.

Q: In Dt 11:26-32, where is the "third mountain" representing being in-between?

A: There was no middle ground; there was no third mountain, where you could hang around and get the blessings from God but be free of the responsibilities. Either you were obeying the covenant or else you were not. Today you are willing to turn over your life to Jesus as your Lord and Savior,

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.142 for more info.

Q: In Deuteronomy 12:1-13:18 what is an outline of this passage?

A: Topically this passage discusses worship that is acceptable, unifying, sacrificial, joyful, compassionate, and consistent. Structurally the passage has a lot of repetition. Moses is not telling them much that is new here; rather he is deliberately repeating so that they will remember when they go into the Promised Land and are tempted. Here is a loose outline.

Dt 12:1-4 against idols

Dt 12:5-14 Orderly worship and sacrifices in the proper place

 - Dt 12:15-16 You can eat non-sacrificial food wherever you wish; you cannot eat blood though.

Dt 12:17-18. But the offerings have to be eaten in the designated place

Dt 12:19 Don't forget to take care of the Levites

Dt 12:20 East meat wherever you like

Dt 12:21 If the place of worship is too far; then sell your offering for money, go there with the money, and buy what is needed there.

Dt 12:22-25 You can eat whatever clean meat you wish that is not an offering; no blood though.

Dt 12:26-28 Be careful to obey just eat the sacrifices in the prescribed place [not any Canaanite places].

Dt 12:28-13:18 Worship only to God, Canaanite worship is revolting

Dt 13:1-11 The community should kill an individual who is a false prophet, even if they are close family

Dt 13:12-18 The nation should totally destroy any city that has gone wholesale over to false gods

   Ultimately, when you worship, who are you mainly going to worship for? Is it primarily for yourself, as an example for others, or for God?

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.143-156 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.92-96 for extensive discussions.

Q: In Dt 12:1-13:18, why wasn't this preaching a little more eye-catching or exciting?

A: Preaching in general is not primarily to be heard; rather primarily it is to be obeyed. There once was a young pastor, fresh out of seminary, who received his first call, to preach in a small country church by the river. In getting to know the town, he learned that timber companies upstream would cut down trees, float them down the river, and collect them at the lumber mill downstream. In order to keep track of whose timber was whose, they would mark the ends of the logs with the appropriate company symbol. Many times townspeople would take out a few logs, chop off the ends, and use the logs for their own purposes. So one of the first sermons the pastor preached was thou shalt not steal. After the service many people complimented him on his sermon. But that week he noticed that they still stole the lumber out of the river. So the next week he preached the exact same sermon, except everyone he had used the word "steal" he changed it to "take the logs out of the river and cut the ends off of them". He finally preached in a way that related to the congregation. I don't know how long he was their pastor after that though.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.143 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:1; the land was a gift God gave to the Israelites. How can we help remember that our house or apartment, job, transportation, food, family, and friends, are all a gift to us (and not a right)?

A: First, thank God for those things daily. Also thank him for our health, close calls that we avoided, and even the difficult times that were learning experiences for us are gifts from God too. Second, tell others of God's goodness towards you, and them.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.144 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:3, why were they to burn down the sacred groves of trees?

A: Trees themselves are neither good nor bad. However, when trees are used in idolatrous worship, then the trees are for an evil purpose for those people. The Canaanites not only had individual trees, but sacred groves of trees. God did not want the Israelites to turn mix with other religions.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.268 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.283-284 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:5-14 and Lev 7:3-4, what is the significance of future sacrifices only in one place, which would at first be Shiloh and then Jerusalem?

A: Scripture does not say, but we can see at least three reasons.

a) The Canaanites sacrificed to pagan deities under trees. How would you differentiate a sacrifice to the true God from those? Why not just make both kinds of sacrifices at the same place? No, because God is holy, and did not want His holy people to mix with worship of false gods.

b) It would help with fellowship of fellow Israelites. They would see others from different towns and tribes, and reinforce being one people.

c) It would help prevent division if they worshipped together. You can see this when the rebel king Jeroboam took the northern tribes away. He deliberately wanted division, so he had them worship in a separate place. It might have been seen by some as worship of the true God in a separate place, but it was really idolatrous worship of golden calves.

   Of course the Israelites could eat non-sacrificial meat anywhere they wanted, and they had many local meeting places, called synagogues, for studying the Torah. Metaphorically speaking, we can still pray and worship anywhere we want.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.221-222, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.212, and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.119 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:5-14, how does worship in a "holy place" relate to us today?

A: One could say that we worship God at a "spiritual house", but 1 Peter 2:5 says that we ourselves are the spiritual house. What would you think renting out a mosque for Christian worship services, or a Buddhist temple. What about giving the church a little more income by renting it out for Hindu and Muslim services? Deuteronomy 12:5-14 shows God's heart, and that His worship is to be separate. But using a non-religious building, such as a home or general public building would be fine.

   Likewise, we should not have joint worship with Hindus, Muslims, or even Satanists for that matter.

   At our church one time some Muslims came in and asked if they could go to a room weekly to pray. One solution was to put a cross up in a room. The Muslim hadiths say it is fine to go to a church as long as there are no images or crosses.

   But it is good to worship together in unity with other genuine believers, in their worship building, ours, or another place. Even if they differ from us on secondary matters and minor things, as long as they hold to the primary, essential things.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.285 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:10, Isa 11:10; 28:12; 32:18; 66:1, what does God giving them rest mean?

A: In one sense, 1 Kings 8:56 says they had rest when they were in the Promised Land. But in another sense, God's people will not have complete rest until Jesus comes again. Psalm 9:11 says that those who died in the 40-year wandering would not enter God's rest. Likewise Hebrews 4:3,5 says those who fall away will not enter God's rest, and Hebrews 4:11 says to make every effort to enter that rest. Hebrews 4:8 says that Josphua had not given them rest. Micah 2:10 says where they are is not their resting place.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.94 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:13-14, what are some ways those today who are called by God's Name could be making offerings to other gods?

A: This can be done subtly; not by overtly turning away from God but by having another religion "on the side" also. Any Christian who are involved in astrology, tarot cards of the occult are doing this. Those who try to combine worship of the One Triune God with either Hinduism, Islam, or anything else that explicitly denies One God or that Jesus is God obviously do this. More subtle things are freemasonry, yoga, transcendental meditation, some psychology, and any religious loyalty that is not under God. But we can also do this if we trust in God but at the same time also place our trust in luck, money, or even education might be bowing to another God also.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.147 for more info.

Q: Does Dt 12:15,22 say the Israelites could sometimes eat unclean as well as clean animals?

A: No. Rather, it says that ceremonially clean and unclean people could eat clean animals.

Q: In Dt 12:15,20,21, and Dt 14:26 (KJV), since it is wrong to lust, why could they have whatever they lusted after?

A: This King James Version word is better translated "desire", not "lusted after".

Q: In Dt 12:15-19, why could they slaughter an ox, sheep, or goat anywhere, while Lev 17:3-6 said they had to do it at the tabernacle?

A: Leviticus 17:3-6 covered the 40 years they were in the Wilderness. But they were coming into a different, sedentary lifestyle now in the promised land, and the manna would be stopped. It would not be so practical to have all of the people scattered in the land have to go to Shiloh, or Jerusalem, whenever they ate meat.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.360 for more info.

Q: In Dt 12:16,23-25 and Gen 9:4; Lev 7:26-27; 17:10-14; 19:26, why was the prohibition on eating blood such a big deal, then, and is eating blood prohibited today?

A: God apparently holds a special sacredness for blood. It is not so much that Cain spilled Abel's blood, but looking ahead, Christ would have His blood shed for us on the cross. While not eating blood is in the law of Moses, this prohibition precedes the law, going back to Noah in Genesis 9:4. When Acts 10:11-16 pronounced all foods "clean", that would not apply to blood since blood was not considered a food. If blood were considered a "food" that was now clean, then the apostles would not have continued to prohibit the eating (or drinking) or blood in

Acts 15:20,28-29. Also, the early, apostolic church believed taught Christians should abstain from blood. Of course, miniscule amounts of blood are OK, because Jews were permitted to eat game they hunted and [rapidly] drained in the field in Leviticus 17:13.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.215 for more info.

Q: In Dt 13:1-18, what are three sources of temptation that demons use?

A: They use at least three, and multiple ones can be used at once.

Religious influence (a false prophet) in Deuteronomy 13:1-5.

Family and social influences in Deuteronomy 13:6-11.

Community and government influence in Deuteronomy 13:12-18.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.147 and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.215 for more info.

Q: In Dt 13:1-16 and Dt 18:10-12, today should we kill enchanters, necromancers, and all those the Old Testament says to kill?

A: No. Three points to consider in the answer.

1. Government investigation: Even back then, you could not just take it in your own hands to personally kill someone you suspected of that. Deuteronomy 13:14 said the town was to make a thorough (and presumably official) investigation first.

2. Only under theocracy: The Israelites lived under a "theocracy" where those who lived in the land had covenanted with God the Torah was the legal code. When godly Jews, such as Daniel, Jonah, Ezekiel, and Nehemiah, lived and traveled outside of Israel, where they were not under a theocracy, they made no effort to harm enchanters, idolators, or others.

3. Today, we do not live under a "theocracy". While some people such as the Puritans, attempted to set up a theocracy, the New Testament gives no such indication that we should attempt to do so. Thus, Christians today should not harm immoral heterosexuals, practicing homosexuals, idolators, cultists, and so forth. While murder, theft, and other crimes still should be punished today, that is a government function; there should be no Christian vigilantes. However, even today we should not do those things ourselves.

   As Tony Evans says, "the test of a true prophet is not his magic but his message." (italics in the original) See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.222 for more info.

   See Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.362-363 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.146 for more info.

Q: In Dt 13:5, what does this mean about the death penalty?

A: Any argument against the death penalty that uses the Bible is broken by this verse. The strongest argument against the death penalty is merely that sometimes there are people wrongly convicted due to false testimony or police not caring. But there is a remedy for that too. If someone knowingly falsely accuses someone, and then they should get the penalty they knowingly inflicted on the innocent person.

   Here are the crimes that resulted in the death penalty in the Old Testament.

From The MacArthur Study Bible 1977 p.270

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.2156 and the New International Bible Commentary p.269 for more info.

Q: In Dt 13:5, what does this say about false prophets in the church?

A: While Deuteronomy 13:5 shows the seriousness of false prophets and false teaching, we are not to kill people who teach falsely in New Testament times. However, that does not lessen the seriousness of what they are doing, and it is important that they be excommunicated from the church as 2 Timothy 3:5; 2 John 9-11, and Revelation 2:20-23 show. Likewise, we should shun those persisting in sin in 1 Corinthians 5:5-13; Matthew 18:17.

   God is very serious about our believe and practice in worshipping God, as Deuteronomy 17:7,12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21-22,24; 24:7, show.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.223 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.153-156 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:1, why would someone shave their hair and then cut themselves for the dead?

A: Even if it does not make sense to you, it made sense to the ancient people of Ugarit, on the coast of Syria. They shaved their heads according to Craigie p.229-230 and S.R. Driver Deuteronomy p.155ff. They also cut themselves I mourning in Coogan, p.45-46. Here is the Ugaritic text. "He cuts cheeks and chin, lacerates his forearms. He plows the chest like a garden; like a vale [valley] he lacerates the back." Ugaritic Textbook tablet 67 VI, lines 20-22 from Elmer B. Snick's "Israel's Struggle with the Religion of Canaan" in W. Robert Godfrey and Jesse L. Boyd III, Through Christ's Word: A Festschrift for Dr Philip E. Hughes p.117.

   Unfortunately, some Israelites also cut themselves for the dead according to Jeremiah 41:5.

   In more modern times, a small number of Twelver Shi'ite Muslims, such as in Iran, Pakistan, and India, have whips with metal that they throw over their shoulder to gash their backs during the Ashura festival, in mourning for Husain, who was killed by Sunnis for not submitting to the Sunni caliph Mu'awiyah I. Some people in New Guinea remove a finger joint in mourning. In western countries, how much do some funerals cost? Could that money have been used for the poor or to spread the gospel?

   While a small number of Roman Catholic monks have practiced self-flagellation, but it was for their sins, not in mourning for someone who died, and it was not encouraged by their church.

   In the New Testament 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says we are not to grieve like the rest of the world that has no hope.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.158-159 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.100 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:2, why did God so frequently remind the Israelites they were God special, holy people?

A: How many times did God remind them in the Old Testament. It was over 250 times according to The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.216-217. Besides just reminding people "do this" and "don't do that", God also reminded them of their motivation for obedience; it was because of who they were. Today, when you are tempted to sin, read Scripture for God to remind you "who you are" and "Who you know".

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.100 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.157-158 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:3-20, why were these animals considered unclean, and not others?

A: Scripture does not say. These animals were grouped as animals of the land, water, and air.

We can see that it was "hygienically wise" to not eat some of these animals. Undercooked pork can give trichinosis, undercooked rabbit meat can give tularemia, bottom-feeding sea creatures, such as shrimp and crabs, can have parasites, and carrion-eating birds can carry more disease. We also know that some of these animals were used in pagan rituals. Pigs were slaughtered in religious rituals of the Canaanites, Syrians, and Hittites. Crows were considered sacred by some Arabs. However, cattle and sheep were used in a lot of pagan rituals, and they could still eat those. Some have tried to find symbolism in the animals, such that chewing the cud is analogous to studying the laws, pigs are dirty, etc. However be careful of assigning symbolism to something that God does not say. They one certain answer is that God did not tell us; in fact, God did not need to tell us. We should still obey God, even when we do not know the reason.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.287-288, the New International Bible Commentary p.269, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.160-161, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.217, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.213, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.223-224 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:21, since it was wrong to eat an animal that was already dead, why was it OK to sell it to strangers? Even non-Israelites living in Israel could not eat blood in Lev 17:10,12.

A: Animals that died themselves did not have their blood drained. Eating an animal that died without having its blood drained, was a less serious offense than eating blood. While Leviticus 17:10,12 says a person who eats blood should be killed, Leviticus 17:15 says that one who eats a dead animal that did not have its blood drained must wash himself and his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. Hygienically speaking, if an animal died itself, such as from disease, people would be less likely to get disease if that did not eat it.

   On the surface, these might seem archaic verses, but that contain a point that is relevant today. Christians should want to have laws banning everyone from doing some things: murder, stealing, rape, etc. However, while other things are sinful, it is OK to allow others who want to commit the sin to do so. For example, while drinking alcohol is not a sin, and getting drunk is a sin, it is OK for a Christian to work for a grocery store chain that sells alcohol.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.213 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.289 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:21, Ex 23:19; 34:26, why couldn't they boil a baby's goat in its mother's milk?

A: This was a sick picture: taking a mother's milk, which was produced to feed her babies, and boiling her baby in it.

   There is also evidence that this was a Canaanite/Ugaritic/Siran religious practice going as far back as the fifteenth century B.C.. However, the Ugaritic text supporting this is conjectural. On a lesser note, meat with cream can spoil faster.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.101, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.289, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.213, and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.161 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:22-25, could they redeem firstborn animals with money, or could they not as Num 18:17 says?

A: Five points to consider in the answer.

1. Numbers 18:14 says every firstborn of every kind must be set aside or redeemed with money.

2. Redeemed with money means that you pay money and keep the animal.

3. Numbers 18:17 qualifies this by saying the firstborn of an ox, sheep, or goat cannot be redeemed with money.

4. Deuteronomy does not say an ox, sheep, or goat could be redeemed with money either.

5. Deuteronomy 14:24-25 says that if the distance is too far, one could "exchange the animal" which meant selling the animal for money, going to Jerusalem, and using the money to buy an equivalent animal.

   See When Critics Ask p.121-122 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.224-255 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:22-27, how could the common Israelites eat their tithes, when the tithes were given to the Levites to eat?

A: There are two tithes. The first tithe of ten percent was for the Levites and their families to eat as their sustenance. The second tithe, called the festival tithe, was around three percent from one source, or ten percent of the remaining ninety percent every third year according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.289-290. Both of these work out to about the same overall number. Both the worshippers and Levites could eat it. On the third year, the widows, orphans, and even strangers (i.e. non-Israelites) could eat the tithe too, according to Deuteronomy 14:28-29.

   Josephus and some rabbis incorrectly saw this as a "third tithe", but actually it is only an application of the second tithe.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.368-369, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.102-103, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.213 for more info.

Q: In Dt 14:26 and Ex 29:40, is strong, alcohol liquor OK, or is it not for kings (Prov 20:1), and only for those near death as Prov 31:4-7 says?

A: Since alcohol was OK for people to drink, but not get drunk, under normal circumstances, how much more appropriate it would be as a sedative for people near death. Alcohol was not for priests when they entered the tent of meeting (Leviticus 10:8-10) and kings should reach for a higher standard, as Proverbs 20:1 suggests.

   See When Critics Ask p.122-123, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.147-148, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.213 for more info.

