(4Q 128, 129, 137) דברים ה, כח—ו, א: החיבור והנוסח לאור הסגנון המשנה-תורתי ושלוש תפילין מקומראן

A characteristic of Deuteronomic style is the transitional formula: after introducing a new subject and before describing it in detail, the main elements of the subject are again mentioned, thus emphasizing its importance. This feature obtains in Deuteronomy 11:32—12:1; 19:3—4; Joshua 11:16—20 with 12:7—8a; Judges 2:23—3:1. The transitional formula appears also in Deuteronomy 5:28—6:1, but is burdened here by the presence of verses 5:29—30. Indeed these verses are a cumbersome exhortation unfitting the context of God's command to Moses (5:27—28) which is followed by Moses' fulfilment of the command (6:1 ff.). Both these arguments suggest that 5:29—30 are a secondary addition to the text. The recently published Tefillin from Qumran (4Q 128,129,137) appear to contain a shorter text at the end of Deuteronomy 5 which has been explained by their publisher (Milik) as a result of homoeoteleuton. However, a closer look at the poorly preserved 4Q 128 makes it likely that it read 6:1 right after 5:28, skipping verses 5:29—30. The same text was probably followed by 4Q 129, 137 as well. If right, this reading from Qumran would confirm our conjecture, based on stylistic and contentual criteria, about the original text of Deuteronomy 5:28—6:1