Deuteronomy is a book about a community being prepared for a new life. Hardship and the wilderness lie behind; the promised land lies ahead. But in the present moment, there is a call for a new commitment to God and a fresh understanding of the nature of the community of God's people. Though the scene is set more than three thousand years in the past, Deuteronomy is still a book of considerable contemporary relevance. The book of Deuteronomy, however, is not only a book of contemporary relevance. It has been, and continues to be, one of the most important and debated works in modern biblical scholarship. - Author's preface.

Includes author's translation of Deuteronomy.

Author's preface -- Introduction. Title -- Background -- Unity of composition -- Date and authorship -- Occasion -- Canonicity -- The Hebrew text -- Theology -- Problems in the interpretation of Deuteronomy -- Analysis of contents -- Select bibliography -- Appendixes. A perspective for the study of Deuteronomy -- A proposed Egyptian background for the treaty form of the Hebrew covenant -- Concordance of the principal Qumran manuscripts relating to Deuteronomy -- Text and commentary. Introduction to Deuteronomy (1:1-5) -- The address of Moses : historical prologue (1:6-4:43) -- The address of Moses : the law (4:44-26:19) -- The address of Moses : blessings and curses (27:1-28:69 [Eng. 29:1]) -- The address of Moses : a concluding charge (29:1 [Eng. v. 2]-30:20) -- The continuity of the covenant from Moses to Joshua (31:1-34:12).