Q: In Dt 15:1-3, why did people go into debt in ancient times?

A: While it could be because of excessive spending on alcohol, luxuries, etc. that was probably less a factor in ancient times than now. Fewer people might be excessive spenders because they often saw what happened to others. Since there was no health insurance, life insurance, government welfare or medical care, or other financial safety nets back then, illness, or an accident that prevented someone from working, or death of the man could plunge the family in debt. Bad crop harvest, war, or even excessive taxes by oppressive rulers could likewise cause debt that many could not get out of. Given that many were often unable to repay debt, interest rates could be high. In the Nuzi tablets of Syria, written in the fifteenth century B.C., interest rates were as high as 50%.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.165 and the New International Bible Commentary p.274 for more info.

Q: In Dt 15:1-3, since they had to cancel all loans to fellow Israelites every seven years, why not cancel loans to non-Israelites, too?

A: Loans were cancelled to fellow Israelites out of compassion. Scripture does not say why loans were not cancelled to non-Israelites, but it is not difficult to see a reason.

   Since the Israelites were to own the land in Israel, the foreigners there with debts would be there for commercial reasons or as hired laborers. The foreigners could always go back to their own people.

Q: In Dt 15, how does the Old Testament compare with other ancient laws?

A: While a slave would go free after six years in Deuteronomy, a slave could go free after three years according to the code of Hammurabi. The Babylonian Code of Lipit-Ishtar says a slave could go free after serving for twice his debt, or twice his purchase price. This seems to definitely give advantage to the owner. See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.107 for more info, and photograph of a tablet of the code of Lipit-Ishtar in the Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology p.358.

Q: How does Dt 15:1-11 relate to Ex 23:10-11?

A: The "seventh year" or year of Jubilee, is the same in both cases. It was the year the fields were to be unplowed, debts cancelled, and slaves freed. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.149-150 for more info.

Q: In Dt 15:4, why should there be no poor among the Israelites, since Dt 15:11 says the poor will always be among them?

A: God gave them an obligation to take care of all the poor among the Israelites. However, God knew that not everyone would fulfill their obligations and that there would always be poor among them.

   The Bible is both a book of ideal goals and realism; we are to have both high ideals and realism, too. If someone has goals but is out of touch with reality, their idealism is not very useful. Seeing reality and having no ideals in not very useful, either. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.173, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.150, and When Critics Ask p.123-124 for more info.

Q: In Dt 15:12-13, why does the Bible seem so male-chauvinistic and always use "He"?

A: In Hebrew they never used "he/she" like people sometimes do in English. Like English, sometimes they used "he" to mean "he" or "she". An example, in both Hebrew and English, is Deuteronomy 15:13 says "he", when the context is clearly male or female in Deuteronomy 15:12.

Q: Does Dt 15:12-18 contradict Ex 21:26?

A: No. Exodus 21:26 says that any slave had the right to go free if the owner destroyed his eye or knocked out his tooth. Deuteronomy 15:12-18 says that Hebrew slaves were to be set free every seven years, during the year of the Jubilee. The only exception was Hebrew slaves who loved their masters and had voluntarily chosen to be their slaves for life.

   If the master later did destroy their eye or knock out their tooth, accidentally, the slave had the right to go free, but they were not forced to exercise that right.

   This law is interesting in that while the punishment for the master seems mild it would still be effective in removing all incentive for mistreating slaves.

   See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.149-150 for more info.

Q: In Dt 16:5 was the Passover lamb to be killed at the sanctuary, or in the home as Ex 12:7 says?

A: In Egypt, before there was a sanctuary or temple, the Passover lamb was to be slain in the home. After there was a sanctuary, the lamb was to be slain there. Later, when they dwelled in the Promised Land, the Jews celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem. See When Critics Ask p.124 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.377 for more info.

Q: In Dt 16:16-17, why were the men to appear and the women and children were not mentioned?

A: Deuteronomy 16:16-17 says every man was to appear, and not be empty-handed. In other words, no man, as the head of a family, was exempted from bringing the required tithes and offerings.

Q: In Dt 16:21, why couldn't the Jews plant a tree for religious purposes?

A: Three good reasons.

1. Deuteronomy 16:21 simply says not to do so, and they were supposed to obey what God said.

2. Trees were never a part of a sacrifice to the True God.

3. Deuteronomy 12:3 shows that sacred groves of trees were a part of the worship of other gods. Tress were prominent in worship of Baal and some of the Greek gods.

   The third reason is especially important. If doing an activity is a part of a pagan religion, and it would

a) Tempt you to worship the pagan gods

b) Tempt others to worship the pagan gods, or

c) Give the appearance that you were worshipping pagan gods,

then do not do it.

Q: In Dt 17:6, Dt 19:15, and Num 35:30, is it wrong to convict anyone of murder unless two or more human witnesses are present?

A: The two-witness requirement was for adultery and theft as well as murder, and two eyewitnesses rarely see adultery or theft. Two points to discuss on the use of the Hebrew term for witness.

1. Leviticus 5:1 shows that a witness is not only an eyewitness of the crime. A witness is also anyone who knows of evidence that can prove a person innocent or guilty.

2. The word for "witness" can also mean evidence as well as a person. For example, in Exodus 22:13 the parts of a dead animal can be a witness, too. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.143 for more info.

Q: In Dt 18:10, what does it mean not to "pass your children through the fire?

A: This was a custom of the Canaanites to sacrifice their firstborn by burning them to death, as Deuteronomy 12:31 explains.

Q: In Dt 18:10, why not allow enchanters and necromancers to live?

A: To some, this seems like a serious punishment for people who do no physical harm to others. However, they do spiritual harm to others in leading them to Hell. Thus, under the theocratic government in the Old Testament, the punishment was the same as for idolators.

Q: In Dt 18:10, does the prohibition against contact with the supernatural contradict having prophets in the Bible, as an atheist claimed?

A: No. This is ridiculous for two reasons.

1. Even if there had been a ban against "all" supernatural contact, certainly no serious student of God's word would have understood that God was banning all prayer to Him.

2. There was never a ban against all supernatural contact as the atheist apparently imagines. Rather, the ban is against divination and sorcery. People are not to try to contact the spirits of dead people, demons, or angels. While angels did appear to godly people later, such as Daniel, it was the angel who initiated the contact, not the human being.

   See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.469-470 for a good discussion of why a Christian cannot be a spiritualist.

Q: In Dt 18:17-19; Dt 33:1-2, and Dt 34:10-11, was Mohammed prophesied here, as some Muslims claim?

A: No. Deuteronomy 18:15-18 says God will raise up a prophet, that they will hear, like Moses from their midst, among their brethren. Was Jesus a prophet? Did many Jews hear Jesus? Was Jesus among the Jews? Was Jesus a Jew? Muslims should have no problem agreeing that this verse fits Jesus more than Mohammed. Here are a few more points.

a. Deuteronomy 33:1-2 says "the Lord", and Muslims do not call Mohammed their Lord. ('Alawite Muslims and other ghulat groups consider Mohammed God, but they are exceptions.)

b. Deuteronomy 34:10 that "since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses." This epitaph was written, probably by Joshua, long before Jesus came.

c. Deuteronomy 34:10 mentions "face to face", and Mohammed never said he got his words directly from Allah, but through angels (Sura 2:97). Jesus communicated directly with God the Father according to John 1:18 and other passages.

d. The next verse, 34:11, says no other prophet did those awesome miracles like Moses did. Mohammed in the Qur'an generally did not perform miracles, except for allegedly visiting the mosque in Jerusalem (which can be proved to not be existing at that time), and splitting the moon in two (which was not seen by anyone else.)

e. In the Qur'an itself, Sura 29:27 says the prophethood came through Isaac and Jacob. In Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an, he says, "And We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, and ordained Among his progeny Prophethood and Revelation,..." While the parentheses around Abraham is in Yusuf Ali's translation, the entire word, "Abraham" is not in the Arabic, and Yusuf Ali felt the need to add "Abraham" to what Muslims view as God's word.

f. Finally, Jesus' apostle Peter said this was fulfilled in Jesus in Acts 3:22-26. The apostle Peter would be in a great position to know.

1. Either Jesus made a great mistake allowing a deceiver like Peter to mislead people for almost 2,000 years who were trying to follow God, and God did not lift a finger to tell people the truth.

2. Or Jesus knew what He was doing when he selected Peter, and God did not correct something that needed no correction.

3. Or else, Peter did not say that, and the Book of Acts was corrupted prior to the first extra-Biblical mention we have of this referring to Christ, which was about 138 A.D.

Here are the earliest Greek manuscripts we have, and their dates, of Acts 3:22-36.

Vaticanus [B] 325-350 A.D.

Sinaiticus [Si] 340-350 A.D.

Bohairic Coptic [Boh] 3rd/4th cent.

Alexandrinus [A] c.450 A.D.

Sahidic Coptic [Sah] 3rd/4rth cent.

Ephraemi Rescriptus [C] 5th

Bezae Cantabrigiensis [D] 5th,6th

Here are translations we have in other languages of these verses

Armenian [Arm] 5th century

Georgian [Geo] 5th century

Latin Vulgate [Vg] 4th to 5th century

Ethiopic [Eth] 6th century

Syrian Peshitta [SyrP] 4th to 7th cent.

The early church writers mentioned this verse as referring to Jesus. Some of them were

Justin Martyr was born around 114 A.D., though some think 110 A.D. His First Apology was written between 138 A.D. and his death in 165 A.D. Obviously, he had to have read of this prophecy referring to Christ before he wrote it down.

Irenaeus wrote 182-188 A.D.

Tertullian 220-220 A.D.

Origen 225-254 A.D.

Archelaus (262-278 A.D.) also discusses Deuteronomy 18:15 showing how it refers to Jesus Christ in Disputation with Manes ch.43 p.219

Chrysostom 407 A.D.

   A Muslim would have to say not only that Justin was wrong, but all New Testament manuscripts recorded Peter's saying incorrectly.

   In addition, translations to other languages were made very early; the dates above or not the dates of the first translations, but only the dates of the earliest manuscripts that survive today. These are valuable because they are an independent chain of transmission, that people can use as a crosscheck on the Greek manuscripts. The chain of transmission of these manuscripts, from Africa to Asia, all agree that Peter said this refers to Jesus.

   See When Cultists Ask p.43-44,45-46 and When Critics Ask p.125-126, p.131-132, and p.133 for more info.

Q: In Dt 18:20-22, how can you tell if a prophet is a false prophet?

A: The Bible gives two reasons and shows two qualifications.

1. If they advocate worshipping other gods, or prophesy or teach things about God that God did not command. Deuteronomy 18:20-21; 1 John 4:1-3; Jeremiah 6:13

1st Qualification: If a prophet speaks his opinion about what the true God wants, without prophesying, his opinions can be wrong just like anyone else's. For an example, see Nathan's words to David in 1 Chronicles 17:2-4.

2. If the prophet makes a prediction that is false. Deuteronomy 18:21-22.

2nd Qualification: If a prophet makes a conditional prophecy, and the conditions are not satisfied. Prophecies of judgment and destruction are always conditional upon the person or nation not repenting. For an example, see Jonah 3:1-10.

   See When Critics Ask p.124-125 and When Cultists Ask p.42 for more info and a list of twelve ways to discern if a teacher is from God or not.

Q: In Dt 19:1-6, how should we handle it when a person harms another without meaning to?

A: On one hand, it should not be the same as intentional, because they had no malice or thought to do so. On the other hand, they might not be innocent, because they might not have been careful enough. What about the teenage driver who accidentally kills someone crossing the street, while he was drag racing. Or people who know they are drunk, but they think they can "compensate" and drive anyway. In one European country, it used to be that if you were caught driving while drunk, you lost your license; - forever.

I asked a group of teenagers in Sunday school one time, if a little kid accidentally knocked over a lamp and broke it, should they be spanked or not? About half said yes and half said no. The correct answer might be "we need more details." If the kid was too careless, or rough housing or running around the house with their siblings, then yes. But if the kid accidentally stumbled, or was pushed, then no.

It is interesting that in Hebrew the word for kinsman-redeemer in marriage is go'el in the Book of Ruth. The Hebrew word for an avenger of blood is go'el haddam, or in a sense, a kinsman redeemer of justice for the murdered.

See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.125, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.190-191 for more info.

Q: In Dt 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Proverbs 22:28; 23:10, Isaiah 5:8 and Hosea 5:10, how can people "move boundary stones" today?

A: A couple of decades ago in Texas, there were people who were creating fraudulent deeds, giving them title and ownership of land. Misuse of the law, including fraudulent documents, false testimony, and bribes can make it appear "legal" when someone steals what belongs to someone else.

As an aside, in later times in Roman law the penalty for moving a boundary stone was death according to the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.399.

See also The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.298 and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.122 for more info.

Q: In Dt 19:16, why could one witness accuse somebody, since Num 35:30; Dt 17:6; Dt 19:15 and other places say everything had to be established by two or three witnesses?

A: Ideally everything should be established by two or three witnesses, recognizing that a witness can be evidence, and not just a person. However, Deuteronomy 19:16 there is a place for just one person accusing someone. In other words, neither shall the person go free because there is only one witness, nor should the single witness, who could be lying, always be believed. Rather, diligent investigation should be done, to find more evidence or human witnesses.

See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.298, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.222, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.229 for more info.

Q: In Dt 19:19, isn't it severe to punish a false witness with the same punishment the falsely accused was going to get?

A: Not at all. A person can murder with his words just as easily as with his hands. Whether they used their hands, or used malicious deceit and the legal system, the falsely accused would still have been dead. At least with murder by their own hand, the victim's reputation is intact. Murdering by words destroys the person's reputation as well as kills their body.

   For reference the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi also says that someone who falsely accused another of murder should be put to death. See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.126 for more info.

Q: In Dt 19:21, Lev 24:20, and Ex 21:22-24, why does the Bible say, "an eye for an eye"?

A: The three Old Testament references are a part of the judicial law. The compensation paid and punishment was to match the crime: no more and no less. In the one New Testament verse Jesus is telling believers to practice forgiveness and mercy instead of an eye for an eye. Here are the four places.

Exodus 21:22-24 mentions legal judgments, including a court, when a man hits a woman such that she goes into labor prematurely.

Leviticus 24:20 mentions the judgment for hurting or killing others. However, the cities of refuge were available for unintentional murder, and presumably unintentional harm.

Deuteronomy 19:21 speaks of a false witness, who should have done to him what his lies would have caused happen to someone else.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:38 that while you have heard it said, "An eye or an eye...", we were not to resist the evil person but turn the other cheek.

   Tertullian in Five Books Against Marcion book 2 ch.18 (207/208 A.D.) was the first we know of to answer this question, and he reminded his readers that the purpose of this law served to restrain violence. What You Know Might Not Be So : 220 Misinterpretations of Bible Texts Explained p.62-63 says that this limits vengeance. In a society without police, vengeance should not be more severe than the original act. The punishment of a crime done to a poor person should be the same as the punishment of a crime done to a rich person.

   Also, the people had to learn what justice was before they could learn what mercy and forgiveness were. See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.150-151 and 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.61 for more info as well as the next question.

Q: In Dt 19:21, why does the Bible seem unloving to teach "an eye for an eye?

A: While this refers to justice, and not love, you have to understand justice before you can appreciate mercy. If you do not realize wrong things have serious punishment, it is impossible to value forgiveness from those things. See the previous question for why this command was given.

   Pretend for a moment that people were never told of "an eye for an eye", and the three Old Testament passages where it is mentioned did not exist.

In Exodus 21:22-24, then it would not be serious to kill babies or have abortions.

In Leviticus 24:20, it would be only a minor problem to maliciously injure an adult.

In Deuteronomy 19:21, a witness who lied to try to have someone unjustly punished would be unpunished.

   A society that has justice and also love, is actually a more loving society than one that attempts (in vain) to have love without a concept of justice. Unfortunately, the latter is what some people think society can be.

Q: In Dt 20:1-15, why did God permit offensive war?

A: This does not specify Canaanites or non-Canaanites. The Israelites needed to fight to overthrow the oppression of the Midianites, Ammonites, Syrians and others.

   This demonstrates that God was not a pacifist in the Old Testament, and likewise, He is not against all killing, such as executions for valid reasons, in the New Testament in Romans 13:4.

Q: In Dt 20:16-18, were the Israelites to kill everyone of the enemy, or were they to spare some as Dt 20:11-14 says?

A: Between verses 11-14 and verses 16-18 is verse 15. Verse 15 says the preceding verses were for the cities that were far from where they lived. Verse 16 says the following is for the Canaanite cities in the Promised Land. See When Critics Ask p.126-127 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.258 for more info.

Q: In Dt 20:17, since God knew the Hittites (=Gibeonites) in Palestine would become His loyal temple servants, why did God say to annihilate them here?

A: This is an interesting case where God's revealed will differed from His desired will, yet God's revealed command had a part in bringing out His desired will.

