Deuteronomy - Introduction

Deuteronomy gets its name from the Greek for "second law", and has such a name because it is the second giving of the Law. God had first given the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, it was now forty years later, so the Law was given again, as it was to form the foundation for their lives in Sinai.

Many scholars question the authorship of Moses, but such questioning seems silly. The book quite clearly claims to be written by Moses. Moreover when it speaks of Egypt it speaks in the past tense, but uses the future when speaking of the Promised Land. The nations mentioned are those existent at the time of entry into the Promised Land.

The structure of the book has the nature of a treat, establishing the relationship between God and His people. But it was a treaty based on love, it speaks of circumcision of the heart, and of a father-son relationship between God and His people. So it sets the scene for all that was to come, and it is often quoted in the New Testament.