Chapter 1

1:1 - Who wrote the Pentateuch? Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch.

* This verse doesn't say that Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch.  Nonetheless, it is believed that he did; except for the verses after his death.  They were probably written by Joshua.

Chapter 2

2:9, 19 - God gave the Moabites and the Ammonites special protection since they were the descendents of Lot's drunken, incestuous affair with his daughters (Gen.19:30-38).

* These verses don't indicate that Lot's descendants were protected because of his incestuous affair.  They were likely protected because God loved them and planned for the Messiah to come through Lot's lineage.

2:10-11, 20 - More talk about a "land of giants." They must have been much more common back then.

* Yes, there were some giants in the pre-flood and post-flood world.

2:19 - How should the Ammonites be treated? Do not fight against them or take their land.

* This verse says that the Israelites should not touch the Ammonites or their land because it would be an inheritance for Lot's descendants.

2:21-22 - "The Lord destroyed them before them" -- the general treatment of the people who were supposedly displaced by the Israelites.

* God dispossessed these pagans and gave the land to the Israelites.  Some believe that these giants were demonic offspring.

2:25 - All nations shall be terrorized by the followers of Yahweh.

* God was leading the Israelites into battle.  He had reserved the promised land for them and now he was telling them that they would conquer Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon and that the other nations would hear about it and fear.  The pagans who were inhabiting God's promised land for the Israelites would start becoming fearful.

2:30 - God hardened the heart of the king of Heshbon and so that he could have him and all of his people killed.

* This pagan king had already rejected and opposed God.  Therefore, God hardened his heart and delivered him and his army into the Israelite's hands.

2:33-36 - At God's instructions, the Israelites "utterly destroyed the men, women, and the little ones" leaving "none to remain."

* The ancient, nomadic Israelites did not have a plan to rehabilitate orphaned children.  Therefore, in this case, they put them to death.

* These pagans may have been infected with the same, demonic offspring that we noticed in verses 10, 11, and 20 (causing the giants).  If this was so or even if the Israelites thought this was possible, then these are likely reasons for their deaths.

2:37 - How should the Ammonites be treated? Do not fight against them or take their land.

* This verse is like Deuteronomy 2:19.  God tells His people to avoid the Ammonites (for now).

Chapter 3

3:3, 6 - Again the Israelites kill everyone: "men, women, and children, of every city."

* This is correct.  The reasons were likely the same ones that were just mentioned: they had no system of government to rehabilitate orphaned babies and they could have been infected by demons.

3:11 - Og, the king of the giants, was a tall man, even by NBA standards. His bed measured 9 by 4 cubits (15 feet long and 6 feet wide).

* Og was a large giant.  As we noted above, he was likely infected by demons and a pagan, demonic hybrid.

3:22 - When going to war, don't be afraid. God is on your side; "he shall fight for you."

* God told the Israelites not to fear their enemies.  God was on their side and would fight for them.

Chapter 4

4:2 - "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it." This verse is one of those that prevent Bible-believers from cleaning up the Bible. So they're stuck with the unedited version.

* There are many verses that indicate God inspired the entire Bible.  It was not canonized simply because of this verse.  The scriptures have been widely accepted by scholars and rabbis as the ones that came from God.  They are consistent and true.

4:3 - God destoyed the followers of Baalpeor.

* This is correct.  The people who followed this Moabitish deity were destroyed (judged) by God for their wickedness.

4:16-18, 23 - In these verses, God condemns the making of graven images. But in Ex.25:18 and Num.21:8 he commands others to make graven images.

* Graven images were idols that were created from evil desires and worshiped instead of God.  These were forbidden.

* In Exodus 25:18, the Israelites were making the mercy seat.  This seat is on top of the Ark of the Covenant.  This Ark was never worshiped.  God simply had them keep the 10 Commandments in it.  Therefore, it wasn't a graven image.

* In Numbers 21:8, God had the Israelites make a fiery serpent and put it on a pole.  When the people got bitten by snakes, they were to look to it and be healed.  They were not to worship this serpent and pole, but only to look at it.  Therefore, it wasn't a graven image, either.

4:24 - God is "a consuming fire, even a jealous God."

* This is correct.  In the end, God will judge people.  His fire will consume the evil ones, but the righteous people's deeds will stand the test of God's fire.

* Yes, He is a jealous God.  He forbids His followers to chase after ungodly things.  This helps His followers and unbelievers.

4:34 - God brought the Isralites out of Egypt "by war ... and by great terrors."

* "Great terrors" is also translated "great and mighty deeds."  Nonetheless, God brought His judgment on the wicked Egyptians for enslaving His people and refusing to let them go.

4:35, 39 - How many gods are there?

* There is one, uncreated God.  There are many "gods," though.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

4:40 - According to this verse, the earth will last forever. But this is contradicted elsewhere in the bible.

* This verse doesn't say that the Earth will never perish.  This verse indicates that this land was given to the Israelites "for all time."  As long as the Earth exists, this land belongs to them.

* In Ecclesiastes 1:4, this Hebrew word "forever" is better translated "concealed the vanishing point."  A better translation is this: "One generation passes away and another generation comes, but the Earth stands and its vanishing point is concealed."  No, the Earth won't last forever.

Chapter 5

5:4 - Moses tells the Israelites that God spoke to them "face to face." But this contradicts many Bible verses that say that no one has ever seen God.

* Most people understand "face to face" as describing the relationship Moses had with God.  This probably isn't supposed to be taken literally.

* On the rare occasion where we see God appear to someone, in human form, in the Old Testament, this person was actually Jesus Christ (God the Son), not God the Father.

