Lost in Translation: Deuteronomy 1-11
A guide to understanding the violence introduced in the book of Deuteronomy.
Video transcript of Lost in Translation: Deuteronomy 1-11, created by Church of the City:
If you’ve been following along, watching these Lost in Translation videos, you know the drill by now. Sometimes, reading the Bible feels like navigating a foreign land. So, these videos offer guidance for making sense of the most challenging parts of it.
We’ve now reached the fifth book of the Bible—Deuteronomy—and I’ve got to be honest: for me, this is the hardest one to read. This video is more personal than the others. This time, I’m sharing with you what I’ve found most helpful in dealing with three troubling issues I’ve personally wrestled with in Deuteronomy: Violence. Slavery. And Curses.
In Deuteronomy, it sure seems like God commands a violent land grab, permits slavery, and pronounces curses on people. Christians throughout history have used Deuteronomy to justify violent conquest, slavery, and bigotry. Some people I dearly love have even walked away from Christianity—at least in part—because of what they read here. So, the stakes are high. I hope this video is helpful to you. I also hope it’s something you’d feel comfortable sharing the people you love who are struggling with these difficult parts of the Bible.
What is Deuteronomy?
First, let’s zoom out and see what the book of Deuteronomy is all about.
Deuteronomy is a collection of speeches delivered by Moses in a single day to the people of Israel right before they enter the Promised Land. The Hebrew name for this book is Devarim, which means “words,” because these are Moses’ final words to Israel.
Deuteronomy unfolds in three main movements:
First Movement: 1-11
In the first movement—chapters 1-11—Moses retells Israel’s story so far, tracing their journey from slavery in Egypt to the present moment. He reminds them of where they’ve come from and who Yahweh has been to them—God has always listened and loved them well. Moses also points out a pattern in their story: when Israel has been faithful—listening to God and loving Him well—things have gone well for them. But when they’ve failed to trust Him, it’s led to disaster. So Moses urges Israel to be faithful to God in the new land they’re about to enter: Listen and love well, and things will go well for you.
Second Movement: 12-26
In the second movement—chapters 12-26—Moses gives Israel hundreds of laws. The book’s name, Deuteronomy, means “second law” in Greek. But these aren’t entirely new laws—they’re the old laws spoken to a new generation entering into new circumstances. The first laws were given to a people traveling together in the wilderness. But how do those laws apply when they settle in a new land, surrounded by new neighbors?
Third Movement: 26-34
The third and final movement of Deuteronomy—chapters 26-34—lays out the blessings Israel will experience if they listen and love well—and the curses they’ll experience if they don’t.
This background will be helpful as we try to better understand the violence introduced in movement one, the slavery laws in movement two, and the curses of movement three. Let’s start with the problem of violence.
Violence
In Deuteronomy 7:1-2, Moses tells the Israelites that when they enter the new land, they must defeat the people already living there.
When I first read Deuteronomy in college, these verses really messed me up. How could a merciful and loving God command His people to violently invade someone else’s land?
I’ve wrestled with this for years, and I want to share a way of understanding the violence in Deuteronomy that’s really helpful to me. I still grieve the tragedy of human violence in this book, but I no longer think that violence contradicts the just and merciful character of our loving God.
First, let’s remember that we’re in movement one, where Moses is retelling Israel’s story. All throughout, there are allusions back to Genesis 1-11. And those connections help us see Israel’s violence in a new light.
Now, if you haven’t watched our Lost in Translation videos on Genesis yet (Part 1, Part 2), please do that first. Everything we’re about to cover builds on that foundation.
Snakes in the Land
Let’s start in Deuteronomy 1.
At the very beginning, the narrator sets the scene: Israel has gathered at the Jordan River to hear from Moses. Then, in Deuteronomy 1:4, the narrator drops a seemingly random detail about when all this took place: “This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan”
Why mention these kings?
Well, their names are packed with meaning: Sihon is the Hebrew word for “snake” spelled backward. Heshbon, the land he ruled, comes from the Hebrew word for “scheming.” Bashan, king Og’s territory, is derived from the Aramaic word for “serpent.”
These kings are being described as snake-like and scheming—which should immediately trigger a memory of Genesis 3.
In Genesis 3, God placed humans in a land of abundance. But something was already living in that land when humans moved in—a snake, scheming to undermine their trust in God. Instead of driving the snake out of that land, the humans joined his rebellion against God, and they were driven out.
From there, Genesis traces how the rebellion spreads. Cain builds a city marked by violence and injustice. Then it spreads to Babylon, a society that builds to the skies, trying to be like God. Then even spiritual beings join in, taking human women and producing the Nephilim, a race of violent warriors. The opening chapters of Genesis tell the story of more and more creatures joining the snake’s rebellion, until the land is overflowing with violence and injustice.
So the main plot points of this rebellion story are: a snake, Cain’s city, Babylon’s tower, the Nephilim.
And now, skip forward to Deuteronomy 1:28. When Moses retells the story of the spies going into the Promised Land, he recalls how they described the people living there: "The cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there!”
In this verse we find a cluster of allusions to that rebellion story in Genesis that paint a disturbing picture of the people living in the Promised Land: They’ve built cities like Cain. They’ve built to the skies like Babylon. And they’re descendants of the Nephilim—Numbers 13 tells us that’s where the Anakites come from.
Putting all this together: Israel is about to enter a land of abundance. But someone else is already living there: snakes, Cains, Babylonians, Nephilim. The land is full of rebellion, violence, and injustice.
So what happened after the Nephilim in the Genesis story? What did God do back then when the land became steeped in rebellion, violence, and injustice?
He sent a flood.
Another Flood
Let’s return to Deuteronomy 7:1-2 where Moses tells the Israelites to defeat the inhabitants of the land they’re about to enter. That word “defeat” there is the Hebrew word nakah, which means “to strike.” It’s the same word God used to describe the flood in Genesis 8:21. God said He would never again “strike”—nakah—the earth in that way.
The author of Deuteronomy is making a clear connection. Just as God once sent a flood to stop the spread of rebellion, violence, and injustice in the land God is now sending Israel as a flood of justice upon this land.
But, remember from our previous videos—God’s justice is never without God’s mercy. In Noah’s day, anyone who heeded Noah’s warnings and trusted God, would have been spared. In Egypt, death came to the land, but anyone who expressed their trust in God by applying the lamb’s blood to their doorposts would have survived. As Israel pours into the land of Canaan like a great flood, many people will trust God and live. As you read through the Old Testament, keep an eye out for this faithful remnant God mercifully spares.
So, to recap, today we’ve seen how Deuteronomy presents Israel’s invasion as a flood stopping the spread of violence and injustice.
Sadly, one day Israel will join the snake’s rebellion against God and spread violence and injustice in the land. God will patiently warn his people again and again. But they won’t listen. God will send the nations of Assyria and Babylon to invade—pouring across Israel’s borders like a flood.
But floods can only clean up the mess in the land. They don’t clean up the mess inside of us.
So, God sends Jesus. On the cross, he let’s the flood of justice and death overwhelm him so that humanity can be spared. In Jesus, God’s justice and mercy come together in self-giving love that leads to true, abundant life. And that life is offered to all of us. Anyone who trusts in Jesus will be saved—rescued, forgiven, and given life to the fullest, now and forever.Thanks for watching. Stay tuned—one more Lost in Translation video on Deuteronomy is coming soon. Next time, we’ll navigate the difficult passages about slavery and curses.