1. Neither the Hittites nor the Israelites were told, "don't worry, the Hittites will be spared". The Gibeonites had the same fears as the other Canaanites, but they acted on their anxiety to seek peace with the Israelites.

2. Then God's providence, manifested through a mistake on the part of the Israelite leaders, caused them to spare the Gibeonites.

3. The Gibeonites used deception and lies, but God is not restricted to using good means to accomplish His will.

4. Later in history, the Gibeonites became loyal Temple servants.

   A second, very similar case should be familiar to use today. God desires all to be saved. God knows who the elect are. Yet God (truthfully) warns everyone that they will go to Hell if they reject Jesus. On one hand the elect have nothing to worry about, because they would become God's children. On the other hand, God did not say who the elect were.

   A thought to ponder, concerning election and free agency, is that nothing stopped all the other Canaanites from doing what the Gibeonites did. Yet, there is no record that any other Canaanites tried to do this, or even desired to try.

   See the discussion on Genesis 20:3-6, Deuteronomy 20:17; Jeremiah 15:6; Jonah 3-4; Jonah 3:10, and Jonah 4:1-2 for more info.

Q: In Dt 20:19-20, why were they not allowed to cut down the trees when they besieged a city?

A: If the Israelites won, cutting down fruit trees would impoverish the land. If they lost, cutting down fruit trees would affect not just the current adults, but their children and descendents. Olive trees are fruit trees, and they can live for a thousand years. God was OK with them fighting, but not OK with them ruining the land. Additionally, trees play a crucial ecological role in stabilizing the soil and preventing erosion.  In contrast to this, the Egyptians and Assyrians would practice scorched earth tactics. An Egyptian mural shows some soldiers scaling a city wall and other cutting down the trees. An Egyptian account of an invasion of Syria says, "I took away the very sources of life for I cut down their grain and felled all their groves and all their pleasant trees. I destroyed it." They also said, "It became a land "upon which there are no trees." According to J.B. Pritchard's Ancient Near Eastern Texts p.240,276-279,288,299-300.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.200-202, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.123, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.223, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.219, the New International Bible Commentary p.272, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.229-230, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.129, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.403 for more info.

Q: In Dt 21:1-9, how did they handle irresoluble uncertainty in court cases, and how should we?

A: We see a few points here. They attempted to find the murderer. They recognized that it was still wrong,

   Making a sacrifice emphasized that it was still wrong, and a sin, even if they were not able to catch the person who did it. This has a legal concept that is absent from western law today: community sin. Because the murder happened, the closest village was guilty of the murder because they were unable to bring the murderer to justice, and the murderer more than likely lived in the village. So the village made a sacrifice for their guilt, the elders washed their hands representing that they knew nothing about the crime or the identity of the murderer, and that covered over their guilt. This was not a sacrifice, as blood was not shed, it was not done in the place of worship, and the priests or Levites did not do it. However, the priests were present to make sure everything was proper. Of course, if the murdered were caught later, they would still have their same judgment.

   In Hittite laws, the responsibility for an unsolved murder first fell to the owner of the field, and if there was no owner, then the nearest village, according to The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.130-131.

   Today we have to realize that if they court pronounces someone "not guilty" that does not mean they are innocent or not guilty, rather that the court determined there was not enough evidence to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A messy solution is to "split the difference" as David did with Mephibosheth and Ziba in 2 Samuel 19:24-30.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.219, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.300, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.223, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.230, and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.203-204 for more info.

Q: In Dt 21:1-9, how should we handle uncertainty in who to work with and who to trust in business and other decisions?

A: As President Ronald Reagan would say, "trust but verify". If someone is dishonest with little things, with little benefit to them, what is to keep them from being dishonest with big things, that would greatly benefit them. In job background checks in finance, why do they want to know your credit score, or if you have gambling debts? There is a good reason.

   If I were interviewing someone for a job requiring great trust, I would ask them if they could steal a million dollars from the company, and know they would get away with it, would they do it? There answer would not be very interesting, as of course almost every candidate would say "no". But then I would ask them why? Their answer might not be the same as mine, but they had better have an answer, and quickly.

Q: In Dt 21:1-9, how should we handle uncertainty in decisions in general?

A: Here are five suggestions.

First of all, in humility; everything has uncertainties, that no one can know except God. Always realize that you could be wrong.

Second, be in prayer. God often won't keep you from making mistakes, but He can help you recover.

Third, have contingencies, or a backup plan.

Fourth, understand common human weaknesses in making decisions. We often have an illogical favoring of a predicted outcome that we want to happen, or the alternative we heard first, or the alternative that other people think something will be.

Five, Seek confidence, not certainty. A successful stock trader started also investing for his parents. He put his parent's money in the same stocks he did, but over time he noticed that they had a lower return. He looked for the reason for that, and found out this. When he thought a stock might go up, he invested in it himself first. And when we was sure there was not so much risk he then invested his parents' money. But being extra cautious with his parents' money, they did not make so much. If you wait to be certain before making a decision, most of the benefit of the opportunity might have already passed by. You can't over-analyze and wait for certainty about something, but you can analyze it enough that you have confidence, though realizing that you could be wrong.

Q: In Dt 21:11-16, why did they have these laws about female captives.?

A: A soldier could have a female captive as a wife, in a dignified way, or else not at all. This law has a higher view or women, in sharp contrast to typical customs of most peoples, ancient and modern.

   The one big exception was the up to 400-ship navy of the Chinese pirate Zheng Yi Sao (1801-1844). They had about 40,000 to 80,000 sailors. The Chinese Qing Dynasty fought the pirates but retreated after losing half their ships. The Chinese plus the Portuguese combined could not defeat the pirates. Eventually the government offered the pirates land and amnesty if they would not be pirates anymore. They accepted, and both sides kept their word. Yi Sao decreed that any rapists would be beheaded. A pirate had to marry a woman before he could have sex with her. Cheating on your new wife would get you beheaded too. By the way, Zheng Yi Sao was a woman.

   According to The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.223-224, in ancient times when a city was about to be captured, women might dress up in their best clothes, so they might have a higher status as a wife or concubine instead of a regular slave. Note that they could make a captured woman a slave, but they could not touch her sexually without making her a wife, and they could not make here a wife and then a slave.

   Waiting a month, and changing their fine clothes, would give a woman time to mourn her family, that either was killed or she likely would never see again. A month would make sure the man really liked here without her fancy clothes, and also would determine if she was pregnant or not. Now if the man did not like the woman, perhaps because the woman did not like the man, the man had to set her free. Just to be perfectly clear, Deuteronomy 21:15 says that the man could not sell her or treat her brutally.

   In contrast to this, in later times Vikings, when they got together might barter or swap female captives.

   In sharp contrast to God's Law in the Torah, in Islam, non-Muslims incorrectly think that Muslims men could only have relations with up to four wives (except for Mohammed, who needed an exemption). Rather in the Qur'an Muslim men could have up to four wives plus the "women their right hands possess". These were captives and slave girls, and a pious Muslim man could have relations with as many of those as he wanted. They still had to wait  one menstrual period before marrying them though, so that if would know if a son born to the captive was theirs or not.

"…We went out with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the expedition to the Bi'l-Mustaliq and took captives some excellent Arab women; and we desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to have [sex] with them but by observing …. But we said: We are doing an act whereas Allah's Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So we asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and he said: It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born." Sahih Muslim vol.2 book 8 no.3571 p.732-733.

Bukhari vol.3 book 34 ch.111 no.432 p.237; vol.5 book 59 ch.31 no.459 p.317; vol.8 book 76 ch.3 no.600 p.391 also teach it is morally acceptable, though not always desirable, to force female slaves to have sex. See also Sahih Muslim vol.2 book 8 no.3371-3376 p.733; Ibn-i-Majah vol.3 no.2517 p.506. Sex with slave girls is OK according to Ibn-i-Majah vol.1 no.89 p.52; vol.3 no.1920 p.158; vol.3 no.1927-1928 p.162. See also Ibn-i-Majah vol.3 no.1851 p.117.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.300-301, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.406, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.206-208, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.132, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.219, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.230, and the New International Bible Commentary p.273 for more info.

Q: In Dt 21:15-17, why was the man commanded to do this inheritance this way, verses however he wanted with his money?

A: Genesis 27; 48:14 show similar examples. Sons could know in advance what percentage they would get, even if a father might like one wife better than another, or one son better than another.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.230, the New International Bible Commentary p.273,  The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.224, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.208, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.219, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.407, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.132-133, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.301 for more info.

Q: In Dt 21:15-16, since a father should not give his inheritance to a younger son and slight the older son, why did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob do that? Why did David make Solomon the next King, and not Adonijah?

A: As for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the command in Deuteronomy 21:15-16 came after they had died. People are not responsible to keep a command God had not given yet.

   In David's case, the law applied to personal property, and a kingdom is not personal property, -though some emperors and kings in history might have thought so.

Q: In Dt 21:15, why does God [allegedly] teach that a man is to love one wife and hate the other? Is this justice from a Biblical God? (A Muslim asserted this.)

A: It teaches nothing of the sort. Deuteronomy 21:15-16 really says, "Suppose a man has two wives, one whom he loves more than the others, and they both bear him sons, with the firstborn being the child of the less loved wife. In the day he divides his inheritance he must not appoint as firstborn the son of the favorite wife in place of the other wife's son who is actually the firstborn." (NET) So if a man loves one wife but not the other, the man cannot give the son who is not the firstborn the rights of the firstborn son. God is NOT saying a polygamous man should love one wife more than another. However, perhaps this Muslim can explain Mohammed's behavior in this.

   When Sauda was old she was afraid Mohammed would divorce her, so she gave her turn to ‘A'isha. Abu Dawud vol.2 no.2130 p.572

   Another Muslim did the same. A man had a wife for many years, who bore him many children. He intended to "exchange her" (Majah's choice of words) but he kept here when she agreed to give up her turn with him. Ibn-i-Majah vol.3 no.1914 p.188.

Q: In Dt 21:15-17, since the right of the firstborn belongs to the firstborn son, why did Jacob and not Esau receive the birthright in Genesis 27?

A: First two facts which are not a part of the answer, and then the answer. Jacob purchased the birthright in Genesis 25:29-34. Also, Jacob was wrong to trick his father Isaac into giving it to him in Genesis 27.

The answer is that Jacob and Esau lived over 400 years before God gave this command in Deuteronomy 21:15-17.

Q: In Dt 21:18-21, why was the Law so severe as to allow a father to have his son killed by stoning for disobedience?

A: This was not for simply disobedience one time, but for adamant refusal to ever obey after being warned. This law shows how seriously God meant for children to obey their parents. However, as strict a warning as the law would be, there is no record of this sentence ever being carried out. Of course if the son had to be warned first, then he would probably get back into line.

   Curiously, the parents did not need to bring any proof. If the father and mother, who normally would love the son, said this about the son, that would be enough.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.273, Hard Sayings of the Bible p.174-175, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.224, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.208-211, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.407-408, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.301, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.230, and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.133 for more info.

Q: In Dt 21:22-23, why couldn't the body of an executed person remain on a tree overnight?

A: This was displaying the body of a dead person on a tree, not killing them on a tree. We have no record of crucifixion until the Persians, who apparently invented it. The Carthaginians/Phoenicians and Romans later got it from them.

   After the criminal was executed, their corpse displayed for all to see to shame the criminal and to warn the people. But even executed criminals were given some dignity. They were buried before nightfall, both to show the honor given to all humanity, and perhaps to keep wild animals from getting to the body. Joshua did not let the body of the King of Ai stay on a tree overnight in Joshua 8:29, probably because Joshua knew of this command.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.134-135, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.211, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.301, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.230, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.122, and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.224 for more info.

Q: In Dt 21:23, if everyone who is hanged on a tree is accursed of God, would Jesus be accursed if a cross can be considered a tree?

A: A cross would be wood from a trunk or large branches, so yes, Jesus could be said to be hung from a tree. Paul says as much when he quotes this verse in Galatians 3:13f. So yes, that would make Jesus accursed. Jesus was cursed, not because He sinned, but to pay the penalty for our sins, as Galatians 3:13 says.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.219-220,  the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.406, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.211, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.301, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.134-135, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.230, and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.224 for more info.

Q: In Dt 22:1-4, why did a man have to return his neighbor's animal, even if he did not like the neighbor?

A: Loving your neighbor as yourself  was first said in Leviticus 19:18, and it includes the golden rule of Jesus, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" in Matthew 7:12. It might be easy to love the neighbors you like, but you are to love the neighbors you don't like too. Also, the animal did not do anything to deserve your neglect.

   "Finders keepers", or "possession is nine-tenths of the law" are foreign concepts to the Torah. Rather, if you found an animal or something, you returned it to the owner if they were close by and you knew who they were, or else you hold it for them when they came looking for it.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.301, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.409, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.212-213, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.135, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.220 for more info.

Q: In Dt 22:5, is it OK for women to wear jeans, and both of them to wear t-shirts?

A: A few genuine Christians think it is not OK. However, most Christians see no problem here. In the Bible men and women both wore cloaks and sandals. Today jeans and t-shirts are neither exclusively male or female. See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.150-151 for more info.

Q: In Dt 22:6-7, why couldn't they take a mother bird along with its young?

A: Scripture does not say why, except that is what God commanded. If you were to take the young or the eggs for food, and leave the mother, then you might have more young or eggs next year.

Q: In Dt 22:8, why would they have to have a parapet? (A skeptic had a problem with this.)

A: On a lighter note, this has to do with the "fall of man". Seriously, there is a legal concept here of guilt of manslaughter (unintentional murder) through recklessness. It is the fault of a careless person if he is killed or injured falling off a roof, but the owner is also at fault if he was reckless in not having reasonable safety precautions.

Q: In Dt 22:9, why not sow with various kinds of seed?

A: Scripture does not say. However, when you sow the same crop year after year, insect and fungal pests build up that attack that crop. If you rotate crops, that reduces attack from the same pests, and can keep from wearing out the nutrients in the soil.

Q: In Dt 22:10, why not yoke an ox and a donkey together?

A: Scripture does not say. However, they can often have different strength and walk at a different pace. Thus, this command, along with Proverbs 12:10, relates to being kind to animals.

Q: In Dt 22:11, why not wear wool and linen together?

A: Scripture does not say. Functionally, wool is very useful as an insulator that is not too adversely affected when wool gets wet. A possible reason is that interweaving wool and cotton could hurt the garment's value as an insulator.

Q: In Dt 22:11, can we wear wool and linen together today?

A: Yes. We serve in the new way of the spirit, not the old way of the written code (Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6-7; ~Romans 2:29). While we still obey the moral requirements of the law, we do not obey the rules of ceremony, diet, and clothing.

Q: In Dt 22:13-21, was the test if a woman was a virgin the sheet on the wedding night, or was the test for an unfaithful wife for her to drink bitter water as Num 5:13-22 says?

A: Both are true, under different circumstances. Deuteronomy 22:13-21 discusses before marriage, and Numbers 5:13-22 discusses after marriage. See When Critics Ask p.127 and Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.258-259 for more info.

Q: In Dt 22:19 (KJV), what does "amerce him" mean?

A: This phrase means to give someone a monetary fine. Actually, an "amercement" is not an archaic phrase, but is still in use in British Law today.

Q: In Dt 22:30 and Dt 27:20 (KJV), what does "discover his father's skirt mean?

A: It means to uncover his father's nakedness or dishonor his father by sleeping with his father's wife.

Q: In Dt 23:1 (KJV), what is a man's "privy member"?

A: It is a male's private parts.

Q: In Dt 23:1, why couldn't castrated men enter the assembly?

A: Scripture does not say. But we know that some priests of pagan gods were castrated as a requirement for being a priest. Others were emasculated to serve in palaces, particularly to serve the women. In later times Muslims who transported slaves from Zanzibar and other places in east Africa often castrated the male slaves.

   It did not say that castrated men could not serve or worship God, just that they could not enter the assembly, i.e. the Tabernacle, and of course later the Temple. This was a mutilation of the nature of a man was created by God.

   But in New Testament times there is no prohibition. All, regardless of surgeries you might have had, involuntary or voluntary, and whatever your past, are invited. The only exceptions are those who teach heretical beliefs (2 John9-11) and those with unrepentant sin and evil actions (1 Corinthians 5:2-5; 9-13; 2 Timothy 3:5; Revelation 2:20-23).

   See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.124, the New International Bible Commentary p.274, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.413-414, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.303, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.219,245, and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.140 for more info.

Q: In Dt 23:2, why couldn't a descendant of an illegitimate child enter the congregation down to the tenth generation?

A: The Hebrew word is uncertain. It could mean someone born outside of marriage, or it could be someone born of a forbidden relationship or marriage; i.e. incest, or it could mean both. Leviticus 18:16-20; 20:10-12,14,17-21 lists the types of forbidden marriages. Regardless, God has the right to choose anybody He wants to enter His assembly. Scripture does not directly say God's reasons, but there are four points that give an indication.