5:7 - The first commandment ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me.") condemns those who worship any other than the biblical god.

* This is absolutely correct.  God must be the most important thing/person in our lives.

5:8 - God forbids the making of graven images. But at other times (and, I guess, in other moods, he ordered such images to be made.)

* Graven images were idols that were created from evil desires and worshiped instead of God.  These were forbidden.

* In Exodus 25:18, the Israelites were making the mercy seat.  This seat is on top of the Ark of the Covenant.  This Ark was never worshiped.  God simply had them keep the 10 Commandments in it.  Therefore, it wasn't a graven image.

* In Numbers 21:8, God had the Israelites make a fiery serpent and put it on a pole.  When the people got bitten by snakes, they were to look to it and be healed.  They were not to worship this serpent and pole, but only to look at it.  Therefore, it wasn't a graven image, either.

5:9 - God, by his own admission, is a jealous God who unjustly punishes great-great grandchildren for the failings of their long-dead ancestors -- or so it says in this verse. But Dt.24:16 and Ezek.18:20 say that God does not punish children for the sins of their fathers. It seems that God is a bit confused on this issue.

* God is a jealous God.  However, He never mentions doing anything unjustly.

* Deuteronomy 5:9 reads, ". . . For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me."  This doesn't necessarily say that God punishes children for the sins of their fathers.  This is likely referring to generational curses (like alcoholism and other genetically dispositional diseases, disorders, dysfunctions, etc.).

* Deuteronomy 24:16 is a law for the Israelites.  He tells them not to put a father to death for his children's sins or his children for his own sin.  Ezekiel 18:20 is a similar verse.

5:12-14 - The fourth commandment prohibits the breaking of the sabbath. But elsewhere in the Bible, the sabbath is downplayed or even ignored.

* The Sabbath law was for the Old Testament Israelites.  They were commanded to obey it.

* In Isaiah 1:12, God is simply indicating that He desires obedience over sacrifices.  This is mentioned in other places of the Bible, too.  See Isaiah 1:16.

* In the New Testament, Jesus Christ interpreted the Sabbath law correctly.  He gave us a new understanding of it.  Therefore, the New Testament writers recorded a different observance of it.

5:16 - Here we are told to honor our parents, but Jesus didn't and counseled others to hate their parents.

* Jesus didn't dishonor His parents or family.  However, He did elevate the status of His spiritual family.  While doing this, He never lessened the value of His earthly family.

* Jesus told His disciples that they should "love less" their families.  This Greek word "miseo" that is translated "hate" in  Luke 14:26 can also be translated "love less."  According to the context of this verse and Jesus' other commandments, He surely didn't mean that people should literally hate their relatives.

5:17 - "Thou shalt not kill." A strange commandment from a God who kills so indiscriminately and commands others to do likewise.

* God told the Israelites that they were not to murder anyone.  However, God is surely allowed to invoke judgment on sinners.  Furthermore, He did command the Israelites to perform some military maneuvers against other peoples.  This wasn't murder, though.

5:18 - Here adultery is forbidden. But God orders Hosea to commit adultery in Hos.1:2 and 3:1-3.

* God never commanded Hosea to commit adultery.  In fact, Deuteronomy 5:18 clearly reads, ". . . go and take yourself a wife . . ."  Gomer became his wife and symbolized the people of Israel.  Hosea 3:1-3 are similar verses and also symbolized the children of Israel.

5:19 - "Neither shalt thou steal." But sometimes God encourages others to steal.

* God commanded the Israelites to abstain from stealing.

* After the Egyptians had stolen from the Israelites and made them slaves, God released them and told them to retrieve their things.  This wasn't stealing because it was retribution.  These passages can be found in Exodus 3:22 and 12:35, 36.

* In Ezekiel 39:10, God is talking about retribution, again.  He even mentions, ". . . they will spoil those that spoiled them . . ."

5:20 - Don't lie. But sometimes God approves of lying.

* God doesn't approve of lying.

* When he allowed a lying spirit to enter into the mouth of a wicked prophet, this was only to judge him and the wicked people.  This doesn't mean that God lies or approves of lying, though.

5:21 - Is it OK to covet?

* No, we shouldn't covet.

* In 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 14:39, this Greek word that can be translated as "covet" can also be translated "desire."  Paul isn't indicating that people should sinfully covet these spiritual gifts, but he is telling us to desire them.

5:21 - In this version of the ten commandments (see Ex.20 for the other list) a man is told not to covet his neighbor's wife, slave (servant in the KJV), or ass -- or any thing that belongs to his neighbor. You see, in the eyes of God, women and slaves are the possessions of men.

* This verse never says that women are the possessions of men.  In fact, it never mentions women or men (in general).  It mentions husbands and wives, though.

* This verse doesn't mention anything about slaves. Nonetheless, the Bible never condones owning slaves. It only gives laws to curtail it and eventually end it. See 1 Corinthians 13 for God's will regarding the ethical treatment of other humans.

Chapter 6

6:2, 13, 24 - Should we fear God?

* Yes, we should fear and respect God.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

6:4 - This verse says that there is only one God, but other verses say there are several.

* There is only one, uncreated God.  There are many "gods," though.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

6:13 - "Thou ... shalt swear by his name." But the New Testament forbids swearing.

* This verse mentions "taking an oath."  It doesn't mention swearing (like cursing).

6:15 - If you worship the wrong god, God will get jealous and kill you.

* Worshiping other gods will destroy your life.  God won't have to help you.  However, He will judge you for it.

6:16 - "Ye shall not tempt the Lord thy God." But James (Jas.1:13) says that God cannot be tempted.

