Exodus 23

Exodus 23

Exodus 23:1 “You should not extend a false report. You should not join hands with a wicked person to be a malicious witness.

Exodus 23:2 You should not follow the majority to do evil, nor should you bear witness in a lawsuit, stretching with the majority, so as to stretch the truth,

Exodus 23:3 nor should you be favor a poor man in his lawsuit.

Exodus 23:4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey getting lost, you should bring it back to him.

Exodus 23:5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its burden, you should refrain from leaving him under it; you should rescue it along with him.

Exodus 23:6 “You should not stretch the judgment for your poor in his lawsuit.

Exodus 23:7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, because I will not acquit the wicked.

Exodus 23:8 And you should take no bribe, because a bribe blinds the seeing and turns the cause of those who are in the right.

Exodus 23:9 “You should not oppress a foreign guest. You know the throat of a foreign guest, because you were foreign guests in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 23:10 ” You will plant on your land for six years and collect what it produces,

Exodus 23:11 but the seventh year you will let it stop producing, lying fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and so that the animals of the field may eat what they leave. You should do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

Exodus 23:12 “Six days you will do your work, but on the seventh day you will stop; so that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your female slave, and the foreign guest, may be refreshed.

Exodus 23:13 “Pay attention to all that I have said to you and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

Exodus 23:14 “Each year, three times you should keep a feast to me.

Exodus 23:15 You should keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Just as I commanded you, you should eat only unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because in it you came out of Egypt. No one should appear before me empty-handed.

Exodus 23:16 You should keep the Feast of Harvest, of the first picking of your crops, of what you sow in the field. You should keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your work.

Exodus 23:17 Three times in the year all your males should appear before the Lord Yahveh.

Exodus 23:18 “You should not offer the blood of my sacrifice along with anything leavened or let any fat of my feast be left over in the morning.

Exodus 23:19 ” You should bring The first[1] of the first picking of your ground crops into the house of Yahveh your God. “You should not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Exodus 23:20 “Notice, I am sending an agent before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.

Exodus 23:21 Listen carefully to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, because he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

Exodus 23:22 “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Exodus 23:23 “When my agent goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I make them disappear,

Exodus 23:24 you should not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you should utterly destroy them and break their pillars in pieces.

Exodus 23:25 You should serve Yahveh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.

Exodus 23:26 No one will miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

Exodus 23:27 I will send my fear before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you will come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs from you.

Exodus 23:28 And I am sending hornets before you, which will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.

Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, or else the land will become a sinister desolation and the wild animals increase against you.

Exodus 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have multiplied and possess the land.

Exodus 23:31 And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the open country to the Euphrates, because I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

Exodus 23:32 You will make no agreement with them and their gods.

Exodus 23:33 They should not live in your land, or else they would make you fail me; because if you serve their gods, it will definitely be a trap to you.”

[1]רֵאשִׁית = first. Exodus 23:19; 34:26.

Exodus 23 quotes:

“It is not accidental that these laws appear side by side in Exodus 23. The editor uses the literary technique of “inclusion” to tie these two very different regulations together into a coherent unit. This is achieved by repeating a key word or words at the beginning and end of the unit, to serve as an inclusio (“bookends”) for the material in between.”

Lowery, R. H. Sabbath and Jubilee. Chalice Press, 2000. p. 52.

“God graciously responded to Moses’ desire to know who would go with him, saying, “My Presence will go with you” (verse 14)—that is, with Moses. (The “you” is singular in Hebrew.) Thus, because of Moses’ intercession, God partly reversed His decision not to go with the Israelites (verse 3); He would agree to go “with Moses.” We can understand God’s “Presence” to be the special angel mentioned earlier, in whom God’s Name was placed (Exodus 23:21).”

Hale, Thomas, and Stephen Thorson. The Applied Old Testament Commentary. 1st ed, David C. Cook, 2007. p. 271.

“These laws are given in the context of the covenant renewal. The Lord will work marvels for His people, provided that they keep His commandments. They are not to make treaties with the Chanaanites, “else they will become a snare among you.” They are to destroy the sacred asheroth or poles in honor of the goddess of fertility and to destroy also the masseboth or sacred pillars in honor of Baal (see Exodus 23, 23-33).”

Murphy, Roland E. The Book of Exodus. Paulist Press (Paulist Fathers), 1960. p. 22.

