J. G. McConville, Deuteronomy

Bibliographical details:
McConville, J. G. (2002). Deuteronomy. Apollos Old Testament Commentary, vol. 5. Leicester: Apollos.

Publisher’s information:
In this outstanding commentary Gordon McConville offers a theological interpretation of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy in the context of the biblical canon. He gives due attention to historical issues where these bear on what can be known about the settings in which the text emerged. His dominant method is one that approaches Deuteronomy as a finished work.

Dr McConville argues that in the context of the ancient world Deuteronomy should be understood as the radical blueprint for the life of a people, at the same time both spiritual and political, and profoundly different from every other social, political and religious programme. The book incorporates the tension between an open-ended vision of a perfectly ordered society under God and practical provisions for dealing with the frailty and imperfections of real people. Hence, it is capable of informing our thinking about the organization of societies while maintaining a vision of the kingdom of God.

J. G. McConville is Senior Lecturer in Old Testament at the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England. He is the author of Law and Theology in Deuteronomy (JSOT Press), Time and Place in Deuteronomy (with J. G. Millar) (JSOT Press) and Judgment and Promise: An Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah (Apollos).

Table of contents:
Editors’ preface … 9
Author’s preface … 10
Abbreviations … 11

Introduction … 18
1. The name of the book … 18
2. Its place in the canon … 18
3. The distinctive features of Deuteronomy … 19
4. The critical interpretation of Deuteronomy … 22

4.1. Deuteronomy and Josiah’s reform … 22

4.2. The reform as a royal programme … 25

4.3. The development of Old Testament religion … 27

4.4. Deuteronomy as a literary tradition … 29

4.5. Conclusion … 31

5. A fresh approach to Deuteronomy … 34

5.1. Setting and ideology … 34

5.2. The thesis above may be retold as a ’story’ … 37

6. The composition of Deuteronomy … 39
7. The reading of Deuteronomy … 41

7.1. Deuteronomy and its audiences … 42

7.2. Deuteronomy and theology … 43

7.3. Deuteronomy in biblical theology … 46

8. The form and aims of this commentary … 52

Text and commentary … 53

Bibliography … 480
Index of Scripture references … 511
Index of authors … 535
Index of subjects … 539

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