* This verse isn't talking about tempting God to sin.  It is referring to tempting God's patience.  Sinners invoke the grace of God.  Unrepentant sinners tempt God to judge them.  This verse is warning people not to tempt God to invoke His righteous judgment.

* James is saying that God cannot be tempted to sin.  There is no sin in Heaven.  God's character is sinless.  Therefore, He cannot be tempted to sin.

6:16 - Is it ok to test (or tempt) God? No, God doesn't like to be tested or tempted.

* This verse warns against testing God.

Chapter 7

7:1 - God promises to cast out seven nations including the Amorites, Canaanites, and the Jebusites. But he was unable to fulfill his promise. These nations were "greater and mightier" than the Israelites, who according to Ex.12:37 and Num.1:45-46 already had numbered several million. So the region, according to the bible, must have had a population of more than twenty million!

* This verse doesn't say that God would cast these nations out.  This verse does say that God would, "cast out many nations before you" and verse 8 indicates, "when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them.  You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them."  The Israelites were obviously required to play a part in conquering these nations.

* The words "greater and mightier" don't necessarily mean larger in number.

7:2 - God instructs the Israelites to kill, without mercy, all the inhabitants (strangers) of the land that they conquer. But in Dt.10:19 he changes his mind, saying "Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."

* In this verse, God reveals His overall and general plan.  However, in Deuteronomy 7:22, He indicates that this plan would take awhile to unfold.  During this time, in Deuteronomy 10:19, He tells the Israelites to love "strangers."

* This word "stranger" can also be translated "guest."

7:3 - God forbids marriages with those of other tribes. He makes an exception for Moses, though (Num.12:1, 9-10).

* God did not want the Israelites to intermarry with pagans because this would cause many problems like idol worship.

* Numbers 12:1, 9-10 doesn't indicate that God necessarily made an exception for Moses' marriage with the Ethiopian (likely Zipporah).

7:4 - If you do show any mercy to such strangers, "give your daughters to any of them, or "take" any of their daughters, then you'll get God so angry that he'll "destroy thee suddenly."

* God did not want the Israelites to intermarry with pagans because this would cause many problems like idol worship.

7:5 - Destroy the altars, images, and places of worship of those with different religions.

* This is what God commanded.  He wanted His people to remain true to Him, the one, uncreated God.

7:6 - God prefers the Israelites to everyone else. It's not that he's prejudiced, he just like them better.

* This verse reveals that the Israelites were God's chosen people.  He chose to bring the Messiah into the word through them.

7:10 - God will kill those who hate him.

* This verse does indicate that God told the Israelites that He would destroy the ones who hate Him.

7:14-15 - God's favorite people will never be infertile (neither will their cows!) and will never get sick. (God will send infertility and diseases on the other guys.)

* This is the promise that God made with the Israelites.  However, these verses don't indicate the period of time that God intended for this promise.

7:16 - God commands his people to "consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity on them." Yet God is supposed to be merciful.

* This is correct.  God told the Israelites to go to war with several, pagan peoples.  He judged them for their wickedness.

* God is very merciful.  Everyone sins and wicked people sin continually.  However, His mercy and grace are extended to them.

7:20-23 - God will send hornets to kill your enemies, "for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible."

* Some of the enemies of God were driven out by hornets.

7:24 - God says that the Israelites will destroy all of the peoples they encounter. But according to Joshua (15:63, 16:10, 17:12-13) and Judges (1:21, 27-36, 3:1-5) there were some people they just couldn't kill.

* God told the Israelites that they would be able to drive out all of the people that were inhabiting their land.  However, the Israelites resolved to avoid driving some of them out.  They simply didn't have the faith and/or desire and didn't do it.

* Joshua never said that there were certain people that they couldn't kill.  If this was ever implied, this was simply their faithless perception.

Chapter 8

8:2 - God had to test the Israelites to find out what was in their minds and hearts. But according to Acts 1:24 he should have already known.

* This Hebrew word for "know" is also translated "declare."  God wanted to test the Israelites, so they would gain humility and declare what was in their hearts.

* This verse doesn't indicate God's ignorance.

Chapter 9

9:3 - God is "a consuming fire" that destroys people.

* This is true.  This verse states that God is a consuming fire that would destroy and bring His enemies low.

Chapter 10

10:6 - Here it says that Aaron died at Mosera, but in Numbers (Num.20:27-28), he is said to have died on Mount Hor.

* Mosera was the general name of the place where Aaron died and Mount Hor was the specific location.

10:12, 20 - Should we fear God?

* Yes, we should fear and respect God.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

10:16 - Here is some good advice from God: "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart."

* God is essentially telling them to have soft hearts and obey God.  When the Israelites had hard hearts, they disobeyed God and got into trouble.

10:17 - God "regardeth not persons." But God showed a high regard for several biblical personages.

* This verse simply indicates that God is not a "respecter of persons."  Earthly titles, status and wealth do not impress Him.

10:19 - After God instructs the Israelites to mercilessly slaughter all the strangers that they encounter (Dt.7:2, 16), he tells them to "love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."

* In Deuteronomy 7:2, God reveals His overall and general plan.  However, in Deuteronomy 7:22, He indicates that this plan would take awhile to unfold.  During this time, in Deuteronomy 10:19, He tells the Israelites to love "strangers."

* This word "stranger" can also be translated "guest."

10:20 - Is it OK to "swear by his name?"

* This verse indicates that the Israelites should take an oath in His name.  It doesn't say that they should take His name in vain or swear (curse).

