Deuteronomy 12:32

Hebrew Bible

30 After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not inquire* of their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! For everything that is abhorrent to him, everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods! 32 (13:1) You must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it!

Proverbs 30:6

Hebrew Bible

4 Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended? Who has gathered up the winds in his fists? Who has bound up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you can know! 5 Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you and prove you to be a liar. 7 Two things I have asked from you; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches; feed me with my allotted portion of bread,

 Notes and References

"... the Bible’s own descriptions of text production feature a world where texts are generally written down from dictation for subsequent recitation and reference. (Fishbane notes possible echoes in Deuteronomy 4:2 and 13:1 (also compare Proverbs 30:6), of a Mesopotamian formula regarding exact copying—“not adding to or subtracting”—that is found in the Erra epic, a tradition that itself appears to have been transmitted through visual copying. Such claims of and exhortations to exact transmission, however, also have parallels in oral tradition) Oral vocalization aided the internalization of such texts by a literate elite, and this elite then could perform such texts (possibly still using a written copy) for a broader, illiterate populace. Thus, long-duration Israelite texts, like their counterparts in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece, were transmitted dually—in written media and in the minds and hearts of those who had ingested them ..."

Carr, David McLain Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Origins of Scripture and Literature (p. 160) Oxford University Press, 2005

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