1. This and other verses seem to fit a pattern. People could not enter the assembly if they are considered unclean. This includes people who have touched a dead body, and people with infectious skin diseases. This does not mean they were morally wrong, only that they were ceremonially unclean.

2. Unclean did not mean the person is sinning, more sinful than others, or "too sinful" to enter. For example, priests (except the high priest), were supposed to bury their near relatives, which would make them unclean. On the Day of Atonement, the one who led the scapegoat into the Desert was unclean for doing so, and he was doing what God commanded.

3. Not coming into the assembly is a reproach, not for the child, but for the parents. Someone being an illegitimate child does not mean they cannot be used by God though. Perez, an ancestor of Jesus, was the illegitimate son of Judah. In the Book of Judges, the judge Jephthah the Gileadite was used by God to defeat the Ammonites. The background of Jephthah's mother caused Jephthah problems with his half-brothers, but it did cause any problem for God to use him.

4. This rule was only for the assemblies for Israelites in the Old Testament. In New Testament times, all people who seek God, regardless of the nationality or circumstances of their birth, are welcome into God's churches.

   See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.313, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.142, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.303 for more info.

Q: In Dt 23:3, why couldn't an Ammonite or Moabite enter the congregation down to the tenth generation?

A: No one of a forbidden marriage could down to the tenth generation in Deuteronomy 23:2.

   The reason for this, is that a child would be "illegitimate" not only if it was born out of wedlock, but also if it was born of an "illegal" marriage. God commanded the Israelites not to marry outside of Israel. See the discussion on Deuteronomy 23:2 for why illegitimate children were excluded from the assembly.

   If a person was an Ammonite or Moabite, it was not because the people started as the product of Lot and his daughters, but rather because they had such hostility to Israel. It was primarily because of what the Ammonites did not do, and what the Moabites did. The Ammonites did not give them any help or food whatsoever when they passed by. Any remember king Balak of Moab hired Balaam to curse the Israelites in Numbers 22-24. Balaam counseled Balak to have Moabite women sleep with Israelite men to make the Israelites a stench in God's eyes.

   Of course, if a person was classified as "a foreigner who bound himself with Israel" (Isaiah 56:6), such as Ruth, then "your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." (Ruth 1:16). There is no evidence that the Israelites did not fully accept Ruth's conversion and change of citizenship. In fact, King David was Ruth's great-grandson, according to Ruth 4:21-22, Matthew 1:5-6 and Luke 3:31-32. Likewise, Isaiah 56:3 also says that foreigners who have bound themselves to the Lord will not be excluded from God's people, though some interpret Isaiah 56:3 as relating to the end times.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.220, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.303-304, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.141, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.124, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.414 for more info.

Q: In Dt 23:3, was the tenth generation the tenth generation from the time of the prohibited marriage, or the tenth generation forward from the entrance to the Promised land?

A: It could be either way. However, it is more likely to be the tenth generation from the forbidden marriage.

Q: In Dt 23:15, should we pay our employees at the end of every single day?

A: Normally Christian bosses do not need to do so. As a part of the Old Testament Law, Deuteronomy 23:15 does not say to pay all workers every day, but the poor and needy workers who need it. We should pay our employees at the proper time on their payday though, and not withhold money.

Q: In Dt 23:7-8, why couldn't an Edomite or Egyptian enter the congregation down to the third generation?

A: Probably for similar reasons as the Ammonites and Moabites could not join down to the tenth generation. Scripture only records this, it does not say why the All-Knowing God said this. However, reasons might be that the Edomites were more closely related to Israel, and the Egyptians originally treated the Israelites well.

Q: In Dt 23:15-16, how does not returning an escaped slave to his master an issue behind the American Civil War?

A: A slave named Dred Scott escaped from his master and fled to Missouri, a free state. The master demanded him back. The U.S. Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Taney, ruled that slaves who escaped to free states had to be handed back to their masters in slave states, regardless of the law of the free state. The Civil War was about slave states wanting one state right, to have slaves, and against other state rights, such as not supporting slavery.

   In the Code of Hammurabi laws 15-19, anyone sheltering a runaway slave could be executed.

   Today, even if we are not oppressing others or doing other evil, we should not support, or force others to support, those who are.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.222 for more info.

Q: In Dt 23:17, what is a Sodomite?

A: This refers to a male prostitute, according to Strong's Concordance, NIV, and NET Bible. The New King James translates this as "perverted one", and The Interlinear Bible (Jay P. Green) translates this as "homosexual".

Q: In Dt 23:17, was homosexuality condemned only because it was connected with idolatry, as some New Agers say?

A: No, like infant sacrifice and prostitution, homosexuality was absolutely condemned, regardless of the context. This is no isolated verse, as Leviticus 18:22,24; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 also condemn homosexuality. See the discussion on Romans 1:26-27, When Cultists Ask p.44, and When Critics Ask p.127-128 for more info.

Q: In Dt 23:18, why should the earnings of some not be brought into the house of God to pay vows?

A: God is not impressed with people giving Him money that was not theirs and which they robbed from other people. Apparently "dog" was a slang term for a male prostitute. Prostitution of both sexes was common in Canaan and Canaan in the worship of Astarte. But even if something was common, that does not make it less detestable. In a similar way, David could have freely taken the land where the Temple would be built, but David insisted on paying for the land. Likewise, money that was "earned" (in a manner of speaking), or gained doing evil things was not suitable to give as a gift to God's House.

   In Luke 19:1-10, when Zacchaeus the corrupt tax collector believed in Jesus, he decided to pay back people he cheated and to give half of his possessions (gotten mainly by cheating) to the poor.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.143,144, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.304, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.232 for more info.

Q: How does Dt 24 compare with other laws of the time?

A: The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (1755-1750 B.C.) codes 14 and 22, kidnapping and robbery are punishable by death. In the Hittite law the rights of the laborer were not considered.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.148, J.B. Pritchard's Ancient Near East Texts p.166-167,  and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.305 for more info.

Q: In Dt 24:1-4, why does this teaching on divorce undeniably differ from Mk 10:2-12 and 1 Cor 7:10-16?

A: Jesus answered this in Mark 10:5: God permitted divorce because their hearts were hard. In the Old Testament (Malachi 2:16), God says that He hates divorce.

   When we can justify something as not being against the Bible, yet we know that God is still displeased with it, we should not do it. Romans 14:23 says that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin, and James 5:17 says that any who know the good they ought to do, and does not do it, sins.

   See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.175-176, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.226-227, and When Critics Ask p.129 for more info.

Q: In Dt 24:1-5, why couldn't a couple remarry after they divorced if she had subsequently married someone else?

A: Scripture does not say the reason, but verses in this chapter all related to having a holy standard among the people. Divorce, even though it was allowed in Old Testament times, was not something to be taken lightly. If a woman moved "back and forth" between husbands, it would not look very holy. It would also emphasize the seriousness of divorce.

   This is almost the total opposite of Islam, a divorce can be as simple as the man saying "I divorce you" three time. And if the divorce couple wanted to remarry, in Islam they could not remarry UNTIL the woman had consummated a marriage with another man, and then that marriage was dissolved (either through divorce or the man's death). In the Islamic world there were some men who "worked" as mustahils, sort of a male marriage prostitute. If a divorced couple wanted to remarry, they would pay a mustahil to have a temporary marriage with the woman for a day, and then they could get back together. In case you are wondering, there is no such rule for a man. So, if you are looking for a career or a second job, there are some career choices Christian men cannot take, though a Muslim man might. For documentation in Sharia law on mustahils, see Abu Dawud vol.2 no.2192 p.592-593; vol.2 no.2302 p.629, al-Bukhari vol.7 book 63 no.186,187 p.136; Ibn-i-Majah vol.3 no.1933-1936 p.165-168.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.227-229, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.416-418 and the New International Bible Commentary p.274 for more info.

Q: In Dt 24:15, should we pay our employees at the end of every single day?

A: Normally Christian bosses do not need to do so. As a part of the Old Testament Law, Deuteronomy 23:15 does not say to pay all workers every day, but the poor and needy workers who need it. We should pay our employees at the proper time on their payday though and not withhold money. But an important application for today is to pay people what you promised and owe, at the time you promised; it is cheating them to delay.

   Combining this teaching with not oppressing the poor (James 5:4), plus only seven-year slavery where they get a gift when their time is up, shows this is a society where it was expected that a poor person would be able to work themselves out of poverty. In many societies, since then and today, that is not possible.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.147, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.305-306, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.232-233, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.233 for more info.

   In 2 Samuel 21:5-9, Saul's seven sons were the two sons of Saul and Aiah, and the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab. (Note that there were two princes named Mephibosheth; Jonathan's son was spared, and Saul and Aiah's son was not.) Saul was thirty when he began his reign, and Saul reigned 42 years, according to 1 Samuel 13:1.

   As for the baby born to Bathsheba, both this passage and modern experience show that little children often bear consequences for the evil of others. God can take life as he decides, but Deuteronomy 24:16 says that children are not to be executed for the sins of their fathers.

   In contrast, in the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, Law 230 sometimes a son could be put to death in place of the father. So, if a builder's carelessness caused the death of the owner's son, then the builder's son was put to death as punishment. Persians, Macedonians and others killed sons for the father too.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.306, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.419-420, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.233-234, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.152-153, When Critics Ask p.129-130, and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.177-179 for more info.

Q: In Dt 24:16, why does it say children are not supposed to be killed for their fathers' sins, since they were killed for the fathers' sins as the sons of Saul were in 2 Sam 21:5-9 and David and Bathsheba's baby in 2 Sam 12:15-18?

A: Saul's sons were guilty, too. After the death of Saul and Jonathan, 2 Samuel 3:1 says the war between the house of Saul (meaning Saul's sons) and David lasted a long time. You can read more about this in 2 Samuel 3 and 4.

   In 2 Samuel 21:5-9, Saul's seven sons were the two sons of Saul and Aiah, and the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab. (Note that there were two princes named Mephibosheth; Jonathan's son was spared, and Saul and Aiah's son was not.) Saul was thirty when he began his reign, and Saul reigned 42 years, according to 1 Samuel 13:1.

   As for the baby born to Bathsheba, both this passage and modern experience show that little children often bear consequences for the evil of others. God can take life as he decides, but Deuteronomy 24:16 says that children are not to be executed for the sins of their fathers.

   In contrast, in the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, Law 230 sometimes a son could be put to death in place of the father. So, if a builder's carelessness caused the death of the owner's son, then the builder's son was put to death as punishment. Persians, Macedonians and others killed sons for the father too.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.306, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.419-420, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.233-234, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.152-153, When Critics Ask p.129-130, and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.177-179 for more info.

Q: In Dt 25:2 (KJV), does this mean to beat people on their face?

A: Not at all. As modern translations show, this means that the judge will face the guilty person when the person is punished. Presumably, this would show that the punishment is judicially authorized.

Q: In Dt 25:3, why was the limit of 40 lashes prescribed?

A: Scripture does not say, but with no limit, he could be beaten until death. In fact, in Roman times some criminals sentenced to be crucified were not, because the beatings were so severe that they died before then. In contrast, The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi law 200 had a maximum of 60 lashes. Later Assyrians had between 40 and 50 lashes. In 2 Corinthians 11:24 the Jews had 39 lashes based on this verse. This verse says 40, but the Jews did 39 just in case they miscounted. When Jesus was whipped, he was whipped by Romans, not Jews, so we don't know how many lashes Jesus received.

   In Moses' time, beatings were probably done in the Egyptian manner, with a stick instead of a whip, where the guilty one was laid flat on the ground and held by their hands and feet.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.306, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.421, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.239-240, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.222, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.233 for more info.

Q: In Dt 25:4, why couldn't they put a muzzle on an ox while it is treading grain?

A: There are two parts to the answer.

Specifically, it showed kindness to the animal. A farmer might think to do that to keep the ox from eating any grain. But the principle here is that since the farmer benefits from the work of the ox, the ox should have some share of the benefit here.

Generally, if a person or an animal is working towards bringing benefit, they should be allowed to share in the benefits. 1 Corinthians 9:9 and 1 Timothy 5:18 both quote this verse in the context of the church supporting pastors, who are benefitting them.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.240-241, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.306, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.422-423, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.149, and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.125 for more info.

Q: In Dt 25:5-10, why would a dead husband's brother have to marry the widow?

A: This was not compulsory, as a man could decline and then have the humiliation of being an "unsandaled" one. Of course, having sexual relations with your husband's brother while your husband is still alive is adultery, as Leviticus 1:8,16; 20:21 specifically warn against. This is termed "levirate marriage" from the Latin word levir or brother-in-law. This kind of marriage was done in that society for a number of reasons.

   The Hebrew word for son here, ben, can mean son or mean child depending on the context. The Greek Sptuagint, Josephus, and many Jewish rabbis interpreted it as "child", though some Jerish rabbis interpreted it as "son". Daughters inherited when there were no sons in Zelophehad's case in Numbers 27:4-8. "Child" and not "son" is probably also intended in Genesis 38:8-10 and Ruth 4:1-17.

   Deuteronomy 25:5-10 teaches that if a man died with no children, it was his brother's responsibility to marry the widow, and the first son shall carry on the name of the dead brother. For examples see Genesis 38:8-10, Ruth 1:11-13, and Ruth 3:12-4:10.  Boaz was not only interested in doing the right thing, but he was also interested in doing things the right way.

   Much later, in the late sixteenth century, a wealthy but childless couple in the colonies, adopted a young man who would inherit their fortune; with the stipulation that he would change his last name to theirs: Pemberton.

   For the woman they would ensure that she was financially supported by her new husband, and later by the child. In society back then there was no official government care for the elderly.

   In the ancient Middle East outside of the Bible, the Nuzi tablets also say that when a father gets a wife for his son, if the son dies, then the girl marries another son. Other ancient cultures, such as the Hittites and Assyrians practiced the same laws, except the Assyrians had a twist. If a woman was merely betrothed to a fiancée, and the fiancée died, then the fiancée's brother had to marry her. Levirate marriage seems very strange to westerners, but many other cultures thought this was natural. Wikipedia says that the custom of levirate marriage was practiced by the Scythians, later Kurds, Hsiung-Nu (Xiongnu) of China, the Huns, Kirghiz, Karo people of Indonesia, many Somalis, the Mambila tribe of Nigeria and north Cameroon, some parts of Nigeria, the Marogoli tribe of west Kenya, the Julu, the Shona of Zimbabwe, and the Dinka and Nuer tribes of south Sudan.

   Since the time of the New Testament, there is the understanding that believers are to take care of their families, including their extended family, given the strict nature of the command in 1 Timothy 5:8. While there is no levirate marriage for Christians today, we should still financially help out extended family too.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.422-423, the Wycliffe Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology p.360, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.151, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.150-151, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.306-307, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.242-244, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.227-228, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.125, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.222-223, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.233 for more info.

Q: Why does the law in Dt 25:5-10 differ from what was expected with Judah, Onan, and Tamar in Genesis 38?

A: Remember that the Law of Moses had not yet been given in the time of Judah. Judah believed he had an obligation to Tamar, and he violated his conscience by choosing not to live up to that obligation.

Q: In Dt 25:11-12, why does the law say the woman's hand should be cut off?

A: The Hebrew verb here indicates a violent act, not just an accidental one. The Old Testament has a lot about the dignity of the sexes. For example, female captives could not be taken advantage of in Deuteronomy 21:10-14, a wife who has lost favor of her husband should not have her children's inheritance rights diminished. There are responsibilities as well as privileges. Even in fighting there are limits beyond where you should not go. This could cause permanent damage to a man, affecting his ability to have children and his marital relations.

   This is in only place in the Torah were there is a punishment of cutting off anything. In contrast to this, other Near Eastern laws and later Islamic Sharia law had other reasons for mutilation. For example, in Assyria if a man kissed a woman on the street who was not his wife, he would have his lip cut off.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.244-246, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.307, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.223, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.228, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.125, the New International Bible Commentary p.275, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.233 for more info.

Q: In Dt 25:13-15, Prov 11:1; 20:10,23 and Lev 19:35-36, why should they not have differing weights?

A: This refers to the evil practice of measuring grain or other items using a lighter weight when the trader is selling it and using a slightly heavier weight when the trader is buying it. Of course, that was very serious if you were caught, but it was equally serious in God's eyes even if you were not caught. But it glorifies God when you are honest, even when nobody on earth can tell. Apparently this was still a problem in Amos' time according to Amos 8:5.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.307, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.246-248, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.233-234, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.152, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.424-425 for more info.

Q: In Dt 25:17-19, why were they to blot out the Amalekites?

A: The Amalekites were descendants of Eliphaz, who was a grandson of Esau in Genesis 36:12. The Amalekites had snuck on Israel according to Deuteronomy 25:17-19, killing for the old and weak stragglers. The Israelites fought them in Exodus 17:8-16 and Numbers 14:39-45. Saul fought them in 1 Samuel 15:1-3 and David fought them in 2 Samuel 1:1. They appear again in 1 Chronicles 4:41-43 in Hezekiah's time.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.248-251, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.223, the New International Bible Commentary p.275, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.234, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.425, The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.153-154, and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.228 for more info.