* In Matthew 5:34-37 and in James 5:12, we are told to be trustworthy.  "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No' is Jesus' way of saying that we shouldn't need to swear for someone to take us seriously.  Be an honorable person of your word, then you simply have to say "Yes" or "No" and you will be believed and trusted.

Chapter 13

13:3 - God tries people to find out what is in their hearts, contrary to those Bible verses that claim that God knows the hearts of humans.

* This Hebrew word for "know" is also translated "declare."  God is indicating that He would test His people, so they could declare their love for Him.

* God's ignorance is never mentioned or implied.  Incidentally, a public declaration or denunciation of faith would aid an Israelite to see and understand his or her heart.  A trial like the one God mentioned in Deuteronomy 13:1 and 2 would help them to know if they sincerely loved God or not.

13:1-5 - Prophets and dreamers are to be executed if they say or dream the wrong things.

* God explicitly says that the (false) prophets and dreamers that try and lead the Israelites to other gods should be punished severely.  These people are wicked and have ulterior motives.

13:6-10 - If your brother, son, daughter, wife, or friend tries to get you to worship another god, "thou shalt surely kill him, thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death." If Bible-believers followed this one, they would have to kill many of their own family and friends.

* This verse was written to the ancient Israelites.  God declared that a person who tried to get the Israelites to worship and serve other God's would receive capital punishment.

13:12-16 - If you hear of a city where another god is worshiped, then destroy everyone in the city (even the cattle) and burn it down. (Watch out Salt Lake!)

* God gives the Israelites instructions for dealing with idolatrous people and cities.  Incidentally, He tells them to investigate rumors or accusations before acting on them (verse 14).  God did not tolerate idolatry and desired to judge these, wicked people with war.  He told the Israelites to avoid plundering them and to burn their possessions.

Chapter 14

14:1 - Don't "make any baldness between your eyes for the dead."

* In some, idolatrous nations, it was customary to cut themselves and consecrate their hair to their gods.  God was forbidding this practice.

14:7-8 - Certain kinds of animals are not to be eaten.

* This is correct.  God cared about the Israelite's health and diet.

14:7 - This verse mistakenly says that the hare chews its cud.

* In the 21st century, we consider "chewing the cud" regurgitating partially digested materials and chewing on it (like cows do).  This is called "rumination."  However, this isn't necessarily the same meaning and definition of this Hebrew word ("gerah") that the ancient Israelites had.

* Rabbits practice "refection."  They chew on their dung which consists of partially digested food and partially undigested food.  Therefore, there is a similarity even between our current understanding of "chewing the cud" and an ancient understanding of it.  They both chew undigested food.  At any rate, the Israelites didn't use different words for rumination and refection, so "cud" had to suffice.

14:9-10 - Don't eat any seafood unless it has fins and scales. Oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters are "unclean" and shouldn't be eaten.

* The Israelites were forbidden to eat oysters, clams, crabs and lobsters.

14:11, 18 - To the biblical God, a bat is just an another unclean bird.

* As far as eating laws are concerned, the bat was considered an unclean bird.

14:19 - "Every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you." But Lev.11:21 says that some flying creeping things (the ones with four legs!) are OK.

* This is indicating that every creeping thing that flies was unclean for them.  This would indicate some insects.

* Leviticus 11:21 indicates that jumping insects, locusts, crickets and grasshoppers could be eaten.  These are not swarming insects.

14:19 - Which flying creeping things may we eat?

* Leviticus 11 corresponds with Deuteronomy 14. In both chapters, we see God giving the Israelites instructions regarding their diet. However, in Deuteronomy we have an omission regarding the provision to eat a couple of insects like grasshoppers. Since they are stated in Leviticus and since we know the Israelites followed this provision, we understand that these passages harmonize.

14:21 - Don't eat any dead animals that you find lying around. But it's okay to give it to strangers or sell it to foreigners. And, just in case you were getting ready to, don't boil a kid (young goat) is its mother's milk.

* This is correct.  These laws were for the Israelites.

Chapter 15

15:4 - This verse discusses a time when there will be "no poor among you." Yet just a few verses later (15:11) God says, "for the poor shall never cease out of this land."

* This chapter talks about the poor and how to treat them.  In verses 1-3, God indicates that they were to forgive debts every seven years.  However, there is no evidence that they obeyed this law.

* Deuteronomy 15:11 indicates that the poor would always be there.  This is true.

15:9-10 - Does God approve of slavery?

* Deuteronomy 15 gives instructions on the ethical treatment of servants. After six years, the Israelites are to give them a "bonus" and let them go. However, they are given additional instructions for servants that wish to stay in servitude.

15:12-17 - Instructions for buying your brother.

* These verses are giving instructions on the ethical treatment of servants.  After six years, the Israelites are to give them a "bonus" and let them go.  However, they are given additional instructions for servants that wish to stay in servitude.

Chapter 16

16:3 - How many days are we supposed to eat unleavened bread during the passover? Six or seven days?

* The Israelites were to eat unleavened bread for seven days.  On the seventh day, they were to eat it together, in the assembly.  This is why Deuteronomy 16:8 indicates they were to eat unleavened bread for six days, then attend the assembly on the seventh.

16:16 - Three times a year all of the males are to appear before God. But the females he never wants to see.

* One man was to represent his family.  This indicates how the man is responsible for his family.  This isn't a lowering of status for the wife and children, but a heightening of responsibility for the husbands and men.

Chapter 18

18:10 - Does God approve of human sacrifices?

* No, God doesn't require human sacrifices.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

18:10-12 - Wizards, witches, astrologers, and new age folks are all "an abomination unto the Lord."

* This is correct.

18:10-12 - Does the Bible condemn astrology?