Exodus 23 links:

a sinister desolation
celebrating provision
Exodus- the three-way covenant
following the angel
kachad
the land Sabbath

EXODUS in Jeff’s library

HIS MAGNIFICENT REPUTATION

HIS MHIS MAGNIFICENT REPUTATION

Psalm 8 NET.

For the music director, according to the gittith style; a psalm of David. ¹ O LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!² From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ³ When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, ⁴ Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them, ⁵ and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? You grant mankind honor and majesty; ⁶ you appoint them to rule over your creation; you have placed everything under their authority, ⁷ including all the sheep and cattle, as well as the wild animals, ⁸ the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea and everything that moves through the currents of the seas. ⁹ O LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth!

We are now in the 19th book of our English Bibles, the Psalms – the songbook of the Bible. It is poetry, but our translations rarely rhyme or have a metrical rhythm. The originals are not about that either. Hebrew poetry focuses more on pairing two or more expressions of the same idea than on rhyming sounds.

We recognize poetry in the 1784 anonymous nursery rhyme: “The rose is red, the violet’s blue, The honey’s sweet, and so are you.” Over time, the poem has changed a bit, but it still says what people wanted to say. The original used rhyme and paired similar syllables in 4-3-3-4 meter. Our modern version is a 4-4-4-4 meter.

Many Hebrew words of the same type rhyme, so rhyming is not a characteristic of Hebrew poetry. Instead, they pair statements of the same idea. For example, here is what that poem would look like if written in Hebrew poetry:

Roses are red, like a brilliant sunset

Violets are blue, the color of berries

Honey is sweet, as sweet as syrup

And you are sweet and precious to me.

The emphasis is shown by the repetition of an idea, using different words. In today’s text, verses 3-4 are good examples:

³ When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,

and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place,

⁴ Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?

Of what importance is mankind that you should pay attention to them?

That gives us insight into the structure of what we are reading. But what is the purpose of the Psalms? As poetry, the Psalms focus not on historical facts but on the feelings connected to them. In the Torah, God speaks to humanity. In the Psalms, humans talk back to him. They share their feelings. They use these words to encourage others to trust God and continue obeying him. Songs can sometimes inform us, but their main purpose is to go beyond instruction. They are meant to make us feel something – to evoke emotion. They are expressions of emotion.

Reading the Psalms can be difficult because they include feelings we might prefer not to acknowledge. These songs often involve a lot of complaining. They were written by people who experienced suffering and brought their laments to God. Consequently, they give us a view of a God who is large enough not to be bothered by our honest frustrations. He loves us and wants to hear from us, even if what we say falls short of praise.

The Psalms are also meant to bring us back to God when we’re distracted by our problems. When we struggle to make ends meet, it’s comforting to remember that we have a Shepherd watching over us, leading us to still waters, and guiding us with his rod and staff. When we feel confused and everything around us seems dark, we are encouraged to think of the LORD as our light and salvation.

Many of the Psalms were written by David, and this seems to be one of them. The inscription informs us that David wrote this song, dedicated it to the music director, and composed it in the Gittith style. Some parts of the psalm make sense when we consider that David was the author. The writer clearly understands musical styles. David was a skilled musician. The writer also reflects on the importance of human authority. David was a king. The writer has gone out at night, gazed at the open sky, and thought about the moon and stars. As a young boy, David was a shepherd and likely spent many nights watching over the flock.

As we explore the details of this ancient poem, it helps to visualize not just the facts David conveys, but the feelings they evoke in him. These feelings are what David wants us to experience.

The Shepherd King looks up.

David is sitting on his throne, but in his mind, he is back in the fields, watching his flock by night. Once the stray sheep are brought into the fold, there isn’t much to do. You spend most of your time just standing around. It gives you time to think. You probably get to know the night sky very well. David is not an evolutionist. He looks up into the night sky and does not see a bunch of random orbs that accidentally came together to make up that sky. He sees the heavens that the LORD God has made. He sees the moon and stars that the LORD God has set in place. The night sky is a testimony to the divine artist who created it as a testimony to his existence, greatness, and power. No human being could do that. The sky (as it says in another psalm) declares the glory of God. It displays his handiwork.

