This statement, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it,” is typical language found in Near Eastern treaty documents form the time of the book of Deuteronomy.  Assyrian King Esarhaddon and Babylonian King Hammurabi both used this formula when they declared and wrote their laws. Hammurabi included this same warning and called down curses on those who altered his laws.  Egyptian scribes included this policy in their documents. This same feature forbidding alteration of the text of the covenant and laws is also found in the Lipit-Ishtar law code.

Yet, the Words of God are more than the policies of a human government. This command from God continues throughout the record of the revealed Words from God. The command that the custodians of God's written revelation maintain the integrity of God’s Word is a policy demanded and enforced throughout the text of Scripture:

Deuteronomy 12:32: “See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.”

Proverbs 30:6: “Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

Galatians 3:15: “ Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.”

Revelation 22:18: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.”

There is a clear scriptural chain of prophetic continuity through the complete Old Testament revelation from Moses in 1440 BC until Nehemiah 407 BC.

- Moses -Gen.- Deut (Neh 9:14; Luke 24:27
- Joshua - End of Deut., Joshua
- Samuel - history of Samuel and David (1 Chron. 29:29)
- Nathan & Gad - recorded events in the reign of David (1 Chron. 29:292 Chron. 12:15)
- Nathan, Ahijah, Iddo - wrote Solomon's day (2 Chr9:29-31)
- Shemaiah, Iddo - chronicled events in Rehoboam's reign
(2 Chron. 12:15)
- Iddo - wrote of the events of Abijah's reign(2 Chron. 13:22)
- Jehu - recorded events Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:34)
- Isaiah - Isaiah wrote of the events of the reign of Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:32
- (Hozai?) - An unknown prophet wrote of Manasseh’s reign (2 Chron. 33:19)
- Jeremiah - prophesied and recorded the final days of Judah during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim through Zedekiah (Jeremiah 1:1-3)
- Ezekiel - prophecied and recorded events from July 5, 593 until April 28, 573 BC during the Babylonian captivity (Ezek. 1:2; 40:1)
- Daniel - l prophesied and recorded events from 605-536 B.C. or from Jehoiakim of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon until Cyrus and Darius of the Medo-Persians (Daniel 1:1; 10:1)
- Ezra - taught the word of God and recorded events to exiles returned to Jerusalem
(Ezra 6:18; 7:11; 9:4) - Zechariah - prophesied to Jerusalem in 520 BC (Zechariah 1:1)
- Malachi - Malachi closed the time of revelation around 432 BC – until the coming of “the prophet Elijah”, or, John the Baptist (Malachi 4:5)
- Nehemiah - Nehemiah was governor in Jerusalem for two terms (445-432 and a second term somewhere between the years 430-407). Nehemiah compiled the final prophetic books with all the previous revelation into an organized collection of written revelation known to Christians today as the Old Testament (Nehemiah 1:1; 5:14;13:6)