Ulangan 27:15-26

27:15 ‘Cursed is the one ¹  who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent ²  to the Lord, the work of the craftsman ³  – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ⁴  27:16 ‘Cursed ⁵  is the one who disrespects ⁶  his father and mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:18 ‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:20 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with ⁷  his father’s former wife, ⁸  for he dishonors his father.’ ⁹  Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:21 ‘Cursed is the one who commits bestiality.’ ¹⁰  Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:22 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:23 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:24 ‘Cursed is the one who kills ¹¹  his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:26 ‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Ulangan 29:18-21

29:18 Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the Lord our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit. ¹²  29:19 When such a person ¹³  hears the words of this oath he secretly ¹⁴  blesses himself ¹⁵  and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.” ¹⁶  This will destroy ¹⁷  the watered ground with the parched. ¹⁸  29:20 The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger ¹⁹  will rage ²⁰  against that man; all the curses ²¹  written in this scroll will fall upon him ²²  and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory. ²³  29:21 The Lord will single him out ²⁴  for judgment ²⁵  from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.

[27:15]  ¹ tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.

[27:15]  ² tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.

[27:15]  ³ tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”

[27:15]  ⁴ tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.

[27:16]  ⁵ tn The Levites speak again at this point; throughout this pericope the Levites pronounce the curse and the people respond with “Amen.”

[27:16]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term קָלָה (qalah) means to treat with disdain or lack of due respect (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “dishonors”; NLT “despises”). It is the opposite of כָּבֵד (kaved, “to be heavy,” that is, to treat with reverence and proper deference). To treat a parent lightly is to dishonor him or her and thus violate the fifth commandment (Deut 5:16; cf. Exod 21:17).

[27:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “who lies with” (so NASB, NRSV); also in vv. 22, 23. This is a Hebrew idiom for having sexual relations (cf. NIV “who sleeps with”; NLT “who has sexual intercourse with”).

[27:20]  ⁸ tn See note at Deut 22:30.

[27:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “he uncovers his father’s skirt” (NASB similar). See note at Deut 22:30.

[27:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “lies with any animal” (so NASB, NRSV). “To lie with” is a Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations with someone (or in this case, some animal).

[27:24]  ¹¹ tn Or “strikes down” (so NRSV).

[29:18]  ¹² tn Heb “yielding fruit poisonous and wormwood.” The Hebrew noun לַעֲנָה (la’anah) literally means “wormwood” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB), but is used figuratively for anything extremely bitter, thus here “fruit poisonous and bitter.”

[29:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the subject of the warning in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in his heart.”

[29:19]  ¹⁵ tn Or “invokes a blessing on himself.” A formalized word of blessing is in view, the content of which appears later in the verse.

[29:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “heart.”

[29:19]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “thus destroying.” For stylistic reasons the translation begins a new sentence here.

[29:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the watered with the parched.” The word “ground” is implied. The exact meaning of the phrase is uncertain although it appears to be figurative. This appears to be a proverbial observation employing a figure of speech (a merism) suggesting totality. That is, the Israelite who violates the letter and even spirit of the covenant will harm not only himself but everything he touches – “the watered and the parched.” Cf. CEV “you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.”

[29:20]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the wrath of the Lord and his zeal.” The expression is a hendiadys, a figure in which the second noun becomes adjectival to the first.

[29:20]  ²⁰ tn Heb “smoke,” or “smolder.”

[29:20]  ²¹ tn Heb “the entire oath.”

[29:20]  ²² tn Or “will lie in wait against him.”

[29:20]  ²³ tn Heb “blot out his name from under the sky.”

[29:21]  ²⁴ tn Heb “set him apart.”

[29:21]  ²⁵ tn Heb “for evil”; NAB “for doom”; NASB “for adversity”; NIV “for disaster”; NRSV “for calamity.”