Ulangan 4:41-43
Konteks4:41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 4:42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone 1 without hating him at the time of the accident 2 could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 4:43 These cities are Bezer, in the desert plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.
Ulangan 4:19
Konteks4:19 When you look up 3 to the sky 4 and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation 5 – you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, 6 for the Lord your God has assigned 7 them to all the people 8 of the world. 9
Ulangan 1:1--13:18
Konteks1:1 This is what 10 Moses said to the assembly of Israel 11 in the Transjordanian 12 wastelands, the arid country opposite 13 Suph, 14 between 15 Paran 16 and Tophel, 17 Laban, 18 Hazeroth, 19 and Di Zahab 20 1:2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey 21 from Horeb 22 to Kadesh Barnea 23 by way of Mount Seir. 24 1:3 However, it was not until 25 the first day of the eleventh month 26 of the fortieth year 27 that Moses addressed the Israelites just as 28 the Lord had instructed him to do. 1:4 This took place after the defeat 29 of King Sihon 30 of the Amorites, whose capital was 31 in Heshbon, 32 and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was 33 in Ashtaroth, 34 specifically in Edrei. 35 1:5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words: 36
1:6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed 37 in the area of this mountain long enough. 1:7 Get up now, 38 resume your journey, heading for 39 the Amorite hill country, to all its areas 40 including the arid country, 41 the highlands, the Shephelah, 42 the Negev, 43 and the coastal plain – all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. 1:8 Look! I have already given the land to you. 44 Go, occupy the territory that I, 45 the Lord, promised 46 to give to your ancestors 47 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.” 48 1:9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 1:10 The Lord your God has increased your population 49 to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. 50 1:11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you 51 just as he said he would! 1:12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? 1:13 Select wise and practical 52 men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.” 1:14 You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. 1:15 So I chose 53 as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 1:16 I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they 54 should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens 55 and judge fairly, 56 whether between one citizen and another 57 or a citizen and a resident foreigner. 58 1:17 They 59 must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly 60 and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.
1:18 So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 1:19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 1:20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country which the Lord our God is about to give 61 us. 1:21 Look, he 62 has placed the land in front of you! 63 Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 1:22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 1:23 I thought this was a good idea, 64 so I sent 65 twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 1:24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, 66 which they scouted out. 1:25 Then they took 67 some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”
1:26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God. 68 1:27 You complained among yourselves privately 69 and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 1:28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage 70 by describing people who are more numerous 71 and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven 72 itself! Moreover, they said they saw 73 Anakites 74 there.” 1:29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified 75 of them! 1:30 The Lord your God is about to go 76 ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 77 1:31 and in the desert, where you saw him 78 carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.” 1:32 However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 1:33 the one who was constantly going before you to find places for you to set up camp. He appeared by fire at night and cloud by day, to show you the way you ought to go.
1:34 When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow: 79 1:35 “Not a single person 80 of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! 1:36 The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; 81 he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.” 82 1:37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there. 1:38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, 83 will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. 84 1:39 Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, 85 and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, 86 will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. 1:40 But as for you, 87 turn back and head for the desert by the way to the Red Sea.” 88
1:41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country. 1:42 But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.’” 1:43 I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord 89 and recklessly went up to the hill country. 1:44 The Amorite inhabitants of that area 90 confronted 91 you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah. 92 1:45 Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he 93 paid no attention to you whatsoever. 94 1:46 Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time – indeed, for the full time. 95
2:1 Then we turned and set out toward the desert land on the way to the Red Sea 96 just as the Lord told me to do, detouring around Mount Seir for a long time. 2:2 At this point the Lord said to me, 2:3 “You have circled around this mountain long enough; now turn north. 2:4 Instruct 97 these people as follows: ‘You are about to cross the border of your relatives 98 the descendants of Esau, 99 who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid of you, so watch yourselves carefully. 2:5 Do not be hostile toward them, because I am not giving you any of their land, not even a footprint, for I have given Mount Seir 100 as an inheritance for Esau. 2:6 You may purchase 101 food to eat and water to drink from them. 2:7 All along the way I, the Lord your God, 102 have blessed your every effort. 103 I have 104 been attentive to 105 your travels through this great wasteland. These forty years I have 106 been with you; you have lacked for nothing.’”
2:8 So we turned away from our relatives 107 the descendants of Esau, the inhabitants of Seir, turning from the desert route, 108 from Elat 109 and Ezion Geber, 110 and traveling the way of the Moab wastelands. 2:9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass Moab and provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as your territory. This is because I have given Ar 111 to the descendants of Lot 112 as their possession. 2:10 (The Emites 113 used to live there, a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites. 2:11 These people, as well as the Anakites, are also considered Rephaites; 114 the Moabites call them Emites. 2:12 Previously the Horites 115 lived in Seir but the descendants of Esau dispossessed and destroyed them and settled in their place, just as Israel did to the land it came to possess, the land the Lord gave them.) 116 2:13 Now, get up and cross the Wadi Zered.” 117 So we did so. 118 2:14 Now the length of time it took for us to go from Kadesh Barnea to the crossing of Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, time for all the military men of that generation to die, just as the Lord had vowed to them. 2:15 Indeed, it was the very hand of the Lord that eliminated them from within 119 the camp until they were all gone.
2:16 So it was that after all the military men had been eliminated from the community, 120 2:17 the Lord said to me, 2:18 “Today you are going to cross the border of Moab, that is, of Ar. 121 2:19 But when you come close to the Ammonites, do not harass or provoke them because I am not giving you any of the Ammonites’ land as your possession; I have already given it to Lot’s descendants 122 as their possession.
2:20 (That also is considered to be a land of the Rephaites. 123 The Rephaites lived there originally; the Ammonites call them Zamzummites. 124 2:21 They are a people as powerful, numerous, and tall as the Anakites. But the Lord destroyed the Rephaites 125 in advance of the Ammonites, 126 so they dispossessed them and settled down in their place. 2:22 This is exactly what he did for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir when he destroyed the Horites before them so that they could dispossess them and settle in their area to this very day. 2:23 As for the Avvites 127 who lived in settlements as far west as Gaza, Caphtorites 128 who came from Crete 129 destroyed them and settled down in their place.)
2:24 Get up, make your way across Wadi Arnon. Look! I have already delivered over to you Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, 130 and his land. Go ahead! Take it! Engage him in war! 2:25 This very day I will begin to fill all the people of the earth 131 with dread and to terrify them when they hear about you. They will shiver and shake in anticipation of your approach.” 132
2:26 Then I sent messengers from the Kedemoth 133 Desert to King Sihon of Heshbon with an offer of peace: 2:27 “Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the roadway. 134 I will not turn aside to the right or the left. 2:28 Sell me food for cash 135 so that I can eat and sell me water to drink. 136 Just allow me to go through on foot, 2:29 just as the descendants of Esau who live at Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land the Lord our God is giving us.” 2:30 But King Sihon of Heshbon was unwilling to allow us to pass near him because the Lord our 137 God had made him obstinate 138 and stubborn 139 so that he might deliver him over to you 140 this very day. 2:31 The Lord said to me, “Look! I have already begun to give over Sihon and his land to you. Start right now to take his land as your possession.” 2:32 When Sihon and all his troops 141 emerged to encounter us in battle at Jahaz, 142 2:33 the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, along with his sons 143 and everyone else. 144 2:34 At that time we seized all his cities and put every one of them 145 under divine judgment, 146 including even the women and children; we left no survivors. 2:35 We kept only the livestock and plunder from the cities for ourselves. 2:36 From Aroer, 147 which is at the edge of Wadi Arnon (it is the city in the wadi), 148 all the way to Gilead there was not a town able to resist us – the Lord our God gave them all to us. 2:37 However, you did not approach the land of the Ammonites, the Wadi Jabbok, 149 the cities of the hill country, or any place else forbidden by the Lord our God.
3:1 Next we set out on 150 the route to Bashan, 151 but King Og of Bashan and his whole army 152 came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. 153 3:2 The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, 154 and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.” 3:3 So the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left. 155 3:4 We captured all his cities at that time – there was not a town we did not take from them – sixty cities, all the region of Argob, 156 the dominion of Og in Bashan. 3:5 All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars; 157 in addition there were a great many open villages. 158 3:6 We put all of these under divine judgment 159 just as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon – every occupied city, 160 including women and children. 3:7 But all the livestock and plunder from the cities we kept for ourselves. 3:8 So at that time we took the land of the two Amorite kings in the Transjordan from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon 161 3:9 (the Sidonians 162 call Hermon Sirion 163 and the Amorites call it Senir), 164 3:10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah 165 and Edrei, 166 cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 3:11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy 167 that his sarcophagus 168 was made of iron. 169 Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath 170 of the Ammonites? It is thirteen and a half feet 171 long and six feet 172 wide according to standard measure.) 173
3:12 This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer 174 by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites. 175 3:13 The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. 176 (All the region of Argob, 177 that is, all Bashan, is called the land of Rephaim. 3:14 Jair, son of Manasseh, took all the Argob region as far as the border with the Geshurites 178 and Maacathites 179 (namely Bashan) and called it by his name, Havvoth-Jair, 180 which it retains to this very day.) 3:15 I gave Gilead to Machir. 181 3:16 To the Reubenites and Gadites I allocated the territory extending from Gilead as far as Wadi Arnon (the exact middle of the wadi was a boundary) all the way to the Wadi Jabbok, the Ammonite border. 3:17 The Arabah and the Jordan River 182 were also a border, from the sea of Chinnereth 183 to the sea of the Arabah (that is, the Salt Sea), 184 beneath the watershed 185 of Pisgah 186 to the east.
3:18 At that time I instructed you as follows: “The Lord your God has given you this land for your possession. You warriors are to cross over before your fellow Israelites 187 equipped for battle. 3:19 But your wives, children, and livestock (of which I know you have many) may remain in the cities I have given you. 3:20 You must fight 188 until the Lord gives your countrymen victory 189 as he did you and they take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River. Then each of you may return to his own territory that I have given you.” 3:21 I also commanded Joshua at the same time, “You have seen everything the Lord your God did to these two kings; he 190 will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going. 191 3:22 Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God will personally fight for you.”
3:23 Moreover, at that time I pleaded with the Lord, 3:24 “O, Lord God, 192 you have begun to show me 193 your greatness and strength. 194 (What god in heaven or earth can rival your works and mighty deeds?) 3:25 Let me please cross over to see the good land on the other side of the Jordan River – this good hill country and the Lebanon!” 195 3:26 But the Lord was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me. Instead, he 196 said to me, “Enough of that! 197 Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 3:27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and take a good look to the west, north, south, and east, 198 for you will not be allowed to cross the Jordan. 3:28 Commission 199 Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people over and will enable them to inherit the land you will see.” 3:29 So we settled down in the valley opposite Beth Peor. 200
4:1 Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances 201 I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, 202 is giving you. 4:2 Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to 203 you. 4:3 You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor, 204 how he 205 eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor. 206 4:4 But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you. 4:5 Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in 207 the land you are about to enter and possess. 4:6 So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding 208 to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise 209 people.” 4:7 In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? 4:8 And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just 210 as this whole law 211 that I am about to share with 212 you today?
4:9 Again, however, pay very careful attention, 213 lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. 4:10 You 214 stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he 215 said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. 216 Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.” 4:11 You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it 217 and yet dark with a thick cloud. 218 4:12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything – only a voice was heard. 219 4:13 And he revealed to you the covenant 220 he has commanded you to keep, the ten commandments, 221 writing them on two stone tablets. 4:14 Moreover, at that same time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to keep in the land which you are about to enter and possess. 222
4:15 Be very careful, 223 then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 4:16 I say this 224 so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, 4:17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 4:18 anything that crawls 225 on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth. 226 4:19 When you look up 227 to the sky 228 and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation 229 – you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, 230 for the Lord your God has assigned 231 them to all the people 232 of the world. 233 4:20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, 234 to be his special people 235 as you are today. 4:21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he 236 is about to give you. 237 4:22 So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that 238 good land. 4:23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he 239 has forbidden 240 you. 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God. 241
4:25 After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, 242 if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind 243 and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him, 244 4:26 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you 245 today that you will surely and swiftly be removed 246 from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be 247 annihilated. 4:27 Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you 248 among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 4:28 There you will worship gods made by human hands – wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell. 4:29 But if you seek the Lord your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. 249 4:30 In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, 250 if you return to the Lord your God and obey him 251 4:31 (for he 252 is a merciful God), he will not let you down 253 or destroy you, for he cannot 254 forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.
4:32 Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind 255 on the earth, and ask 256 from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been such a great thing as this, or even a rumor of it. 4:33 Have a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire, as you yourselves have, and lived to tell about it? 4:34 Or has God 257 ever before tried to deliver 258 a nation from the middle of another nation, accompanied by judgments, 259 signs, wonders, war, strength, power, 260 and other very terrifying things like the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 4:35 You have been taught that the Lord alone is God – there is no other besides him. 4:36 From heaven he spoke to you in order to teach you, and on earth he showed you his great fire from which you also heard his words. 261 4:37 Moreover, because he loved 262 your ancestors, he chose their 263 descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power 4:38 to dispossess nations greater and stronger than you and brought you here this day to give you their land as your property. 264 4:39 Today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below – there is no other! 4:40 Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth 265 today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.
4:41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 4:42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone 266 without hating him at the time of the accident 267 could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 4:43 These cities are Bezer, in the desert plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.
4:44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites. 268 4:45 These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt, 4:46 in the Transjordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. (It is he whom Moses and the Israelites attacked after they came out of Egypt. 4:47 They possessed his land and that of King Og of Bashan – both of whom were Amorite kings in the Transjordan, to the east. 4:48 Their territory extended 269 from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon valley as far as Mount Siyon 270 – that is, Hermon – 4:49 including all the Arabah of the Transjordan in the east to the sea of the Arabah, 271 beneath the watershed 272 of Pisgah.)
5:1 Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: 273 “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them! 5:2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 5:3 He 274 did not make this covenant with our ancestors 275 but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now. 5:4 The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire. 5:5 (I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the message 276 of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:
5:6 “I am the Lord your God, he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery. 5:7 You must not have any other gods 277 besides me. 278 5:8 You must not make for yourself an image 279 of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath. 280 5:9 You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish 281 the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject 282 me, 283 5:10 but I show covenant faithfulness 284 to the thousands 285 who choose 286 me and keep my commandments. 5:11 You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes, 287 for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way. 288 5:12 Be careful to observe 289 the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you. 5:13 You are to work and do all your tasks in six days, 5:14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath 290 of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the foreigner who lives with you, 291 so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest. 5:15 Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power. 292 That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe 293 the Sabbath day. 5:16 Honor 294 your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he 295 is about to give you. 5:17 You must not murder. 296 5:18 You must not commit adultery. 5:19 You must not steal. 5:20 You must not offer false testimony against another. 297 5:21 You must not desire 298 another man’s 299 wife, nor should you crave his 300 house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.” 301
5:22 The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said. 302 Then he inscribed the words 303 on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 5:23 Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me. 5:24 You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory 304 and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us 305 that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living. 5:25 But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us! If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die! 5:26 Who is there from the entire human race 306 who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived? 5:27 You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he 307 says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.” 5:28 When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he 308 said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you – they have spoken well. 5:29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey 309 all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever. 5:30 Go and tell them, ‘Return to your tents!’ 5:31 But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments, 310 statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.” 311 5:32 Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left! 5:33 Walk just as he 312 has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long 313 in the land you are going to possess.
6:1 Now these are the commandments, 314 statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed 315 6:2 and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments 316 that I am giving 317 you – you, your children, and your grandchildren – all your lives, to prolong your days. 6:3 Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number 318 – as the Lord, God of your ancestors, 319 said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey.
6:4 Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 320 6:5 You must love 321 the Lord your God with your whole mind, 322 your whole being, 323 and all your strength. 324
6:6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 6:7 and you must teach 325 them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, 326 as you lie down, and as you get up. 6:8 You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm 327 and fasten them as symbols 328 on your forehead. 6:9 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates. 329
6:10 Then when the Lord your God brings you to the land he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you – a land with large, fine cities you did not build, 6:11 houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn out cisterns you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – and you eat your fill, 6:12 be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, that place of slavery. 330 6:13 You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name. 6:14 You must not go after other gods, those 331 of the surrounding peoples, 6:15 for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God and his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land. 332
6:16 You must not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. 333 6:17 Keep his 334 commandments very carefully, 335 as well as the stipulations and statutes he commanded you to observe. 6:18 Do whatever is proper 336 and good before the Lord so that it may go well with you and that you may enter and occupy the good land that he 337 promised your ancestors, 6:19 and that you may drive out all your enemies just as the Lord said.
6:20 When your children 338 ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?” 6:21 you must say to them, 339 “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt in a powerful way. 340 6:22 And he 341 brought signs and great, devastating wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on his whole family 342 before our very eyes. 6:23 He delivered us from there so that he could give us the land he had promised our ancestors. 6:24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him 343 so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day. 6:25 We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments 344 before the Lord our God, just as he demands.” 345
7:1 When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are going to occupy and forces out many nations before you – Hittites, 346 Girgashites, 347 Amorites, 348 Canaanites, 349 Perizzites, 350 Hivites, 351 and Jebusites, 352 seven 353 nations more numerous and powerful than you – 7:2 and he 354 delivers them over to you and you attack them, you must utterly annihilate 355 them. Make no treaty 356 with them and show them no mercy! 7:3 You must not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 7:4 for they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will erupt against you and he will quickly destroy you. 7:5 Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, 357 cut down their sacred Asherah poles, 358 and burn up their idols. 7:6 For you are a people holy 359 to the Lord your God. He 360 has chosen you to be his people, prized 361 above all others on the face of the earth.
7:7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you – for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. 7:8 Rather it is because of his 362 love 363 for you and his faithfulness to the promise 364 he solemnly vowed 365 to your ancestors 366 that the Lord brought you out with great power, 367 redeeming 368 you from the place of slavery, from the power 369 of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 7:9 So realize that the Lord your God is the true God, 370 the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully 371 with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 7:10 but who pays back those who hate 372 him as they deserve and destroys them. He will not ignore 373 those who hate him but will repay them as they deserve! 7:11 So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do.
7:12 If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you 374 as he promised 375 your ancestors. 7:13 He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children, 376 with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land which he promised your ancestors to give you. 7:14 You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness 377 among you or your livestock. 7:15 The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead he will inflict them on all those who hate you.
7:16 You must destroy 378 all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship 379 their gods, for that will be a snare to you. 7:17 If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I – how can I dispossess them?” 7:18 you must not fear them. You must carefully recall 380 what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt, 7:19 the great judgments 381 you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power 382 by which he 383 brought you out – thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear. 7:20 Furthermore, the Lord your God will release hornets 384 among them until the very last ones who hide from you 385 perish. 7:21 You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God. 7:22 He, 386 the God who leads you, will expel the nations little by little. You will not be allowed to destroy them all at once lest the wild animals overrun you. 7:23 The Lord your God will give them over to you; he will throw them into a great panic 387 until they are destroyed. 7:24 He will hand over their kings to you and you will erase their very names from memory. 388 Nobody will be able to resist you until you destroy them. 7:25 You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent 389 to the Lord your God. 7:26 You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath 390 along with it. 391 You must absolutely detest 392 and abhor it, 393 for it is an object of divine wrath.
8:1 You must keep carefully all these commandments 394 I am giving 395 you today so that you may live, increase in number, 396 and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors. 397 8:2 Remember the whole way by which he 398 has brought you these forty years through the desert 399 so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. 8:3 So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. 400 He did this to teach you 401 that humankind 402 cannot live by bread 403 alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. 404 8:4 Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. 8:5 Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, 405 the Lord your God disciplines you. 8:6 So you must keep his 406 commandments, live according to his standards, 407 and revere him. 8:7 For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks, 408 springs, and fountains flowing forth in valleys and hills, 8:8 a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, of olive trees and honey, 8:9 a land where you may eat food 409 in plenty and find no lack of anything, a land whose stones are iron 410 and from whose hills you can mine copper. 8:10 You will eat your fill and then praise the Lord your God because of the good land he has given you.
8:11 Be sure you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. 8:12 When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses, 8:13 when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything, 8:14 be sure 411 you do not feel self-important and forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery, 8:15 and who brought you through the great, fearful desert of venomous serpents 412 and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow 413 from a flint rock and 8:16 fed you in the desert with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you 414 and eventually bring good to you. 8:17 Be careful 415 not to say, “My own ability and skill 416 have gotten me this wealth.” 8:18 You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, 417 even as he has to this day. 8:19 Now if you forget the Lord your God at all 418 and follow other gods, worshiping and prostrating yourselves before them, I testify to you today that you will surely be annihilated. 8:20 Just like the nations the Lord is about to destroy from your sight, so he will do to you 419 because you would not obey him. 420
9:1 Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan so you can dispossess the nations there, people greater and stronger than you who live in large cities with extremely high fortifications. 421 9:2 They include the Anakites, 422 a numerous 423 and tall people whom you know about and of whom it is said, “Who is able to resist the Anakites?” 9:3 Understand today that the Lord your God who goes before you is a devouring fire; he will defeat and subdue them before you. You will dispossess and destroy them quickly just as he 424 has told you. 9:4 Do not think to yourself after the Lord your God has driven them out before you, “Because of my own righteousness the Lord has brought me here to possess this land.” It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out ahead of you. 9:5 It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness, 425 that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he 426 made on oath to your ancestors, 427 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 9:6 Understand, therefore, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is about to give you this good land as a possession, for you are a stubborn 428 people!
9:7 Remember – don’t ever forget 429 – how you provoked the Lord your God in the desert; from the time you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place you were constantly rebelling against him. 430 9:8 At Horeb you provoked him and he was angry enough with you to destroy you. 9:9 When I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord made with you, I remained there 431 forty days and nights, eating and drinking nothing. 9:10 The Lord gave me the two stone tablets, written by the very finger 432 of God, and on them was everything 433 he 434 said to you at the mountain from the midst of the fire at the time of that assembly. 9:11 Now at the end of the forty days and nights the Lord presented me with the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. 9:12 And he said to me, “Get up, go down at once from here because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have sinned! They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a cast metal image.” 435 9:13 Moreover, he said to me, “I have taken note of these people; they are a stubborn 436 lot! 9:14 Stand aside 437 and I will destroy them, obliterating their very name from memory, 438 and I will make you into a stronger and more numerous nation than they are.”
9:15 So I turned and went down the mountain while it 439 was blazing with fire; the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. 9:16 When I looked, you had indeed sinned against the Lord your God and had cast for yourselves a metal calf; 440 you had quickly turned aside from the way he 441 had commanded you! 9:17 I grabbed the two tablets, threw them down, 442 and shattered them before your very eyes. 9:18 Then I again fell down before the Lord for forty days and nights; I ate and drank nothing because of all the sin you had committed, doing such evil before the Lord as to enrage him. 9:19 For I was terrified at the Lord’s intense anger 443 that threatened to destroy you. But he 444 listened to me this time as well. 9:20 The Lord was also angry enough at Aaron to kill him, but at that time I prayed for him 445 too. 9:21 As for your sinful thing 446 that you had made, the calf, I took it, melted it down, 447 ground it up until it was as fine as dust, and tossed the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain. 9:22 Moreover, you continued to provoke the Lord at Taberah, 448 Massah, 449 and Kibroth-Hattaavah. 450 9:23 And when he 451 sent you from Kadesh-Barnea and told you, “Go up and possess the land I have given you,” you rebelled against the Lord your God 452 and would neither believe nor obey him. 9:24 You have been rebelling against him 453 from the very first day I knew you!
9:25 I lay flat on the ground before the Lord for forty days and nights, 454 for he 455 had said he would destroy you. 9:26 I prayed to him: 456 O, Lord God, 457 do not destroy your people, your valued property 458 that you have powerfully redeemed, 459 whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength. 460 9:27 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people. 9:28 Otherwise the people of the land 461 from which you brought us will say, “The Lord was unable to bring them to the land he promised them, and because of his hatred for them he has brought them out to kill them in the desert.” 462 9:29 They are your people, your valued property, 463 whom you brought out with great strength and power. 464
10:1 At that same time the Lord said to me, “Carve out for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones and come up the mountain to me; also make for yourself a wooden ark. 465 10:2 I will write on the tablets the same words 466 that were on the first tablets you broke, and you must put them into the ark.” 10:3 So I made an ark of acacia 467 wood and carved out two stone tablets just like the first ones. Then I went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. 10:4 The Lord 468 then wrote on the tablets the same words, 469 the ten commandments, 470 which he 471 had spoken to you at the mountain from the middle of the fire at the time of that assembly, and he 472 gave them to me. 10:5 Then I turned, went down the mountain, and placed the tablets into the ark I had made – they are still there, just as the Lord commanded me.
10:6 “During those days the Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan 473 to Moserah. 474 There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became priest in his place. 10:7 From there they traveled to Gudgodah, 475 and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, 476 a place of flowing streams. 10:8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi 477 to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings 478 in his name, as they do to this very day. 10:9 Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance 479 among his brothers; 480 the Lord is his inheritance just as the Lord your God told him. 10:10 As for me, I stayed at the mountain as I did the first time, forty days and nights. The Lord listened to me that time as well and decided not to destroy you. 10:11 Then he 481 said to me, “Get up, set out leading 482 the people so they may go and possess 483 the land I promised to give to their ancestors.” 484
10:12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him, 485 to obey all his commandments, 486 to love him, to serve him 487 with all your mind and being, 488 10:13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving 489 you today for your own good? 10:14 The heavens – indeed the highest heavens – belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. 10:15 However, only to your ancestors did he 490 show his loving favor, 491 and he chose you, their descendants, 492 from all peoples – as is apparent today. 10:16 Therefore, cleanse 493 your heart and stop being so stubborn! 494 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, 10:18 who justly treats 495 the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. 10:19 So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 10:20 Revere the Lord your God, serve him, be loyal to him and take oaths only in his name. 10:21 He is the one you should praise; 496 he is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen. 10:22 When your ancestors went down to Egypt, they numbered only seventy, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky. 497
11:1 You must love the Lord your God and do what he requires; keep his statutes, ordinances, and commandments 498 at all times. 11:2 Bear in mind today that I am not speaking 499 to your children who have not personally experienced the judgments 500 of the Lord your God, which revealed 501 his greatness, strength, and power. 502 11:3 They did not see 503 the awesome deeds he performed 504 in the midst of Egypt against Pharaoh king of Egypt and his whole land, 11:4 or what he did to the army of Egypt, including their horses and chariots, when he made the waters of the Red Sea 505 overwhelm them while they were pursuing you and he 506 annihilated them. 507 11:5 They did not see 508 what he did to you in the desert before you reached this place, 11:6 or what he did to Dathan and Abiram, 509 sons of Eliab the Reubenite, 510 when the earth opened its mouth in the middle of the Israelite camp 511 and swallowed them, their families, 512 their tents, and all the property they brought with them. 513 11:7 I am speaking to you 514 because you are the ones who saw all the great deeds of the Lord!
11:8 Now pay attention to all the commandments 515 I am giving 516 you today, so that you may be strong enough to enter and possess the land where you are headed, 517 11:9 and that you may enjoy long life in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors 518 and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 11:10 For the land where you are headed 519 is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, a land where you planted seed and which you irrigated by hand 520 like a vegetable garden. 11:11 Instead, the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy 521 is one of hills and valleys, a land that drinks in water from the rains, 522 11:12 a land the Lord your God looks after. 523 He is constantly attentive to it 524 from the beginning to the end of the year. 525 11:13 Now, if you pay close attention 526 to my commandments that I am giving you today and love 527 the Lord your God and serve him with all your mind and being, 528 11:14 then he promises, 529 “I will send rain for your land 530 in its season, the autumn and the spring rains, 531 so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil. 11:15 I will provide pasture 532 for your livestock and you will eat your fill.”
11:16 Make sure you do not turn away to serve and worship other gods! 533 11:17 Then the anger of the Lord will erupt 534 against you and he will close up the sky 535 so that it does not rain. The land will not yield its produce, and you will soon be removed 536 from the good land that the Lord 537 is about to give you. 11:18 Fix these words of mine into your mind and being, 538 and tie them as a reminder on your hands and let them be symbols 539 on your forehead. 11:19 Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, 540 as you lie down, and as you get up. 11:20 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates 11:21 so that your days and those of your descendants may be extended in the land which the Lord promised to give to your ancestors, like the days of heaven itself. 541 11:22 For if you carefully observe all of these commandments 542 I am giving you 543 and love the Lord your God, live according to his standards, 544 and remain loyal to him, 11:23 then he 545 will drive out all these nations ahead of you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you. 11:24 Every place you set your foot 546 will be yours; your border will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the River (that is, the Euphrates) as far as the Mediterranean Sea. 547 11:25 Nobody will be able to resist you; the Lord your God will spread the fear and terror of you over the whole land on which you walk, just as he promised you.
11:26 Take note – I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 548 11:27 the blessing if you take to heart 549 the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, 11:28 and the curse if you pay no attention 550 to his 551 commandments and turn from the way I am setting before 552 you today to pursue 553 other gods you have not known. 11:29 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are to possess, you must pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 554 11:30 Are they not across the Jordan River, 555 toward the west, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah opposite Gilgal 556 near the oak 557 of Moreh? 11:31 For you are about to cross the Jordan to possess the land the Lord your God is giving you, and you will possess and inhabit it. 11:32 Be certain to keep all the statutes and ordinances that I am presenting to you today.
