Ross K. Nichols and Jono Vandor team up with Ezra (our ChatGPT “textpert”) to explore Ekev (Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25) through a sharp text-critical lens. We track Deuteronomy’s recurring four-verb covenant formula (שמע–למד–שמר–עשה), its call to love God, and its heart-focused theology. We wrestle with the debated “hornet” (MT) versus “plague” (Shapira/Valediction) in 7:20, revisit the Hebrew behind “leprosy” (is it really a plague?), and ask who actually made the Ark—contrasting Deuteronomy’s account with the Priestly tradition and noting Aaron’s rare cameo in 10:6–9 with its curious itinerary tensions. Along the way, we connect the forty-days motif to wider biblical patterns, weave in Frank Moore Cross’s Dtr1/Dtr2 model, and highlight how Deuteronomy’s distinct editorial voice sets it apart within the Pentateuch.

Watch this episode [⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠]