Epilogue: Mutual Commitments between God and Israel
Deuteronomy 26:16–19|29:9–13
Biblical Period
Chapter 26
16The Lord your God commands you this day to observe these laws and rules; observe them faithfully with all your heart and soul. 17You have affirmed this day that the Lord is your God, that you will walk in His ways, that you will observe His laws and commandments and rules, and that you will obey Him. 18And the Lord has affirmed this…
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Related Guide
Law in the Hebrew Bible
Biblical Period
Biblical law, including a focus on social justice, is essential to the relationship between God and the people of Israel.
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Related Guide
The Term "Torah" and Its Meaning
Biblical Period
The Hebrew Bible has many terms for law, including torah, which came to mean not just biblical law but all authoritative Jewish teaching.
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The Ancient Near Eastern Background of Biblical Law
Biblical Period
Biblical law was influenced by the legal collections of its powerful neighbors, especially the Babylonians and Assyrians.
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Deuteronomy 22–25 (selections)
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The Firstfruits Ceremony
Deuteronomy 26:1–2, 5–10
When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land…
Israel’s Choices
Deuteronomy 30:1–5, 11–20
When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which the Lord your God has banished you, and you…
Transmitting and Preserving the Teaching
Deuteronomy 31:9–13|24–26
Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.
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