12:1 These are the statutes and ordinances you must be careful to obey as long as you live in the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, 558 has given you to possess. 559 12:2 You must by all means destroy 560 all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree. 561 12:3 You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, 562 burn up their sacred Asherah poles, 563 and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place. 12:4 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they worship. 12:5 But you must seek only the place he 564 chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, 565 and you must go there. 12:6 And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, 566 your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 12:7 Both you and your families 567 must feast there before the Lord your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he 568 has blessed you. 12:8 You must not do like we are doing here today, with everyone 569 doing what seems best to him, 12:9 for you have not yet come to the final stop 570 and inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 12:10 When you do go across the Jordan River 571 and settle in the land he 572 is granting you as an inheritance and you find relief from all the enemies who surround you, you will live in safety. 573 12:11 Then you must come to the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to reside, bringing 574 everything I am commanding you – your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, 575 and all your choice votive offerings which you devote to him. 576 12:12 You shall rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God, along with your sons, daughters, male and female servants, and the Levites in your villages 577 (since they have no allotment or inheritance with you). 578 12:13 Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish, 12:14 for you may do so 579 only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal areas – there you may do everything I am commanding you. 580
12:15 On the other hand, you may slaughter and eat meat as you please when the Lord your God blesses you 581 in all your villages. 582 Both the ritually pure and impure may eat it, whether it is a gazelle or an ibex. 12:16 However, you must not eat blood – pour it out on the ground like water. 12:17 You will not be allowed to eat in your villages your tithe of grain, new wine, olive oil, the firstborn of your herd and flock, any votive offerings you have vowed, or your freewill and personal offerings. 12:18 Only in the presence of the Lord your God may you eat these, in the place he 583 chooses. This applies to you, your son, your daughter, your male and female servants, and the Levites 584 in your villages. In that place you will rejoice before the Lord your God in all the output of your labor. 585 12:19 Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.
12:20 When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,” 586 you may do so as you wish. 587 12:21 If the place he 588 chooses to locate his name is too far for you, you may slaughter any of your herd and flock he 589 has given you just as I have stipulated; you may eat them in your villages 590 just as you wish. 12:22 Like you eat the gazelle or ibex, so you may eat these; the ritually impure and pure alike may eat them. 12:23 However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself 591 – you must not eat the life with the meat! 12:24 You must not eat it! You must pour it out on the ground like water. 12:25 You must not eat it so that it may go well with you and your children after you; you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight. 592 12:26 Only the holy things and votive offerings that belong to you, you must pick up and take to the place the Lord will choose. 593 12:27 You must offer your burnt offerings, both meat and blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; the blood of your other sacrifices 594 you must pour out on his 595 altar while you eat the meat. 12:28 Pay careful attention to all these things I am commanding you so that it may always go well with you and your children after you when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
12:29 When the Lord your God eliminates the nations from the place where you are headed and you dispossess them, you will settle down in their land. 596 12:30 After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” 12:31 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! 597 For everything that is abhorrent 598 to him, 599 everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!
12:32 (13:1) 600 You 601 must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it! 602 13:1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams 603 should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, 604 13:2 and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods” – gods whom you have not previously known – “and let us serve them.” 13:3 You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, 605 for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him 606 with all your mind and being. 607 13:4 You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him. 13:5 As for that prophet or dreamer, 608 he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within. 609
13:6 Suppose your own full brother, 610 your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods 611 that neither you nor your ancestors 612 have previously known, 613 13:7 the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth 614 to the other). 13:8 You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him. 13:9 Instead, you must kill him without fail! 615 Your own hand must be the first to strike him, 616 and then the hands of the whole community. 13:10 You must stone him to death 617 because he tried to entice you away from the Lord your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 13:11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you. 618
13:12 Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you as a place to live, that 13:13 some evil people 619 have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, 620 saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods” (whom you have not known before). 621 13:14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you, 622 13:15 you must by all means 623 slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate 624 with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock. 13:16 You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza 625 and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It will be an abandoned ruin 626 forever – it must never be rebuilt again. 13:17 You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment. 627 Then the Lord will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors. 13:18 Thus you must obey the Lord your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving 628 you today and doing what is right 629 before him. 630
[4:42] 1 tn Heb “the slayer who slew his neighbor without knowledge.”
[4:42] 2 tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day).” The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing.
[4:19] 3 tn Heb “lest you lift up your eyes.” In the Hebrew text vv. 16-19 are subordinated to “Be careful” in v. 15, but this makes for an unduly long sentence in English.
[4:19] 4 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[4:19] 5 tn Heb “all the host of heaven.”
[4:19] 6 tn In the Hebrew text the verbal sequence in v. 19 is “lest you look up…and see…and be seduced…and worship them…and serve them.” However, the first two actions are not prohibited in and of themselves. The prohibition pertains to the final three actions. The first two verbs describe actions that are logically subordinate to the following actions and can be treated as temporal or circumstantial: “lest, looking up…and seeing…, you are seduced.” See Joüon 2:635 §168.h.
[4:19] 9 tn Heb “under all the heaven.”
[4:19] sn The OT views the heavenly host as God’s council, which surrounds his royal throne ready to do his bidding (see 1 Kgs 22:19). God has given this group, sometimes called the “sons of God” (cf. Job 1:6; 38:7; Ps 89:6), jurisdiction over the nations. See Deut 32:8 (LXX). Some also see this assembly as the addressee in Ps 82. While God delegated his council to rule over the nations, he established a theocratic government over Israel and ruled directly over his chosen people via the Mosaic covenant. See v. 20, as well as Deut 32:9.
[1:1] 10 tn Heb “These are the words.”
[1:1] 11 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
[1:1] 12 tn Heb “on the other side of the Jordan.” This would appear to favor authorship by someone living on the west side of the Jordan, that is, in Canaan, whereas the biblical tradition locates Moses on the east side (cf. v. 5). However the Hebrew phrase בְּעֵבֶר הַיּרְדֵּן (bÿ’ever hayyrÿden) is a frozen form meaning “Transjordan,” a name appropriate from any geographical vantage point. To this day, one standing east of the Jordan can describe himself as being in Transjordan.
[1:1] 13 tn The Hebrew term מוֹל (mol) may also mean “in front of” or “near” (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
[1:1] 14 sn This place is otherwise unattested and its location is unknown. Perhaps it is Khirbet Sufah, 4 mi (6 km) SSE of Madaba, Jordan.
[1:1] 15 tn The Hebrew term בֵּין (ben) may suggest “in the area of.”
[1:1] 16 sn Paran is the well-known desert area between Mount Sinai and Kadesh Barnea (cf. Num 10:12; 12:16).
[1:1] 17 sn Tophel refers possibly to et£-T£afîleh, 15 mi (25 km) SE of the Dead Sea, or to Da‚bîlu, another name for Paran. See H. Cazelles, “Tophel (Deut. 1:1),” VT 9 (1959): 412-15.
[1:1] 18 sn Laban. Perhaps this refers to Libnah (Num 33:20).
[1:1] 19 sn Hazeroth. This probably refers to àAin Khadra. See Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 199-200.
[1:1] 20 sn Di Zahab. Perhaps this refers to Mina al-Dhahab on the eastern Sinai coast.
[1:2] 21 sn An eleven-day journey was about 140 mi (233 km).
[1:2] 22 sn Horeb is another name for Sinai. “Horeb” occurs 9 times in the Book of Deuteronomy and “Sinai” only once (33:2). “Sinai” occurs 13 times in the Book of Exodus and “Horeb” only 3 times.
[1:2] 23 sn Kadesh Barnea. Possibly this refers to àAin Qudeis, about 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Beer Sheba, but more likely to àAin Qudeirat, 5 mi (8 km) NW of àAin Qudeis. See R. Cohen, “Did I Excavate Kadesh-Barnea?” BAR 7 (1981): 20-33.
[1:2] 24 sn Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom. “By way of Mount Seir” refers to the route from Horeb that ended up in Edom Cf. CEV “by way of the Mount Seir Road”; TEV “by way of the hill country of Edom.”
[1:3] 25 tn Heb “in” or “on.” Here there is a contrast between the ordinary time of eleven days (v. 2) and the actual time of forty years, so “not until” brings out that vast disparity.
[1:3] 26 sn The eleventh month is Shebat in the Hebrew calendar, January/February in the modern (Gregorian) calendar.
[1:3] 27 sn The fortieth year would be 1406
[1:3] 28 tn Heb “according to all which.”
[1:4] 29 tn Heb “when he struck [or “smote”].”
[1:4] 30 sn See Deut 2:26–3:22.
[1:4] 32 sn Heshbon is probably modern Tell Hesban, about 7.5 mi (12 km) south southwest of Amman, Jordan.
[1:4] 34 sn Ashtaroth is probably Tell àAshtarah, about 22 mi (35 km) due east of the Sea of Galilee.
[1:4] 35 sn Edrei is probably modern Deràa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31).
[1:5] 36 tn Heb “this instruction”; KJV, NIV, NRSV “this law”; TEV “God’s laws and teachings.” The Hebrew noun תוֹרָה (torah) is derived from the verb יָרָה (yarah, “to teach”) and here it refers to the Book of Deuteronomy, not the Pentateuch as a whole.
[1:6] 37 tn Heb “lived”; “dwelled.”
[1:7] 38 tn Heb “turn”; NAB “Leave here”; NIV, TEV “Break camp.”
[1:7] 40 tn Heb “its dwelling places.”
[1:7] 41 tn Heb “the Arabah” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:7] 42 tn Heb “lowlands” (so TEV) or “steppes”; NIV, CEV, NLT “the western foothills.”
[1:7] sn The Shephelah is the geographical region between the Mediterranean coastal plain and the Judean hill country.
[1:7] 43 sn The Hebrew term Negev means literally “desert” or “south” (so KJV, ASV). It refers to the area south of Beer Sheba and generally west of the Arabah Valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.
[1:8] 44 tn Heb “I have placed before you the land.”
[1:8] 45 tn Heb “the
[1:8] 46 tn Heb “swore” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This refers to God’s promise, made by solemn oath, to give the patriarchs the land.
[1:8] 47 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 11, 21, 35).
[1:8] 48 tn Heb “their seed after them.”
[1:10] 49 tn Heb “multiplied you.”
[1:10] 50 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[1:11] 51 tn Heb “may he bless you.”
[1:13] 52 tn The Hebrew verb נְבֹנִים (nÿvonim, from בִּין [bin]) is a Niphal referring to skill or intelligence (see T. Fretheim, NIDOTTE 1:652-53).
[1:15] 53 tn Or “selected”; Heb “took.”
[1:16] 54 tn Or “you.” A number of English versions treat the remainder of this verse and v. 17 as direct discourse rather than indirect discourse (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[1:16] 55 tn Heb “brothers.” The term “brothers” could, in English, be understood to refer to siblings, so “fellow citizens” has been used in the translation.
[1:16] 56 tn The Hebrew word צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “fairly”) carries the basic idea of conformity to a norm of expected behavior or character, one established by God himself. Fair judgment adheres strictly to that norm or standard (see D. Reimer, NIDOTTE 3:750).
[1:16] 57 tn Heb “between a man and his brother.”
[1:16] 58 tn Heb “his stranger” or “his sojourner”; NAB, NIV “an alien”; NRSV “resident alien.” The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger) commonly means “foreigner.”
[1:17] 59 tn Heb “you,” and throughout the verse (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[1:17] 60 tn Heb “the small,” but referring to social status, not physical stature.
[1:20] 61 tn The Hebrew participle has an imminent future sense here, although many English versions treat it as a present tense (“is giving us,” NAB, NIV, NRSV) or a predictive future (“will give us,” NCV).
[1:21] 62 tn Heb “the
[1:21] 63 tn Or “has given you the land” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[1:23] 64 tn Heb “the thing was good in my eyes.”
[1:23] 65 tn Or “selected” (so NIV, NRSV, TEV); Heb “took.”
[1:24] 66 tn Or “the Wadi Eshcol” (so NAB).
[1:24] sn The Eshcol Valley is a verdant valley near Hebron, still famous for its viticulture (cf. Num 13:22-23). The Hebrew name “Eshcol” means “trestle,” that is, the frame on which grape vines grow.
[1:25] 67 tn The Hebrew text includes “in their hand,” which is unnecessary and somewhat redundant in English style.
[1:26] 68 tn Heb “the mouth of the
[1:27] 69 tn Heb “in your tents,” that is, privately.
[1:28] 70 tn Heb “have caused our hearts to melt.”
[1:28] 71 tn Heb “greater.” Many English versions understand this to refer to physical size or strength rather than numbers (cf. “stronger,” NAB, NIV, NRSV; “bigger,” NASB).
[1:28] 72 tn Or “as the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[1:28] 73 tn Heb “we have seen.”
[1:28] 74 tn Heb “the sons of the Anakim.”
[1:28] sn Anakites were giant people (Num 13:33; Deut 2:10, 21; 9:2) descended from a certain Anak whose own forefather Arba founded the city of Kiriath Arba, i.e., Hebron (Josh 21:11).
[1:29] 75 tn Heb “do not tremble and do not be afraid.” Two synonymous commands are combined for emphasis.
[1:30] 76 tn The Hebrew participle indicates imminent future action here, though some English versions treat it as a predictive future (“will go ahead of you,” NCV; cf. also TEV, CEV).
[1:30] 77 tn Heb “according to all which he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”
[1:31] 78 tn Heb “the
[1:34] 79 tn Heb “and swore,” i.e., made an oath or vow.
[1:35] 80 tn Heb “Not a man among these men.”
[1:36] 81 sn Caleb had, with Joshua, brought back to Israel a minority report from Canaan urging a conquest of the land, for he was confident of the
[1:36] 82 tn Heb “the
[1:38] 83 tn Heb “the one who stands before you”; NAB “your aide”; TEV “your helper.”
[1:38] 84 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[1:39] 85 tn Heb “would be a prey.”
[1:39] 86 sn Do not know good from bad. This is a figure of speech called a merism (suggesting a whole by referring to its extreme opposites). Other examples are the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:9), the boy who knows enough “to reject the wrong and choose the right” (Isa 7:16; 8:4), and those who “cannot tell their right hand from their left” (Jonah 4:11). A young child is characterized by lack of knowledge.
[1:40] 87 tn The Hebrew pronoun is plural, as are the following verbs, indicating that Moses and the people are addressed (note v. 41).
