Deuteronomy 3:1-29

Duet Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 3:29. Historical Part of the First Introductory Discourse

Spoken in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 1:5) in the gaior glen, over against Beth Pe-or(Deuteronomy 3:29), a review of Israel's experiences since they left Ḥoreb. In the Plur. form of address except for the following fragments Deuteronomy 1:8; Deuteronomy 1:21; Deuteronomy 1:31 a, Deuteronomy 2:7; Deuteronomy 2:24 b, Deuteronomy 2:25; Deuteronomy 2:30 b, Deuteronomy 2:37 [108]. We shall see how far these are detachable from the context, or give evidence of their later intrusion. There are, too, a number of parentheses, dealing with matters beyond Israel's experience and therefore beyond the aim of the discourse: archaeological notes on the peoples who preceded Moab, Edom, Ammon, the Philistines and Israel, and on Ḥermon; Deuteronomy 2:10-12; Deuteronomy 2:10-23; Deuteronomy 3:9; Deuteronomy 3:11; Deuteronomy 3:13 b, Deuteronomy 3:14. The contents of these notes are suitable neither to the voice of the Deity, to whose words some of them are attached, Deuteronomy 2:10-12; Deuteronomy 2:20-23, nor in the mouth of Moses whose purpose is to recall to Israel their own experience. They are notes or glosses, either by the author or an editor. All the rest (except perhaps Deuteronomy 3:15-17, which see) forms a unity, complete in itself.

[108] The Sing, in Deuteronomy 2:9 a(LXX Plur.) and even in Deuteronomy 2:19 may be due, as in Deuteronomy 3:27, to the fact that the address is to Moses himself.

The following are the divisions: (1) Deuteronomy 1:6-8, order to depart from Horeb; (2) Deuteronomy 1:9-18, institution of Judges; (3) Deuteronomy 1:19, journey to Ḳadesh-Barnea-, to which probably belong Deuteronomy 1:1 b, Deuteronomy 1:2 (see above); (4) Deuteronomy 1:20-25, mission of the spies; (5) Deuteronomy 1:26-43, consequent disaffection of the people; (6) Deuteronomy 1:34-40, wrath and judgement of God; (7) Deuteronomy 1:41-46, defeat of the attempt to enter the land from the south, and residence at Ḳadesh; (8) Deuteronomy 2:1-8 a, departure from Ḳadesh and circuit of Mt Se-îr; (9) Deuteronomy 2:8-15, further march to Wâdy-Zered, which they cross 38 years after leaving Ḳadesh, when all the adult generation have died; (10) Deuteronomy 2:16-25, command to cross Arnon, the border of Moab, to avoid -Ammon and to fight Sîḥôn; (11) Deuteronomy 2:26-37, defeat of Sîḥôn; (12) Deuteronomy 3:1-7, defeat of -Ôg; (13) Deuteronomy 3:8-17, division of the conquered lands; (14) Deuteronomy 3:18-22, directions to the tribes left there and to Joshua; (15) Deuteronomy 3:23-29, Moses" Prayer to cross Jordan and its rejection.

The same stretch of history from Ḥoreb to the Jordan is treated by JE, Exodus 33:1-17, and Numbers 10:29 onwards; and by P from Numbers 12 onwards. JE seems the basis of this deuteronomic review, even to the extent of supplying verbal details. But the review is not only written in a style peculiar to the deuteronomic writings; it adds some facts not found in JE and differs from JE in its presentation of others. On P the review shows no dependence, and P differs from it considerably both in the language used for the same events and in several matters of substance. On these see below.