Go to Related Reading
About this book

Deuteronomy

About this book
Chapter 30

1 “When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses⁠ I have set before you, you will reflect upon them in all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you. 2 Then if you and your descendants turn to the Lord your God⁠ and obey him with your whole mind and being just as I am commanding you today,⁠ 3 the Lord your God will reverse your captivity and have pity on you. He will turn and gather you from all the peoples among whom he has scattered you.⁠ 4 Even if your exiles are in the most distant land, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.⁠ 5 Then he will bring you to the land your ancestors possessed and you also will possess it; he will do better for you and multiply you more than he did your ancestors.⁠ 6 The Lord your God will also cleanse your heart, and the hearts of your descendants so that you may love him with all your mind and being and so that you may live. 7 Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate you and persecute you. 8 You will return and obey the Lord, keeping all his commandments I am giving you today. 9 The Lord your God will make the labor of your hands abundantly successful and multiply your children, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord will once more rejoice over you to make you prosperous just as he rejoiced over your ancestors,⁠ 10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him with your whole mind and being. 11 “This commandment I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote.⁠ 12 It is not in heaven, as though one must say, ‘Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’⁠ 13 And it is not across the sea,⁠ as though one must say, ‘Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ 14 For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it. 15 “Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other.⁠ 16 What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to possess. 17 However, if you turn aside and do not obey, but are lured away to worship and serve other gods, 18 I declare to you this very day that you will certainly perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. 19 Today I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you⁠ that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live! 20 I also call on you to love the Lord your God, to obey him and be loyal to him, for he gives you life and enables you to live continually in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Texts in conversation

Compare The Treaty between Suppiluliumas and Kurtiwaza and Deuteronomy 30:19

Ancient Near East, Hittite · Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Deuteronomy invokes heaven and earth as witnesses to a covenant, following established ancient Near Eastern treaty practices where agreements were overseen by gods, cosmic forces, and the natural world.

Passages

The Treaty between Suppiluliumas and Kurtiwaza

Ancient Near East, Hittite
The gods of the contracting parties are summoned to be present, to listen, and to serve as witnesses. These are the gods: the Sun-goddess of Arinna, who regulates kingship and queenship; the Sun-god, lord of heaven; the Storm-god, lord of the Hatti land; the Storm-god of Kizzuwatna; the Storm-god of Nerik; the Storm-god of Halab; the Storm-god of Lihzina; the Storm-god of Samuha; the Storm-god of Hurma; the Storm-god of Sarissa; the Storm-god of Sapinuwa; the Storm-god of Hissashapa; the Storm-god of Tahaya; the Storm-god of Kizzuwatna; the Storm-god of Uda; the Hattian patron-god of Karahna; Zithariyas; Karzis; Hapantalliyas; the patron-god of the field; the patron-god of the shield; Lelwani; Ea; Damkina; Telepinu of Tawiniya; Telepinu of Durmitta; Telepinu of Hanhana; Ištar the warlike; Aškapas; Halikis. The Moon-god, lord of the oath; Išhara, queen of the oath; Hebat, queen of heaven; Hebat of Halab; Hebat of Uda; Hebat of Kizzuwatna; the Warrior-god; the Hattian Warrior-god; the Warrior-god of Ellaya; the Warrior-god of Arziya; Yarris; Zapparas; Hasammelis; Hantidas of Hurma; Abaras of Samuha; Katahhas of Ankuwa; Katahhas of Katapa; Mammas of Tahurpa; Hallaras of Dunna; Huwassanas of Hupisna; the Lady of Landa; Kunziwannanis of Landa; the gods of the Hatti land; the gods of the land of Kizzuwatna; Ereskigal; Nara; Namsara; Minku; Amminku; Tussi; Ammizadu; Alalu; Anu; Antu; Ellil; Ninlil; Belet-Ekalli; the mountains; the rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates; heaven and earth; the winds and the clouds.

Deuteronomy 30:19

Hebrew Bible
18 I declare to you this very day that you will certainly perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. 19 Today I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live! 20 I also call on you to love the Lord your God, to obey him and be loyal to him, for he gives you life and enables you to live continually in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

References

"... The embarrassing wealth of comparative material from the ancient Near East has made the task of selecting texts for the present volume a difficult one. Two criteria have been used in choosing the material. First, an attempt has been made to include those texts which have, from time to time, been cited in recognized commentaries as parallel to, or illustrative of, certain passages in the Old Testament. Frequently the appearance of a biblical name has been the criterion for inclusion. In other cases a treatment of a biblical theme by the writer of a text has occasioned the selection. In yet other instances a text has been included because it is representative of a type of literature-such as prayer, lamentation, ritual-which figures prominently in the Old Testament ... With the recent emergence of interest in the concept of covenant in Old Testament studies, it has seemed appropriate to include an entirely new genre of texts, Akkadian Treaties from Syria and Assyria ..."
James B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2016), xx.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

The Treaty between Suppiluliumas and Kurtiwaza and Deuteronomy 30:19

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library