[1:40] 88 tn Heb “the Reed Sea.” “Reed” is a better translation of the Hebrew סוּף (suf), traditionally rendered “red.” The name “Red Sea” is based on the LXX which referred to it as ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης (eruqra" qalassh", “red sea”). Nevertheless, because the body of water in question is known in modern times as the Red Sea, this term was used in the translation. The part of the Red Sea in view here is not the one crossed in the exodus but its eastern arm, now known as the Gulf of Eilat or Gulf of Aqaba.
[1:43] 89 tn Heb “the mouth of the
[1:44] 90 tn Heb “in that hill country,” repeating the end of v. 43.
[1:44] 91 tn Heb “came out to meet.”
[1:44] 92 sn Hormah is probably Khirbet el-Meshash, 5.5 mi (9 km) west of Arad and 7.5 mi (12 km) SE of Beer Sheba. Its name is a derivative of the verb חָרָם (kharam, “to ban; to exterminate”). See Num 21:3.
[1:45] 93 tn Heb “the
[1:45] 94 tn Heb “did not hear your voice and did not turn an ear to you.”
[1:46] 95 tn Heb “like the days which you lived.” This refers to the rest of the forty-year period in the desert before Israel arrived in Moab.
[2:1] 96 tn Heb “Reed Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Deut 1:40.
[2:4] 97 tn Heb “command” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “charge the people as follows.”
[2:4] 98 tn Heb “brothers”; NAB “your kinsmen.”
[2:4] 99 sn The descendants of Esau (Heb “sons of Esau”; the phrase also occurs in 2:8, 12, 22, 29). These are the inhabitants of the land otherwise known as Edom, south and east of the Dead Sea. Jacob’s brother Esau had settled there after his bitter strife with Jacob (Gen 36:1-8). “Edom” means “reddish,” probably because of the red sandstone of the region, but also by popular etymology because Esau, at birth, was reddish (Gen 25:25).
[2:5] 100 sn Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom.
[2:6] 101 tn Heb includes “with silver.”
[2:7] 102 tn The Hebrew text does not have the first person pronoun; it has been supplied for purposes of English style (the Lord is speaking here).
[2:7] 103 tn Heb “all the work of your hands.”
[2:7] 104 tn Heb “he has.” This has been converted to first person in the translation in keeping with English style.
[2:7] 105 tn Heb “known” (so ASV, NASB); NAB “been concerned about.”
[2:7] 106 tn Heb “the
[2:8] 107 tn Or “brothers”; NRSV “our kin.”
[2:8] 108 tn Heb “the way of the Arabah” (so ASV); NASB, NIV “the Arabah road.”
[2:8] 109 sn Elat was a port city at the head of the eastern arm of the Red Sea, that is, the Gulf of Aqaba (or Gulf of Eilat). Solomon (1 Kgs 9:28), Uzziah (2 Kgs 14:22), and Ahaz (2 Kgs 16:5-6) used it as a port but eventually it became permanently part of Edom. It may be what is known today as Tell el-Kheleifeh. Modern Eilat is located further west along the northern coast. See G. Pratico, “Nelson Glueck’s 1938-1940 Excavations at Tell el-Kheleifeh: A Reappraisal,” BASOR 259 (1985): 1-32.
[2:8] 110 sn Ezion Geber. A place near the Gulf of Aqaba, Ezion-geber must be distinguished from Elat (cf. 1 Kgs 9:26-28; 2 Chr 8:17-18). It was, however, also a port city (1 Kgs 22:48-49). It may be the same as the modern site Gezirat al-Fauran, 15 mi (24 km) south-southwest from Tell el-Kheleifah.
[2:9] 111 sn Ar was a Moabite city on the Arnon River east of the Dead Sea. It is mentioned elsewhere in the “Book of the Wars of Yahweh” (Num 21:15; cf. 21:28; Isa 15:1). Here it is synonymous with the whole land of Moab.
[2:9] 112 sn The descendants of Lot. Following the destruction of the cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah, as God’s judgment, Lot fathered two sons by his two daughters, namely, Moab and Ammon (Gen 19:30-38). Thus, these descendants of Lot in and around Ar were the Moabites.
[2:10] 113 sn Emites. These giant people, like the Anakites (Deut 1:28), were also known as Rephaites (v. 11). They appear elsewhere in the narrative of the invasion of the kings of the east where they are said to have lived around Shaveh Kiriathaim, perhaps 9 to 11 mi (15 to 18 km) east of the north end of the Dead Sea (Gen 14:5).
[2:11] 114 sn Rephaites. The earliest reference to this infamous giant race is, again, in the story of the invasion of the eastern kings (Gen 14:5). They lived around Ashteroth Karnaim, probably modern Tell Ashtarah (cf. Deut 1:4), in the Bashan plateau east of the Sea of Galilee. Og, king of Bashan, was a Rephaite (Deut 3:11; Josh 12:4; 13:12). Other texts speak of them or their kinfolk in both Transjordan (Deut 2:20; 3:13) and Canaan (Josh 11:21-22; 14:12, 15; 15:13-14; Judg 1:20; 1 Sam 17:4; 1 Chr 20:4-8). They also appear in extra-biblical literature, especially in connection with the city state of Ugarit. See C. L’Heureux, “Ugaritic and Biblical Rephaim,” HTR 67 (1974): 265-74.
[2:12] 115 sn Horites. Most likely these are the same as the well-known people of ancient Near Eastern texts described as Hurrians. They were geographically widespread and probably non-Semitic. Genesis speaks of them as the indigenous peoples of Edom that Esau expelled (Gen 36:8-19, 31-43) and also as among those who confronted the kings of the east (Gen 14:6).
[2:12] 116 tn Most modern English versions, beginning with the ASV (1901), regard vv. 10-12 as parenthetical to the narrative.
[2:13] 117 sn Wadi Zered. Now known as Wadi el-H£esa, this valley marked the boundary between Moab to the north and Edom to the south.
[2:13] 118 tn Heb “we crossed the Wadi Zered.” This has been translated as “we did so” for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
[2:15] 119 tn Heb “from the middle of.” Although many recent English versions leave this expression untranslated, the point seems to be that these soldiers did not die in battle but “within the camp.”
[2:16] 120 tn Heb “and it was when they were eliminated, all the men of war, to die from the midst of the people.”
[2:18] 121 sn Ar. See note on this word in Deut 2:9.
[2:19] 122 sn Lot’s descendants. See note on this phrase in Deut 2:9.
[2:20] 123 sn Rephaites. See note on this word in Deut 2:11.
[2:20] 124 sn Zamzummites. Just as the Moabites called Rephaites by the name Emites, the Ammonites called them Zamzummites (or Zazites; Gen 14:5).
[2:21] 125 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Rephaites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:21] 126 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Ammonites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:23] 127 sn Avvites. Otherwise unknown, these people were probably also Anakite (or Rephaite) giants who lived in the lower Mediterranean coastal plain until they were expelled by the Caphtorites.
[2:23] 128 sn Caphtorites. These peoples are familiar from both the OT (Gen 10:14; 1 Chr 1:12; Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7) and ancient Near Eastern texts (Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:37-38; ANET 138). They originated in Crete (OT “Caphtor”) and are identified as the ancestors of the Philistines (Gen 10:14; Jer 47:4).
[2:23] 129 tn Heb “Caphtor”; the modern name of the island of Crete is used in the translation for clarity (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT).
[2:24] 130 sn Heshbon is the name of a prominent site (now Tell Hesba„n, about 7.5 mi [12 km] south southwest of Amman, Jordan). Sihon made it his capital after having driven Moab from the area and forced them south to the Arnon (Num 21:26-30). Heshbon is also mentioned in Deut 1:4.
[2:25] 131 tn Heb “under heaven” (so NIV, NRSV).
[2:25] 132 tn Heb “from before you.”
[2:26] 133 sn Kedemoth. This is probably Aleiyan, about 8 mi (13 km) north of the Arnon and between Dibon and Mattanah.
[2:27] 134 tn Heb “in the way in the way” (בַּדֶּרֶךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, baderekh baderekh). The repetition lays great stress on the idea of resolute determination to stick to the path. IBHS 116 §7.2.3c.
[2:28] 136 tn Heb “and water for silver give to me so that I may drink.”
[2:30] 137 tc The translation follows the LXX in reading the first person pronoun. The MT, followed by many English versions, has a second person masculine singular pronoun, “your.”
[2:30] 138 tn Heb “hardened his spirit” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “made his spirit stubborn.”
[2:30] 139 tn Heb “made his heart obstinate” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “made his heart defiant.”
[2:30] 140 tn Heb “into your hand.”
[2:32] 142 sn Jahaz. This is probably Khirbet el-Medeiyineh. See J. Dearman, “The Levitical Cities of Reuben and Moabite Toponymy,” BASOR 276 (1984): 55-57.
[2:33] 143 tc The translation follows the Qere or marginal reading; the Kethib (consonantal text) has the singular, “his son.”
[2:33] 144 tn Heb “all his people.”
[2:34] 145 tn Heb “every city of men.” This apparently identifies the cities as inhabited.
[2:34] 146 tn Heb “under the ban” (נַחֲרֵם, nakharem). The verb employed is חָרַם (kharam, usually in the Hiphil) and the associated noun is חֵרֶם (kherem). See J. Naudé, NIDOTTE, 2:276-77, and, for a more thorough discussion, Susan Niditch, War in the Hebrew Bible, 28-77.
[2:34] sn Divine judgment refers to God’s designation of certain persons, places, and things as objects of his special wrath and judgment because, in his omniscience, he knows them to be impure and hopelessly unrepentant.
[2:36] 147 sn Aroer. Now known as àAraáir on the northern edge of the Arnon river, Aroer marked the southern limit of Moab and, later, of the allotment of the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9, 16).
[2:36] 148 tn Heb “the city in the wadi.” This enigmatic reference may refer to Ar or, more likely, to Aroer itself. Epexegetically the text might read, “From Aroer…, that is, the city in the wadi.” See D. L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 1–11 (WBC), 49.
[2:37] 149 sn Wadi Jabbok. Now known as the Zerqa River, this is a major tributary of the Jordan that normally served as a boundary between Ammon and Gad (Deut 3:16).
[3:1] 150 tn Heb “turned and went up.”
[3:1] 151 sn Bashan. This plateau country, famous for its oaks (Isa 2:13) and cattle (Deut 32:14; Amos 4:1), was north of Gilead along the Yarmuk River.
[3:1] 153 sn Edrei is probably modern Deràa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31; also mentioned in Deut 1:4).
[3:3] 155 tn Heb “was left to him.” The final phrase “to him” is redundant in English and has been left untranslated.
[3:4] 156 sn Argob. This is a subdistrict of Bashan, perhaps north of the Yarmuk River. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 314.
[3:5] 157 tn Or “high walls and barred gates” (NLT); Heb “high walls, gates, and bars.” Since “bars” could be understood to mean “saloons,” the qualifying adjective “locking” has been supplied in the translation.
[3:5] 158 tn The Hebrew term פְּרָזִי (pÿraziy) refers to rural areas, at the most “unwalled villages” (KJV, NASB “unwalled towns”).
[3:6] 159 tn Heb “we put them under the ban” (נַחֲרֵם, nakharem). See note at 2:34.
[3:6] sn The divine curse. See note on this phrase in Deut 2:34.
[3:6] 160 tn Heb “city of men.”
[3:8] 161 sn Mount Hermon. This is the famous peak at the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range known today as Jebel es-Sheik.
[3:9] 162 sn Sidonians were Phoenician inhabitants of the city of Sidon (now in Lebanon), about 47 mi (75 km) north of Mount Carmel.
[3:9] 163 sn Sirion. This name is attested in the Ugaritic texts as sryn. See UT 495.
[3:9] 164 sn Senir. Probably this was actually one of the peaks of Hermon and not the main mountain (Song of Songs 4:8; 1 Chr 5:23). It is mentioned in a royal inscription of Shalmaneser III of Assyria (saniru; see ANET 280).
[3:10] 165 sn Salecah. Today this is known as Salkhad, in Jordan, about 31 mi (50 km) east of the Jordan River in the Hauran Desert.
[3:10] 166 sn Edrei. See note on this term in 3:1.
[3:11] 167 tn Heb “Behold” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
[3:11] 168 tn The Hebrew term עֶרֶשׂ (’eres), traditionally translated “bed” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) is likely a basaltic (volcanic) stone sarcophagus of suitable size to contain the coffin of the giant Rephaite king. Its iron-like color and texture caused it to be described as an iron container. See A. Millard, “King Og’s Iron Bed: Fact or Fancy?” BR 6 (1990): 16-21, 44; cf. also NEB “his sarcophagus of basalt”; TEV, CEV “his coffin.”
[3:11] 169 tn Or “of iron-colored basalt.” See note on the word “sarcophagus” earlier in this verse.
[3:11] 170 sn Rabbath. This place name (usually occurring as Rabbah; 2 Sam 11:11; 12:27; Jer 49:3) refers to the ancient capital of the Ammonite kingdom, now the modern city of Amman, Jordan. The word means “great [one],” probably because of its political importance. The fact that the sarcophagus “still remain[ed]” there suggests this part of the verse is post-Mosaic, having been added as a matter of explanation for the existence of the artifact and also to verify the claim as to its size.
[3:11] 171 tn Heb “nine cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 in (45 cm) for the standard cubit, this would be 13.5 ft (4.1 m) long.
[3:11] 172 tn Heb “four cubits.” This would be 6 ft (1.8 m) wide.
[3:11] 173 tn Heb “by the cubit of man.” This probably refers to the “short” or “regular” cubit of approximately 18 in (45 cm).
[3:12] 174 tn The words “the territory extending” are not in the Hebrew text; they are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[3:12] sn Aroer. See note on this term in Deut 2:36.
[3:12] 175 sn Reubenites and Gadites. By the time of Moses’ address the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had already been granted permission to settle in the Transjordan, provided they helped the other tribes subdue the occupants of Canaan (cf. Num 32:28-42).
[3:13] 176 sn Half the tribe of Manasseh. The tribe of Manasseh split into clans, with half opting to settle in Bashan and the other half in Canaan (cf. Num 32:39-42; Josh 17:1-13).
[3:13] 177 sn Argob. See note on this term in v. 4.
[3:14] 178 sn Geshurites. Geshur was a city and its surrounding area somewhere northeast of Bashan (cf. Josh 12:5 ; 13:11, 13). One of David’s wives was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur and mother of Absalom (cf. 2 Sam 13:37; 15:8; 1 Chr 3:2).
[3:14] 179 sn Maacathites. These were the people of a territory southwest of Mount Hermon on the Jordan River. The name probably has nothing to do with David’s wife from Geshur (see note on “Geshurites” earlier in this verse).
[3:14] 180 sn Havvoth-Jair. The Hebrew name means “villages of Jair,” the latter being named after a son (i.e., descendant) of Manasseh who took the area by conquest.
[3:15] 181 sn Machir was the name of another descendant of Manasseh (cf. Num 32:41; 1 Chr 7:14-19). Eastern Manasseh was thus divided between the Jairites and the Machirites.