* Astrology involves manipulating God by predicting things without His supervision or blessing. We don't see this condoned anywhere in the Bible.

* In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, there is a warning against divination.

18:20 - False prophets are to be (you guessed it) executed. How do you know who is a false prophet? By whether or not their predictions come true. (Watch out Jehovah's Witnesses!)

* The Israelites were to execute the prophets that were deliberately trying to deceive them by pretending to be the mouthpiece of God.  According to God, this offense deserved capital punishment.

Chapter 19

19:11-13, 18-21 - Murderers and perjurers are to be executed -- "and thine eye shall not pity" them.

* God is very intolerant of sin.

19:14 - "Thou shalt not remove thy neighbors landmark" (?)

* Before fences, property was marked by posts or stones.  God is warning people about moving these landmarks (which would increase their land and steal from someone else).

Chapter 20

20:4 - God travels with people and fights in their wars.

* This is correct.  God was with Israel and helped them win their wars.

20:10-11 - God tells the Israelites to enslave the people that they conquer in war.

* This verse doesn't mention anything about slaves; it mentions servanthood. Nonetheless, the Bible never condones owning slaves. It only gives laws to curtail it and eventually end it. See 1 Corinthians 13 for God's will regarding the ethical treatment of other humans.

20:13-15 - In the cities that god "delivers into thine hands" you must kill all the males (including old men, boys, and babies) with "the edge of the sword .... But the women ... shalt thou take unto yourself."

* This Hebrew word for "male" is indicating "men" (not boys, girls, babies or women).  Incidentally, verses 13-15 were instructions on how to treat people who would not make peace with the Israelites, but chose to fight them, instead.

20:16 - "But of the cities ... which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth." Kill the old men and women, the sick and the dying, the blind and the lame, pregnant mothers, nursing mothers, infants, toddlers, and babies.

* God deemed it appropriate to judge the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites with death.  They were unrepentant, pagan sinners who had rejected God.  Therefore, they were to receive capital punishment. 

* If the Israelites would have kept these women alive, then they would have inevitably had to marry them and have children with them. God didn't want the Israelites to do this because it would have meant embracing their pagan gods and customs.  The Israelites were a people that were set apart for God.

20:19 - In this verse, the Israelites are told not to destroy the trees (They are only supposed to kill things that breath). But in 2 Kg.3:19 god tells them to cut down all of the trees.

* Deuteronomy 20:19 and 20 give clear instructions to destroy all trees except the fruit trees.

* 2 Kings 3:19 tells the Israelites to destroy "every good tree."  This is surely referring to every good tree that the enemies would use for fortification and war; not every fruit tree.

Chapter 21

21:1-8 - If you find a dead body and don't know the cause of death, then get all the elders together, cut off the head of a heifer, wash your hands over its body, and say our hands have not shed this blood. (That'll do it!)

* These verses were giving the Israelites instructions regarding (accidentally) killing an innocent person.

21:11-14 - If you see a pretty woman among the captives and would like her for a wife, then just bring her home and "go in unto her." Later, if you decide you don't like her, you can "let her go."

* These verses are indicating that an Israelite man should marry a captive that first gets cleaned up and mourns for a month.  He should not just have sex with her and he could not sell her or treat her unkindly.

21:15 - Rules for those who have two wives: "one beloved, and another hated."

* This verse doesn't condone polygamy, however God did give them some rules because He knew that some of them embraced this practice.

21:18-21 - If you have a "stubborn and rebellious son," then you and the other men in your neighborhood "shall stone him with stones that he die."

* This "rebellious son" is described as one who: continually disobeys his father and mother after chastening and warnings and is a drunkard and a glutton.  God hates sin and He had no tolerance for these kinds of children.  He decided that they should receive capital punishment.

21:22 - Hang on trees the bodies of those who are "accursed of God." They make nice decorations.

* Verses 22 and 23 indicate that a dead person who is hung should be taken down that very day and buried.

Chapter 22

22:5 - Women are not to wear men's clothing -- it's an "abomination unto the Lord."

* God told the Israelite men that they should not dress up like women.

22:10-12 - "Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together" or wear wool and linen together in the same garment. But "thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture."

* Animals that plow are much happier and more efficient when they are yoked with the same kind of animal.  Yoking a weak animal with a strong animal wasn't right.

* Linen represented man's deeds because it was a man-made material.  Wool represented God's grace because He made it grow.  Therefore, mixing the two would be mixing man's deeds and God's grace and confusing the picture of redemption and salvation.  God wanted to keep these two, fabrics separate, so the Israelites would understand that His grace transcended their works.

* These fringes (also called tassels) on their clothes were representative of God's laws.  They were to remind the Israelites to heed God's laws.  This can be seen in Numbers 15:38 and 39.

22:13-21 - If a man marries, then decides that he hates his wife, he can claim she wasn't a virgin when they were married. If her father can't produce the "tokens of her virginity" (bloody sheets), then the woman is to be stoned to death at her father's doorstep.

* These verses give some laws regarding treachery, deception, adultery and lying.  If an Israelite marries a woman and finds that she isn't a virgin, then they would have to prove it before the people.  If it were proven, then she would be a deceiving, lying adulterous.  The type of capital punishment for this would be stoning.

* These verses also indicate that if she is charged falsely, then he husband must pay a fine to her father and keep her as his wife.

22:22 - "If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die."

* God had no tolerance for adultery.

22:23-24 - If a betrothed virgin is raped in the city and doesn't cry out loud enough, then "the men of the city shall stone her to death."

* These verses have nothing to do with the loudness of a betrothed virgin's cry.  They are indicating what to do if a betrothed virgin willingly fornicates with another man.

