Deuteronomy 2:10-12

How could this have been written by Moses when it refers to the land of promise which he never entered?

PROBLEM: Moses died before he could enter the Promised Land and was buried outside of it on the east side of the Jordan river (Deuteronomy 34). But, this passage refers to the “land of their possession” as something that Israel possessed at the time it was written. Therefore, it would appear that Deuteronomy could not have been written by Moses, as it is traditionally claimed.

SOLUTION: Some scholars claim that these verses are parenthetical and may have been added by a later editor. This view is supported by noting the brevity of the verses, the fact that they are in parentheses, and that Moses was already buried before the children of Israel entered the Land (Deuteronomy 34:4-6), a fact that was obvious to all readers. However, there is no need to conclude that Moses did not write these sections, since “the land of their possession” can easily refer to the Tribes who had already taken their possession on the east side of Jordan before Moses died (Deuteronomy 3:12-17).

While most evangelical scholars recognize that there are small editorial and explanatory changes, like updating names, they oppose the critical belief that Moses did not write all of the first five books of the OT (except Deuteronomy 34). These verses here seem to be more than minor explanatory insertions for later readers. Theological changesTampering with truth Changing the message

1. It is contrary to the repeated warning God gave not to “add to the word which I [God] command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2; cf. Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).

3. The “inspired redactor” theory is contrary to the biblical use of the word “inspired” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible does not speak of inspired writers, but only of inspired writings. Furthermore, inspired (theopneustos) does not mean to “breathe into” the writers, but to “breath out” the writings.