[3:17] 182 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in vv. 20, 25).
[3:17] 183 tn Heb “from Chinnereth.” The words “the sea of” have been supplied in the translation as a clarification.
[3:17] sn Chinnereth. This is another name for the Sea of Galilee, so called because its shape is that of a harp (the Hebrew term for “harp” is כִּנּוֹר, kinnor).
[3:17] 184 sn The Salt Sea is another name for the Dead Sea (cf. Gen 14:3; Josh 3:16).
[3:17] 185 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term אַשְׁדֹּת (’ashdot) is unclear. It is usually translated either “slopes” (ASV, NAB, NIV) or “watershed” (NEB).
[3:17] 186 sn Pisgah. This appears to refer to a small range of mountains, the most prominent peak of which is Mount Nebo (Num 21:20; 23:14; Deut 3:27; cf. 34:1).
[3:18] 187 tn Heb “your brothers, the sons of Israel.”
[3:20] 188 tn The words “you must fight” are not present in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[3:20] 189 tn Heb “gives your brothers rest.”
[3:21] 190 tn Heb “the
[3:21] 191 tn Heb “which you are crossing over there.”
[3:24] 192 tn Heb “Lord
[3:24] 193 tn Heb “your servant.” The pronoun is used in the translation to clarify that Moses is speaking of himself, since in contemporary English one does not usually refer to oneself in third person.
[3:24] 194 tn Heb “your strong hand” (so NIV), a symbol of God’s activity.
[3:25] 195 tn The article is retained in the translation (“the Lebanon,” cf. also NAB, NRSV) to indicate that a region (rather than the modern country of Lebanon) is referred to here. Other recent English versions accomplish this by supplying “mountains” after “Lebanon” (TEV, CEV, NLT).
[3:26] 196 tn Heb “the
[3:26] 197 tn Heb “much to you” (an idiom).
[3:27] 198 tn Heb “lift your eyes to the west, north, south, and east and see with your eyes.” The translation omits the repetition of “your eyes” for stylistic reasons.
[3:28] 199 tn Heb “command”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “charge Joshua.”
[3:29] 200 sn Beth Peor. This is probably the spot near Pisgah where Balaam attempted to curse the nation Israel (Num 23:28). The Moabites also worshiped Baal there by the name “Baal [of] Peor” (Num 25:1-5).
[4:1] 201 tn These technical Hebrew terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) occur repeatedly throughout the Book of Deuteronomy to describe the covenant stipulations to which Israel had been called to subscribe (see, in this chapter alone, vv. 1, 5, 6, 8). The word חֻקִּים derives from the verb חֹק (khoq, “to inscribe; to carve”) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim) from שָׁפַט (shafat, “to judge”). They are virtually synonymous and are used interchangeably in Deuteronomy.
[4:1] 202 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 37).
[4:2] 203 tn Heb “commanding.”
[4:3] 204 tc The LXX and Syriac read “to Baal Peor,” that is, the god worshiped at that place; see note on the name “Beth Peor” in Deut 3:29.
[4:3] 205 tn Heb “the
[4:3] 206 tn Or “
[4:5] 207 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so ASV).
[4:6] 208 tn Heb “it is wisdom and understanding.”
[4:6] 209 tn Heb “wise and understanding.”
[4:8] 210 tn Or “pure”; or “fair”; Heb “righteous.”
[4:8] 211 tn The Hebrew phrase הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת (hattorah hazzo’t), in this context, refers specifically to the Book of Deuteronomy. That is, it is the collection of all the חֻקִּים (khuqqim, “statutes,” 4:1) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “ordinances,” 4:1) to be included in the covenant text. In a full canonical sense, of course, it pertains to the entire Pentateuch or Torah.
[4:8] 212 tn Heb “place before.”
[4:9] 213 tn Heb “watch yourself and watch your soul carefully.”
[4:10] 214 tn The text begins with “(the) day (in) which.” In the Hebrew text v. 10 is subordinate to v. 11, but for stylistic reasons the translation treats v. 10 as an independent clause, necessitating the omission of the subordinating temporal phrase at the beginning of the verse.
[4:10] 215 tn Heb “the
[4:10] 216 tn Heb “my words.” See v. 13; in Hebrew the “ten commandments” are the “ten words.”
[4:11] 217 tn Heb “a mountain burning with fire as far as the heart of the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[4:11] 218 tn Heb “darkness, cloud, and heavy cloud.”
[4:12] 219 tn The words “was heard” are supplied in the translation to avoid the impression that the voice was seen.
[4:13] 220 sn This is the first occurrence of the word בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”) in the Book of Deuteronomy but it appears commonly hereafter (4:23, 31; 5:2, 3; 7:9, 12; 8:18; 9:9, 10, 11, 15; 10:2, 4, 5, 8; 17:2; 29:1, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 21, 25; 31:9, 16, 20, 25, 26; 33:9). Etymologically, it derives from the notion of linking or yoking together. See M. Weinfeld, TDOT 2:255.
[4:13] 221 tn Heb “the ten words.”
[4:14] 222 tn Heb “to which you are crossing over to possess it.”
[4:15] 223 tn Heb “give great care to your souls.”
[4:16] 224 tn The words “I say this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 16 is subordinated to “Be careful” in v. 15, but this makes for an unduly long sentence in English.
[4:18] 225 tn Heb “creeping thing.”
[4:18] 226 tn Heb “under the earth.”
[4:19] 227 tn Heb “lest you lift up your eyes.” In the Hebrew text vv. 16-19 are subordinated to “Be careful” in v. 15, but this makes for an unduly long sentence in English.
[4:19] 228 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[4:19] 229 tn Heb “all the host of heaven.”
[4:19] 230 tn In the Hebrew text the verbal sequence in v. 19 is “lest you look up…and see…and be seduced…and worship them…and serve them.” However, the first two actions are not prohibited in and of themselves. The prohibition pertains to the final three actions. The first two verbs describe actions that are logically subordinate to the following actions and can be treated as temporal or circumstantial: “lest, looking up…and seeing…, you are seduced.” See Joüon 2:635 §168.h.
[4:19] 233 tn Heb “under all the heaven.”
[4:19] sn The OT views the heavenly host as God’s council, which surrounds his royal throne ready to do his bidding (see 1 Kgs 22:19). God has given this group, sometimes called the “sons of God” (cf. Job 1:6; 38:7; Ps 89:6), jurisdiction over the nations. See Deut 32:8 (LXX). Some also see this assembly as the addressee in Ps 82. While God delegated his council to rule over the nations, he established a theocratic government over Israel and ruled directly over his chosen people via the Mosaic covenant. See v. 20, as well as Deut 32:9.
[4:20] 234 tn A כּוּר (kur) was not a source of heat but a crucible (“iron-smelting furnace”) in which precious metals were melted down and their impurities burned away (see I. Cornelius, NIDOTTE 2:618-19); cf. NAB “that iron foundry, Egypt.” The term is a metaphor for intense heat. Here it refers to the oppression and suffering Israel endured in Egypt. Since a crucible was used to burn away impurities, it is possible that the metaphor views Egypt as a place of refinement to bring Israel to a place of submission to divine sovereignty.
[4:20] 235 tn Heb “to be his people of inheritance.” The Lord compares his people to valued property inherited from one’s ancestors and passed on to one’s descendants.
[4:21] 236 tn Heb “the
[4:21] 237 tn The Hebrew text includes “(as) an inheritance,” or “(as) a possession.”
[4:22] 238 tn Heb “this.” The translation uses “that” to avoid confusion; earlier in the verse Moses refers to Transjordan as “this land.”
[4:23] 239 tn Heb “the
[4:23] 240 tn Heb “commanded.”
[4:24] 241 tn The juxtaposition of the Hebrew terms אֵשׁ (’esh, “fire”) and קַנָּא (qanna’, “jealous”) is interesting in light of Deut 6:15 where the
[4:25] 242 tn Heb “have grown old in the land,” i.e., been there for a long time.
[4:25] 243 tn Heb “a form of anything.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV “an idol.”
[4:25] 244 tn The infinitive construct is understood here as indicating the result, not the intention, of their actions.
[4:26] 245 sn I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you. This stock formula introduces what is known form-critically as a רִיב (riv) or controversy pattern. It is commonly used in the ancient Near Eastern world in legal contexts and in the OT as a forensic or judicial device to draw attention to Israel’s violation of the
[4:26] 246 tn Or “be destroyed”; KJV “utterly perish”; NLT “will quickly disappear”; CEV “you won’t have long to live.”
[4:26] 247 tn Or “be completely” (so NCV, TEV). It is not certain here if the infinitive absolute indicates the certainty of the following action (cf. NIV) or its degree.
[4:27] 248 tn Heb “you will be left men (i.e., few) of number.”
[4:29] 249 tn Or “mind and being.” See Deut 6:5.
[4:30] 250 sn The phrase is not used here in a technical sense for the eschaton, but rather refers to a future time when Israel will be punished for its sin and experience exile. See Deut 31:29.
[4:30] 251 tn Heb “hear his voice.” The expression is an idiom meaning “obey,” occurring in Deut 8:20; 9:23; 13:18; 21:18, 20; 26:14, 17; 27:10; 28:1-2, 15, 45, 62; 30:2, 8, 10, 20.
[4:31] 252 tn Heb “the
[4:31] 253 tn Heb “he will not drop you,” i.e., “will not abandon you” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[4:31] 254 tn Or “will not.” The translation understands the imperfect verbal form to have an added nuance of capability here.
[4:32] 255 tn The Hebrew term אָדָם (’adam) may refer either to Adam or, more likely, to “man” in the sense of the human race (“mankind,” “humankind”). The idea here seems more universal in scope than reference to Adam alone would suggest.
[4:32] 256 tn The verb is not present in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarification. The challenge has both temporal and geographical dimensions. The people are challenged to (1) inquire about the entire scope of past history and (2) conduct their investigation on a worldwide scale.
[4:34] 257 tn The translation assumes the reference is to Israel’s God in which case the point is this: God’s intervention in Israel’s experience is unique in the sense that he has never intervened in such power for any other people on earth. The focus is on the uniqueness of Israel’s experience. Some understand the divine name here in a generic sense, “a god,” or “any god.” In this case God’s incomparability is the focus (cf. v. 35, where this theme is expressed).
[4:34] 258 tn Heb “tried to go to take for himself.”
[4:34] 259 tn Heb “by testings.” The reference here is the judgments upon Pharaoh in the form of plagues. See Deut 7:19 (cf. v. 18) and 29:3 (cf. v. 2).
[4:34] 260 tn Heb “by strong hand and by outstretched arm.”
[4:36] 261 tn Heb “and his words you heard from the midst of the fire.”
[4:37] 262 tn The concept of love here is not primarily that of emotional affection but of commitment or devotion. This verse suggests that God chose Israel to be his special people because he loved the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and had promised to bless their descendants. See as well Deut 7:7-9.
[4:37] 263 tc The LXX, Smr, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read a third person masculine plural suffix for the MT’s 3rd person masculine singular, “his descendants.” Cf. Deut 10:15. Quite likely the MT should be emended in this instance.
[4:38] 264 tn Heb “(as) an inheritance,” that is, landed property that one can pass on to one’s descendants.
[4:40] 265 tn Heb “commanding” (so NRSV).
[4:42] 266 tn Heb “the slayer who slew his neighbor without knowledge.”
[4:42] 267 tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day).” The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing.
[4:44] 268 tn Heb “the sons of Israel” (likewise in the following verse).
[4:48] 269 tn The words “their territory extended” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 47-49 are all one sentence, but for the sake of English style and readability the translation divides the text into two sentences.
[4:48] 270 sn Mount Siyon (the Hebrew name is שִׂיאֹן [si’on], not to be confused with Zion [צִיּוֹן, tsiyyon]) is another name for Mount Hermon, also called Sirion and Senir (cf. Deut 3:9).
[4:49] 271 sn The sea of the Arabah refers to the Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea in OT times (cf. Deut 3:17).
[4:49] 272 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term אַשְׁדֹּת (’ashdot) is unclear. It is usually translated either “slopes” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or “watershed” (NEB).
[5:1] 273 tn Heb “and Moses called to all Israel and he said to them”; NAB, NASB, NIV “Moses summoned (convened NRSV) all Israel.”
[5:3] 274 tn Heb “the
[5:5] 276 tn Or “word” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); NRSV “words.”
[5:7] 277 tn Heb “there must not be for you other gods.” The expression “for you” indicates possession.
[5:7] 278 tn Heb “upon my face,” or “before me” (עַל־פָּנָיַ, ’al-panaya). Some understand this in a locative sense: “in my sight.” The translation assumes that the phrase indicates exclusion. The idea is that of placing any other god before the
[5:8] 279 tn Heb “an image, any likeness.”
[5:8] 280 tn Heb “under the earth” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); NCV “below the land.”
[5:9] 281 tn In the Hebrew text the form is a participle, which is subordinated to what precedes. For the sake of English style, the translation divides this lengthy verse into two sentences.
[5:9] 282 tn Heb “who hate” (so NAB, NIV, NLT). Just as “to love” (אָהַב, ’ahav) means in a covenant context “to choose, obey,” so “to hate” (שָׂנֵא, sane’) means “to reject, disobey” (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37; see also 5:10).
[5:9] 283 tn Heb “visiting the sin of fathers upon sons and upon a third (generation) and upon a fourth (generation) of those who hate me.” God sometimes punishes children for the sins of a father (cf. Num 16:27, 32; Josh 7:24-25; 2 Sam 21:1-9). On the principle of corporate solidarity and responsibility in OT thought see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). In the idiom of the text, the father is the first generation and the “sons” the second generation, making grandsons the third and great-grandsons the fourth. The reference to a third and fourth generation is a way of emphasizing that the sinner’s punishment would last throughout his lifetime. In this culture, where men married and fathered children at a relatively young age, it would not be unusual for one to see his great-grandsons. In an Aramaic tomb inscription from Nerab dating to the seventh century b.c., Agbar observes that he was surrounded by “children of the fourth generation” as he lay on his death bed (see ANET 661). The language of the text differs from Exod 34:7, the sons are the first generation, the grandsons (literally, “sons of the sons”) the second, great-grandsons the third, and great-great-grandsons the fourth. One could argue that formulation in Deut 5:9 (see also Exod 20:50) is elliptical/abbreviated or that it suffers from textual corruption (the repetition of the words “sons” would invite accidental omission).
[5:10] 284 tn This theologically rich term (חֶסֶד, khesed) describes God’s loyalty to those who keep covenant with him. Sometimes it is used synonymously with בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”; Deut 7:9), and sometimes interchangeably with it (Deut 7:12). See H.-J. Zobel, TDOT 5:44-64.