Q: In Dt 26:1-4, the people were to consider their land an inheritance. What kinds of things are an inheritance for us today?

A: An inheritance is something you did not deserve but was passed down to you by parents or others. It can be our country, our laws, our land, wealth, our time, our health, our church, and our neighborhood. We can cherish it, we should take care of it, but we should not be arrogant and think that we deserved it more than others.

   As Deuteronomy 26:2-4 shows, we should be grateful to God for it. We should also be loving and share with others.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.155 for more info.

Q: In Dt 26:2, what are some ways we cannot just to give to God but to give the firstfruits to God today?

A: If you have been unemployed, and you just got a new job, do you wait to get on your feet and have a comfortable amount in the bank before giving to God, or do you offer to God immediately? The opposite of this is when you have a good investment, such as a stock, do you put everything in it, rationalizing that you will let it grow first before giving anything to God, or do you give to God immediately. Of course it is OK to donate the stock shares directly, instead of cashing some out and then donate the cash.

   You can give God the firstfruits of your time, and not just the leftover time you have after you are tired.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.228 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.252-253 for more info.

Q: In Dt 26:5-10, why were the Israelites supposed to say this when they brought their firstfruits?

A: Bringing an offering, of the firstfruits and the tithe, was not just to be a commercial transaction; it was an act of worship. They were supposed to say and think about these things in their hearts when they brought their offerings. They were to remember what they were, and where they came from. It was also an act of corporate worship; the people were together and could hear others saying this.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.258-261,270fs for more info.

Q: In Dt 26:13-16, why would people need to testify to God that he did not eat any of his tithe themselves?

A: Obviously God knew already what they did and didn't do. But this solemn testimony before God would be seen by others and would bring on greater guilt if the person was lying about this before God.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.156-157 for more info.

Q: In Dt 26:16-19, what is the key point of this passage?

A: This concludes the entire stipulation section of Deuteronomy 12:1-26:19. It sums up, at a high level, the blessings from God to the people and responsibilities the people have before God for this covenant they made.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.228 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.158-159 for more info.

Q: In Dt 26:17 (KJV), what does "avouched" mean?

A: This colorful King James Version word means "declared" (NASB, NET, NIV, and Green's Literal translation) or "proclaimed" (NKJV). The NRSV translates this as "obtained the Lord's agreement".

Q: In Dt 27:1, why would the elders as well as Moses command the people?

A: This is the only place in Deuteronomy where the elders as well as Moses command the people. Moses is old and about to die soon and would not be there for the ceremony. The people are being told what to do on Mt. Gerazim and Mt. Ebal after they entered into the Promised Land, but Moses was told that he would die before they entered. As an aside, Moses is mentioned in the third person at the start of the first address in Deuteronomy 1:1,5, the end of the first address in Deuteronomy 4:41,44; the start of the second address in Deuteronomy 5:1 and the start of the third address here in Deuteronomy 27:1.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.160 and the New International Bible Commentary p.276, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.309 for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:2-8, why were these words prominently written down?

A: The first people who did this could hear the words, but this was to be clearly displayed for all to read, then and in the future.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.264 and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.229 for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:4-14, why did they have a renewal of commitment here?

A: This is a very large, once only gathering, and they were not even making a new covenant; rather, they were renewing an existing covenant. This is similar to an older husband and wife deciding to go through a second wedding ceremony to renew their wedding vows. Other examples of renewing (not making) a covenant are Joshua Son of Nun reconfirming Joshua son of Nun as their leader in Joshua 24 and 1 Samuel 12), dedication of Solomon's Temple in 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5, and to some extent the Great Passover celebration of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 30. The last was not a separate renewal event, but they had many more sacrifices and celebrated it an extra seven days.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.309 for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:4-14, when should we have a renewal of commitment?

A: While a renewal of commitment is not required, in general it is good to have one to remind people you are leading, as well as yourself, of your previous commitment to serve God whole heartedly. Specifically, in Deuteronomy 27 we see a renewal of commitment right before they are undertaking an important endeavor, where there would be a big temptation to compromise and run after other gods, or be lazy and try to self God halfway. In 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5, like a temple dedication, we should renew in dedicating a building, or an infant to the Lord. Like 2 Chronicles 30 with Hezekiah, we can have a renewal when we, or the people we are leading, had stopped being dedicated to following God, and have repented and want to re-commit to completely following Him again.

Q: In Dt 27:5, why couldn't they use iron tools when building an altar, since iron tools would give a better-looking, more chiseled tools than stone, softer metals, or not tools?

A: Scripture does not say, but we can see two reasons. First, the Hebrews did not have iron tools and would be dependent for these on the nations around them. This was before the iron age in the Middle East.. Egyptians had luxury iron tools for a thousand years earlier, but they were rare in Egypt, because it was only from beating meteoritic iron. So they knew of iron, but there were so few tools because (with the exception of Hittites), most cultures did not know how to make furnaces hot enough to smelt iron. Second, iron (not steel) tools would give a good-looking result at first, but if some of the iron remained on the stone, it would rust and turn the stone an ugly brown later.

   There is a metaphor here for us today. When we do things for God, either from selfish motives or using unethical or otherwise ungodly means, the result might last but it remain with an ugliness about it, of the paradox of our human effort trying to do things for God without God's direction or even desire. Think about conquerors who claimed to conquer kingdoms or make people captives, or even the Roman Catholic Inquisition, claiming to do those things "for the Lord". Sometimes God would rather a person just be lazy and do nothing, than do evil things claiming to be for Him.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.309 for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:9, what is significant about the Israelites becoming a people of the Lord?

A: There are two aspects, both spelled out in Deuteronomy 27:12-13. Because the people were special to the Lord, God would especially bless their obedience. On the other hand, they would be cursed for disobeying God, even more than other peoples. Remember that the Israelites knew God's will more than other peoples of that time, and they were accountable both for what they knew, and their commitment to be a people of God.

   For New Testament believers, James 3:1 says that many should not become teachers, because teachers will be judged with greater strictness. For unbelievers, 2 Peter 2:21 says that a person would be better off not knowing the way of truth, than to know it and reject it.

Q: In Dt 27:12, why Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal?

A: Scripture does not say, but we can see that these two mountains were right in the middle of the land, with the town of Shechem in between them. Mt. Gerizim was about 28 miles and Mt. Ebal was about 40 miles north of Jerusalem. They were both about 24 and 18 miles west of the Jordan River and in between was a pass; Shechem was on the eastern side of the narrow pass about 18 miles from the Jordan. The Levites stood in between, at Shechem according to Joshua 8:33.

   Which mountain, Ebal or Gerizim, will you climb? See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.23 for more info.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.276, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.230, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.311, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.234-235and Google Maps for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:15-26, why did all the people need to say "amen" here?

A: This does NOT just mean that they think it is a good idea or that they agree. Rather, it is placing themselves under oath that they voluntarily submit to this law and its consequences. They are ratifying the covenant for both themselves and their descendents.

   Similar to this, the term "amen" was used to place a treaty signer under oath in Esarhaddon's Nimrud treaty, and a response of Hittite solders. See Wiseman, Vassal-Treaties p.26 and Ancient Near East Texts p.353-354.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.165, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.433-434, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.126, and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.229,231 for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:19, why would someone be cursed because of their relations with aliens, orphans, and widows?

A: This is a part of a section, Deuteronomy 27:16-19 about treating other people wrong. This curse is against those who either take advantage of, or harm for no reason, strangers I the land or others who will not be able to speak up and defend themselves. Scripture does not specify here a particular motive for doing wrong to someone, it could be greed, not liking the poor or non-citizens, or just for sadistic fun; it is wrong form any motive. Scripture is extremely vague here on specifically what they are forbidden to do. More detail is not needed here, because it covers everything you could do that is unjust or unkind to the defenseless. This is the flip side of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.310 for more info.

Q: In Dt 27:21, why this curse against those who had sex with animals here?

A: According to Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.266 this was an aspect of a worshipper becoming being one with Hittite gods.

Q: In Dt 27:24, why is a secret attack cursed?

A: It would be foolish for a murderer or bandit to attack openly because they would get caught. But the point here is that even if it is secretly, and it was so secret that nobody on earth every found out, God would still know. Don't backstab others.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.164 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28:1-14, what are the major categories of these blessings?

A: This includes agriculture (28:8,11a,11c,12a), family (28:11b), financial (28:12b), military (28:7,10,13), and spiritual (28:9).

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.277, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.231, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.311-312 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28, why is the Book of Lamentations so similar to this chapter?

A: They are very different in style, since Lamentations was written a thousand years later in a precise, poetic way. However, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.1209 points out there are fifteen similarities in content. This is probably because the author of Lamentations (most likely Jeremiah) was deliberately trying to show how the disaster that occurred was not a chance event, but God deliberately fulfilling the prophetic curses in Deuteronomy 28.

   The entire book of Lamentations can be viewed as an answer to the question in Deuteronomy 29:34.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.278 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28:15-68, why are the curses four times longer than the blessings in Dt 28:1-14?

A: It was common in ancient Suzerainty treaties to have blessings and curses at the end. It was common to have the curses for breaking the treaty more numerous than the blessings. Paul talked about those being under the law were under a curse; and this was true when they broke the law. However, unlike Deuteronomy, suzerainty treaties had no provisions for forgiveness.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.277, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.235, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.128, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.309,311 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28:20. What is the confusion prophesied here?

A: This word can be better translated as "panic". You can think of it as divinely sent panic. The same word is used of the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea in Exodus 14:23-28.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.312 and the New International Bible Commentary p.277 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28:26 (KJV), what does "carcase" mean?

A: This means dead body. The NASB and NKJV says "carcasses". The NRSV says "corpse" and Green's literal translation says "body".

Q: How does Dt 28:28-40 relate to the military exemptions in Dt 20:5-8?

A: The three military exemptions were if a man has just planted a vineyard, if he has become betrothed to a wife, or if he is fearful of going into battle. Deuteronomy 28:30 mentions two of them, betrothed to a wife and planting a vineyard. Deuteronomy 28:39-40 curses the disobedient with planting vineyards but not enjoying them. Deuteronomy 28:28,34,65 talks about them having mad, trembling, panic (confusion).

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.232 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28:55-58, why did God decide that disobedient Israelites would be cannibals and eat their children?

A: God did not desire this but warned them that their punishment for disobedience would be a siege of Jerusalem that was so severe that He foresaw this would happen. Unfortunately, this actually occurred according to 2 King 6:24-29 and Lamentations 2:20; 4:10.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.313, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.236, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.225 for more info.

Q: In Dt 28:64, 3:27, why was exile prophesied?

A: This happened to the northern kingdom when the Assyrians conquered it in 722 B.C., and to the southern kingdom when the Babylonians conquered it in 586 B.C.. But this would not seem too shocking to the first readers, because, outside of the Bible, a conqueror exiling the inhabitants that were conquered was known c.1800 B.C., as Keneth A. Kitchen mentions in J.B. Payne's New Perspectives on the Old Testament p.507 and also Kitchen's The Bible p.120-122.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.277 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.177 for more info.

Q: Did Dt 28:68 prophesy a second bondage in Egypt as the Muslim Ahmad Deedat says?

A: This is a conditional prophecy if they continued in their rebellion. It does not prophesy a captivity in Egypt, but rather that they will voluntarily flee to Egypt. After the Babylonians exiled most of the Jews to Babylon, many of the ones who were left chose to flee to Egypt, taking an unwilling Jeremiah with them. Jeremiah 41:11-44:30 has an extensive discussion of what happened.

  Later, when The Romans crushed the Jewish rebellion in 70 A.D., after the Romans captured Jerusalem, they sent 17,000 adult Jews to Egypt for hard labor and sold all those under 17 years old according to Josephus' Wars of the Jews book 6 ch.9.2. Around 135 A.D. The Roman Emperor Hadrian also sold many Jews into slavery according to Jerome's Letter To Jer. 31.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.446 and The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.234 for more info.

Q: Is Dt 29:1-29 a summary of Dt 28, or an introduction to Dt 30?

A: Both, because it can be considered a transition. It is a recapitulation of the previous and an introduction to the following. Jewish Bibles call Deuteronomy 29:1 Deuteronomy 28:69 instead.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.278, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.234, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.313-314 for more info.

Q: In Dt 29:3-4, why can't miraculous signs and wonders in and of themselves lead to faith in God?

A: Due to the sinfulness of people, and their cleverness at arriving at alternate explanations, God's self-revelation is needed. God's people at this time saw this, and they told their children and grandchildren, who told their descendents. However, many times children do not learn from the hardships from their parents; they insist on learning from hardship themselves. John 2:18-21; 6:30; 9:40-41; 10:38; 13:7 and other verses show the same.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.278 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.274 for more info.

Q: In Dt 29:16-18, how do some church-goers try to "opt out" of obedience to God?

A: They might do everything right outwardly, and they might obey God in many areas, but there might be one or two areas where they mistakenly think "God's command does not apply to me for this." It can be a rationalization of they have to lie to make sales, they have to wander sexually because they think they are in a bad marriage, they have to steal because God does not provide enough for them otherwise, their bad temper or language is OK because they cannot that is their personality, or they can do something in secret because people will not find out. But God knows, and God did not "exempt" anyone from pursuing holiness in Him. Christ did not come to get on our side. Rather He came for us to be His own, and on His side.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.276 for more info.

Q: In Dt 29:18 and Heb 12:15, what is the root of bitterness spoken of here?

A: People, even believers, can become bitter for many reasons. It can be to current hardships, envy of others, or in general a non-acceptance of what God is doing. It can lead to going after an idol of something else, or breaking down a barrier against sinning, if you feel that God doesn't care or you are made at God. Key reasons are abandonment of God (28:20); disobedient acts (28:15,20,45,58), ungrateful to God (28:47), and a consequence of worshipping other gods (28:64; 29:16-17).

  However, instead of just "bitterness" the Hebrew and Greek actually say "root of bitterness". The picture here is of a noxious plant that grows larger over time as the hostile environment nurtures it.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.314, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.234,235, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.449, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.126-127 for more info.

Q: In Dt 29:18 and Heb 12:15, how do some people become bitter today, and what can we do to keep ourselves from becoming that way?

A: First of all, recognize the danger. Second, pray to God to keep you from that. Third, resolve to "draw a line in the sand" and decide not to become that way. Fourth, keep your eyes on God, and His promises. Finally, realize that this world is temporary anyway, and the struggles we have now are nothing compared to the joys we will have in heaven, as 2 Corinthians 4:17 says.

Q: In Dt 29:28, why would God uproot His disobedient people and drive them to another land?

A: Let's turn the question around. If they were disobedient to God, then why would they think God would want them to still enjoy the land that He gave them? If the people chose to turn away from God, God can turn away from them. This happened during the exile. In another sense we are all exiles, since humankind was cast out from the Garden of Eden.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.279 and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.236 for more info.

Q: In Dt 29:29, what does it mean that the secret things belong to God but the things He has revealed, are ours forever?

A: There are two kinds of knowledge differentiated here.

1. Secret (covered)  things which God has not revealed to us. We are not responsible to know them or obey them. Some of these things we might not know until we get to Heaven, and other things we might never know. That is OK, though. God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, as Isaiah 55:8-9 says.

2. Revealed (uncovered) things which God has revealed we are responsible to know, obey, and teach our children and others.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.278-279 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.185 for more info.

Q: In Dt 30:1-2, we might think the Israelites were extremely foolish to see all these things and then turn away from God. But what are some things today that people see of God, and yet still do not learn their lesson?

A:Disicpline does not necessarily help anybody; it depends of these accept it and repent. Sometimes it can make people more obstinate. Are there some sins that people keep committing, even after they have seen serious negative consequences from it? Not just drugs and alcohol, but in purity, honesty, and treating people nicely. Achan and judas went after material gain. Gideon and Samson basically worshipped themselves.

   See Raymond Browns' The Message of Deuteronomy p.274,277 for more info.

Q: In Dt 30:6, did God circumcise the hearts of the Israelites, or were the Israelites themselves supposed to as Dt 10:16 says?

A: This is like asking are we responsible for faith, or does God give us faith. The correct answer is both, because whether in salvation, or dedication to God, there is an interaction between God and a person. God circumcising our hearts is also discussed in Colossians 2:11.

   See When Critics Ask p.130, Haley's Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible p.166-167, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.315 for more info.

Q: In Dt 30:11-14 and Rom 10:8, how do you speak to someone who says the Scripture is too difficult to understand?

A:Sometimes this can just be an excuse: unless I can understand all of it, I don't have to follow any of it. But for those who do have a genuine objection here, there are three points in the answer.

