Israel. The land itself is a divine gift to Israel; the people possess it as an inheritance. The land is the inheritance of all Israel, and the unity of Israel is important; it is almost as though it reflects the oneness of God, so that disunity is contrary to the will of Yahweh. Key concepts in the Deuteronomic understanding of the relationship between Yahweh and the people Israel are ‘election’ and ‘covenant’. God has chosen Israel and entered into a binding agreement with them. (The making of