[5:10] 285 tc By a slight emendation (לַאֲלּוּפִים [la’allufim] for לַאֲלָפִים [la’alafim]) “clans” could be read in place of the MT reading “thousands.” However, no
[5:10] tn Another option is to understand this as referring to “thousands (of generations) of those who love me” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). See Deut 7:9.
[5:10] 286 tn Heb “love.” See note on the word “reject” in v. 9.
[5:11] 287 tn Heb “take up the name of the Lord your God to emptiness”; KJV “take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The idea here is not cursing or profanity in the modern sense of these terms but rather the use of the divine Name for unholy, mundane purposes, that is, for meaningless (the Hebrew term is שָׁוְא) and empty ends. In ancient Israel this would include using the Lord’s name as a witness in vows one did not intend to keep.
[5:11] 288 tn Heb “who takes up his name to emptiness.”
[5:12] 289 tn Heb “to make holy,” that is, to put to special use, in this case, to sacred purposes (cf. vv. 13-15).
[5:14] 290 tn There is some degree of paronomasia (wordplay) here: “the seventh (הַשְּׁבִיעִי, hashÿvi’i) day is the Sabbath (שַׁבָּת, shabbat).” Otherwise, the words have nothing in common, since “Sabbath” is derived from the verb שָׁבַת (shavat, “to cease”).
[5:14] 291 tn Heb “in your gates”; NRSV, CEV “in your towns”; TEV “in your country.”
[5:15] 292 tn Heb “by a strong hand and an outstretched arm,” the hand and arm symbolizing divine activity and strength. Cf. NLT “with amazing power and mighty deeds.”
[5:15] 293 tn Or “keep” (so KJV, NRSV).
[5:16] 294 tn The imperative here means, literally, “regard as heavy” (כַּבֵּד, kabbed). The meaning is that great importance must be ascribed to parents by their children.
[5:16] 295 tn Heb “the
[5:17] 296 tn Traditionally “kill” (so KJV, ASV, RSV, NAB). The verb here (רָצַח, ratsakh) is generic for homicide but in the OT both killing in war and capital punishment were permitted and even commanded (Deut 13:5, 9; 20:13, 16-17), so the technical meaning here is “murder.”
[5:20] 297 tn Heb “your neighbor.” Clearly this is intended generically, however, and not to be limited only to those persons who live nearby (frequently the way “neighbor” is understood in contemporary contexts). So also in v. 20.
[5:21] 298 tn The Hebrew verb used here (חָמַד, khamad) is different from the one translated “crave” (אָוַה, ’avah) in the next line. The former has sexual overtones (“lust” or the like; cf. Song of Sol 2:3) whereas the latter has more the idea of a desire or craving for material things.
[5:21] 299 tn Heb “your neighbor’s.” See note on the term “fellow man” in v. 19.
[5:21] 300 tn Heb “your neighbor’s.” The pronoun is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[5:21] 301 tn Heb “or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
[5:22] 302 tn Heb “and he added no more” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NLT “This was all he said at that time.”
[5:22] 303 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the words spoken by the
[5:24] 304 tn Heb “his glory and his greatness.”
[5:24] 305 tn Heb “this day we have seen.”
[5:26] 306 tn Heb “who is there of all flesh.”
[5:27] 307 tn Heb “the
[5:28] 308 tn Heb “the
[5:29] 309 tn Heb “keep” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[5:31] 310 tn Heb “commandment.” The MT actually has the singular (הַמִּצְוָה, hammitsvah), suggesting perhaps that the following terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) are in epexegetical apposition to “commandment.” That is, the phrase could be translated “the entire command, namely, the statutes and ordinances.” This would essentially make מִצְוָה (mitsvah) synonymous with תּוֹרָה (torah), the usual term for the whole collection of law.
[5:31] 311 tn Heb “to possess it” (so KJV, ASV); NLT “as their inheritance.”
[5:33] 312 tn Heb “the
[5:33] 313 tn Heb “may prolong your days”; NAB “may have long life”; TEV “will continue to live.”
[6:1] 314 tn Heb “commandment.” The word מִצְוָה (mitsvah) again is in the singular, serving as a comprehensive term for the whole stipulation section of the book. See note on the word “commandments” in 5:31.
[6:1] 315 tn Heb “where you are going over to possess it” (so NASB); NRSV “that you are about to cross into and occupy.”
[6:2] 316 tn Here the terms are not the usual חֻקִּים (khuqqim) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim; as in v. 1) but חֻקֹּת (khuqqot, “statutes”) and מִצְוֹת (mitsot, “commandments”). It is clear that these terms are used interchangeably and that their technical precision ought not be overly stressed.
[6:2] 317 tn Heb “commanding.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation.
[6:3] 318 tn Heb “may multiply greatly” (so NASB, NRSV); the words “in number” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[6:3] 319 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 10, 18, 23).
[6:4] 320 tn Heb “the
[6:4] sn Verses 4-5 constitute the so-called Shema (after the first word שְׁמַע, shÿma’, “hear”), widely regarded as the very heart of Jewish confession and faith. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment of all, he quoted this text (Matt 22:37-38).
[6:5] 321 tn The verb אָהַב (’ahav, “to love”) in this setting communicates not so much an emotional idea as one of covenant commitment. To love the
[6:5] 322 tn Heb “heart.” In OT physiology the heart (לֵב, לֵבָב; levav, lev) was considered the seat of the mind or intellect, so that one could think with one’s heart. See A. Luc, NIDOTTE 2:749-54.
[6:5] 323 tn Heb “soul”; “being.” Contrary to Hellenistic ideas of a soul that is discrete and separate from the body and spirit, OT anthropology equated the “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) with the person himself. It is therefore best in most cases to translate נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) as “being” or the like. See H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 10-25; D. Fredericks, NIDOTTE 3:133-34.
[6:5] 324 sn For NT variations on the Shema see Matt 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:27.
[6:7] 325 tn Heb “repeat” (so NLT). If from the root I שָׁנַן (shanan), the verb means essentially to “engrave,” that is, “to teach incisively” (Piel); note NAB “Drill them into your children.” Cf. BDB 1041-42 s.v.
[6:7] 326 tn Or “as you are away on a journey” (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT); NAB “at home and abroad.”
[6:8] 327 sn Tie them as a sign on your forearm. Later Jewish tradition referred to the little leather containers tied to the forearms and foreheads as tefillin. They were to contain the following passages from the Torah: Exod 13:1-10, 11-16; Deut 6:5-9; 11:13-21. The purpose was to serve as a “sign” of covenant relationship and obedience.
[6:8] 328 sn Fasten them as symbols on your forehead. These were also known later as tefillin (see previous note) or phylacteries (from the Greek term). These box-like containers, like those on the forearms, held the same scraps of the Torah. It was the hypocritical practice of wearing these without heartfelt sincerity that caused Jesus to speak scathingly about them (cf. Matt 23:5).
[6:9] 329 sn The Hebrew term מְזוּזֹת (mÿzuzot) refers both to the door frames and to small cases attached on them containing scripture texts (always Deut 6:4-9 and 11:13-21; and sometimes the decalogue; Exod 13:1-10, 11-16; and Num 10:35-36). See J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPSTC), 443-44.
[6:12] 330 tn Heb “out of the house of slavery” (so NASB, NRSV).
[6:14] 331 tn Heb “from the gods.” The demonstrative pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
[6:15] 332 tn Heb “lest the anger of the
[6:16] 333 sn The place name Massah (מַסָּה, massah) derives from a root (נָסָה, nasah) meaning “to test; to try.” The reference here is to the experience in the Sinai desert when Moses struck the rock to obtain water (Exod 17:1-2). The complaining Israelites had, thus, “tested” the
[6:17] 334 tn Heb “the commandments of the
[6:17] 335 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb to emphasize the statement. The imperfect verbal form is used here with an obligatory nuance that can be captured in English through the imperative. Cf. NASB, NRSV “diligently keep (obey NLT).”
[6:18] 337 tn Heb “the
[6:21] 339 tn Heb “to your son.”
[6:21] 340 tn Heb “by a strong hand.” The image is that of a warrior who, with weapon in hand, overcomes his enemies. The
[6:22] 341 tn Heb “the
[6:22] 342 tn Heb “house,” referring to the entire household.
[6:24] 343 tn Heb “the
[6:25] 344 tn The term “commandment” (מִצְוָה, mitsvah), here in the singular, refers to the entire body of covenant stipulations.
[6:25] 345 tn Heb “as he has commanded us” (so NIV, NRSV).
[7:1] 346 sn Hittites. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200
[7:1] 347 sn Girgashites. These cannot be ethnically identified and are unknown outside the OT. They usually appear in such lists only when the intention is to have seven groups in all (see also the note on the word “seven” later in this verse).
[7:1] 348 sn Amorites. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200
[7:1] 349 sn Canaanites. These were the indigenous peoples of the land, going back to the beginning of recorded history (ca. 3000
[7:1] 350 sn Perizzites. This is probably a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).
[7:1] 351 sn Hivites. These are usually thought to be the same as the Hurrians, a people well-known in ancient Near Eastern texts. They are likely identical to the Horites (see note on the term “Horites” in Deut 2:12).
[7:1] 352 sn Jebusites. These inhabited the hill country, particularly in and about Jerusalem (cf. Num 13:29; Josh 15:8; 2 Sam 5:6; 24:16).
[7:1] 353 sn Seven. This is an ideal number in the OT, one symbolizing fullness or completeness. Therefore, the intent of the text here is not to be precise and list all of Israel’s enemies but simply to state that Israel will have a full complement of foes to deal with. For other lists of Canaanites, some with fewer than seven peoples, see Exod 3:8; 13:5; 23:23, 28; 33:2; 34:11; Deut 20:17; Josh 3:10; 9:1; 24:11. Moreover, the “Table of Nations” (Gen 10:15-19) suggests that all of these (possibly excepting the Perizzites) were offspring of Canaan and therefore Canaanites.
[7:2] 354 tn Heb “the
[7:2] 355 tn In the Hebrew text the infinitive absolute before the finite verb emphasizes the statement. The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here. Cf. ASV “shalt (must NRSV) utterly destroy them”; CEV “must destroy them without mercy.”
[7:2] 356 tn Heb “covenant” (so NASB, NRSV); TEV “alliance.”
[7:5] 357 sn Sacred pillars. The Hebrew word (מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) denotes a standing pillar, usually made of stone. Its purpose was to mark the presence of a shrine or altar thought to have been visited by deity. Though sometimes associated with pure worship of the
[7:5] 358 sn Sacred Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [’asherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
[7:6] 359 tn That is, “set apart.”
[7:6] 360 tn Heb “the
[7:6] 361 tn Or “treasured” (so NIV, NRSV); NLT “his own special treasure.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.
[7:8] 362 tn Heb “the
[7:8] 363 tn For the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “to love”) as a term of choice or election, see note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37.
[7:8] 364 tn Heb “oath.” This is a reference to the promises of the so-called “Abrahamic Covenant” (cf. Gen 15:13-16).
[7:8] 365 tn Heb “swore on oath.”
[7:8] 366 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 12, 13).
[7:8] 367 tn Heb “by a strong hand” (NAB similar); NLT “with such amazing power.”
[7:8] 368 sn Redeeming you from the place of slavery. The Hebrew verb translated “redeeming” (from the root פָּדָה, padah) has the idea of redemption by the payment of a ransom. The initial symbol of this was the Passover lamb, offered by Israel to the
[7:8] 369 tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NRSV), a metaphor for power or domination.
[7:9] 370 tn Heb “the God.” The article here expresses uniqueness; cf. TEV “is the only God”; NLT “is indeed God.”
[7:9] 371 tn Heb “who keeps covenant and loyalty.” The syndetic construction of בְּרִית (bÿrit) and חֶסֶד (khesed) should be understood not as “covenant” plus “loyalty” but as an adverbial construction in which חֶסֶד (“loyalty”) modifies the verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “keeps”).
[7:10] 372 tn For the term “hate” as synonymous with rejection or disobedience see note on the word “reject” in Deut 5:9 (cf. NRSV “reject”).
[7:10] 373 tn Heb “he will not hesitate concerning.”
[7:12] 374 tn Heb “will keep with you the covenant and loyalty.” On the construction used here, see v. 9.
[7:12] 375 tn Heb “which he swore on oath.” The relative pronoun modifies “covenant,” so one could translate “will keep faithfully the covenant (or promise) he made on oath to your ancestors.”
[7:13] 376 tn Heb “will bless the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[7:14] 377 sn One of the ironies about the promises to the patriarchs concerning offspring was the characteristic barrenness of the wives of the men to whom these pledges were made (cf. Gen 11:30; 25:21; 29:31). Their affliction is in each case described by the very Hebrew word used here (עֲקָרָה, ’aqarah), an affliction that will no longer prevail in Canaan.
[7:16] 378 tn Heb “devour” (so NRSV); KJV, NAB, NASB “consume.” The verbal form (a perfect with vav consecutive) is understood here as having an imperatival or obligatory nuance (cf. the instructions and commands that follow). Another option is to take the statement as a continuation of the preceding conditional promises and translate “and you will destroy.”
[7:16] 379 tn Or “serve” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
[7:18] 380 tn Heb “recalling, you must recall.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis. Cf. KJV, ASV “shalt well remember.”
[7:19] 381 tn Heb “testings” (so NAB), a reference to the plagues. See note at 4:34.
[7:19] 382 tn Heb “the strong hand and outstretched arm.” See 4:34.
[7:19] 383 tn Heb “the
[7:20] 384 tn The meaning of the term translated “hornets” (צִרְעָה, tsir’ah) is debated. Various suggestions are “discouragement” (HALOT 1056-57 s.v.; cf. NEB, TEV, CEV “panic”; NCV “terror”) and “leprosy” (J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [JPSTC], 360, n. 33; cf. NRSV “the pestilence”), as well as “hornet” (BDB 864 s.v.; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). The latter seems most suitable to the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “send”; cf. Exod 23:28; Josh 24:12).
[7:20] 385 tn Heb “the remnant and those who hide themselves.”
[7:22] 386 tn Heb “the
[7:23] 387 tn Heb “he will confuse them (with) great confusion.” The verb used here means “shake, stir up” (see Ruth 1:19; 1 Sam 4:5; 1 Kgs 1:45; Ps 55:2); the accompanying cognate noun refers to confusion, unrest, havoc, or panic (1 Sam 5:9, 11; 14:20; 2 Chr 15:5; Prov 15:16; Isa 22:5; Ezek 7:7; 22:5; Amos 3:9; Zech 14:13).
[7:24] 388 tn Heb “you will destroy their name from under heaven” (cf. KJV); NRSV “blot out their name from under heaven.”
[7:25] 389 tn The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abhorrent; detestable”) describes anything detestable to the
[7:26] 390 tn Heb “come under the ban” (so NASB); NRSV “be set apart for destruction.” The same phrase occurs again at the end of this verse.