In the Psalms, the sky is where God sits, laughing at the proud claims of mere mortals. Birds are up there, along with the sun, moon, and stars, but even above all these wonders is the glory of God. His throne is there, and from it, he looks down on humanity. He spoke, and the sky came into existence. Now, he looks down from there to see if anyone understands and seeks him. The sky joins the divine chorus of all creation in praising its creator, even when human voices are silent. From the sky, the LORD speaks, and it rains water onto the ground. From the sky, God provided manna for his people to eat. All the gods of the nations are just dumb idols, but the LORD made the sky.

The sky symbolizes God’s character and work. Just as the sky is high above the earth, God’s mercy is great toward those who fear him. His mercy, truth, and glory are as boundless as the space between the ground and the stars. He also possesses infinite power. He is in the sky and does whatever he chooses. The sky represents the highest realm we can reach, and the psalmist says that even if he were to go there, he would find the same God as here. There is no escaping his presence.

King David authored this psalm. He once faced a giant and did not fear him because he knew someone greater and more powerful than Goliath. David had reached the pinnacle of the metaphorical ladder — he was king. No one was more powerful or more prominent. Still, King David looked up. Later kings would look down on their insignificant subjects and declare themselves gods. But David knew better. One of the healthiest lessons leaders can learn is that there is a God on the throne in heaven, and they are not him.

What is the Shepherd King feeling as he gazes up at the sky? He feels humbled by God’s greatness and understands his responsibility to Him. But that feeling of responsibility is more than humbling.

The Shepherd King looks around.

David was once in charge of a flock of sheep. Now he oversees an entire nation. He is amazed that small humans like himself have been given the authority to rule over anything in God’s creation. He mentions sheep first, which I find important. Then he talks about cattle, wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the fish and other creatures in the sea.

David sees himself as a model of exemplary leadership because he leads others by following God. He believes dominion is possible because that is what God designed all humans to do. He created us (as David mentions in verse 5) a little less than the heavenly beings, but he gave us charge over all the earthly beings. David is in awe that God even pays attention to us. He is amazed that God would delegate such power into our small hands.

Here we are, the human race. We have the potential for greatness, but we can also fail miserably. We can build, but we can also destroy. We can clean the air and water, but we can also pollute them. We can heal diseases, but we can also infect others and cause pandemics. We can blow up a mountain and mine its jewels. Yet, we can also use that same dynamite to blow up our neighbors. We can get it right, but we can also get it oh, so wrong.

God’s reputation is magnificent. But the strange part is that he has not chosen to protect that reputation by restricting us. Instead, he has entrusted us with the task of controlling this world. God’s power is impressive, but the fact that he has delegated some of that power to us is unbelievable. Compared to him, we are all children and nursing infants.

The Shepherd King looks beyond.

After David considers all that he and other humans are responsible for, he becomes prophetic. We only get hints from the Holy Spirit in this psalm, but the hints are there. Those children and nursing babies are praising God for something. When the crowds shouted Hosanna, welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem, the religious leaders were furious at them. But Jesus said that they were fulfilling the prediction in Psalm 8:2. David was a great king, but he also knew that one of his descendants would be an even greater king— the Messiah himself. He would come to Earth to redeem the lost and restore humanity, and God had prepared praise for himself because of this coming king (Matthew 21:16).

Another hint that David is becoming messianic in this Psalm is his use of the word translated as “mankind” in verse 4. The Hebrew phrase is בֶן־אָדָם – son of man. We know that Jesus often used that phrase as his own title. What’s happening in this psalm is that David is saying that God gives humans authority, but we all fall short of ruling with God’s perfection. However, there will come a human being in David’s future who will embody all that humanity is meant to be. He will reign with God’s glory and perfectly reflect God’s magnificent reputation.

The New Testament passages we read in today’s responsive reading[1] highlight that theme and expand on it. The author of Hebrews tells us that we don’t yet see everything under Jesus’ control, but that day is coming. Paul says that Jesus will reign until all of his enemies are defeated – with death itself being the final enemy. He also mentioned that Christ currently serves as the head of the church. As we submit to him, we are simply acknowledging him as the rightful King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Eventually, every knee will bow to him, so it is right and fitting for us to bow our knees to him now. David did not live to see his descendant begin his reign, but he will be raised to life to witness the moment when that reign becomes universal.

