Scripture Helps
Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34
Moses spoke to the children of Israel as they prepared to enter the promised land. He gave three final sermons that reminded the Israelites of the laws and commandments that were part of their covenant with the Lord. He taught them the importance of remembering and obeying the Lord. He also repeated the instructions to remove the Canaanites from the promised land and to destroy all items associated with their worship of false gods. He instructed Israel about various ways they could care for the poor and needy. The Israelites renewed their covenant with the Lord that they originally made at Sinai. Moses was shown the promised land and then translated by the Lord.
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Background and Context
What is the book of Deuteronomy?
The book of Deuteronomy contains Moses’s final words to the children of Israel before they entered the land of Canaan with Joshua as their leader. The book’s title means “second law” or “repetition of the law.” The structure of Deuteronomy follows the ancient pattern of covenant-making and renewal.
The following is a summary of Moses’s three sermons recorded in Deuteronomy:
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Deuteronomy 1–4: Moses recounted significant events from the Israelites’ previous 40 years, including the covenant the Lord made with them at Mount Sinai.
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Deuteronomy 5–26: Moses reviewed the Ten Commandments and discussed many other aspects of the law of Moses.
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Deuteronomy 27–30: Israel renewed their covenant with the Lord. Moses described the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
These sermons contain Moses’s heartfelt pleas for the Israelites to remember the Lord and live His laws in the promised land. The instructions in Deuteronomy were specifically directed to a new generation whose parents had died in the wilderness following their rebellion.
Of the five books of Moses, Deuteronomy is the one most often quoted by Old Testament prophets. It is also frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament. Jesus Christ used verses from Deuteronomy to counter the temptations of Satan and to explain which commandment was greatest in the law. Many references to Deuteronomy are also found in the Book of Mormon.
How did the Israelites follow Moses’s instructions to remember the Lord?
Deuteronomy 6:4 begins with a prayer that Jewish people today call the Shema (from the Hebrew word meaning “hear”). Jews recite the Shema each day as a morning and an evening prayer. In its entirety, the Shema consists of Deuteronomy 6:4–9; 11:13–21; and Numbers 15:37–41. The Savior referred to the Shema when He declared the first great commandment of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.”
To honor the Lord’s instruction to always remember these words, many Jews place a small piece of parchment inscribed with passages from the Shema in a mezuzah—a small container attached to the right side of the doorframe of their homes. Similarly, tefillin (also called phylacteries or frontlets) are small, square leather boxes containing pieces of parchment with passages from the Shema. Many Jews wear one box on the forehead and strap the other box to the nondominant arm.
It is unclear when the Israelites first adopted these customs, but the Jews observed them during the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Savior condemned the pride associated with these customs in His day, pointing out that many Jews would “make broad their phylacteries” in their attempts “to be seen of men.”
A drawing of a man wearing a phylactery and a photograph of a doorway with a mezuzah
What did it mean that Israel was not to tempt the Lord?
The Hebrew word translated as “tempt” in the King James Version of the Bible means to “put to the test.” Therefore, in this passage the Israelites were commanded to not test God as they had done in Massah—where they questioned whether the Lord was with them when they had no water.
During the Savior’s mortal ministry, He was tempted by the devil to throw Himself off the temple’s pinnacle. The devil suggested that Jesus could prove He was the Messiah by having angels dramatically save Him. In response, Jesus referenced Deuteronomy 6:16, saying, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Why did the Lord command Israel to destroy the Canaanites?
When the Israelites prepared to enter the promised land in Canaan, it was inhabited by several nations or groups of people, collectively referred to as the Canaanites. The Lord commanded the Israelites to “utterly destroy” the Canaanites when they entered the promised land.
Moses explained that the Canaanites were to be driven out of the land because of their wickedness. Such wickedness included worshipping idols and even sacrificing their children to them. In the Book of Mormon, Nephi explained that the Canaanites “had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them.” The Lord warned that if the Israelites dwelt among the Canaanites in the promised land, their hearts would be turned to other gods, leading to their spiritual downfall.
See also “Joshua 6:17–21. What does it mean that Jericho and its inhabitants were ‘accursed … to the Lord’?”
What made Israel a “special people” to the Lord?
At Mount Sinai, the Lord promised the children of Israel that if they would obey His covenant, they would be a “peculiar treasure unto [Him] above all people.” Forty years later, before the next generation of Israelites entered the promised land, the Lord reminded them of their identity as His covenant people. He declared, “Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”
The Hebrew word translated as “peculiar” in Exodus 19:5 and as “special” in Deuteronomy 7:6 is segullah. This word can also mean “valued property” or “treasure.” The children of Israel were Jehovah’s special people because they had made a covenant with Him. The Lord reminded the Israelites that He had also made covenants with their ancestors. The Lord delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage because “he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”
In our day, all who choose to make and keep covenants with the Lord can become His holy, chosen, and special people. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever. It blesses us with an extra measure of love and mercy. It affects who we are and how God will help us become what we can become. We are promised that we, also, can be a ‘peculiar treasure’ unto Him (Psalm 135:4).”