[7:26] sn The Hebrew word translated an object of divine wrath (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to persons or things placed under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
[7:26] 391 tn Or “like it is.”
[7:26] 392 tn This Hebrew verb (שָׁקַץ, shaqats) is essentially synonymous with the next verb (תָעַב, ta’av; cf. תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah; see note on the word “abhorrent” in v. 25), though its field of meaning is more limited to cultic abomination (cf. Lev 11:11, 13; Ps 22:25).
[7:26] 393 tn Heb “detesting you must detest and abhorring you must abhor.” Both verbs are preceded by a cognate infinitive absolute indicating emphasis.
[8:1] 394 tn The singular term (מִצְוָה, mitsvah) includes the whole corpus of covenant stipulations, certainly the book of Deuteronomy at least (cf. Deut 5:28; 6:1, 25; 7:11; 11:8, 22; 15:5; 17:20; 19:9; 27:1; 30:11; 31:5). The plural (מִצְוֹת, mitsot) refers to individual stipulations (as in vv. 2, 6).
[8:1] 395 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation (likewise in v. 11).
[8:1] 396 tn Heb “multiply” (so KJV, NASB, NLT); NIV, NRSV “increase.”
[8:1] 397 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 16, 18).
[8:2] 398 tn Heb “the
[8:2] 399 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NRSV, NLT); likewise in v. 15.
[8:3] 400 tn Heb “manna which you and your ancestors did not know.” By popular etymology the word “manna” comes from the Hebrew phrase מָן הוּא (man hu’), i.e., “What is it?” (Exod 16:15). The question remains unanswered to this very day. Elsewhere the material is said to be “white like coriander seed” with “a taste like honey cakes” (Exod 16:31; cf. Num 11:7). Modern attempts to associate it with various desert plants are unsuccessful for the text says it was a new thing and, furthermore, one that appeared and disappeared miraculously (Exod 16:21-27).
[8:3] 401 tn Heb “in order to make known to you.” In the Hebrew text this statement is subordinated to what precedes, resulting in a very long sentence in English. The translation makes this statement a separate sentence for stylistic reasons.
[8:3] 402 tn Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).
[8:3] 403 tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. CEV).
[8:3] 404 sn Jesus quoted this text to the devil in the midst of his forty-day fast to make the point that spiritual nourishment is incomparably more important than mere physical bread (Matt 4:4; cf. Luke 4:4).
[8:5] 405 tn Heb “just as a man disciplines his son.” The Hebrew text reflects the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
[8:6] 406 tn Heb “the commandments of the
[8:6] 407 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.” The “ways” of the Lord refer here to his moral standards as reflected in his commandments. The verb “walk” is used frequently in the Bible (both OT and NT) for one’s moral and ethical behavior.
[8:9] 409 tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. NASB, NCV, NLT) or “bread” in particular (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).
[8:9] 410 sn A land whose stones are iron. Since iron deposits are few and far between in Palestine, the reference here is probably to iron ore found in mines as opposed to the meteorite iron more commonly known in that area.
[8:14] 411 tn The words “be sure” are not in the Hebrew text; vv. 12-14 are part of the previous sentence. For stylistic reasons a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 in the translation and the words “be sure” repeated from v. 11 to indicate the connection.
[8:15] 412 tn Heb “flaming serpents”; KJV, NASB “fiery serpents”; NAB “saraph serpents.” This figure of speech (metonymy) probably describes the venomous and painful results of snakebite. The feeling from such an experience would be like a burning fire (שָׂרָף, saraf).
[8:15] 413 tn Heb “the one who brought out for you water.” In the Hebrew text this continues the preceding sentence, but the translation begins a new sentence here for stylistic reasons.
[8:16] 414 tn Heb “in order to humble you and in order to test you.” See 8:2.
[8:17] 415 tn For stylistic reasons a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 17 in the translation and the words “be careful” supplied to indicate the connection.
[8:17] 416 tn Heb “my strength and the might of my hand.”
[8:18] 417 tc Smr and Lucian add “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the standard way of rendering this almost stereotypical formula (cf. Deut 1:8; 6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The MT’s harder reading presumptively argues for its originality, however.
[8:19] 418 tn Heb “if forgetting, you forget.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis; the translation indicates this with the words “at all” (cf. KJV).
[8:20] 419 tn Heb “so you will perish.”
[8:20] 420 tn Heb “listen to the voice of the
[9:1] 421 tn Heb “fortified to the heavens” (so NRSV); NLT “cities with walls that reach to the sky.” This is hyperbole.
[9:2] 422 sn Anakites. See note on this term in Deut 1:28.
[9:2] 423 tn Heb “great and tall.” Many English versions understand this to refer to physical size or strength rather than numbers (cf. “strong,” NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT).
[9:3] 424 tn Heb “the
[9:5] 425 tn Heb “uprightness of your heart” (so NASB, NRSV). The Hebrew word צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”), though essentially synonymous here with יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”), carries the idea of conformity to an objective standard. The term יֹשֶׁר has more to do with an inner, moral quality (cf. NAB, NIV “integrity”). Neither, however, was grounds for the
[9:5] 426 tn Heb “the
[9:6] 428 tn Heb “stiff-necked” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).
[9:6] sn The Hebrew word translated stubborn means “stiff-necked.” The image is that of a draft animal that is unsubmissive to the rein or yoke and refuses to bend its neck to draw the load. This is an apt description of OT Israel (Exod 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9; Deut 9:13).
[9:7] 429 tn By juxtaposing the positive זְכֹר (zekhor, “remember”) with the negative אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח (’al-tishÿkakh, “do not forget”), Moses makes a most emphatic plea.
[9:7] 430 tn Heb “the
[9:9] 431 tn Heb “in the mountain.” The demonstrative pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:10] 432 sn The very finger of God. This is a double figure of speech (1) in which God is ascribed human features (anthropomorphism) and (2) in which a part stands for the whole (synecdoche). That is, God, as Spirit, has no literal finger nor, if he had, would he write with his finger. Rather, the sense is that God himself – not Moses in any way – was responsible for the composition of the Ten Commandments (cf. Exod 31:18; 32:16; 34:1).
[9:10] 433 tn Heb “according to all the words.”
[9:10] 434 tn Heb “the
[9:12] 435 tc Heb “a casting.” The MT reads מַסֵּכָה (massekhah, “a cast thing”) but some
[9:13] 436 tn Heb “stiff-necked.” See note on the word “stubborn” in 9:6.
[9:14] 437 tn Heb “leave me alone.”
[9:14] 438 tn Heb “from under heaven.”
[9:15] 439 tn Heb “the mountain.” The translation uses a pronoun for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
[9:16] 440 tn On the phrase “metal calf,” see note on the term “metal image” in v. 12.
[9:16] 441 tn Heb “the
[9:17] 442 tn The Hebrew text includes “from upon my two hands,” but as this seems somewhat obvious and redundant, it has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[9:19] 443 tn Heb “the anger and the wrath.” Although many English versions translate as two terms, this construction is a hendiadys which serves to intensify the emotion (cf. NAB, TEV “fierce anger”).
[9:19] 444 tn Heb “the
[9:20] 445 tn Heb “Aaron.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
[9:21] 446 tn Heb “your sin.” This is a metonymy in which the effect (sin) stands for the cause (the metal calf).
[9:21] 447 tn Heb “burned it with fire.”
[9:22] 448 sn Taberah. By popular etymology this derives from the Hebrew verb בָעַר (ba’ar, “to burn”), thus, here, “burning.” The reference is to the
[9:22] 449 sn Massah. See note on this term in Deut 6:16.
[9:22] 450 sn Kibroth-Hattaavah. This place name means in Hebrew “burial places of appetite,” that is, graves that resulted from overindulgence. The reference is to the Israelites stuffing themselves with the quail God had provided and doing so with thanklessness (Num 11:31-35).
[9:23] 451 tn Heb “the
[9:23] 452 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord your God,” that is, against the commandment that he had spoken.
[9:24] 453 tn Heb “the
[9:25] 454 tn The Hebrew text includes “when I prostrated myself.” Since this is redundant, it has been left untranslated.
[9:25] 455 tn Heb “the
[9:26] 456 tn Heb “the
[9:26] 457 tn Heb “Lord
[9:26] 458 tn Heb “your inheritance”; NLT “your special (very own NRSV) possession.” Israel is compared to landed property that one would inherit from his ancestors and pass on to his descendants.
[9:26] 459 tn Heb “you have redeemed in your greatness.”
[9:26] 460 tn Heb “by your strong hand.”
[9:28] 461 tc The MT reads only “the land.” Smr supplies עַם (’am, “people”) and LXX and its dependents supply “the inhabitants of the land.” The truncated form found in the MT is adequate to communicate the intended meaning; the words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:28] 462 tn Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
[9:29] 463 tn Heb “your inheritance.” See note at v. 26.
[9:29] 464 tn Heb “an outstretched arm.”
[10:1] 465 tn Or “chest” (so NIV, CEV); NLT “sacred chest”; TEV “wooden box.” This chest was made of acacia wood; it is later known as the ark of the covenant.
[10:2] 466 sn The same words. The care with which the replacement copy must be made underscores the importance of verbal precision in relaying the
[10:3] 467 sn Acacia wood (Heb “shittim wood”). This is wood from the acacia, the most common timber tree of the Sinai region. Most likely it is the species Acacia raddiana because this has the largest trunk. See F. N. Hepper, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Plants, 63.
[10:4] 468 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[10:4] 469 tn Heb “according to the former writing.” See note on the phrase “the same words” in v. 2.
[10:4] 470 tn Heb “ten words.” The “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the “Ten Words,” which in Greek became the “Decalogue.”
[10:4] 471 tn Heb “the
[10:4] 472 tn Heb “the
[10:6] 473 sn Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan. This Hebrew name could be translated “the wells of Bene-Yaaqan” or “the wells of the sons of Yaaqan,” a site whose location cannot be determined (cf. Num 33:31-32; 1 Chr 1:42).
[10:6] 474 sn Moserah. Since Aaron in other texts (Num 20:28; 33:38) is said to have died on Mount Hor, this must be the Arabah region in which Hor was located.
[10:7] 475 sn Gudgodah. This is probably the same as Haggidgad, which is also associated with Jotbathah (Num 33:33).
[10:7] 476 sn Jotbathah. This place, whose Hebrew name can be translated “place of wadis,” is possibly modern Ain Tabah, just north of Eilat, or Tabah, 6.5 mi (11 km) south of Eilat on the west shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.
[10:8] 477 sn The
[10:8] 478 sn To formulate blessings. The most famous example of this is the priestly “blessing formula” of Num 6:24-26.
[10:9] 479 sn Levi has no allotment or inheritance. As the priestly tribe, Levi would have no land allotment except for forty-eight towns set apart for their use (Num 35:1-8; Josh 21:1-42). But theirs was a far greater inheritance, for the
[10:9] 480 tn That is, among the other Israelite tribes.
[10:11] 481 tn Heb “the
[10:11] 482 tn Heb “before” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “at the head of.”
[10:11] 483 tn After the imperative these subordinated jussive forms (with prefixed vav) indicate purpose or result.
[10:11] 484 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 15, 22).
[10:12] 485 tn Heb “the
[10:12] 486 tn Heb “to walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “follow his ways exactly”; NLT “to live according to his will.”
[10:12] 487 tn Heb “the
[10:12] 488 tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being”; NCV “with your whole being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
[10:13] 489 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation.
[10:15] 490 tn Heb “the
[10:15] 491 tn Heb “take delight to love.” Here again the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “love”), juxtaposed with בָחַר (bakhar, “choose”), is a term in covenant contexts that describes the
[10:15] 492 tn The Hebrew text includes “after them,” but it is redundant in English style and has not been included in the translation.
[10:16] 493 tn Heb “circumcise the foreskin of” (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV). Reference to the Abrahamic covenant prompts Moses to recall the sign of that covenant, namely, physical circumcision (Gen 17:9-14). Just as that act signified total covenant obedience, so spiritual circumcision (cleansing of the heart) signifies more internally a commitment to be pliable and obedient to the will of God (cf. Deut 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26).
[10:16] 494 tn Heb “your neck do not harden again.” See note on the word “stubborn” in Deut 9:6.
[10:18] 495 tn Or “who executes justice for” (so NAB, NRSV); NLT “gives justice to.”
[10:21] 496 tn Heb “your praise.” The pronoun is subjective and the noun “praise” is used here metonymically for the object of their praise (the Lord).
[10:22] 497 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[11:1] 498 tn This collocation of technical terms for elements of the covenant text lends support to its importance and also signals a new section of paraenesis in which Moses will exhort Israel to covenant obedience. The Hebrew term מִשְׁמָרוֹת (mishmarot, “obligations”) sums up the three terms that follow – חֻקֹּת (khuqot), מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishppatim), and מִצְוֹת (mitsot).
[11:2] 499 tn Heb “that not.” The words “I am speaking” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[11:2] 500 tn Heb “who have not known and who have not seen the discipline of the Lord.” The collocation of the verbs “know” and “see” indicates that personal experience (knowing by seeing) is in view. The term translated “discipline” (KJV, ASV “chastisement”) may also be rendered “instruction,” but vv. 2b-6 indicate that the referent of the term is the various acts of divine judgment the Israelites had witnessed.
[11:2] 501 tn The words “which revealed” have been supplied in the translation to show the logical relationship between the terms that follow and the divine judgments. In the Hebrew text the former are in apposition to the latter.
[11:2] 502 tn Heb “his strong hand and his stretched-out arm.”
[11:3] 503 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 2-7 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the English translation divides the passage into three sentences. To facilitate this stylistic decision the words “They did not see” are supplied at the beginning of both v. 3 and v. 5, and “I am speaking” at the beginning of v. 7.
[11:3] 504 tn Heb “his signs and his deeds which he did” (NRSV similar). The collocation of “signs” and “deeds” indicates that these acts were intended to make an impression on observers and reveal something about God’s power (cf. v. 2b). The word “awesome” has been employed to bring out the force of the word “signs” in this context.
[11:4] 505 tn Heb “Reed Sea.” “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
[11:4] 506 tn Heb “the
[11:4] 507 tn Heb “and the Lord destroyed them to this day” (cf. NRSV); NLT “he has kept them devastated to this very day.” The translation uses the verb “annihilated” to indicate the permanency of the action.
[11:5] 508 tn See note on these same words in v. 3.
[11:6] 509 sn Dathan and Abiram. These two (along with others) had challenged Moses’ leadership in the desert with the result that the earth beneath them opened up and they and their families disappeared (Num 16:1-3, 31-35).
[11:6] 510 tn Or “the descendant of Reuben”; Heb “son of Reuben.”
