In this commentary Ian Cairns presents Deuteronomy as a slowly evolving, complex composite --as legal code, as treaty text or covenant, as Moses' farewell speech, and as the final volume of the Petnateuch. Despite Deuteronomy's structural complexity, however, Cairns shows how the theme 'Word and Presence' permeates the entire book: God is the living Presence who can be encountered and known through his word addressed to each generation in turn. This commentary is unique in its emphasis on the theology of Deuteronomy (e.g., law as 'humane instruction') as well as in its modern applications and illustrations from non-Western cultures. International in both scope and authorship and theological in approach, the INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY moves beyond a descriptive-historical approach to offer a relevant exegesis of the Old Testament text as Holy Scripture. The series aims, first, to develop the theological significance of the Old Testament and, second, to emphasize the relevance of each book for the life of the church.