See also “Deuteronomy 29:1–15. Why did Israel make another covenant with the Lord?”
What was the year of release?
Every seven years, the Lord commanded the children of Israel to observe a Sabbatical year, just as the Sabbath occurred every seventh day. Deuteronomy 15 contains the Lord’s instructions for Hebrew debtors to be released from their debts and Hebrew slaves to be released from bondage during the Sabbatical year. These commandments helped the Israelites act generously toward others and remember that what they had been given came from God. Another important purpose for these commandments was to remind Israel of their own release from bondage. The Lord stated, “Thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.”
What do we know about slavery in Old Testament times?
During ancient times, slavery was an accepted part of society for many cultures. People became slaves for a variety of reasons, and some even voluntarily sold themselves into slavery to get out of debt or to find security. Slaves led difficult lives, but certain types of slavery were more difficult than others. Some slaves were afforded educational opportunities and held positions of responsibility.
The law of Moses did not prohibit slavery, but it did set up important protections for the treatment of Israelite slaves. As part of the Sabbatical year, Israelite slaves were to be released with generous provisions, likely to help prevent them from returning to slavery. Israelite servants could also choose to remain with their master and household rather than being set free.
The scriptures do not provide a clear explanation for why the Lord did not prohibit slavery among ancient Israelites. However, in modern revelation, He has made it clear that “it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.”
Who is the prophet like unto Moses?
Moses’s prophecy that the Lord would raise up a future prophet like unto him among the Israelites is quoted or alluded to many times throughout the scriptures. Many Jews in Jesus Christ’s time used phrases like “that prophet” or “the Prophet” when referring to the Messiah.
After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ declared that He was the fulfillment of Moses’s prophecy. He taught, “Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.”
To see examples of similarities between Moses and Jesus Christ, see “Exodus 2:1–10. What was significant about the life and ministry of Moses?”
Sermon on the Mount, by Carl Heinrich Bloch
Why did Israel make another covenant with the Lord?
Before Israel entered the promised land, the next generation renewed the covenant the children of Israel had originally made with the Lord at Sinai. That covenant, along with its blessings and cursings, is described in Deuteronomy 28. Through the renewal of this covenant, the Lord emphasized that Israel would be His people and that He would be their God. This reciprocal covenant relationship is mentioned frequently throughout the scriptures.
See also “Deuteronomy 7:6–12. What made Israel a ‘special people’ to the Lord?”
How will scattered Israel be gathered from the nations?
Moses prophesied that Israel would be scattered as a result of breaking their covenant with the Lord. He also described a day when Israel would “return unto the Lord” and “obey his voice.” Moses taught that when this occurs, the Lord will “gather [Israel] from all the nations.”
Regarding the gathering of Israel, President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“For centuries, prophets have foretold this gathering, and it is happening right now! As an essential prelude to the Second Coming of the Lord, it is the most important work in the world! …
“When we speak of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, we are referring, of course, to missionary, temple, and family history work. We are also referring to building faith and testimony in the hearts of those with whom we live, work, and serve. Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.”
What does it mean to have a circumcised heart?
Circumcision was practiced as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. The imagery of a circumcised heart conveys the idea that one’s covenant with the Lord has become a fundamental part of them and that they have experienced a change in their nature.
Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “Being converted unto the Lord starts with an unwavering commitment to God. … Eventually, this commitment becomes part of who we are, embedded in our sense of self, and ever present in our lives. Just as we never forget our own name no matter what else we are thinking about, we never forget a commitment that is etched in our hearts.”
What happened to Moses at the end of his life?
At the end of his life, Moses went to the top of Mount Nebo, from which he viewed the promised land. The biblical text states that Moses died near Mount Nebo “in the land of Moab.” The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies that Moses was not buried in the land of Moab, but instead “the Lord took him unto his Fathers, in a valley in the land of Moab, … therefore, no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” The Book of Mormon affirms that at the end of Moses’s life, “the Lord took Moses unto himself.”
President Boyd K. Packer taught that like Elijah, Moses was “translated—taken from the earth without experiencing mortal death. … There were things that both Elijah and Moses must pass on to others in the flesh in the generations that were still to come, and they would come back to earth to do that before experiencing the change from mortality to resurrected being.”
As a translated being, Moses appeared at the Mount of Transfiguration and bestowed priesthood keys upon Peter, James, and John.
The Lord Shewed Him All the Land, by Walter Rane
Learn More
Loving the Lord
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D. Todd Christofferson, “The First Commandment First” (digital-only article), Liahona, Feb. 2023, Gospel Library
Remembering the Lord
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Dale G. Renlund, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 41–44
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Ronald A. Rasband, “Lest Thou Forget,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 113–15
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Henry B. Eyring, “O Remember, Remember,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 66–69
Covenant relationship
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Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 4–11
Gathering of Israel
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“The Gathering of Israel,” in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson (2024), Gospel Library
Media
Video
Images
The Lord Shewed Him All, by Eva Timothy
The Transfiguration of Christ, by Carl Heinrich Bloch