begins with the second arrival of Israel at Kadesh, and this is crowded with great events—­the death of Miriam, the exclusion of Moses and Aaron from the promised land, with the death of the latter at Mount Hor, the refusal of Edom to allow a passage through his territory, the wearisome journey of the people “to compass the land of Edom,” with their sins and sufferings, the conquest of Arad, Sihon, and Og, and thus the arrival of the people at the plains of Moab opposite Jericho.  Chaps. 20-22:1.  Then follows the history of Balaam and his prophecies, the idolatry and punishment of the people, a second numbering of the people, the appointment of Joshua as the leader of the people, the conquest of the Midianites, the division of the region beyond Jordan to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and a review of the journeyings of the people.  With all this are intermingled various additional ordinances.

V. DEUTERONOMY.

12.  The Jewish name of this book is Elle haddebharim, these are the words.  The Greek name Deuteronomion, whence the Latin Deuteronomium and the English Deuteronomy, signifies second law, or repetition of the law, as it is also called by the later Jews.  The book consists of discourses delivered by Moses to Israel in the plains of Moab over against Jericho, in the eleventh month of the fortieth year of the exodus.  Deut. 1:1, 3.  The peculiar character of this book and its relation to the preceding books have been already considered in the first part of the present work (Chap. 9, No. 10), to which the reader is referred.  It is generally divided into three parts.  The first is mainly a recapitulation of the past history of Israel under Moses, with appropriate warnings and exhortations, followed by a notice of the appointment of three cities of refuge on the east side of Jordan.  Chaps. 1-4.  The second discourse begins with a restatement of the law given on Sinai.  Exhortations to hearty obedience follow, which are full of fatherly love and tenderness.  Various precepts of the law are then added, with some modifications and additions, such as the altered circumstances of the people required.  Chaps. 5-26.  In the third part the blessings and the curses of the law are prominently set forth as motives to obedience.  Chaps. 27-30.  The remainder of the book is occupied with Moses’ charge to Joshua, his direction for depositing the law in the sanctuary by the side of the ark, his song written by divine direction, his blessing upon the twelve tribes, and the account of his death and burial on mount Nebo.