6:20 When your children 13 ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded 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.
11:1 You must love the Lord your God and do what he requires; keep his statutes, ordinances, and commandments 25 at all times.
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. 35
16:1 Observe the month Abib 47 and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in that month 48 he 49 brought you out of Egypt by night. 16:2 You must sacrifice the Passover animal 50 (from the flock or the herd) to the Lord your God in the place where he 51 chooses to locate his name.
16:21 You must not plant any kind of tree as a sacred Asherah pole 54 near the altar of the Lord your God which you build for yourself.
18:9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must not learn the abhorrent practices of those nations.
19:1 When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he 59 is about to give you and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and houses,
21:1 If a homicide victim 68 should be found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you, 69 and no one knows who killed 70 him, 21:2 your elders and judges must go out and measure how far it is to the cities in the vicinity of the corpse. 71
22:8 If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail 74 around your roof to avoid being culpable 75 in the event someone should fall from it.
23:19 You must not charge interest on a loan to your fellow Israelite, 79 whether on money, food, or anything else that has been loaned with interest.
24:10 When you make any kind of loan to your neighbor, you may not go into his house to claim what he is offering as security. 85
26:1 When 91 you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it,
27:9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be quiet and pay attention, Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God.
32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not God,
to gods they had not known;
to new gods who had recently come along,
gods your ancestors 100 had not known about.
32:38 who ate the best of their sacrifices,
and drank the wine of their drink offerings?
Let them rise and help you;
let them be your refuge!
1 tn Heb “may he bless you.”
2 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).
3 tn Heb “according to all which he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”
4 tn Heb “Not a man among these men.”
5 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.
6 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.
7 tn Heb “the
8 tn Or “
9 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.
10 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.
11 tn Heb “(as) an inheritance,” that is, landed property that one can pass on to one’s descendants.
12 tn Heb “lest the anger of the
13 tn Heb “your son.”
14 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).
15 tn Or “wadis.”
16 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.
17 tn Heb “so you will perish.”
18 tn Heb “listen to the voice of the
19 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
20 tn That is, among the other Israelite tribes.
21 tn Heb “the
22 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
23 tn The Hebrew text includes “after them,” but it is redundant in English style and has not been included in the translation.
24 tn Heb “your praise.” The pronoun is subjective and the noun “praise” is used here metonymically for the object of their praise (the Lord).
25 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).
26 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 21).
27 tn Heb “seeks.” The statement reflects the ancient belief that God (Baal in Canaanite thinking) directly controlled storms and rainfall.
28 tn Heb “the eyes of the
sn Constantly attentive to it. This attention to the land by the
29 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.
30 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
31 tn Heb “the
32 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.
33 tn Heb “offer burnt offerings.” The expression “do so” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
34 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).
35 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.
36 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”).
37 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.
38 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
39 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.
40 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
41 tn Heb “bind the silver in your hand.”
42 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the indentured servant introduced in v. 12) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
43 tn Heb “go out from.” The imperfect verbal form indicates the desire of the subject here.
44 tn Heb “any evil blemish”; NASB “any (+ other NAB, TEV) serious defect.”
45 tn Heb “in your gates.”
46 tc The LXX adds ἐν σοί (en soi, “among you”) to make clear that the antecedent is the people and not the animals. That is, the people, whether ritually purified or not, may eat such defective animals.
47 sn The month Abib, later called Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esth 3:7), corresponds to March-April in the modern calendar.
48 tn Heb “in the month Abib.” The demonstrative “that” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
49 tn Heb “the
50 tn Heb “sacrifice the Passover” (so NASB). The word “animal” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
51 tn Heb “the
52 tn Heb “a man must give according to the gift of his hand.” This has been translated as second person for stylistic reasons, in keeping with the second half of the verse, which is second person rather than third.
53 tn Heb “justice, justice.” The repetition is emphatic; one might translate as “pure justice” or “unadulterated justice” (cf. NLT “true justice”).
54 tn Heb “an Asherah, any tree.”
sn Sacred Asherah pole. This refers to a tree (or wooden pole) dedicated to the worship of Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. See also Deut 7:5.
55 tn Heb “to the
56 tn The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “an abomination”; cf. NAB) describes persons, things, or practices offensive to ritual or moral order. See M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 4:314-18; see also the note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.
57 tn Heb “these abhorrent things.” The repetition is emphatic. For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the same term used earlier in the verse has been translated “detestable” here.
58 tn The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here.
59 tn Heb “the
60 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “utterly.” Cf. CEV “completely wipe out.”
sn The Hebrew verb refers to placing persons or things so evil and/or impure as to be irredeemable under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. See also the note on the phrase “the divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.
61 sn Hittite. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200
62 sn Amorite. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200
63 sn Canaanite. These were the indigenous peoples of the land of Palestine, going back to the beginning of recorded history (ca. 3000
64 sn Perizzite. This probably refers to a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).
65 sn Hivite. 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 “Horites” in Deut 2:12).
66 tc The LXX adds “Girgashites” here at the end of the list in order to list the full (and usual) complement of seven (see note on “seven” in Deut 7:1).
sn Jebusite. These people inhabited the hill country, particularly in and about Jerusalem (cf. Num 13:29; Josh 15:8; 2 Sam 5:6; 24:16).
67 tn Heb “to do according to all their abominations which they do for their gods.”
68 tn Heb “slain [one].” The term חָלָל (khalal) suggests something other than a natural death (cf. Num 19:16; 23:24; Jer 51:52; Ezek 26:15; 30:24; 31:17-18).
69 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
70 tn Heb “struck,” but in context a fatal blow is meant; cf. NLT “who committed the murder.”
71 tn Heb “surrounding the slain [one].”
72 tn Heb “your brother” (also in v. 4).
73 tn Heb “you must not hide yourself.”
74 tn Or “a parapet” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “a battlement”; NLT “a barrier.”
75 tn Heb “that you not place bloodshed in your house.”
76 tn Heb “brother.”
77 tn Heb “sojourner.”
78 tn Heb “gates.”
79 tn Heb “to your brother” (likewise in the following verse). Since this is not limited to actual siblings, “fellow Israelite” is used in the translation (cf. NAB, NASB “countrymen”).
80 tn Heb “the
81 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by “surely.”
82 tn Heb “and it will be a sin to you”; NIV, NCV, NLT “be guilty of sin.”
83 tn Heb “grapes according to your appetite, your fullness.”
84 tn Heb “in your container”; NAB, NIV “your basket.”
85 tn Heb “his pledge.” This refers to something offered as pledge of repayment, i.e., as security for the debt.
86 tn Heb “knock down after you.”
87 tn Heb “glean after you.”
88 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the judge) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
89 tn Heb “Forty blows he may strike him”; however, since the judge is to witness the punishment (v. 2) it is unlikely the judge himself administered it.
90 tn Heb “your brothers” but not limited only to an actual sibling; cf. NAB) “your kinsman”; NRSV, NLT “your neighbor.”
91 tn Heb “and it will come to pass that.”
92 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
93 tn Heb “plaster” (so KJV, ASV; likewise in v. 4). In the translation “cover” has been used for stylistic reasons.
94 tn Heb “and there will be no power in your hand”; NCV “there will be nothing you can do.”
95 tn Heb “your olives will drop off” (נָשַׁל, nashal), referring to the olives dropping off before they ripen.
96 tc The LXX reads “that he is the
97 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “certainly.”
98 tn Heb “to go there to possess it.”
99 tn Heb “before all Israel.”
100 tn Heb “your fathers.”