Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy (from Greek deuteronomion, meaning second law or repetition of the law, translating the LXX's rendering of Deuteronomy 17:18) is the fifth book of the Pentateuch and Moses's final address to Israel on the plains of Moab before the entry into Canaan. Composed primarily as three extended sermons by Moses, it recapitulates and expands the law given at Sinai, emphasizing covenant loyalty, the central sanctuary, love for God with all one's heart, and the consequences of obedience and disobedience (the blessings and curses of chapters 27–28). The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9) — "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one" — is the foundational confession of Jewish faith. Jesus cited Deuteronomy in each of his three responses to the devil's temptations (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10) and called the command to love God with all one's heart (Deuteronomy 6:5) the greatest commandment. The book concludes with Moses's death and the appointment of Joshua as his successor.