22:28-29 - If a man rapes an unbetrothed virgin, he must pay her father 50 shekels of silver and then marry her.

* These verses are not talking about rape.  A man who rapes a woman is to be put to death.  This is clear from verse 25.

* These verses are referring to consenting individuals (one is an unbetrothed virgin).  A man is to marry a woman that he decides to sleep with.  He is also to pay her father and avoid divorcing her.

22:30 - "A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt."

* This is correct.  A man was not allowed to sleep with his father's wife.

Chapter 23

23:1 - You can't go to church if your testicles are damaged or your penis has been cut off.

* This verse is likely indicating that a person with damaged testicles or no penis could not take part in civil positions of authority (such as a judge, magistrate, etc.).

23:2 - God won't let bastards attend church. Neither can the sons or daughters of bastards "even to the tenth generation." So if you plan to attend church next Sunday be ready to prove that your genitals are intact and don't forget your birth certificate and genealogical records for at least the last ten generations. Don't laugh. This stuff is important to God.

* Children born from incest or by illegitimate means may not enter the assembly or congregation for ten generations.  Like verse 1, this is likely referring to civil positions of authority.

23:3, 6 - No Moabite will ever be allowed into the congregation of the Lord. But Ruth was a Moabite and she not only entered "the congregation of the Lord," but was also an ancestor of David and Jesus. (Ru.1:4, 4:12, 17)

* This verse isn't referring to Moabite proselytes.  It is referring to Moabite pagans.

23:7 - In this verse, God tells the Israelites to be kind to the Edomites. But in 2 Kings (2 Kg.14:3, 7), Joash is praised for killing 10,000 Edomites, and throughout Obadiah God orders the destruction of Edom.

* This verse says that the Israelites were not to loathe or detest the Edomites.  Incidentally, God never mentioned that this was an eternal command.  It was for this time and place.

* In Obadiah, God's patience, mercy and grace had worn thin.  He decreed that it was time to judge the Edomites.

23:10 - God lays down the law regarding wet dreams. "If there be among you any man that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night ..."

* This verse isn't very specific, but God is telling the Israelite who "becomes unclean by some occurrence in the night" to leave the camp for the day, wash up and return that evening.

23:12-14 - God gives us instructions for defecating. He says to carefully cover up all feces "for the Lord walketh in the midst of thy camp." (You wouldn't want the divine foot to step in your dung, would you?)

* God is giving them a wise command regarding the covering of feces.  He doesn't indicate that He is giving them this command so He won't step in it.  He explicitly tells them to keep the place clean and pure.

23:15-16 - Don't return runaway slaves to their masters. Let them live with you in peace and freedom.

* This verse doesn't mention anything about slaves. Nonetheless, the Bible never condones owning slaves. It only gives laws to curtail it and eventually end it. See 1 Corinthians 13 for God's will regarding the ethical treatment of other humans.

23:17-18 - God says not be bring any whore, sodomite, or dog into the house of the Lord. For "these things are an abomination to the Lord." Sodomites and dogs are biblical names for homosexuals.

* God tells them that there should be no whores or sodomites in the children of Israel.  He also tells them that the "wages of a harlot" or the "price of a dog" (which indicates a male prostitute) should not be given to the house of the Lord.

23:20 - "Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury."

* God is simply telling the Israelites that they shouldn't charge their brothers interest on money, food or items that are lent.

23:21 - God says that vows are binding, but vows are forbidden in the New Testament.

* Vows to the Lord were binding for the Israelites.

* In Matthew 5:34 and James 5:12, we are told to be trustworthy.  "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No' is Jesus' way of saying that we shouldn't need to swear for someone to take us seriously.  Be an honorable person of your word, then you simply have to say "Yes" or "No" and you will be believed and trusted.

Chapter 24

24:1-4 - If a man marries a woman and later finds "some uncleanness in her," then he can divorce her and kick her out of his house. If another man marries her and then dies, the first husband cannot marry her again. "For that is an abomination before the Lord."

* This is correct.  It should be noted that Jesus addressed these certificates of divorce and revealed that they were only allowed because of the hardness of their hearts.  God prefers that husbands and wives do not divorce.

24:7 - Those who capture slaves and sell them must be executed.

* God gave strict laws regarding paid servants.

24:9 - "Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam." (He struck her with leprosy for rightly accusing Moses of breaking God's laws regarding marriage [Num.12:10]).

* God didn't strike Miriam with leprosy for accusing Moses.  He struck her with leprosy because she despised Moses' power and relationship with God.  She wanted to be exalted.  This is evident by reading Numbers 12:1-15.

24:16 - This verse says that sons are not punished for the sins of their fathers. But elsewhere in the Bible it is clearly stated that sons are punished for their fathers' sins.

* This verse states that the Israelites' sons would not be put to death for the sins of their fathers.  God gave the Israelites this law.

* God has total rights to punish sinners in any capacity He wishes.  He created people and they chose to sin and reject Him.  Therefore, in the Old Testament, we see God punishing sinners for a variety of reasons.  We must remember that even if God mentions one reason for punishing a person or group of people that there were surely many reasons that He punished them.  Nonetheless, God did punish sinners and His judgments were righteous.

Chapter 25

25:5 - If a man dies before his wife has a child, then the widow must marry her husband's brother -- whether she likes him or not, and whether she wants to or not.

* This verse never mentions compulsory marriages.  However, the brother of a widow was supposed to either take her as a wife (if he was unmarried) or else he would be labeled as one who did not care about his brother's household.

