Ulangan 12:32

Idolatry and False Prophets

12:32 (13:1) ¹  You ²  must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it! ³ 

Yosua 1:7

1:7 Make sure you are ⁴  very strong and brave! Carefully obey ⁵  all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! ⁶  Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful ⁷  in all you do. ⁸ 

Amsal 30:6

30:6 Do not add to his words,

lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar. ⁹ 

Amsal 22:18-19

22:18 For it is pleasing if ¹⁰  you keep these sayings ¹¹  within you,

and ¹²  they are ready on your lips. ¹³ 

22:19 So that ¹⁴  your confidence may be in the Lord,

I am making them known to you today ¹⁵  – even you.

[12:32]  ¹ sn Beginning with 12:32, the verse numbers through 13:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 12:32 ET = 13:1 HT, 13:1 ET = 13:2 HT, 13:2 ET = 13:3 HT, etc., through 13:18 ET = 13:19 HT. With 14:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[12:32]  ² tn This verse highlights a phenomenon found throughout Deuteronomy, but most especially in chap. 12, namely, the alternation of grammatical singular and plural forms of the pronoun (known as Numeruswechsel in German scholarship). Critical scholarship in general resolves the “problem” by suggesting varying literary traditions – one favorable to the singular pronoun and the other to the plural – which appear in the (obviously rough) redacted text at hand. Even the ancient versions were troubled by the lack of harmony of grammatical number and in this verse, for example, offered a number of alternate readings. The MT reads “Everything I am commanding you (plural) you (plural) must be careful to do; you (singular) must not add to it nor should you (singular) subtract form it.” Smr, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate suggest singular for the first two pronouns but a few Smr mss propose plural for the last two. What both ancient and modern scholars tend to overlook, however, is the covenantal theological tone of the Book of Deuteronomy, one that views Israel as a collective body (singular) made up of many individuals (plural). See M. Weinfeld, Deuteronomy 1–11 (AB), 15-16; J. A. Thompson, Deuteronomy (TOTC), 21-23.

[12:32]  ³ sn Do not add to it or subtract from it. This prohibition makes at least two profound theological points: (1) This work by Moses is of divine origination (i.e., it is inspired) and therefore can tolerate no human alteration; and (2) the work is complete as it stands (i.e., it is canonical).

[1:7]  ⁴ tn Or “Only be.”

[1:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “so you can be careful to do.” The use of the infinitive לִשְׁמֹר (lishmor, “to keep”) after the imperatives suggests that strength and bravery will be necessary for obedience. Another option is to take the form לִשְׁמֹר as a vocative lamed (ל) with imperative (see Isa 38:20 for an example of this construction), which could be translated, “Indeed, be careful!”

[1:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “commanded you.”

[1:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “be wise,” but the word can mean “be successful” by metonymy.

[1:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “in all which you go.”

[30:6]  ⁹ tn The form of the verb is a Niphal perfect tense with a vav consecutive from the root כָּזַב (kazav, “to lie”). In this stem it has the ideas of “been made deceptive,” or “shown to be false” or “proved to be a liar.” One who adds to or changes the word of the Lord will be seen as a liar.

[22:18]  ¹⁰ tn Or “when” (so NIV).

[22:18]  ¹¹ tn Heb “keep them,” referring to the words of the wise expressed in these sayings. The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:18]  ¹² tn The term “and” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation.

[22:18]  ¹³ sn If the teachings are preserved in the heart/mind of the disciple, then that individual will always be ready to speak what was retained.

[22:19]  ¹⁴ tn The form לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “to be”) is the infinitive construct indicating the purpose (or result) of the teaching (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[22:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I cause you to know.” The term “today” indicates that the verb should have the instantaneous nuance, and so an English present tense is used in the translation (“am making…known”).