"Not with our Fathers did YHWH cut this Covenant, but with us." A Rhetorical Study of Covenant Continuity and the Identity of God's People in Deuteronomy 4:9-24, 5:1-5, 9:7-10:11, and 29:9-14

Abstract

This thesis addresses the question of how the book of Deuteronomy persuades the postexilic audience about covenant continuity and the identity as YHWH's people. The word "covenant" occurs twenty-seven times in the book, nine of which are located within the covenant event at Horeb and Moab. In order to examine the book's persuasive appeal on covenant effectiveness and affirmation of its audience as God's people, the thesis conducts a rhetorical analysis on the four covenant event passages in the book: 4:9-24, 5:1-5, 9:7-10:11, and 29:9-14. The book of Deuteronomy concludes with a covenant ceremony for the Moab generation (29:9-14). As the last occurrence of a covenant event in the book, it serves as a conclusion to the covenant narrative thread that begins with the Horeb covenant event in 4:9-24 and develops further in 5:1-5 and 9:7-10:11. While the scholarly discussions of the book have invested much effort into the concepts of covenant and time, few studies have sought to explain how these two elements function together in the rhetoric of the book. This thesis identifies the postexilic community in the fourth century B.C.E. as the audience of Deuteronomy's rhetoric and argues that the four passages form together a persuasive appeal to bring this audience back to Horeb. The research in this project focuses especially on the careful content arrangement, use of theological language, the portrayal of Moses and the authority of his voice, the involvement of the book's audience, and their identity as covenant participants. The four passages unfold a rhetoric that responds to the threat of the covenant infraction and assures its audience of covenant continuity. This is accomplished through the establishment of the Moab covenant-a reinvigoration and update of the Horeb covenant-that serves as the gateway for the future generations to participate the Horeb event.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Dwight Swanson (Supervisor)