First of all, the Bible is "multi-level" in understanding. Some parts are so simple an elementary school kid can understand perfectly. Even a third-grade can know to choose to want to be a "good guy" or a "bad guy" when they grow up. All can understand that God created everything, we all have sinned, Jesus died on the cross for us, and rose from the dead. We need to repent and believe in Him,. Other parts are very complicated, and highly-educated scholars wrestle with the implications of some doctrines. For example, how much meta-knowledge (of hypotheticals does God have. How were we born with a sinful nature? When Satan tempted Jesus was Jesus impeccable? In the resurrection how will our bodies be similar, yet different from Jesus' body? Furthermore, sometimes the same passage can be read and understood on different levels, a basic (but true) level, and a deeper (but also true) level.

Second, believers should pray for understanding from the Holy Spirit. He can guide us as to which interpretations are correct and which are false. Paul alludes to this when he quotes Deuteronomy 11:14 in Romans 10:8.

Finally, we have each other; other believers, both who live at the same time as us and those who wrote down their insights and wisdom long ago.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.315, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.281, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.127, and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.227 for more info.

Q: In Dt 30:15-20, did Moses say that (before Christ) a person was justified by obeying the Law?

A: Actually, Moses and the Bible never say that. This passage shows the blessings and fellowship with God for obeying the Law, and the curses for God's covenant people disobeying the law, but the law did not save. Jesus Christ provided the justification for all who have believed, whether in times before Christ or after.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.277 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.315-316 for more info.

Q: In Dt 30:19; Josh 24:15-18, why is there an emphasis on choosing?

A: They were not just to listen and intellectually agree, they were to choose to live their life in a godly way, which included saying no to ungodly things. It is the opposite of some people Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 3:7 as always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. As for the gospel, you have to make a choice.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.279, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.237, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.455 for more info.

Q: In Dt 31:1-3,7-8, how do we keep from thinking that success in ministry all can depend on just one person?

A: God solved the problem by taking Moses away. But prior to that, Moses had groomed Joshua to take over. Today sometimes if a group of people are leading there will not be an abrupt shock if one person is taken away. Also, we should give thought to succession, and who will head things up after us. Finally, an organization that is led by elders is more resilient than one with just a single leader.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.316-317 for more info.

Q: In Dt 31:3, what were the peoples of Canaan like, and are there any people similar to them today?

A: Many peoples lived in the land of Canaan. Colonies of Hittites and Amorites came from Asia Minor. A few Philistines and Sea Peoples came at that time from the northwest. One of the more unusual peoples was the Anakim. Bones have been found that showed some of them to be 10 1/2 feet tall. Most of the Canaanites though, are thought to have come from northern Arabia. A people living today are believed to be "cousins" of the Canaanites; they live in the nation of Qatar.

   Canaan was governed by a large number of small city-states; they were experienced in war with each other. Their city walls were thicker than Israelite city walls, built centuries later. Both the northern and southern parts of Canaan paid tribute to Egypt. Joshua conquered thirty-one kings in both parts. However, the plains were not conquered because the Canaanites used chariots, which were effective weapons on the plains.

   The religion of the Canaanites was both decadent and cruel. Each region worshipped a local lord, or Baal. The Canaanites also venerated the goddess Ashtarte (or Ishtar) the goddess of sex and war. In one legend her husband, the god Tammuz, was sent to hell by her (nice lady!). Three "attractive" elements of this religion were sex, violence, and materialism. They not only sacrificed animals, but their firstborn children had to "pass through the fire". Each temple supported itself by sacrifices and partly by the "holy" prostitution of priestesses. Since the Canaanites had a more sophisticated civilization and their religion certainly appealed to the flesh more than the worship of God, it was a great temptation to the Israelites to turn from the Living God.

   It is easy to look at the infant murder and prostitution and overlook seeing another really evil thing. A few people murder and become prostitutes in most cultures, but the great evil is this: if a Canaanite were to sincerely desire to seek the Creator and live a good, moral life, he was taught the only way was by killing your firstborn and committing fornication. Can you imagine how nearly impossible it would be to seek after a moral God if the only way you knew was by these ungodly deeds?

   Because of the Canaanites' great sin (Genesis 15:16), and because of the temptation (Deuteronomy 7:16), God ordered them to be totally destroyed (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). We can ponder how bad sin must become before God annihilates a people, but we really cannot question God's right to do with His own creation as He wishes.

Q: In Dt 31:6, 31:7; and Josh 1:6-7,8-18, why the emphasis on being strong and courageous?

A: It could be because we some have a tendency to be weak and fearful. We are not to arrogantly be self-confident, but we should be confident in what God can do through us. But there is a second reason. Instead of being scared and panicky, many more people would want to play it safe and not rock the boat. Against both of those believers should be strong and courageous.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.239 for more info.

Q: In Dt 31:7-8,23; 32:44; 34:9 how do you wisely pick someone as your successor?

A: First of all, you need to realize that you need to choose a successor. Then pray and ask God. However, you still need to examine the person and use your discernment too. Joshua had spent a lot of time with Moses and in the Tabernacle. He had proved himself when he and Caleb were the only two spies who gave a good report with faith that they could go in. Moses had Joshua by his side a lot, so Moses day-by-day could have trained him. So not only was Joshua chosen, but he was prepared too. When Moses publicly mentioned Joshua here nobody was surprised.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.237 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.331 for more info.

Q: In Dt 31:24-26, why wasn't this law placed inside the ark?

A: This law, i.e. the Book of Deuteronomy, was placed besides the ark. Only three things were inside the ark: the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a pot of manna. But this was for people, especially kings, to read. The priests were supposed to read this to the people every seven years in Deuteronomy 31:9-10 at the Feast of Tabernacles. How many people today read through the Scriptures, at least once every seven years? One might think the priests' job was mainly reading the scriptures, but that would be missing the point. Rather, both by encouragement and by example the priests were to exhort the Bible to read and know God's law; reading Deuteronomy once every seven years was a part of that. However, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.238-239 thinks it was all of the Torah not just Deuteronomy.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.317, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.239, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.227-229, and the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.127 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:1-44, what is interesting about this song?

A: This is "learning by singing." This is not primarily a song of praise, or lament, but rather a teaching song of education and prophecy, with some verses (32:3-4,8) praising of God's character. It is not just nice-sounding words, but an expression of God's will and a guide to life and death among God's people. If someone memorized this song they would have a summary of the importance of the law. Unlike modern wills, a last will made back then was irrevocable.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.280, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.289-291, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.228, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.240 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:1-4, why is there always an emphasis on praising God?

A: This glorifies God, but it affects us too. As C.S. Lewis said (in Reflections on the Psalms p.94-95), there can be no proper enjoyment of something without appreciation.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.293,305-306 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:5, why does this mention a perverse and crooked generation here?

A: This would be a generation that rejected God's Messiah. Jesus called the generation in His time this in Matthew 17:17. Peter and Paul also use this phrase in Acts 2:40 and Philippians 2:15.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.241 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:8f, how did the Septuagint translation influence things here?

A: The Septuagint says, "When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the sons/angels of God."

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.296-297 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:10; Ps 17:8; Zech 2:8, what is the apple of the eye?

A: This refers to the pupil, or center of the eye. It means something that is considered highly-valued and you are very fond of.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.241 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.297 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:11a, how does an eagle "stir up" the nest?

A: A person would have to be very familiar watching eagles to know this. The young eaglet has it pretty good in their nest; they don't have to do anything and they get free food all the time. It knows this, and typically does not want to try to lose a good thing a leave. But the mother starts destroying the nest the eaglet is in, forcing the fledgling eagle to start to fly and fend for itself. Sometimes the eagle tries to fly, soars to the ground, and is stuck there for a while. That is OK; the parents will bring food to the grounded eagle until it can fly itself.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.298 and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.204-205 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:11f, what birds put their young on their wings?

A: Only birds of prey (Palestine has 44 species) have wings strong enough to do this. At least one of these, the golden eagle, is known to catch its young in its wings. They swoop under the eaglets and fly upward with the eaglets on their backs, when the eaglets are learning to fly, according to the April 2001 issue of the National Geographic.

  See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.204-205, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.472-473, Stephen Caesar "Zoology in the Pentateuch: Three Alleged Errors" Science, Scholarship and Scripture in The Christian News July 2, 2001 p.26, The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.241, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Palestine 6/29/2025 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:15; 33:5; 33:26, and Isa 44:2, who is Jeshurun here?

A: This is a metaphor, and Jeshurun is pet name for Israel, meaning "upright one" or "righteous one". The idea is that Israel originally pleased the Lord. But like a well-fed animal might kick against the owner who feeds him, this is a poetic prophecy that God's people Israel would kick back against God. They would worship other gods, who were in fact demons according to Deuteronomy 32:16-17.

   See Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.299, the New International Bible Commentary p.280, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.474-475, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.240 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:15, why do some children of believers grow up and turn away from God?

A: There can be a variety of reasons.

Enticement to follow other things. This includes being enticement by a romantic friend, spouse, or other family members.

Materialism

Pride and arrogance

Inconsistency and hypocrisy of believers that they have seen.

Fear and persecution

Apathy from prosperity. There is a lesson taught here: prosperity can be more a dangerous trial than hard times.

Underlying most of these are two questions that they do affirm positively. Is God enough? And "Is God's way the best way?

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.319, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.299, and The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.207 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:12,16, why is the Lord so incensed about foreign gods?

A: Deuteronomy 2:16 says it provokes God to jealousy. Just as a husband or wife might feel jealous if their spouse was having an affair, God has jealousy also when people go after other gods. Also in verse 16 God calls their worship abominations. In a sense the earth is a battlefield with the demons fighting God. The objective or "prize" is having people who are loyal to demons, and believe, follow, or worship demons.

   Once when I was playing for the school basketball team I scored the game-winning shot. You see it was a jump ball, and the referee accidentally lined us up backwards. I tipped the ball, got it and shot. It went in, but unfortunately I accidentally made it in the opposing team's basket. Even worse, we lost the game by one point. I was so embarrassed. One of the unspoken rules of basketball is: don't score points for the team that is against you. That is sort of like what worshipping foreign gods is doing.

   See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.241,242, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.300-301, and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.319 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:21 does the foolish people here refer to pre-Islamic Arabs, as the Muslim Ahmad Deedat says?

A: This can also be translated "people slow to learn", but regardless, there is no reason this refers to Arabs any more than Gentiles in general. Specifically, the early Christians who were not of Jewish background were mainly Gentiles of the Roman Empire. Arabs were not a very populous people group.

Q: In Dt 32:28-33, how is terrible discernment a sin that leads to ruin?

A: When you cannot acknowledge right from wrong, either through fear, pressure, or potential loss, you cannot guide others. When you don't even know yourself what is right from wrong, then you can fall for anything. Not all ignorance is innocent. Some comes from a practiced effort to not care if something is right or wrong.

Metaphorically the evil people would have plenty of wine, but they themselves did not realize, or else they realized but did not care, that their wine was the wine of snake poison. People today do things like drugs, getting drunk, and smoking so that they poison their own bodies themselves.

   See The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.319, Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.303-304, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.240 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:48 was Moses' anger a "sin unto to death" as mentioned in 1 Jn 5:16,17 because he was punished with dying before entering the promised land?

A: No, this is fundamentally different from Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), some believers who took the Lord's supper lightly (1 Corinthians 11:31,32), Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16), Achan's sin (Joshua 7:16-26). The others died right away, while Moses lived many years before dying. Moses sin was only a sin unto death in the sense that Adam, Eve, and all of us will die as a consequence of sin.

   See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.70 for a different answer.

Q: In Dt 32:49, how far could Moses see on Mt. Nebo?

A: Mt. Nebo was 2,700 feet about sea level, and 4,000 feet above the Dead Sea. On a clear day one can see from there north of the Sea of Galilee and south of the Dead Sea.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.217 for more info.

Q: In Dt 32:50, since there is life after death, what does "gathered to his people" mean?

A: This simply means that Moses joined with the Israelites who already passed away. In other words, Moses died.

Q: In Dt 33:1-29, when and how should we pronounce words of blessing on others today?

A: We should bless other people by caring for them and performing loving acts for them, but that is not in view here. There are three ways.

Pray for them (out of their presence): How frequently do you pray for your family, people in the church, and non-believers?

Give them words of encouragement: Build them up with a vision of who they could be, and hopefully, who they are becoming. Encourage them to persevere, and go for the center of God's will, not just hit around the edges. Remind them that God's way is the best way. Ultimately, there is no such thing as "successful sinning".  Moses' blessings were a combination of prayers, praises, prophecies, and commands.

Pray for them in their hearing: Besides praying with them, also pray over them, that God would bless them with the truly important things; knowledge of himself, a well-built faith, and that God's love would overflow in their lives.

   See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.128 and the New International Bible Commentary p.281 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:2, does God's' shining forth with 10,000 saints refer to Mohammed conquering Mecca, as the Muslim Ahmad Deedat claims?

A: No. While the army from Medina was about 10,000 strong, that is the only similarity here. Paran was in Edom, in modern-day Jordan, and it was not prominent in the Bible. Both Mecca and Medina are far south of Paran, so this ia a hundreds of miles "stretch" to say the least.

Q: In Dt 33:6-27, why is Simeon not mentioned this prophecy here?

A: Scripture does not say, but in the future Simeon would merge with Judah and lose their identity as a tribe with independent land in 1 Chronicles 4:24-42.

   See The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.241, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.320, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.500, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.229, and the New International Bible Commentary p.281 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:6, does the Hebrew say "let" his men be few or "let not/nor let" his men be few?

A: The NIV and NET Bible show in footnote that it could be translated either way. Jay P. Green's literal translation says, "let his men be numbered". The NRSV says, "even though his numbers are few". The NASB says, "Nor his men be few", and the NKJV "Nor let his men be few" (italics means the word is implied but not present in the Hebrew). The Septuagint was a fairly reliable Greek translation for the first five books, and they understood it as "let him be many in number".

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.500 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:6, why is it just Reuben that Moses says let not his people be few?

A: Many prophecies of prosperity were given to other tribes, but not Reuben. Scripture does not say, but we can  see a reason. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh asked for land outside of Canaan, on the east side of the Jordan River; Reuben was the southernmost eastern tribe. They were given what they asked for, with the condition that they would promise to assist the other tribes in getting their land. As far as we can see, these tribes kept their promise. But the Jordan River was naturally very difficult to pass through much of the year, and the eastern tribes were vulnerable to the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Syrians, and Arabs. There was enough land in Canaan, and these tribes were not wise to ask for land that was harder to defend outside of Canaan. Perhaps when they saw they could live on this land, they asked, "why go further"?

   There are many today who when they see that something is not bad, also ask "why go further"? If you are not grossly out of God's will, do you want to be in the state of "why go further" or do you want to be in the very center of God's will for you? One good reason to go further was because they were vulnerable to be swept away; both militarily and spiritually. Indeed by the time of David you do not hear about the two and a half eastern tribes anymore. Likewise if you are walking with God, but you are in a vulnerable place, perhaps due to temptation, instead of asking "why go further", change your circumstances or get out of that place.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.229 and The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.321 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:7, what does this blessing say about Judah?

A: This was a blessing relating to power, but it is different than blessings of power to Gad and Dan in Deuteronomy 33:20-22. This blessing on Judah is focused exclusively on God giving power and help to protect God's people.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.501 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:7, as Judah's kingship is not mentioned, does this show this was composed after the northern tribes split away, as the skeptical Asimov's Guide to the Bible p.206 says?

A: No, it would be equally valid to say that no mention of Judah's kingship would be made if it was before David and the united kingdom, as it would be to say it was after the time of the united kingdom. Actually, since these were blessings of Moses, there was no need to either mention or not mention Judah's kingship.

Q: In Dt 33:8-11, what does this say about Levi and loyalty?

A: After the Midianites tempted Israel, the Levities took swords, in obedience to God's command, and killed their own countrymen. Loyalty to God and loyalty to the other Israelites would normally be the same, but when they were different, the Levites chose to be loyal to God. Levi was cursed with being scattered in Israel. However, this is an example of a curse being turned into a blessing.

   We can be loyal to God, our country, a president, church, family, a business, friends, etc. Hopefully there is no conflict or contradiction in loyalty to all of those. But when there is, he need to be sure that our highest loyalty is to God, over country, church, family, business, or friends.

   See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.129, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.502-503, the Believer's Bible Commentary p.229, and the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.495 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:12, what does this say about Benjamin and security?

A: Some people think about security all of the time. Some people live in an area where they need to think about security most of the time, such as a warn-torn land. But you can rest in knowing that God is watching you. There is no promise that Christians will never suffer or be killed. But you will not die until God wants to take you home.

   There was a story of an airplane caught up in a storm and the ride was very rough. Everyone seemed scared except this one elderly lady. They asked her if she why she was not scared, and she said that she knew she was going to see her son. Her son was in the city where they were supposed to land. But she had another son, a believer who had passed away. She said she did not know if they would land safely or not, but she knew that, either way, she was going to get to see her son.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.503 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:16, should this be the favor of God who was in "Sinai" or "the bush"?