If we want to live out the message of Psalm 8 today, we should keep looking up at the sky and recognize God’s greatness and that everything belongs to Him. Then, we should look around to see how we can bring God’s order to the chaos caused by sinful humanity. But, most importantly, we should look beyond what we can do and long for the day when the rightful King of the universe will restore things to God’s original design. When Jesus returns, He will bring the world back to a state where we all reflect God’s magnificent reputation.

[1] Hebrews 2:5-9; 1 Corinthians 15:25-27; Ephesians 1:22.

Exodus 22

Exodus 22

Exodus 22:1 “If a person steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he should repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

Exodus 22:2 “If a thief is found breaking in and is attacked and dies as a result, there should be no bloodguilt for him,

Exodus 22:3 but if the sun has risen on him, there should be bloodguilt for him. He will surely pay. If he has nothing, then he should be sold for his theft.

Exodus 22:4 If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he should pay double.

Exodus 22:5 “If a person causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his animal loose and it feeds in another person’s field, he should recompense the person from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

Exodus 22:6 “If fire breaks out and catches in weeds so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who started the fire should fully recompense for the loss.

Exodus 22:7 “If a person gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the person’s house, then, if the thief is found, that one should pay double.

Exodus 22:8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house will come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property.

Exodus 22:9 For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties should come before God. The one whom God condemns will pay double to that one’s neighbor.

Exodus 22:10 “If a person gives to their neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any animal to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it,

Exodus 22:11 an oath by Yahveh should be between them both to see whether or not someone has put their hand to their neighbor’s property. The owner should accept the oath, and should not seek recompense.

Exodus 22:12 But if it is stolen from that person, they should seek recompense from its owner.

Exodus 22:13 If it is torn by animals, let them bring it as evidence. They should not seek recompense for what has been torn.

Exodus 22:14 “If a person borrows anything of their neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, they should fully recompense the loss.

Exodus 22:15 If the owner was with it, they should not seek recompense; if it was rented, only the rental fee is due.

Exodus 22:16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and has sex with her, he should give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.

Exodus 22:17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he should still pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

Exodus 22:18 “You will not allow a sorceress to live.

Exodus 22:19 “Whoever has sex with an animal should be put to death.

Exodus 22:20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than Yahveh alone, should be set apart for destruction.

Exodus 22:21 “You should not take advantage of a foreign guest or oppress him, because you were foreign guests in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 22:22 You should not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

Exodus 22:23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,

Exodus 22:24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

Exodus 22:25 “If you lend money to any of my poor people with you, you should not be like a creditor to him; you should not require interest from him.

Exodus 22:26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you should return it to him before the sun goes down,

Exodus 22:27 because that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body; in what else would he sleep? Then if he cries out to me, I will respond, because I am compassionate.

Exodus 22:28 “You should not demean God, nor curse a leader of your people.

Exodus 22:29 “You should not delay offering from the fullness of your harvest and from the outpouring of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you should give to me.

Exodus 22:30 You should do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it should be with its mother; on the eighth day you should give it to me.

Exodus 22:31 “You should be sacred for me. For that reason, you should not eat any flesh that is torn by animals in the field; you should throw it to the dogs.

Exodus 22 quotes:

“The commandment tells us that we are not to steal (Exodus 20:15). This commandment assumes the privilege and right of ownership by individuals, families, business establishments, corporations, partnerships, and churches. Stiff penalties are meted out to dissuade a potential thief, or, in the case of a theft, have the thief make restitution to compensate the victim (Exodus 22:1-15).”

DeMar, Gary. God and Government. American Vision Press, 1982. p. 94.

“The person who is responsible for accidental damage or who has borrowed something is required to make good what the owner has lost. A singlefold restitution takes place in order to match the loss. In the case of theft, by contrast, the restitution is usually double (Exodus 22:7).”

Poythress, Vern S. The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses. P & R Pub., 1995. p. 126.

“A sorceress claims to be able to use supernatural power in order to cast an evil spell upon people, causing accidents, sickness or death. A more familiar term in those countries such as in Africa where sorcery is still practiced is “witchcraft.” The practice of sorcery is idolatry. It gives honor to the powers of Satan rather than to the true God. That is why the Lord demanded the death penalty, just as every form of open idolatry in Israel’s theocracy was punished with death. In many cultures and societies in the world today the power of witchcraft is still one of the greatest forces of evil.”

