THE LAWS OF DEUTERONOMY

I-III (RIGHT WORSHIP)

Laws of the Central Sanctuary 12:1-28
Laws of Idolatry 12:29-13:18
Laws of Food 14:1-21
Laws of Tithes 14:22-29
IV (SABBATH)
Laws of Debts 15:1-11
Laws of Slaves 15:12-18
Laws of FirstBorn 15:19-23
Laws of Feasts 16:1-17
V (AUTHORITY)
Laws of Administration
The Judges 16:18-17:13
The King 17:14-20
The Priests 18:1-8
The Prophets 18:9-22
VI (HOMICIDE)
Accidental and Intentional Homicide 19:1-14
Witnesses 19:15-21
War 20:1-20
Untraced Homicides 21:1-9
Public execution of the Rebellious Son 21:22-23
Responsiblility for the design of safe environments 22:8
VII (ADULTERY AND ILLICIT MIXTURES)
Laws of Marriage
Captive Wife 21:10-14
Preferential Treatment among Multiple Wives 21:15-17
Accusations against the Wife 22:13-21
Adultery, Rape and premarital sex 22:22-30
Divorce 24:1-4
Newly Weds 24:5
Prohibited mixtures 22:5,8-11
Sexual wholeness and genetic purity
23:1-8
as requirements for membership in God's community.
 Sexual purity and cleanliness in the military camp. 23:9-14
Prohibition of cult prostitutes. 23:17-18
VIII (THEFT AND OTHER PROPERTY VIOLATIONS)
Lost and Found 22:1-4
The Escaped Slave 23:15-16
Charging Interest 23:19-20
Vows to God 23:21-23
Limits on taking from neighbors 23:24-25
Colateral 24:6
Kidnapping 24:7
IX (FALSE ACCUSATIONS)
Fairness to one's fellow as regards
both his substance and his dignity
Leprosy 24:8-9
Just treatment of deptor 24:10-13
Just treatment of employees 24:14-15
Death for one's own crime 24:16
Justice and charity for the stranger, orphan and widow 24:17-22
Justice in corporal punishment 25:1-3
Not muzzle the ox 25:4
X (COVETOUSNESS)
Brother to marry the widow 25:5-10
Wife intervening in brother's fight 25:11,12
Separate weights and measures. 25:13-16

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

COMMAND PRINCIPLE
I Worship no other gods Have Single minded devotion to God
II Worship no images Let God define Himself
III Observe Sabbath Respect God's Authority and Reputation
Give God your Time both for you to speak to Him
IV Honor parents
and for Him to speak to you
V Don't murder Give Deference to God's Hierarchical Structures in Society
VI Don't murder Respect God's Design of Human Life
VII Don't commit adultery Respect God's Design of the Marriage Relationship
 Respect others as equals with regards to their substance
VIII Don't steal
which God has provided to them
Respect others as equals with respect to their dignity and
IX Don't bear false witness
reputation as all are equally valuable to God
Don't covet other And if you manage to do all these in word and deed, then do
X
people's things so in desire and thought

THE LAWS OF DEUTERONOMY

More Detailed
SABBATH
LAW OF DEBTS

• All loans are cancelled every 7 years

• But not to foreigners
• Except if there are no poor
[This indicates that the intention of the law was soley to benefit the poor]
• You are required to make loans to the poor among you

manner:you are to open your hand wide to the poor sufficient for his need
•
LAW OF SLAVES

• Hebrew slaves may only serve for 6 years

• When they leave you are to provide for them liberally

Although he can decide to stay in your service permanently

•
LAW OF THE FIRSTBORN

• You shall sanctify all first born males of your flock

• They shall do no work nor be shorn
• They shall be sacrificed and eaten
• However if they have a defect, they shall not be sacrificed, only eaten
• But you shall not eat the blood

sacred assembly
•
LAW OF FEASTS

• Observe the Passover (Mar-Apr)

o sacrifice the passover lamb
o eat unleavened bread (the bread of affliction) for 7 days
o at the location God chooses
o the 7th day shall be a sacred assembly to the Lord
 • The Feast of Weeks (7 weeks after harvest) (May-Jun) (Pentacost - first fruits)
o Offer free will offerings
o sacred assembly - rejoicing + giving
• The Feast of Tabernacles (ingathering) (Sept-Oct)
o observed for 7 days
o when you have gathered from threshing floor and wine press

o sacred assembly - rejoicing + giving

AUTHORITY
JUDGES

• Their Appointment
o judge justly
o not pervert justice
o not show partiality
o nor take a bribe
(a bribe: blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous)
• Their Judgment
o Trees (as wooden images) shall not be planted near the Lord's altar.
o Those who worship and serve other gods are to be stoned to death
o Death penalty requires at least two witnesses
o The witnesses shall "cast the first stones"
o For difficult judments, the judges shall defer to the priests,
Levites and to the judge at the Holy Place

o Those who don't listen to such will be put to death

[Those who hear will fear and not act presumptuously]
THE KING

• His Appointment
o God's choice, not yours
o not a foreigner
• His Activities
o Shall not multiply horses to himself
o Shall not multiply wives to himself .
o Shall not multiply silver and gold to himself
o With respect to this book of the law:
 He shall copy it
 It shall be with him