A: Since vowels were not originally written, the word is SN" which could be either Mt. Sinai or bush (as in the burning bush). Regardless, the point is the same. Look to God, who supernaturally appeared, whether in the burning bush or at Mt. Sinai.

   See the New International Bible Commentary p.281 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:25, what does the promises to Asher of "your strength will equal your days" mean?

A: Asher will finish well; they will be strong as long as they are around on earth, versus continue to get weaker and weaker. Christians today have a choice as we age; we might get physically and mentally weaker. But hopefully we all will have "strength equal to our days" spiritually. We should strive to "finish well", versus getting spiritually weaker as our surroundings and circumstances change. We need to be intentional on leaving a legacy and finishing well.

   See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.129 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:18-19, what kind of blessing is this for Zebulun and Issachar?

A: These two tribes were in the far north, and Asher was right next to the coast, from just north of Tyre south to modern-day Tel Aviv. The mountain mentioned is probably Mt. Tabor, which separates Zebulun and Issachar. Besides offering righteous sacrifices, this was for material prosperity. Between the forests of Lebanon and assimilating with the Phoenicians they became very prosperous; but at the expense of their spiritual life. By David's time there was no talk of Asher or Zebulun, much of the tribe was a part of Phoenicia. In fact, the architect of Solomon's temple, Hiram in 1 Kings 7:13 was from Naphtali on his mother's side, and from Tyre on his father's side. In fact, in 1 Kings 9:10-12, Solomon gave away 20 villages of Galilee to Hiram, king of Tyre. You might say it was only 20 villages, but it should not have been any villages. Solomon built his temple using an important friendship of the world. That friendship came with a cost, giving away 20 cities of the people of God to a pagan king. It would have been better if the temple had not looked so nice, without giving away God's people to paganism.

   See the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.506-508, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.322 and the Believer's Bible Commentary p.230 for more info.

Q: In Dt 33:20-23, what does this prophecy mean about the tribes of Gad, Dan, and power like a lion?

A: These tribes were fighters, and it was prophesied that they would be powerful fighters. As an aside, "Bashan" is the fertile region northeast of Canaan that Dan migrated to. It is also related to the Ugaritic word basan, meaning viper. This prophecy is very unlike the prophecy of prosperity for Zebulun and Issachar listed before them, or Asher listed after them. God would grant Gad and Dan success. However, these tribes did not last, but were assimilated. It is not enough to be a good fighter; you should also be careful who you are fighting for. It has been said that World War II was won by western European determination, American steel, and Russian blood, because Russia relatively suffered far more deaths than America or the west. But perhaps there would not have been so many losses if they did not start World War II on the wrong side, helping Nazi Germany.

   See the Believer's Bible Commentary p.230, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.508-511, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.322, and the New International Bible Commentary p.281 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:1-12, how could Dt be written by Moses, since his death is mentioned?

A: Most Christians think the last two chapters of Deuteronomy were written down after Moses' death. Moses most probably did not write about after his death, because Deuteronomy 33 says "he said (third person) in Dt 33:2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24. However, The Expositor's bible Commentary vol.3 p.220 says it was common for people to write about themselves in third person. Regardless, at least chapter 34 might have been written by the writer of Joshua or Joshua himself. See The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.243,245, Hard Sayings of the Bible p.179-180, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.112-113, p.153-154, the Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament vol.1 part 3 p.493, the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.130, and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.241 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:1-2, how did Moses see "all" of the land?

A: When someone was given possession of land, such as through purchase, they would formally "view the land" they were about to possess. The "all" here does not mean every single square foot (even the ground on the far side of each mountain and building). Rather, it means Moses saw the land as a whole.

See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.234 and the New International Bible Commentary p.282 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:4, how do you respond when God let's you see something from a distance but not be a part of it?

A: Sometimes God does this for discipline, sometimes for our protection, sometimes it will be delayed, and sometimes we don't see the reason. Sometimes God can give us something, like an inheritance, but we do not acquire it until later, even though we might want everything now. Regardless, we should not be bitter, but realized that what God is doing is what is best for His glory.

   Like us, Moses could look back on his life, and the people with a mixture of accomplishment and disappointment, with happy satisfaction and pain.

   So is it true that Moses never entered the land of Canaan? Perhaps that is not true, because Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-3. While the mountain is not specified, if it was in Canaan then Moses made it in the end after all.

   See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.234 and Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.323-324,329 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:5, why was Moses buried in a secret place?

A: Moses climbed alone up Mt. Nebo, so no human saw where he died. Scripture does not say, but there are two conjectures.

Josephus the Jewish historian suggests that if the place was known, the Israelites might have made an idol of Moses' body. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.311 for this.

Jude 9 says that the archangel Michael and Satan contended over the body of Moses. It might have something to do with this, or that Moses would appear later to Jesus at the transfiguration.

   See the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible p.129 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:7, how could Moses be 120 years old and still be strong with good eyesight?

A: God can preserve youth, and God can even restore youth, as Job 33:25; Psalm 103:5; and possibly Psalm 110:3 show.

Q: In Dt 34:7, was Moses as strong as in his youth, or could Moses no longer go out and come in as Dt 31:2 says?

A: Moses was strong, like when he was younger. But as Deuteronomy 31:2 also says, Moses had some loss of mobility as he could "no longer go out and go in." But in Deuteronomy 34:1 Moses could still walk up Mt. Nebo because "he had a funeral to go to". The real reason Moses could not go to the Promised land is given in Deuteronomy 31:3, where Moses tells the people that God said Moses would die right before reaching the promised land. This is why Moses handed over the leadership of the people to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:1-8.

See Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions p.154-155 and The Tony Evans Bible Commentary p.241 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:9, where else in the Old Testament did the Spirit of the Lord come upon people?

A: Here is a list from The MacArthur Bible Commentary p.245.

Exodus 31:3; 35:30,31 - Bazalel to give him skill

Numbers 11:17 - Moses

Numbers 11:25 - The Seventy Elders

Numbers 24:2 - Balaam in prophesying about Israel

Deuteronomy 34:9 - Joshua to succeed Moses

Judges 3:10 - Othniel

Judges 6:34 - Gideon

Judges 11:29 – Jephthah

Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14 – Samson

1 Samuel 10:10; 11:6; 19:23 – Saul

1 Samuel 16:13 – David

1 Samuel 19:20 – The messengers of King Saul

1 Chronicles 12:18 – Amasa

2 Chronicles 24:20 – Zechariah

Isaiah 61:1 – Isaiah

Ezekiel 3:24; 11:5 – Ezekiel

Exodus 28:3 – spirit of wisdom given to those who made the priestly garments.

   See also The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.235 for more info.

Q: In Dt 34:10, how could Moses write that he was a greater prophet than Jesus? (An atheist asked this)

A: Many conservative Christians do not believe Moses wrote the epilog to Deuteronomy after he died. I must admit, though, this is the first time I have heard of an atheist thinking Moses wrote after his own death. Either way though, the answer is the same.

   In Deuteronomy 34:10, says there was no greater prophet "until this time". The writer of the epilog to Deuteronomy was accurate, because this was written long before Jesus came.

   You have to give atheists credit though, for their diligence in looking through the Bible and their cleverness in seeing problems that nobody else sees. See When Critics Ask p.132-133 for more info.

Q: In Dt, who actually wrote the book?

A:Deuteronomy was spoken by Moses Dt 1:1-5; 4:1; 4:44-46; 5:1; 29:1-2; or written by him 31:9; 31:22,24-26. It was around 1406 B.C. though the part about Moses' death was probably shortly after. Liberal "higher critics" have claimed that it was written by someone else, either 701 B.C., 520-400 B.C., or during the reformation of Josiah. Here are points supporting the normal view that it was written by Moses.

1) A key part of Josiah's reform was no sacrifices anywhere else but Jerusalem, and it would not make sense for a late book to mention sacrifices at Shechem, Mount Ebal, and Mount Gerizim, and no mention at all of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was mentioned in the Ebla tablets in the twenty-fourth century B.C., so you would think a writing at the time of Josiah (c.620 B.C.) would mention the temple at Jerusalem at least once.

2) The Amalekites are mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. While they were a formidable foe in Moses' time, and still around in the time of David, they were long gone in later times.

3) In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, it would seem strange to introduce that some day they would have a king, if they had already had kings for many centuries.

4) Fine details on geography in Deuteronomy 2:8,10,13, 36; 3:14,17 would be pointless at best, and more probably unknown, to a later writer.

5) In Deuteronomy 3:17, why does it talk about Chinnereth/Kinnereth? This was the name of the Sea of Galilee when the Israelites first arrived, but not later.

6) As mentioned previously, it matches Suzerainty treaties between 2000-1000 B.C., but not later.

   See  Raymond Brown's The Message of Deuteronomy p.16-19 for more info.

Q: In Dt, how do we know that what we have is what was originally written from Philo the Jew?

A: As Christians we trust that the Old Testament that Christ validated the Old Testament we have. For that matter, for Muslims their Qur'an says that Jesus was given the Torah in Sura 5:46. We have early manuscripts from the time of Christ, which the next question addresses. However, there is an additional line of evidence. Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish scholar who lived from 15/20 B.C. to 50 A.D. He wrote in Greek, but it is curious that his Greek quotes of the Old Testament agree more closely with the Hebrew Masoretic text instead of the Greek Septuagint. He went into great detail into what different verses mean. Here are verses he referred to in Deuteronomy.

1:17,31,43; 4:1,4,6,12,19,29,39; 5:16,27,31; 6:7,10,11,13; 7:1,7; 8:2,3,12,14,15,17,18; 9:5; 10:9,10,16,17,18,20-22; 11:8; 12:28,31; 13:1,4,6; 14:1,4,10; 15:1,6,8,12,16; 16:3,19-22; 17:6,15,18; 18:18; 19:14-17,19; 20:1,5,10,19,20; 21:10,14,15,17-21,23; 22:8,10,13,27; 23:1-5,12-14,16,18,19,21; 24:4,7,10,15,19,20; 25:4,11-13,17,18; 26:1,13; 27:2,3,9,15,17,19; 28:12,15,23,28,33,65; 29:4; 30:4,9-12,14-15,20; 32:4,5,7,8,13,15,18,32,34,39; 33:1,4,6,9; 34:4-6,10

See The Works of Philo : Complete and Unabridged. new updated version for more info.

Q: In Dt, what are some of the earliest manuscripts that still exist today?

A: Here are the earliest ones.

Pre-Nicene manuscripts of Deuteronomy

Ketef Hinnom scrolls are 650-587 B.C., on silver (so they survived), and have fragments of Exodus 20:6; Numbers 6:24-26; Deuteronomy 5:10; 7:9; Nehemiah 1:5; and Daniel 9:4.

Dead Sea scrolls: (before Christ) 29 separate manuscripts. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today p.30. According to The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated : The Qumran Texts in English 2nd ed. and The Dead Sea Scrolls in English 4th ed., they are:

4QPaleoDeut[r] has Dt 19:2-3

1Q4

1Q5

2Q10

2Q11

2Q12

4Q28 (= 4QDeut a)(Deuteronomy 23:36?; 24:1-8) (175-150 B.C.)

4Q29 (= 4QDeut b) (Deuteronomy 29:24-27; 30:3-14; 31:9-17, 31:24-32:3) shows affinities with the Hebrew text behind the Septuagint. (Dated 150-100 B.C.)

4Q30 (= 4QDeut c ) (120 verses from 19 chapters including 31:16-19) (c.150-100 B.C.) Dt 3:25-26; 4:13-17,31-32; 7:3-4; 8:1-5; 9:11-12,17-19,29; 10:1-2,5-8; 10:8-12; 11:3,9-13,18; 12:18-19,26,31; 15:1-4,15-19; 16:2-3,6-11,21-22; 17:1-5,7,15-20; 18:1; 26:19; 28:1-14,20,22-25,29-30,48-50,61; 29:17-19; 31:16-19; 32:3

4Q31 (= 4QDeut d) (Deuteronomy 2:26-33; 3:14-29; 4:1)

4Q32 (parts of Deuteronomy 3,8)

4Q33 (=4QDeut[f]) parts of 93 verses: Dt 4:24-26; 7:22-25; 8:2-14; 9:6-7; 17:17-18; 18:6-10,18-22; 19:17-21; 20:1-6; 21:4-12; 22:12-19; 23:21-26; 24:2-7; 25:3-9; 26:18-19; 27:1-10

4Q34 "is virtually identical to the tradition underlying the Masoretic Text in spelling practices, paragraph divisions, and content." The Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls vol.1 p.199

4Q35 (Deuteronomy 1-2, 31, 33 in the Greek Septuagint)

4Q36

4Q37 (=Deuteronomy(j)) (includes Deuteronomy 37 and Exodus 12:43-13:5)

4Q38 (11 fragments of Deuteronomy 5, 11, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 32) These likely belong to two different manuscripts.

4Q39

4Q40

4Q41

4Q42

4Q43 (=4QDt(p)) contains Dt 6:4-11

4Q44 Deuteronomy 32:37-43 agrees with the Hebrew behind the Septuagint.

4Q45 92 verses

4Q46 palaeo-Deuteronomy (250-200 B.C.) Deuteronomy 26:14-15

4Q122 (Greek Septuagint)

5Q1 (c.200-165 B.C.) chapters 7, 8, start of 9.

6Q3 (a few letters of Deuteronomy 26:19)

11Q3 (=11QDeut) Deuteronomy 1:4-5

The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.436-438 says there are 25 copies, but it might not be counting the Septuagint fragments. The New International Dictionary of the Bible p.261 says there are 14 at least different manuscripts of Deuteronomy in cave 4 alone. A photograph of a Deuteronomy 5 on animal skins is in The New International Bible Dictionary p.583, and Deuteronomy 8:5-10 is on p.270.

Many phylacteries and mezuzot (worn on the forehead and arms respectively) of Exodus and Deuteronomy are among the Dead Sea Scrolls according to The Dead Sea Scrolls Today p.33.

The Nash Papyrus, dated 150 B.C., contains the Ten Commandments combined from Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-6:4f. This was the oldest known Biblical text until the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. A photograph of it is in the New International Dictionary of the Bible p.228.

The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. According to The Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge p.746, we have Septuagint fragments of Deuteronomy going back to the second century B.C.

   Manuscripts of the Greek Bible p.34 says there are more than one hundred existing copies of the Greek of Deuteronomy 17-33. The oldest copy was from the second century B.C. (Papyrus Rylands 458 fragment B) contains Deuteronomy 25:1-3, and is in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England. Another fragment of Deuteronomy 31:28-30 and Deuteronomy 32:1-7 is from the first century B.C. You can see pictures of these, along with more discussion, in Manuscripts of the Greek Bible p.60-61. In the Freer Gallery in Washington is a copy of Deuteronomy and Joshua from the fifth century A.D. You can see a picture of one leaf, Deuteronomy 10:6-15 in Greek Manuscripts of the Bible p.84-85.

Papyri Fouad Inv. 266 is over one hundred fragments of parts of Deuteronomy 17-33 in Greek. It dates from the first century B.C. according to Manuscripts of the Greek Bible p.34, 60. Among other parts, it contains Deuteronomy 31:28-30; 32:1-7

Nahal Hever (50 B.C. to 50 A.D.) has XHev/Se3 of Deuteronomy 9:5-6, 21-23

At Masada (before 69 A.D.) was found Mas1C containing Deuteronomy 33:17-21; 34:2-6

The Wadi Murabba'at site (c.132 A.D.) has preserved Deuteronomy 10:1-3; 11:2-3; 12:25-26; 14:29; 15:1 or 2, called Mur 2.

   Overall, preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Masada, Nahal Hever, and wadi Murabba'at are the following 620.5 verses out of the 959 verses in Deuteronomy (64.7 %).

1:1-17,22-25,29-39,41,43-46; 2:1-6,8,24-36; 3:14-29; 4:1,13-17,24-26,30-34,47-49; 5:1-33; 6:1-11; 7:2-7,12-26; 8:1-20; 9:1-2,5-7,10-14,17-19,21-23,27-29; 10:1-3,5-12,14-15; 11:2-4,6-13,18,27-32; 12:1-5,11-12,18-19,22,25-26,31; 13:1-14,16,19; 14:1-4,19-22,24-29; 15:1-6,8-10,14-19; 16:2-4,6-11,21-22; 17:1-5,6?,7,12-20; 18:1,6-10,18-22; 19:2-3,8-21; 20:1-19; 21:4-12,16?,23; 22:1-9,11-19; 23:6-8,12-16,22-26; 24:1-8,10-22; 25:1-9,14-19; 26:1-5,14-15,18-19; 27:1-10,24-26; 28:1-18,20,22-25,29-30,44-50,61,67-68; 29:2-5,9-20,22-27; 30:3-14,16-20; 31:1-19,24-30; 32:1-3,6-11,13-14,17-29,33-35,37-43; 33:1-24,29; 34:1-6,8?.