25:5-10 - If a man dies without having a child, his brother shall "go in unto" his dead brother's wife. If he refuses, the dead man's wife is to loosen his shoe and spit in his face.

* These verses are not stating this or anything like this.  The brother of a widow was supposed to either take her as a wife (if he was unmarried) or else he would be labeled as one who did not care about his brother's household.

25:11-12 - If two men fight and the wife of one grabs the "secrets" of the other, "then thou shalt cut off her hand" and "thy eye shall not pity her."

* The punishment for this woman injuring another man's genitals was the loss of her hand.

25:19 - God commands the Israelites to "blot out the rembrance of Amalek from under heaven." A few hundred years later God orders Saul to kill of the Amalekites "both man and woman, infant and suckling." (1 Sam.15:2-3)

* Deuteronomy 25:19 clearly shows God's desire for them to have a future battle with the Amalekites.

* These verses are correct and consistent, although 1 Samuel 15:9 indicates that Saul did not fully blot them out.

Chapter 27

27:15 - "Cursed be the man that maketh any graven image." Why then did God insist that graven images be made in Ex.25:18 and Num.21:8. "An abomination unto the Lord is the work of the craftsman."

* A graven image was an idol that was worshiped instead of God.  The mercy seat in Exodus 25:18 and the snake on the pole in Numbers 21:8 were never worshiped or created to defy God.

27:17 - "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark: And all the people shall say, Amen."

* This is correct.  Removing a landmark would be stealing another person's land.

27:20 - "Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife, because he uncovereth his father's skirt." (Why?)

* It was forbidden for an Israelite to have sex with his father's wife.  The phrase "uncovereth his father's skirt" refers to defiling or uncovering his bed.

27:21 - "Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast: and all the people shall say, Amen."

* Bestiality was forbidden.

27:22 - "Cursed be he that lieth with his sister ... And all the people shall say, Amen."

* In this verse, sexual intercourse between brothers and sisters was forbidden.

27:23 - "Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law: and all the people shall say, Amen."

* God declared that Israelite men could not have sex with their mother-in-law.

27:26 - "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law." But Gal.3:10 says that all those that do follow the law are cursed.

* In Galatians 3:10, Paul indicates that the law condemns us because we cannot follow it perfectly.  However, in Galatians 3:13, Paul indicates that Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law!  We are no longer condemned for not being able to obey all of the laws because Christ fulfilled the law and redeemed us.

Chapter 28

28:15-68 - If you don't obey all of the laws that are given in the Old Testament, God shower you with the curses that are given in the the next 52 verses (28:16-68).

* The Israelites were told that they would be punished for not obeying God's laws.  These verses reveal their punishments.

28:16 - "Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field." I guess you'll be cursed just about wherever you go.

* They would not be able to hide from God's punishment for their sins.

28:18 - "Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body." But other verses claim that children are not to be punished for the sins of their parents.

* The Israelites were not to put people to death for the sins of others.  However, God is able and worthy to judge any sinner as He wishes.

28:19 - "Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out."

* God is not tolerant of sin.

28:20-22 - If you misbehave, god will send you "cursing, vexing, the pestilence, consumption, fever, inflammation, extreme burning, the sword, blasting, and mildew."

* These are some of the judgments of God.

28:23 - "And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron."

* This statement means that it would not rain and the earth would be very hard.

28:25-26 - "And thy carcass shall be meat to all the fowls of the air."

* Because of their sins, God is warning them that He would even judge them with losing battles to their enemies.

28:27-28 - "The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and the emerods [hemorrhoids], and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst be healed. The Lord will smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart."

* These are some more of the judgments of God.

28:30 - "Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her."

* God is warning them what will happen if they reject Him and He removes His hand of protection from them.

28:31 - "Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes."

* This is one of God's judgments.

28:32 - "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people."

* This is another one of God's judgments.

28:33-34 - You will be enslaved and driven mad in another country.

* Rejecting God has serious consequences.  The Israelites had God's laws and were commanded to obey them.  God wouldn't accept anything less.  They are being warned.

28:35 - "The Lord will smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head."

* This is another one of God's judgments.

28:36-40 - You will be ruled by other nations, forced to serve other gods, become a laughingstock among your neighbors, have your crops destroyed by locusts, your vines eaten by worms, and have fruitless olive trees.

* They would pay a serious price for rejecting God.

28:41 - "Thou shalt begat sons and daughters, but thou shall not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity."

* This is another judgment of God.

28:42 - Locusts will destroy your trees and fruit.

* This is another judgment of God.

28:43-44 - "The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low ... he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail."

* This is another judgment of God.

28:45-46 - "All these curses shall come upon thee ... and upon thy seed for ever."

* This is another judgment of God.

28:48-52 - God will enslave you and destoy you with hunger, thirst, hardship, and all kinds of deprivation.

* This is another judgment of God.

28:53-55 - "And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters."

* This is another judgment of God.

28:56-57 - "The tender and delicate woman" will be forced to eat her own children "that cometh out from between her feet."

* God was describing a terrible time for the Israelites.  God wouldn't cause them to sin and He wouldn't cause a woman to eat her young, but He would remove His protection from them if they rejected Him and terrible things would happen.

28:58-67 - If you don't do as God says he'll send plagues to torment and destroy you.

* These are some of the judgments of God.

28:68 - God will have you sold to your enemies -- but even they won't buy you.

* Many of the prophecies that were mentioned in this chapter were fulfilled as the Romans persecuted the Jews.  Incidentally, the Jews were so detestable to the Romans that they wouldn't buy them and keep them as slaves.

Chapter 29

29:5 - The shoes and clothing of the Israelites didn't wear out even after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. They just don't make them like they used to!

