Obedience and Loyalty to Israel’s Unique God: The historical recollections now give place to urgent exhortation.
4:1–8: This chapter is the natural conclusion to the lessons of this first speech of Moses and comes to a powerful climax in 4:32–40. At 4:44 and 5:1 we are introduced to the second major discourse, which includes the rest of the law itself. With this chapter we also move into the “inner frame” of the book’s structure, comprising chapters 4–11 and 27–30, with their many common themes. Chapters 4–11 show a careful structure with its own concentric patterning of material (see additional note).
Deuteronomy 4 is in itself a remarkably well-constructed sermon with a quite clear concentric structure. The opening section (vv. 1–8) and the closing section (vv. 32–40) reflect each other, …