Deuteronomy is treated in this commentary as a book which reflects a critical stage at the end of the Mosaic Age, namely the renewal of the Covenant prior to the major Hebrew conquest of Canaan. The book is thus interpreted from a conservative perspective, but not from a strongly dogmatic position; while an argument is presented for an early date of Deuteronomy in substantially its present form, the difficulties with this point of view are recognised. One way the author defends his view is by showing the possibility of Egyptian influence where others have thought they detected evidence of contact with Palestinian culture. Thus, influences that many have assumed could have come only after the conquest are traced instead to the Hebrews’ enslavement in Egypt. The resources of recent research in Old Testament studies are utilised in an attempt to bridge the gap of more than three thousand years separating the modern reader from the events described in Deuteronomy. The commentary attempts to clarify the primary meaning of the text for the modern reader, working from the conviction that the textual description of the "Renewal of the Sinai Covenant" has a contemporary message for the members of the New Covenant. That message is one of total commitment to the Covenant God.