   See Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls vol.2 p.615 and The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls for more info.

Christian Bible manuscripts, from about 350 A.D., contain the Old Testament Septuagint, including Deuteronomy. According to The Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge p.746, the Chester Beatty Papyrii (2nd-4th century A.D.) contain Deuteronomy. The Freer Washington Codex (4th/5th century) contains Deuteronomy 10:6-15.

The Lucianic Recension was a copy of the Septuagint made by Lucian, a presbyter and martyr (312 A.D.) from Antioch. He corrected the Greek grammar and style. We have the Lucianic recension preserved in the John Ryland Papyrus Greek 458 Deuteronomy 23:24-24:3; 25:1-3; 26:12,17-19, 28:31-33.

Vaticanus (325-350 A.D.) contains all of Deuteronomy

Sinaiticus (340-350 A.D.) contains leaves of Deuteronomy 3:8-4:21; 28:68-30:16.

Alexandrinus (c.450 A.D.) contains all of Deuteronomy

Samaritans made their own copy of the Torah in the second century B.C., though the earliest surviving Samaritan copies are from the Middle Ages. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today p.125-126.

A Syriac translation of the Septuagint was made by Bishop Paul of Tella (616-617 A.D.), which we still have today, according to Manuscripts of the Greek Bible p.35 (footnote).

Early church writers recognized Deuteronomy as a part of the Bible. See the next question for a complete list prior to Nicea.

Q: Which early writers referred to Deuteronomy?

A: Pre-Nicene writers who quoted or alluded to verses in Deuteronomy are as follows. Underlines one say Moses wrote it.

Clement of Rome (96-98 A.D.) quotes Deuteronomy 13:8-9 in 1 Clement ch.29 vol.1 p.12-13.

Epistle of Barnabas (c.70-130 A.D.) ch.8 p.142 quotes Deuteronomy 10:16.

Justin Martyr (c.138-165 A.D.) quotes Deuteronomy 32:15 as "by Moses" in Dialogue with Trypho the Jew ch.20 p.204. He also quotes from Deuteronomy 10:16 as by Moses in the same work ch.126 p.262

Meleto/Melito of Sardis (170-177/180 A.D.) listed Deuteronomy among the books of the Old Testament in his letter to Onesimus. On Pascha p.72. Preserved in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History book 4 ch.26.

Irenaeus of Lyons (182-188 A.D.) quotes Deuteronomy 5:8 as "Moses said" Irenaeus Against Heresies book 3 ch.6.5 p.420.

Clement of Alexandria (193-217/220 A.D.) quotes from Deuteronomy in many places, including Deuteronomy 6:4 as by Moses in Exhortation to the Heathen ch.8 p.195 and the same verse in The Stromata (193-202 A.D.) book 5 ch.14 p.471.

Tertullian (198-220 A.D.) "To the following effect also, in Deuteronomy" and then quotes Deuteronomy 6:4,12,27; 12:2,3,30; 13:1,6,16; 27:15 Scorpiace ch.2 p.635

Theodotus the probable Montanist (ca.240 A.D.) quotes half of Deuteronomy 17:6 in Excerpts of Theodotus ch.13 p.44

Hippolytus (222-235/6 A.D.) quotes Dt 9:3 as by Moses. Refutation of All Heresies book 6 ch.27 p.88. He also discusses Dt 5;22 as "And Moses has not been silent on this point, when he says, that there are three words of God, 'darkness, gloom, tempest, and added no more." Refutation of All Heresies book 8 ch.1 p.118

Origen (240 A.D.) refers to Deuteronomy by name. Commentary on the Song of Songs book 3 ch.6 p.187

Novatian (250/254-256/7 A.D.) quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 as the "word of the law" in On the Jewish Meats ch.5 p.648

Novatian (250/254-256/7 A.D.) quotes Deuteronomy 32:8 as "Deuteronomy" in Treatise Concerning the Trinity ch.17 p.627

Treatise Against Novatian (250/4-256/7 A.D.) quotes Dt 1:17 as in Deuteronomy.

Cyprian of Carthage (c.246-258 A.D.) quotes from "Deuteronomy" in Treatise 12 the third book 18.

Cyprian of Carthage (c.246-258 A.D.) "In Isaiah ... in the 117th Psalm ... Also in Zechariah ... Also in Deuteronomy: ... Also in Jesus [Joshua] the son of Nave" Treatises of Cyprian Treatise 12 ch.2.16

Gregory Thaumaturgus (240-265 A.D.) quotes Deuteronomy 22:26,27 as in Deuteronomy. Canonical Epistle Canon 1 p.18.

Dionysius of Alexandria (246-256 A.D.) quotes Dt 19:14 in Epistle 7 to Philemon, a Presbyter p.102

Dionysius of Rome (259-269 A.D.) mentions "Moses in the great song of Deuteronomy" Against the Sabellians ch.2 p.365.

Adamantius (c.300 A.D.) (implied) quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 as from the Law of Moses. Dialogue on the True Faith first part ch.22b p.65

Victorinus of Petau (martyred 304 A.D.) alludes to Deuteronomy 32:8 as "the Law" Commentary on the Apocalypse from the Ninth Chapter 13,14 p.352.

Methodius of Olympus and Patara (270-311/312 A.D.) quotes from Deuteronomy 32:32,33 as by Moses. The Banquet of the Ten Virgins Discourse 5 p.327

Athanasius of Alexandria (318 A.D.) quotes part of Deuteronomy 30:14 as by Moses. Athanasius Against the Heathen ch.30.1 p.29

Lactantius (c.303-c.325 A.D.) "Moses also says in Deuteronomy" and quotes Deuteronomy 28:66 in Epitome of the Divine Institutes ch.46 p.241

After Nicea, others who referred to Deuteronomy include:

Eusebius of Caesarea (318-339-340 A.D.)

Aphrahat the Syrian (337-345 A.D.)

Hegemonius of Sirmium (c.351 A.D.) quoting Archelaus (262-278 A.D.) refers to Deuteronomy 18:15 by Moses. Disputation with Manes ch.42 p.217

Hilary of Poitiers (355-367/368 A.D.)

Athanasius (325-373 A.D.)

Ephraem the Syrian (350-378 A.D.)

Basil of Cappadocia (357-378/379 A.D.)

Cyril of Jerusalem (c.349-386 A.D.)

Pacian of Barcelona (342-379/392 A.D.) quotes Dt 13:6; 13:8-9 (Septuagint) as by "Moses" and "the Book of Deuteronomy" Letter 3 ch.17.1 p.58

Didymus the Blind (398 A.D.) quotes Dt 32:8 as in Deuteronomy. Commentary on Zechariah 11 p.272

Syriac Book of Steps (Liber Graduum) (350-400 A.D.) quotes from Deuteronomy 27:24 as "said in the Law" Memra 22 ch.10 p.259. It also quotes from Deuteronomy 5:16-22; 6:4; and 32:15. It alludes to Deuteronomy 6:5; 19:14,21; 22:1; 32:4.

Rufinus (374-406 A.D.)

John Chrysostom (died 407 A.D.)

Council of Carthage (393-419 A.D.)

Jerome (373-420 A.D.) discusses the books of the Old Testament. He specifically discusses Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, the Torah, Job, Jesus son of Nave [Joshua], Judges, Ruth, Samuel Kings (2 books), twelve prophets, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,, Zechariah, Malachi, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Letter 53 ch.7-8 p.99-101.

The Pelagian Theodore of Mopsuestia (392-423/429 A.D.) refers to Dt 24:1-2. Commentary on Malachi ch.2 p.412. Refers to Dt 29:23. Commentary on Hosea ch.11 p.87

Augustine of Hippo (388-430 A.D)

John Cassian (419-430 A.D.)

Theodoret of Cyrus (423-458 A.D.).

Q: In Dt, what are some of the translation differences between the Hebrew, the Greek Septuagint and other versions?

A: Here are a few of them from the 959 verses in Deuteronomy. Except where noted the first phrase is the Masoretic text (MT) and the second the Septuagint (LXX).

Dt 1:1 "Arabah" vs. "Red Sea" (One Septuagint manuscript, Targum, Vulgate)

Dt 1:4 "in Edrei" vs. "and in Edrei" (Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)

Dt 1:8 "The Lord" vs. "I" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)

Dt 2:5 "I will not give their land to you, even to a step of the sole of a foot, for I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession." vs. "I will not give you of their land even enough to set your foot upon, for I have given Mount Seir to the children of Esau as an inheritance." (Septuagint)

Dt 2:8 and 10:6-7 are based on Num 20:17-18 and Num 33:31-38a in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)

Dt 2:37 "and all" vs. "even all / just as" (Septuagint, Targum)

Dt 3:9 and Dt 4:48 "Sion" vs. "Siryon" (Septuagint) vs. "Sirion" (Syriac)

Dt 3:12 "by the Arnon Gorge" vs. "on the rim of the Arnon Gorge"

Dt 5:5 "word" vs. "words" (Dead Sea Scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum)

Dt 5:15 "Remember" (MT) vs. "And you shall remember" (Dead Sea Scrolls) (The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls p.112)

Dt 5:15 "Sabbath day" (MT, SP, LXX) vs. "Sabbath day to hallow it. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them and rested the seventh day; so the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." (Dead sea scroll 4QDt41) (The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls p.112)

Dt 5:21 is immediately followed by Dt 27:2-7 in the Samaritan Pentateuch. (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.937)

Dt 8:4 "blisters" vs. "callouses" (Septuagint)

Dt 9:24 "I have known" vs. "he has known" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)

Dt 9:28 "Lest the land" vs. "Lest the people of the land" (Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch)

Dt 10:13 "Lord" vs. "Lord your God" (Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac)

Dt 11:13 "my commandments" vs. "every commandment" (Septuagint)

Dt 11:14 "I" vs. "he" (Samaritan Pentateuch, some Septuagint, Vulgate, a mezuzah quotation from the Dead Sea Scrolls) See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.90 for more info.

Dt 11:30 "oaks or terebinths" vs. "oak" (Septuagint, Syriac)

Dt 11:30 "Moriah" (MT, Septuagint) vs. "Moriah, opposite of Shechem" (Samaritan Pentateuch. See The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.938)

Dt 12:5 "place where the LORD your God will choose" (MT, Septuagint) vs. "place where the LORD has chosen" (Samaritan Pentateuch)

Dt 12:14 "at the place the LORD will choose" (MT, Septuagint) vs. "at the place the LORD has chosen" (Samaritan Pentateuch. The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls p.95.)

Dt 12:28 "command you" vs. "command you today" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac) (NRSV footnote says "today" is in the Greek, but Brenton's Septuagint version does not show this.)

Dt 13:6 "your mother's son" vs. "your father's son or your mother's son" (Samaritan, Septuagint, Targum) (There is no change in meaning in this context)

Dt 14:13 "black kite" vs. "black kite vulture/falcon" in the Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch, and some Hebrew manuscripts.

Dt 15:2 "exact it of his neighbor and his brother" (MT, Samaritan Pentateuch) vs. "exact it of his neighbor" (Septuagint) vs. "exact it" (4QDeut( c ))

Dt 18:15,18-19 "...a prophet from among you, of your brothers. One like me – you shall listen to him... I shall raise up a prophet to them from among their brothers, like you; and I will put My words in his mouth: and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. And it shall be, whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it at his hand." (Masoretic text) vs. "...a prophet of your brothers, like me; him shall you (plural) hear... I raise up to you a prophet of your brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as I shall command him. And whatever words that prophet shall speak in my name, I will take vengeance on him." (Septuagint) vs. "...a prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people." (Qumran  4QTest, Acts 3:22-23) (The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.9 p.299-300)

Dt 18:19 "required it of him" (MT) vs. "take vengeance on him" (LXX, Eusebius of Caesarea)

Dt 20:8 "officers" (MT, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint) vs. "judges" (4QDeut(k2)) The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible p.174

Dt 20:8 "lest the heart of his brothers faint" (MT, Targum) vs. "lest he make his brother's heart faint" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)

Dt 20:19 "man is the tree of the field" vs. "Are the trees of the field people" (one letter difference)

Dt 23:2 "assembly of YHWH, even to the tenth generation shall none of his enter into the assembly of YHWH." vs. "assembly of the Lord"

Dt 25:11 "his private parts" vs. "his flesh" (Samaritan Pentateuch)

Dt 26:3 "declare today the Lord your God" vs. "declare today the Lord my God" (Septuagint)

Dt 27:4 "Mount Ebal" (MT, Septuagint) vs. "Mount Gerizim" (Samaritan Pentateuch and Old Latin/Italic) [The Samaritans likely changed this to improve their claim that Gerizim, not Jerusalem, was the mountain where they should worship.]  See The Expositor's Bible Commentary vol.3 p.161 for more info.

Dt 28:30 changes "grabbed his private parts" (sgl) to "grabbed his flesh" (yshbn) (Samaritan Pentateuch)

Dt 28:11 "cattle ... ground" (MT, some Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch) vs. "g[round, ... c[attle]" (4QDeut( c ), some Septuagint)

Dt 29:10 "your leaders, your tribes, your elders" vs. "the heads of your tribes, your elders" (Septuagint according to Brenton) vs. "your tribes, your elders" (Syriac, Greek according to the NRSV footnote)

Dt 29:11 "your children, your wives" (MT) vs. "your wives and your children" (Septuagint) vs. "your children, and [your] w[ives" (1QDeut(b) )The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible p.186

Dt 30:9 "cattle ... ground" (MT) vs. "ground ... cattle" (4Deut(b), Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint) The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible p.187

Dt 30:11 "far away" (MT) vs. "far away from you" (4QDeut(b), Septuagint) The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible p.187

Dt 30:16 "that I am commanding" vs. "If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding" (Septuagint)

Dt 30:28 "to us and our children" has special dots over it.

Dt 31:1 "went and spoke" vs. "had finished speaking all" (Dead Sea scrolls, Septuagint)

Dt 31:7 "You will go" vs. "You will bring" (Some Masoretic text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate)

Dt 32:6 "he repented" vs. "he forgave" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.938)

Dt 32:8 "He set up the bounds of the peoples, according to the number of the children/sons of Israel" (MT) vs. "he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God" (Septuagint, Dead Sea Scrolls, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Novatian, Victorinus of Petau) vs. "sons of God" (Dead Sea scroll 4Q37, Symmachus, Latin) vs. "sons of Adam" (KJV)

Dt 32:10 "found him" vs. "sustained him" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)

Dt 32:13 "he ate" vs. "fed him with" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac)

Dt 32:15 "Jeshurun" vs. "Jacob ate his fill; Jeshurun" (Dead Sea scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint)

Dt 32:19 "saw it" vs. "saw it and was jealous" (Dead Sea scrolls, Septuagint)

Dt 32:43 "nations" vs. "Heavens" (Dead Sea Scroll 4Q44, Septuagint)

Dt 32:43 (absent) (MT) vs. "Let all God's angels worship him." (Septuagint, Hebrews 1:6, and Dead Sea Scroll 4Q44 (=4QDeut(q), John Chrysostom (died 407 A.D.) Homilies on Hebrews Homily 4  no.2 p.382-383)

Dt 32:43 "servants" vs. "children" (Dead Sea Scroll 4Q44 (=4QDeut(q)), Septuagint)

Dt 32:43 (absent) vs. "he will repay those who hate him" (Dead Sea scroll 4Q44 (=4QDeut(q)), Septuagint)

Dt 32:43 "cleans his land his people" vs. "cleans the land for his people" Dead Sea Scroll 4Q44 (=4QDeut(q)), Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate)

Dt 32:44 "Hoshea" (MT) vs. "Joshua" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) Hosea was Joshua's name prior to Moses renaming him.

Dt 33:2 "upon/to them" vs. "upon/to us" (Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)

Dt 33:2 "He came from Ribebot-kodesh" vs. "with him were myriads of holy ones" (Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)

Dt 33:8 "your Thummim" vs. "Give to Levi your Thummim" (Dead Sea scrolls, Septuagint)

Dt 33:12 "will dwell securely upon him" (MT) vs. "will dwell securely" (Samaritan Pentateuch) vs. "upon God" (Septuagint, Dead Sea scroll 4Q35)

Dt 33:17 "His firstborn bull" vs. "a firstborn bull" (Dead Sea scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate)

Dt 34:10 "there arose not again a prophet like Moses in Israel vs. "there will not arise again" (Samaritan Pentateuch) (The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5 p.938)

Bibliography for this question: The Hebrew translation is from Jay P. Green's Literal Translation and the Septuagint rendering is from Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton's translation of The Septuagint : Greek and English. (Some Greek translations were from various Bible footnotes too.) The Expositor's Bible Commentary, General Introduction to the Bible, Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls p.151-152, The Anchor Bible Dictionary vol.5, and the footnotes in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bibles also were used.

by Steven M. Morrison, PhD.

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July 2025 version.