[11:6] 511 tn Heb “in the midst of all Israel” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “among all Israel.” In the Hebrew text these words appear at the end of the verse, but they are logically connected with the verbs. To make this clear the translation places the phrase after the first verb.
[11:6] 512 tn Heb “their houses,” referring to all who lived in their household. Cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “households.”
[11:6] 513 tn Heb “and all the substance which was at their feet.”
[11:7] 514 tn On the addition of these words in the translation see note on “They did not see” in v. 3.
[11:8] 515 tn Heb “the commandment.” The singular מִצְוָה (mitsvah, “commandment”) speaks here as elsewhere of the whole corpus of covenant stipulations in Deuteronomy (cf. 6:1, 25; 7:11; 8:1).
[11:8] 516 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation (likewise in vv. 13, 27).
[11:8] 517 tn Heb “which you are crossing over there to possess it.”
[11:9] 518 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 21).
[11:10] 519 tn Heb “you are going there to possess it”; NASB “into which you are about to cross to possess it”; NRSV “that you are crossing over to occupy.”
[11:10] 520 tn Heb “with your foot” (so NASB, NLT). There is a two-fold significance to this phrase. First, Egypt had no rain so water supply depended on human efforts at irrigation. Second, the Nile was the source of irrigation waters but those waters sometimes had to be pumped into fields and gardens by foot-power, perhaps the kind of machinery (Arabic shaduf) still used by Egyptian farmers (see C. Aldred, The Egyptians, 181). Nevertheless, the translation uses “by hand,” since that expression is the more common English idiom for an activity performed by manual labor.
[11:11] 521 tn Heb “which you are crossing over there to possess it.”
[11:11] 522 tn Heb “rain of heaven.”
[11:12] 523 tn Heb “seeks.” The statement reflects the ancient belief that God (Baal in Canaanite thinking) directly controlled storms and rainfall.
[11:12] 524 tn Heb “the eyes of the
[11:12] sn Constantly attentive to it. This attention to the land by the
[11:12] 525 sn From the beginning to the end of the year. This refers to the agricultural year that was marked by the onset of the heavy rains, thus the autumn. See note on the phrase “the former and the latter rains” in v. 14.
[11:13] 526 tn Heb “if hearing, you will hear.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute to emphasize the verbal idea. The translation renders this emphasis with the word “close.”
[11:13] 527 tn Again, the Hebrew term אָהַב (’ahav) draws attention to the reciprocation of divine love as a condition or sign of covenant loyalty (cf. Deut 6:5).
[11:13] 528 tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
[11:14] 529 tn The words “he promises” do not appear in the Hebrew text but are needed in the translation to facilitate the transition from the condition (v. 13) to the promise and make it clear that the Lord is speaking the words of vv. 14-15.
[11:14] 530 tn Heb “the rain of your land.” In this case the genitive (modifying term) indicates the recipient of the rain.
[11:14] 531 sn The autumn and the spring rains. The “former” (יוֹרֶה, yoreh) and “latter” (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) rains come in abundance respectively in September/October and March/April. Planting of most crops takes place before the former rains fall and the harvests follow the latter rains.
[11:15] 532 tn Heb “grass in your field.”
[11:16] 533 tn Heb “Watch yourselves lest your heart turns and you turn aside and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
[11:17] 534 tn Heb “will become hot”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “will be kindled”; NAB “will flare up”; NIV, NLT “will burn.”
[11:17] 535 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[11:17] 536 tn Or “be destroyed”; NAB, NIV “will soon perish.”
[11:17] 537 tn Heb “the
[11:18] 538 tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
[11:18] 539 tn On the Hebrew term טוֹטָפֹת (totafot, “reminders”), cf. Deut 6:4-9.
[11:19] 540 tn Or “as you are away on a journey” (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT); NAB “at home and abroad.”
[11:21] 541 tn Heb “like the days of the heavens upon the earth,” that is, forever.
[11:22] 542 tn Heb “this commandment.” See note at Deut 5:30.
[11:22] 543 tn Heb “commanding you to do it.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation and “to do it” has been left untranslated.
[11:22] 544 tn Heb “walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV); TEV “do everything he commands.”
[11:23] 545 tn Heb “the
[11:24] 546 tn Heb “the sole of your foot walks.” The placing of the foot symbolizes conquest and dominion, especially on land or on the necks of enemies (cf. Deut 1:36; Ps 7:13; Isa 63:3 Hab 3:19; Zech 9:13). See E. H. Merrill, NIDOTTE 1:992.
[11:24] 547 tn Heb “the after sea,” that is, the sea behind one when one is facing east, which is the normal OT orientation. Cf. ASV “the hinder sea.”
[11:26] 548 sn A blessing and a curse. Every extant treaty text of the late Bronze Age attests to a section known as the “blessings and curses,” the former for covenant loyalty and the latter for covenant breach. Blessings were promised rewards for obedience; curses were threatened judgments for disobedience. In the Book of Deuteronomy these are fully developed in 27:1–28:68. Here Moses adumbrates the whole by way of anticipation.
[11:27] 549 tn Heb “listen to,” that is, obey.
[11:28] 550 tn Heb “do not listen to,” that is, do not obey.
[11:28] 551 tn Heb “the commandments of the
[11:28] 552 tn Heb “am commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
[11:28] 553 tn Heb “walk after”; NIV “by following”; NLT “by worshiping.” This is a violation of the first commandment, the most serious of the covenant violations (Deut 5:6-7).
[11:29] 554 sn Mount Gerizim…Mount Ebal. These two mountains are near the ancient site of Shechem and the modern city of Nablus. The valley between them is like a great amphitheater with the mountain slopes as seating sections. The place was sacred because it was there that Abraham pitched his camp and built his first altar after coming to Canaan (Gen 12:6). Jacob also settled at Shechem for a time and dug a well from which Jesus once requested a drink of water (Gen 33:18-20; John 4:5-7). When Joshua and the Israelites finally brought Canaan under control they assembled at Shechem as Moses commanded and undertook a ritual of covenant reaffirmation (Josh 8:30-35; 24:1, 25). Half the tribes stood on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal and in antiphonal chorus pledged their loyalty to the
[11:30] 555 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[11:30] 556 sn Gilgal. From a Hebrew verb root גָלַל (galal, “to roll”) this place name means “circle” or “rolling,” a name given because God had “rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Josh 5:9). It is perhaps to be identified with Khirbet el-Metjir, 1.2 mi (2 km) northeast of OT Jericho.
[11:30] 557 tc The MT plural “oaks” (אֵלוֹנֵי, ’eloney) should probably be altered (with many Greek texts) to the singular “oak” (אֵלוֹן, ’elon; cf. NRSV) in line with the only other occurrence of the phrase (Gen 12:6). The Syriac, Tg. Ps.-J. read mmrá, confusing this place with the “oaks of Mamre” near Hebron (Gen 13:18). Smr also appears to confuse “Moreh” with “Mamre” (reading mwr’, a combined form), adding the clarification mwl shkm (“near Shechem”) apparently to distinguish it from Mamre near Hebron.
[12:1] 559 tn Heb “you must be careful to obey in the land the
[12:2] 560 tn Heb “destroying you must destroy”; KJV “Ye shall utterly (surely ASV) destroy”; NRSV “must demolish completely.” The Hebrew infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by the words “by all means.”
[12:2] 561 sn Every leafy tree. This expression refers to evergreens which, because they keep their foliage throughout the year, provided apt symbolism for nature cults such as those practiced in Canaan. The deity particularly in view is Asherah, wife of the great god El, who was considered the goddess of fertility and whose worship frequently took place at shrines near or among clusters (groves) of such trees (see also Deut 7:5). See J. Hadley, NIDOTTE 1:569-70; J. DeMoor, TDOT 1:438-44.
[12:3] 562 sn Sacred pillars. These are the stelae (stone pillars; the Hebrew term is מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) associated with Baal worship, perhaps to mark a spot hallowed by an alleged visitation of the gods. See also Deut 7:5.
[12:3] 563 sn Sacred Asherah poles. The Hebrew term (plural) is אֲשֵׁרִים (’asherim). See note on the word “(leafy) tree” in v. 2, and also Deut 7:5.
[12:5] 564 tn Heb “the
[12:5] 565 tc Some scholars, on the basis of v. 11, emend the MT reading שִׁכְנוֹ (shikhno, “his residence”) to the infinitive construct לְשָׁכֵן (lÿshakhen, “to make [his name] to dwell”), perhaps with the 3rd person masculine singular sf לְשַׁכְּנוֹ (lÿshakÿno, “to cause it to dwell”). Though the presupposed nounשֵׁכֶן (shekhen) is nowhere else attested, the parallel here with שַׁמָּה (shammah, “there”) favors retaining the MT as it stands.
[12:6] 566 tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”
[12:7] 567 tn Heb “and your houses,” referring to entire households. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in the Hebrew text.
[12:7] 568 tn Heb “the
[12:10] 571 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[12:10] 572 tn Heb “the
[12:10] 573 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 10-11 are one long, complex sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides this into two sentences.
[12:11] 574 tn Heb “and it will be (to) the place where the Lord your God chooses to cause his name to dwell you will bring.”
[12:11] 575 tn Heb “heave offerings of your hand.”
[12:11] 576 tn Heb “the
[12:12] 577 tn Heb “within your gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “who belongs to your community.”
[12:12] 578 sn They have no allotment or inheritance with you. See note on the word “inheritance” in Deut 10:9.
[12:14] 579 tn Heb “offer burnt offerings.” The expression “do so” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
[12:14] 580 sn This injunction to worship in a single and central sanctuary – one limited and appropriate to the thrice-annual festival celebrations (see Exod 23:14-17; 34:22-24; Lev 23:4-36; Deut 16:16-17) – marks a departure from previous times when worship was carried out at local shrines (cf. Gen 8:20; 12:7; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 35:1, 3, 7; Exod 17:15). Apart from the corporate worship of the whole theocratic community, however, worship at local altars would still be permitted as in the past (Deut 16:21; Judg 6:24-27; 13:19-20; 1 Sam 7:17; 10:5, 13; 2 Sam 24:18-25; 1 Kgs 18:30).
[12:15] 581 tn Heb “only in all the desire of your soul you may sacrifice and eat flesh according to the blessing of the Lord your God which he has given to you.”
[12:15] 582 tn Heb “gates” (so KJV, NASB; likewise in vv. 17, 18).
[12:18] 583 tn Heb “the
[12:18] 584 tn See note at Deut 12:12.
[12:18] 585 tn Heb “in all the sending forth of your hands.”
[12:20] 586 tn Heb “for my soul desires to eat meat.”
[12:20] 587 tn Heb “according to all the desire of your soul you may eat meat.”
[12:21] 588 tn Heb “the
[12:21] 589 tn Heb “the
[12:21] 590 tn Heb “gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “in your own community.”
[12:23] 591 sn The blood is life itself. This is a figure of speech (metonymy) in which the cause or means (the blood) stands for the result or effect (life). That is, life depends upon the existence and circulation of blood, a truth known empirically but not scientifically tested and proved until the 17th century
[12:25] 592 tc Heb “in the eyes of the
[12:26] 593 tc Again, to complete a commonly attested wording the LXX adds after “choose” the phrase “to place his name there.” This shows insensitivity to deliberate departures from literary stereotypes. The MT reading is to be preferred.
[12:27] 594 sn These other sacrifices would be so-called peace or fellowship offerings whose ritual required a different use of the blood from that of burnt (sin and trespass) offerings (cf. Lev 3; 7:11-14, 19-21).
[12:27] 595 tn Heb “on the altar of the
[12:29] 596 tn Heb “dwell in their land” (so NASB). In the Hebrew text vv. 29-30 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides it into two.
[12:31] 597 tn Heb “you must not do thus to/for the
[12:31] 598 tn See note on this term at Deut 7:25.
[12:31] 599 tn Heb “every abomination of the
[12:32] 600 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] 601 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
[12:32] 602 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).
[13:1] 603 tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).
[13:1] 604 tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the
[13:3] 605 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
[13:3] 606 tn Heb “the
[13:3] 607 tn Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
[13:5] 608 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
[13:5] 609 tn Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namely, high treason against the Great King. Idolatry is a violation of the first two commandments (Deut 5:6-10) as well as the spirit and intent of the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).
[13:6] 610 tn Heb “your brother, the son of your mother.” In a polygamous society it was not rare to have half brothers and sisters by way of a common father and different mothers.
[13:6] 611 tn In the Hebrew text these words are in the form of a brief quotation: “entice you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods.’”
[13:6] 612 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 17).
[13:6] 613 tn Heb “which you have not known, you or your fathers.” (cf. KJV, ASV; on “fathers” cf. v. 18).
[13:7] 614 tn Or “land” (so NIV, NCV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.”
[13:9] 615 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail” (cf. NIV “you must certainly put him to death”).
[13:9] 616 tn Heb “to put him to death,” but this is misleading in English for such an action would leave nothing for the others to do.
[13:10] 617 sn Execution by means of pelting the offender with stones afforded a mechanism whereby the whole community could share in it. In a very real sense it could be done not only in the name of the community and on its behalf but by its members (cf. Lev 24:14; Num 15:35; Deut 21:21; Josh 7:25).
[13:11] 618 sn Some see in this statement an argument for the deterrent effect of capital punishment (Deut 17:13; 19:20; 21:21).
[13:13] 619 tn Heb “men, sons of Belial.” The Hebrew term בְּלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) has the idea of worthlessness, without morals or scruples (HALOT 133-34 s.v.). Cf. NAB, NRSV “scoundrels”; TEV, CEV “worthless people”; NLT “worthless rabble.”
[13:13] 620 tc The LXX and Tg read “your” for the MT’s “their.”
[13:13] 621 tn The translation understands the relative clause as a statement by Moses, not as part of the quotation from the evildoers. See also v. 2.
[13:14] 622 tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.
[13:15] 623 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “by all means.” Cf. KJV, NASB “surely”; NIV “certainly.”
[13:15] 624 tn Or “put under divine judgment. The Hebrew word (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to placing persons or things under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction.Though primarily applied against the heathen, this severe judgment could also fall upon unrepentant Israelites (cf. the story of Achan in Josh 7). See also the note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
[13:16] 626 tn Heb “mound”; NAB “a heap of ruins.” The Hebrew word תֵּל (tel) refers to this day to a ruin represented especially by a built-up mound of dirt or debris (cf. Tel Aviv, “mound of grain”).
[13:17] 627 tn Or “anything that has been put under the divine curse”; Heb “anything of the ban” (cf. NASB). See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
[13:18] 628 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
[13:18] 629 tc The LXX and Smr add “and good” to bring the phrase in line with a familiar cliché (cf. Deut 6:18; Josh 9:25; 2 Kgs 10:3; 2 Chr 14:1; etc.). This is an unnecessary and improper attempt to force a text into a preconceived mold.
[13:18] 630 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
pada halaman