Suzerainty Treaty
Usually, the contract or suzerainty treaty a suzernation offered his subjugated neighbor was quite advantageous, both economically and in regard to military security.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Literature in Bible Times by Milton C. Fisher, Page 99-100.)
Similarity to Deuteronomy & the Pentateuch
Studies of ancient Near Eastern covenants, especially treaty documents of the 2nd millennium B.C., have revealed striking parallels to the Mosaic corpus. The suzerainty treaties drawn up by kings of the Hittite empire have several notable similarities to the book of Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch as a whole. Israel's experience and special relationship with the Lord is unique, and the format in which the Lord confirmed that relationship fits beautifully into this familiar pattern of their contemporary society. Although the Bible is distinct from all human writings, it was providentially designed to be readily understood and adapted to the thought life of the people who received it. Today, we can better understand the Bible by learning the context in which it originated.
Their Shared Structure
In the Sinai covenant, the sovereign God presented the terms of the covenant directly to the chosen people, establishing a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. The Lord's offer to Israel was in terms of "if you obey . . . then I will bless you."
Several specific elements in these treaties are clearly reflected in the Mosaic law.
Following a short preamble, a prologue details the occasion of the agreement, often some military victory over the region. Then the stipulations are spelled out--the basic terms (like the biblical Decalogue), followed by the ancillary laws or statues. These four elements are found in that order in Deuteronomy, a covenant renewal document (for the second generation out of Egypt),
Also found are a document clause and sanctions. These latter items include provision for ceremonies of acceptance and instructions for placing a copy in the shrine (for Israel, the Ark of the Covenant) and public reading of the laws.
The threat of curses for breaking of terms and the blessings for faithfulness are also seen in the biblical counterpart.
Applied to the Pentateuch as a whole, we can compare the opening chapters of Genesis to the preamble, the rest of Genesis and part of Exodus to the historical prologue, and Exodus 19 through Leviticus to the stipulations of a treaty.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Literature in Bible Times by Milton C. Fisher, Page 99-100.)