- 141-
And plainly it must have been accepted and its genuineness attested by Jeremiah, who at
that time had already been five years in the prophetic office. The further question of the
precise contents of the book is both difficult of discussion and not of great practical
importance. Irrespective of the time* which the reading of the whole Pentateuch would
have occupied (comp. here 2 Kings 23:2), the wording of Holy Scripture scarcely
conveys in the first instance that the Book comprised the strictly historical portions of the
Pentateuch (such as Genesis), but, as we expressly read, "the Book of the Covenant,"**
and "the Book of the Law."
- Kautzsch (u.s., p. 118) calculates it as occupying at least ten hours.
** But in 2 Kings 23:25 we read of "all the law of Moses." And in regard to the "Book of
the Covenant," we have to recall the expression in Deuteronomy 29:1, with which we
have further to connect Deuteronomy 31:24-26. Bahr (in Lange's Bibelwerk, VII., pp.
455, 456, 464, 465) ably contends that the "book" comprised the whole Pentateuch.
Kleinert holds that it embraced "certain parts" of the books of Moses, but including ritual
laws. The very interesting Art., "Gesetzbuch," by Riehm (Worterb. I., pp. 501-507)
represents another aspect.
The latter expression leads us in the present case to think, first of all, of that aspect of the
law which specially affected the people, and the breach of which entailed the national
judgment that Huldah had announced, and the apprehension of which had caused such
consternation to the king. If so, we should perhaps not have to think in the first place of
those ritual ordinances found in the central portions of the Pentateuch, which are now
commonly called the "Priest Code." These would chiefly affect the priesthood, nor
perhaps could the people have followed with complete understanding the mere reading of
their complicated ritual details. Besides, the previous history has furnished us with
sufficient instances to show that, unlike the Law, the provisions and ordinances of the
"Priest Code" must have been well known.*
- See also p. 189, note 3b. Many corroborative instances will here recur to the mind, such
as the various sacrifices, the Paschal observances, and even the punishment of Uzziah, 2
Chronicles 26:18, 19.
On the other hand, the main contents of the Book of the Law read in hearing of the
people must have concerned the whole fundamental relation between Israel and Jehovah.
Hence we conclude that it must have contained, besides the Book of Deuteronomy, at any
rate those portions of the Pentateuch which related to the same all-important subject.
Beyond these suggestions, which are necessarily in the nature of conjectures, we cannot
here discuss this question. But on the main points we cannot have any hesitation. In
Deuteronomy 31:25, 26, we find directions for depositing the Book of the Law in the
innermost Sanctuary, as indeed might have been expected. That in the various troubles,
(^)