Welcome to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. This post discusses Deuteronomy, the last book of the Torah/Pentateuch and a reexamination of the last three — as suggested by its name, which means “second law.”
Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.
Summary
Deuteronomy concentrates on events that took place in the final weeks of Moses’ life. The major event was the verbal communication of divine revelation from Moses to the people of Israel. The other events recorded are:
- Moses’ recording the law in a book and his commissioning of Joshua as the new leader;
- Moses’ viewing of the land of Canaan from Mt. Nebo; and
- Moses’ death.
- Category: Law
- Theme: Promise
- Timeline: About 1405 BC (but summarizing events of the preceding 40 years)
- Written: 1450-1400 BC, traditionally attributed to Moses
Key Verse
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” — Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
Second Life of the Second Law
Deuteronomy is the most quoted book of the Old Testament by Jesus during his ministry, with 23 direct references.
It is also the third most quoted book of the Old Testament throughout the New Testament (behind the Psalms and Isaiah), with 44 direct references.
7 Day Reading Guide
(See 30-day guide below.)
- Day 1: Deuteronomy 1-4
- Day 2: Deuteronomy 5-9
- Day 3: Deuteronomy 10-14
- Day 4: Deuteronomy 15-20
- Day 5: Deuteronomy 21-25
- Day 6: Deuteronomy 26-30
- Day 7: Deuteronomy 31-34
Second Helping
The original recipients of Deuteronomy, both in its verbal and written presentations, were the second generation of the nation of Israel after leaving slavery in Egypt.
Access the rest of the series here. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.
Chris Fann is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Harper Christian Resources. He loves the smell ofa baseball glove, coffee, and old books. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife, 2 teenage boys, and their dog, Freya.