 He shall read it all the days of his life

THE PRIESTS

• Their inheritance: none

 • Their provision: from the offerings and sacrifices
• Their activities:
o Not practicing: witchcraft, soothsaying, interpreting omens,
sorcery, conjuring spells.

o Not being a medium, spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

THE PROPHETS

• Promise to send The Prophet (Christ)

• False Prophets shall die
o Those who speak in God's name but what God has not commanded
 as evidenced that what is prophecied doesn't happen

o Those who speak in the name of other gods

HOMICIDE
Accidental and Intentional Homicide Deut 19:1-14 Nu 35:9-28
Cities of refuge for accidental manslaughter
If innocent, must remain in the city until the death of the high priest.
If outside city limits, can be killed by avenger of blood.
Witnesses Deut 19:15-21 2-3
witnesses required false witnesses to suffer penalty of the accused
(eye for eye, tooth for tooth)
Warfare Deut 20:1-20
Don't be afraid Relieve from military service if:
Just built a new house and need to dedicate it
Planted a vineyard and not eaten of it
Betrothed but not married
fearful or fainthearted
Cities far away: Offer peace before invading
if accepted require tribute
else kill every male and everything and everyone else take as plunder
Cities within in the inheritance: Let nothing that breathes remain alive
(Neither Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, Jebusite or Electric Light!)
Why? Lest they teach you do to according to their abominations
which they have done for their gods.
Beseiging a city: Don't cut down trees that produce edible fruit.
Unknown Murder Deut 21:1-9

• Elders of nearest city shall provide a sacrifice

• Shall wash their hands over the cow pronouncing
their innocence and ignorance of the murderer
• Shall ask God to provide atonement

The Rebellious Son

 • Son: stubborn, rebellious, not obey his father or mother
even when they chasten him
• Shall bring him to the elders at the city gate and declare
"This son is stubborn and rebellious and will not obey;
he is a glutton and a drunkard"
• All the men of the city shall stone him to death . (All Israel will hear and fear)

Death by Hanging

• Can't leave on the tree over night

• else you will defile the land
• he who is hanged is accursed of God

Safe Designs

• When build a house, must put a fence around the roof

• else the owner is guilty of blood if someone falls from it

ADULTERY AND OTHER ILLICIT MIXTURES
Taking a wife

• The wife of captivity Deut 21:10-14

• Test whether you really like her The wife of rape Deut 22:28,29

Divorce

• Can divorce on the basis of uncleanness

• Can never divorce if:
o premarital sex before betrothal Deut 22:29
o falsely accusing wife of not being a virgin when married Deut 22:13-19
• If divorced, cannot remarry the same person Deut 24:1-4

The Penalty of Adultery (whether married or betrothed): Death Deut 22:20-24

Multiple Wives Deut 21:15-17
Cross-dressing Deut 22:5 (abomination (08441): disgusting)
Exclusion from the assembly due to sexual impurity
or lacking genetic wholeness Deut 23:1-8

• damaged genitals
• born illegitimately (10 gen) (John 8:41)
• descendants of Ammonites or Moabites (10 gen)
• however Edomites and Egyptians can enter assembly

Cult Prostitutes Deut 23:17-18 (Rev 2:20; 17:5)

 • It goes without saying that you are not to go to a temple prostitute
• You are forbidden to become one
• You cannot bring their earnings into the house of God
nor for any religious purpose

Human Excrement Deut 23:9-14

• Bury your excrement out of the sight of God

Other illicit mixtures Deut 22:9-11

• two kinds of seeds

• ox and donkey unequally yoked (2Cor 6:14)

• combining wool and linen

THEFT
Lost and Found Deut 22:1-4
The Escaped Slave Deut 23:15-16
Charging Interest Deut 23:19-20
Vows to God Deut 23:21-23
Limits on taking from neighbors Deut 23:24,25 Ex: Luke 6:1
Colateral Deut 24:6
Kidnapping Deut 24:7

• to be punished by death - only if treats victim like slave or sells

• App: Gen 37:28 Joseph

FALSE ACCUSATIONS
Fairness to one's fellow as regards
both his substance and his dignity
Leprosy Deut 24:8-9

• Lev 13 - extensive discussion of leprosy

• Don't assume just any skin imperfection indicates uncleanness

Debtor Deut 24:10-13

• Let debtor bring colatoral to you

• The poor are basically exempt from colatoral

Employees Deut 24:14-15

 • Pay wages in timely fashion

Death for one's own crime Deut 24:16 2Ch 25:4; 2Ki 14:5; Ezek 18:20
Justice and Charity for the stranger, ophan, and widow 24:17-22
Justice in Corporal punishment Deut 25:1-3

• >=40 lashes (symbolic significance) else inhumane treatment

Not muzzle the ox Deut 25:4

COVETOUSNESS
Brother to marry the widow Deut 25:5-10
Wife intervening in husband's fight Deut 25:11-12
Separate weights and measures Deut 25:13-16