Deuteronomy: Law and Covenant (Cascade Companions)

by Jack Lundbom

Publisher:

Cascade Books

, 2017

Overview

This book on Deuteronomy seeks to place before a broad audience of students and lay readers one of the important books among the first five books (together called the Pentateuch) in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It lifts up major themes in the book, one of the most prominent being Moses as prophet par excellence. Deuteronomy is the Old Testament's major book on law and covenant, re-presenting the Ten Commandments given to Israel at Mount Horeb (also known as Sinai). But the book is more concerned to present the Deuteronomic Code (in chapters 12-26) taught to Israel in the plains of Moab, just before Moses dies and Israel is to cross the Jordan River into Canaan. The writer of Deuteronomy is not Moses, as stated in the Jewish Talmud, but most likely a Levitical priest in the late eighth or early seventh century BC who assumes the persona of Moses in Judahite worship. Two old poems, the Song of Moses (32:1-43) and the Blessing of Moses (chapter 33), appear in a final supplement to the book, which then closes with an account of Moses's death and burial in Moab.

Key Features

• Seeks to lift the teachings that are found in Deuteronomy
• Shows how some passages are quoted or reflected in page of the New Testament
• Makes accessible the understanding of Deuteronomy with the commentaries of the author

Contents

• "I Will Raise Up a Prophet Like You": Moses Prophet par excellence
• "Yahweh Cut a Covenant with Us at Horeb": Law, Covenant, and Covenant Obligations
• "I Brought You Out of the Land of Egypt": Hear the Ten Commandments!
• "Hear, O Israel, Yahweh Our God Is One": The Name and Nature of Yahweh
• "For You Are a Holy People to Yahweh Your God": Holiness and Election
• "See, I Have Set the Land Before You": Promised Land and Holy War
• "Yahweh Your God Has Blessed You": Life, Goodness, and Longevity in the Land
• "When You Reap the Harvest": Tithes and Benevolence to the Poor and Needy
• "I Am Not Able to Bear You Alone": The Four Office Holders in Israel
• "Righteousness, Righteousness, You Shall Pursue": Being Righteous and Doing Justice
• "Remember, You Were a Slave in Egypt": Remissions, Pledges, and No-Interest Loans
• "Yahweh Walks in the Midst of Your Camp": Cleanliness, Purity, and the Avoidance of Shame
• "When a Man Takes a Wife": Marriage, Chastity, Divorce, and Remarriage
• "So Jacob Ate and Became Sated": An Ominous Witness for the Future
• "Moses' Parting Word to Israel": A Blessing for the Future

Praise for Deuteronomy: Law and Covenant

Lundbom has written a thick but accessible introduction to Deuteronomy that will make an excellent resource for beginning students and general readers. Condensing the technical matters in his previous commentary to chapters on specific thematic issues, he demonstrates how and why Deuteronomy's 'preached law' has shaped the Judeo-Christian tradition for over two millennia.

—Samuel E. Balentine, Professor of Old Testament, Director of Graduate Studies, Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, VA

Like a skilled surgeon, Dr. Lundbom uses his vast knowledge of Deuteronomy to slice into a book that is obscure for many modern readers but that is a key witness to God's covenant faithfulness to Israel. Delving into the background of Deuteronomy's thought as well as its later use, especially in the Gospel of John, in nontechnical and clear language he enables the reader to see how Deuteronomy can inform the lives of believers today.

—Walter F. Taylor Jr., PhD, Ernest W. and Edith S. Ogram Professor of New Testament Studies (Retired), Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH

Product Details

• Title: Deuteronomy: Law and Covenant
• Author: Jack Lundbom
• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Print Publication Date: 2017
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Pages: 228
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Deuteronomy; Criticism; Interpretation
• ISBNs: 9781532603709, 9781532603716, 1532603703, 1532603711
• Resource ID: LLS:9781532603716
• Resource Type: Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-01-13T22:56:25Z

About Jack Lundbom

Jack R. Lundbom is an internationally respected authority on Jeremiah. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and held visiting appointments at Andover Newton Theological School, Yale Divinity School, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Uppsala University in Sweden. Lundbom has traveled and lectured widely in Europe, the Near East, Africa, and the United States. He has twice been a Fulbright Professor in Germany, at Universität Marburg in 1988–1989 and Universität Tübingen in 2002. His many publications include Jeremiah: A Study in Ancient Hebrew Rhetoric and The Early Career of the Prophet Jeremiah. He is a life member at Clare Hall, Cambridge University.