The proximity of Yahweh in Deuteronomy: A study of key phrases and contexts

Abstract

Name Theologians1 have long argued that Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomist relocated Yahweh from earth to heaven and that only his “Name” remained on earth. In the last couple of decades, some (e.g., Wilson, Richter, and Vogt) have challenged this position, arguing that there is more to Yahweh’s presence in Deuteronomy than what Name Theologians have acknowledged. While these and other studies have argued well that Yahweh is present on earth in Deuteronomy, this article aims to take the discussion further by looking at the portrayal of the proximity of Yahweh in Deuteronomy. This aim is reached by inspecting key phrases (e.g., לִפְנֵי יְהוָה ,שָכַן ) by which, and contexts (e.g., Horeb, war camps) in which Yahweh is portrayed as proximate to Israel. Through the article, we show that Deuteronomy does indeed portray Yahweh as not only present on earth but proximate to Israel as well.