banner
bar

The Suzerain Treaty

The structure of Deuteronomy from The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the O.T. by Walvoord and Zuck, © 1985, p. 260

Deuteronomy follows the pattern of the vassal treaties typical of the second millennium B.C. When a king (a suzerain) made a treaty with a vassal country the treaty usually contained six elements: (a) a preamble, (b) a historical prologue (a history of the king's dealings with the vassal), (c) a general stipulation (a call for wholehearted allegiance to the king), (d) specific stipulations (detailed laws by which the vassal state could give concrete expression to its allegiance to the king (e) divine witnesses (deities called to witness the treaty), and (f) blessings and curses (for obedience or disobedience to the treaty)….Deuteronomy approximates this structure, for 1:1-4 constitutes a preamble; 1:5-4:43 a historical prologue; 4:44-11:32 a general stipulation; chapters 12-26 specific stipulations; and chapters 27-28 blessings and curses. (Of course, Yahweh, being the only true God, did not call on other deities to witness the treaty.)

Use the browser arrow to return to last spot on previous page
Return to Chronological Bible Studies main page
Go to today's Bible study: March 14 (Day 73), March 15 (Day 74), March 16 (Day 75), March 17 (Day76), March 18 (Day77), March 19 (Day 78), March 20 (Day 79), March 21 (Day80), March 22 (Day 81), March 23 (Day 82), March 24 (Day 83)
Back to top of page

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

COPYRIGHT © 2016, MASTER'S TOUCH BIBLE STUDIES