In this introduction to the first five books of the Old Testament, Victor Hamilton moves chapter by chapter--rather than verse by verse--through the Pentateuch, examining the content, structure, and theology. Each chapter deals with a major thematic unit of the Pentateuch, and Hamilton provides useful commentary on overarching themes and connections between Old Testament texts. This second edition has been substantially revised and updated. The first edition sold over sixty thousand copies.

Verse-by-verse analysis of Deuteronomy with commentary by recognized biblical translation experts. Focuses on critical words and phrases, explaining accepted interpretations, noting how various translations have handled passages, and explaining the nuances of the Hebrew original text.

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.

"Goodness like a fetter." The hymn "Come Thou Fount" reminds us that God's laws were created to draw us closer to him. But reading the law is intimidating. Deuteronomy is a long and ancient book full of speeches and laws for a wandering people on the cusp of entering a land filled with hostile nations. What could Deuteronomy have to say for modern readers who face vastly different issues? Invited to Know God shows that Deuteronomy is simply about knowing God. The book is a divine portal, drawing people into the ancient presence of God. To understand God better, we need to understand Deuteronomy better. Rather than being a dusty book of ancient laws, Deuteronomy calls those who love God to know Him better, choose the path to life, and flourish under His loving wisdom and guidance. God's laws bind our wandering hearts to him.

This overture provides the interested reader with a fresh approach to commentary writing, one that engages all the traditional concern with total coverage of the text in question, but with the added feature of uniting that commentary under a single set of larger working concerns. The first-time reader of Deuteronomy is introduced both to the standard critical issues and to the text itself, but within the context of a concern to understand the book's abiding theological legacy. Christopher R. Seitz, from the Editor's Foreword

Is the Bible, the most influential book in world history, still relevant? Why do people dismiss it as being irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible, will demonstrate how it remains profoundly relevant—both to the great issues of our day and to each individual life. Do you doubt the existence of God because you think believing in God is irrational? This book will cause you to reexamine your doubts. The title of this commentary is The Rational Bible because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. In Dennis Prager’s words, “If something I write is not rational, I have not done my job.” The Rational Bible is the fruit of Prager’s forty years of teaching to people of every faith and no faith at all. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world in general and to you on a personal level. His goal: to change your mind—and, as a result, to change your life.

In this NSBT volume, Dr. J. Gary Millar provides a careful and perceptive analysis of Deuteronomy's ethical teaching set in the context of the book's theology. After discussing how Deuteronomy has been understood by other scholars, he sets out his own interpretation, dealing with its ethics in the light of key themes in the book: covenant, journey, law and the nations.