Day 266-267, more insights

The Suzerain Treaty

We discussed this treaty in March when we studied the book of Deuteronomy, but it is profitable to review it here.

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.

Nehemiah 9:5b-6 constitutes a preamble; 9:7-37 a historical prologue; 9:38-10:29 a signed commitment to keep the covenant; and 10:30-39 specific stipulations. Devine witnesses were not needed because The LORD is the one and only God.

(The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the O.T., edited by Walvoord and Zuck, © 1985, p. 260, 690)

Use browser arrow to return to last spot on previous page
Go back to today's Bible study
Return to Chronological Bible Studies main page
Return to Scriptures main page
Return to Topics main page
Back to top of page

COPYRIGHT © 2016, MASTER'S TOUCH BIBLE STUDIES