* This was a miracle by God.

29:20 - God, in his jealousy, "will not spare him and will smite him with "all the curses that are in this book."

* This verse describes more of God's judgment on those that reject Him.

29:20 - Does Hell exist? No.

* "Blotting his name out from under heaven" is a reference to sending one to Hell.

Chapter 30

30:6 - God will circumcise your heart and "the heart of thy seed."

* Deuteronomy 30:6 reads, "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live."

30:7 - "And the Lord will put all these curses upon thine enemies." See Dt.28:16-64 for some of the curses God has in mind.

* Deuteronomy 30:7 reads, "Also the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you."  God loves and protects and righteous and punishes the unrighteous.

30:14 - Misquoted in Rom.10:8.

* Paul never indicated that he tried to quote all of Deuteronomy 30:14.  However, he did quote this part: "But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart."

Chapter 31

31:1-2 - When Moses was 120 years old he could no longer "go out and come in." I'll bet he could still go up and down, though. Indeed, just a little later (Dt.34:7) we are told that "his eye was not dim, nor his natural forces abated."

* In these verses, Moses told the people that he couldn't lead them any longer.  He couldn't "go out and come in" with them.

* Deuteronomy 34:7 records Moses' death.  It simply states that his eyes were not dim and his natural vigor was not diminished.  The fact that he died shows that he obviously wasn't lying in Deuteronomy 31:1 and 2.

31:3 - Moses tells the people that God will destroy all the inhabitants of the lands that they pass through. It seems God hates everyone except for his "chosen" people (and he doesn't like them too much, either).

* Moses reminded the children of Israel that God would fight for them and deliver the inhabitants of the promised land to them.

* God hates sin.  Those that reject Him are subject to His wrath.

31:3-6 - God promises to "destroy these nations before thee." But he didn't fulfill his promise.

* First, this is Moses speaking (not God).  Next, Moses clearly states (see verse 5) that God would deliver these people to the Israelites and they were to wage war against them.  However, at times, the Israelites either resolved to let some of the pagans stay among them or they feared and doubted the promises of God, so they didn't go to war against them.

31:12, 13 - Should we fear God?

* Yes, we should fear God.  See "Special Questions" for more on this.

Chapter 32

32:21-26 - When God gets mad -- watch out! He'll starve you to death, burn you with fire, and send vicious beasts to devour you. He'll "destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs." Not even the helpless and innocent are spared by this psychotic God.

* Every person has sinned.  Therefore, the sinless, Creator God is worthy and righteous in His judgments.

* Incidentally, verses 15-18 indicate the kinds of sins that the Israelites were committing that deemed them worthy of God's judgment.  ". . . (they) forsook God who made (them), and scornfully esteemed the Rock of (their) salvation.  They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger.  They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear.  Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you."  This was wholehearted and continual rejection of God.  Therefore, God was warning them that they would experience His wrath.

32:33 - "Their wine is the poison of dragons." I wonder what genus and species the bible is referring to when it mentions dragons.

* This Hebrew word that was translated into "dragons" in the KJV has a wide variety of meanings.  It can also mean, "land monster", "sea serpent", "whale", "jackal", etc.  However, this doesn't rule out the possibility that there were dragons that used to exist.

32:35 - God says, "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense ... for the day of their destruction is at hand." God's attitude seems to be: "Go ahead, make my day."

* God is stating the obvious.  He is the holy and perfect Creator.  Therefore, He holds the right to judge His creation.  He has surely made what He requires of them abundantly clear.

32:36 - God will repent. Or will he?

* God will not repent from a sin because He cannot be tempted and cannot sin.  In this context, the word "repent" also means "have compassion."

32:39 - God says "there is no god with me." But many other verses imply that there is more than one god.

* There is only one, uncreated God.  He is present in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

* There are many "gods."  These "gods" usually refer to idols, but this term can have a variety of meanings that don't refer to the one, uncreated God.

32:39-43 - God says, "I kill ... I wound ... I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh." Someone should take his sword and arrows away, at least until he's feeling better.

* Incidentally, this is a deceptive misquote.  Verse 39 actually reads, "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand."

* This is describing the judgment and sovereignty of God.

Chapter 33

33:17 - Joseph's "horns are like the horns of a unicorn." That's good to know.

* This Hebrew word that was translated into "unicorn" in the KJV can also be translated "wild ox."

Chapter 34

34:5 - Moses, the alleged author of the Pentateuch, describes his own death and burial.

* Many scholars believe that Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch, except for the part about his death and burial.  They generally believe that Joshua wrote those parts.

34:5-6 - Who wrote the Pentateuch? There were other authors.

* The last chapter of Deuteronomy that describes Moses death was likely written by Joshua.

34:7 - At the age of 120, Moses is still as spry as ever. According to Dt.31:2 he could no longer "go out and come in," which seems like a significant handicap.

* This isn't true.  This verse simply states that at 120 years old, his eyes were not dimmed and his natural vigor was not diminished.  Since he died, there were obviously other, physical reasons why his heart stopped beating.

34:10 - Moses know God "face to face." But this is contradicted by many Bible verses that say that now one has ever seen God.

* This described Moses' relationship with God.

* See "Special Questions" for more on this.

34:10 - Who wrote the Pentateuch? There were other authors.

* The last chapter of Deuteronomy that describes Moses death was likely written by Joshua.

34:10 - Who was the greatest prophet? Moses.

* Deuteronomy 34:10 reads, "But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face."  This is true because there was not another prophet like Moses.  John the Baptist was different because he was the last prophet, Jesus' relative, and the forerunner of Christ.