Structure – Sefer Devarim/0

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Structural Analysis – Sefer Devarim
"Moshe's Farewell Addresses"

Boundaries of the Book

  • Names – The name "אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים", which is derived from the opening words of the book,1 dates back to antiquity.2  Rabbinic sources refer to the book as משנה תורה, referring to the book's review of earlier history and law.  This name is already found in Devarim itself and in Yehoshua, though from context it is difficult to know what book/s or chapters the title encompasses.
  • Themes – Sefer Devarim is distinct from previous books of the Torah in that it is consists almost entirely of Moshe's various speeches before his death. 
  • Setting
  • Timing
  • Characters
  • Genre