Wendland, Ernst H. Exodus. Northwestern Pub. House, 1984. p. 150.

Exodus 22 links:

covenant household property loss liability rights
Exodus- a holy people
laws about giving
set apart for destruction
taking advantage

EXODUS in Jeff’s library

Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27:1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, and they said, “Watch every command I am giving you today.

Deuteronomy 27:2 When you cross the Jordan into the land Yahveh your God is giving you, set up large stones and cover them with plaster.

Deuteronomy 27:3 Write all the words of this instruction on the stones after you cross to enter the land Yahveh your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahveh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.

Deuteronomy 27:4 When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster.

Deuteronomy 27:5 Build an altar of stones there to Yahveh your God – do not use any iron tool on them.

Deuteronomy 27:6 Use uncut stones to build the altar of Yahveh, your God, and offer ascending offerings to Yahveh, your God, on it.

Deuteronomy 27:7 There you are to sacrifice offerings for healthy relationships,[1] eat, and enjoy the face of Yahveh, your God.

Deuteronomy 27:8 Write clearly all the words of this instruction on the plastered stones.”

Deuteronomy 27:9 Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, and this is what they said: “Be silent, Israel, and listen! This day, you have become the people of Yahveh, your God.

Deuteronomy 27:10 Obey Yahveh your God and follow his commands and prescriptions I am giving you today.”

Deuteronomy 27:11 On that day, Moses commanded the people, and this is what he said:

Deuteronomy 27:12 “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to empower the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

Deuteronomy 27:13 And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the affliction: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

Deuteronomy 27:14 The Levites will answer in a loud voice to every Israelite:

Deuteronomy 27:15 ‘The person who makes a carved idol or cast image, which is repulsive to Yahveh, the work of a craftsman, and places it in secret is afflicted with a curse.’[2] And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:16 ‘The one who dishonors his father or mother is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:17 ‘The one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:18 ‘The one who leads a blind person astray on the road is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘The one who denies justice to a guest, a fatherless child, or a widow is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:20 ‘The one who has sex with his father’s wife is afflicted with a curse, for he has violated his father’s marriage bed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen! ‘

Deuteronomy 27:21 ‘The one who has sex with any animal is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:22 ‘The one who has sex with his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:23 ‘The one who has sex with his mother-in-law is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:24 ‘The one who secretly kills his neighbor is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:25 ‘The one who accepts a “gift” to kill an innocent throat is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:26 ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this instruction into practice is afflicted with a curse.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

[1]שֶׁלֶם = offering for healthy relationships.

[2]אָרָר = afflict with a curse. Deuteronomy 27:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26; 28:16, 17, 18, 19.

Deuteronomy 27 quotes:

“Chapter 27 makes an important literary and theological connection with 11:26–32 in terms of Mounts Gerizim and Ebal and the associated blessings and curses, as well as commitment to the covenant laws. As such, these passages provide a frame for the laws in chapters 12 – 26, establishing a final link between Horeb, Moab and Shechem on the basis of today (27:1, 10–11; cf. 5:1). However, chapter 27 locates the altar and the inscription of the laws upon the mountain of curse, Mount Ebal, which must be replicated when Israel crosses the Jordan (27:1–8; cf. Josh. 8:30–35). Both the elders (27:1) and the Levitical priests (27:9) witness this event, and will ensure the future of the law. Even though Moses announces both blessings and curses (27:11–13), only twelve curses are recited by the priestly Levites (27:14–26; cf. 29:17–28).This appears to be a deliberate literary and theological ploy, providing a fitting conclusion to the laws already given, and focusing especially on secret aspects of breaking the law. Furthermore, these laws remind Israel (symbolized by the twelve curses) that they stand under the curse as far as covenant and law are concerned.”

Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

“The specific details concerning the continuity of leadership in the covenant community are stated in chs. 29–30, but in ch. 27 the general principle is given, namely, that in the future there would have to be a further renewal of obedience and commitment to God’s law, which had just been declared and expounded (chs. 12–26).”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 327). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Month: December 2025

Exodus 23

Exodus 23

Exodus 23 quotes:

Exodus 23 links:

HIS MAGNIFICENT REPUTATION

Exodus 22

Exodus 22

Exodus 22 quotes:

Exodus 22 links:

Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27 quotes:

Deuteronomy 27 links: