2:1 Then we turned and set out toward the desert land on the way to the Red Sea 2 just as the Lord told me to do, detouring around Mount Seir for a long time.
5:1 Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: 3 “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!
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,
15:12 If your fellow Hebrew 19 – whether male or female 20 – is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant 21 go free. 22
17:14 When you come to the land the Lord your God is giving you and take it over and live in it and then say, “I will select a king like all the nations surrounding me,”
24:1 If a man marries a woman and she does not please him because he has found something offensive 52 in her, then he may draw up a divorce document, give it to her, and evict her from his house.
28:15 “But if you ignore 66 the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force: 67
31:9 Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders.
31:14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The day of your death is near. Summon Joshua and present yourselves in the tent 73 of meeting 74 so that I can commission him.” 75 So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
32:15 But Jeshurun 76 became fat and kicked,
you 77 got fat, thick, and stuffed!
Then he deserted the God who made him,
and treated the Rock who saved him with contempt.
34:1 Then Moses ascended from the deserts of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. 78 The Lord showed him the whole land – Gilead to Dan,
1 tn The Hebrew text includes “in their hand,” which is unnecessary and somewhat redundant in English style.
2 tn Heb “Reed Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Deut 1:40.
3 tn Heb “and Moses called to all Israel and he said to them”; NAB, NASB, NIV “Moses summoned (convened NRSV) all Israel.”
4 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).
5 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.
6 tn Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).
7 tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. CEV).
8 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).
9 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 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
11 tn Heb “according to the former writing.” See note on the phrase “the same words” in v. 2.
12 tn Heb “ten words.” The “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the “Ten Words,” which in Greek became the “Decalogue.”
13 tn Heb “the
14 tn Heb “the
15 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.
16 tn Heb “the rain of your land.” In this case the genitive (modifying term) indicates the recipient of the rain.
17 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.
18 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.
19 sn Elsewhere in the OT, the Israelites are called “Hebrews” (עִבְרִי, ’ivriy) by outsiders, rarely by themselves (cf. Gen 14:13; 39:14, 17; 41:12; Exod 1:15, 16, 19; 2:6, 7, 11, 13; 1 Sam 4:6; Jonah 1:9). Thus, here and in the parallel passage in Exod 21:2-6 the term עִבְרִי may designate non-Israelites, specifically a people well-known throughout the ancient Near East as ’apiru or habiru. They lived a rather vagabond lifestyle, frequently hiring themselves out as laborers or mercenary soldiers. While accounting nicely for the surprising use of the term here in an Israelite law code, the suggestion has against it the unlikelihood that a set of laws would address such a marginal people so specifically (as opposed to simply calling them aliens or the like). More likely עִבְרִי is chosen as a term to remind Israel that when they were “Hebrews,” that is, when they were in Egypt, they were slaves. Now that they are free they must not keep their fellow Israelites in economic bondage. See v. 15.
20 tn Heb “your brother, a Hebrew (male) or Hebrew (female).”
21 tn Heb “him.” The singular pronoun occurs throughout the passage.
22 tn The Hebrew text includes “from you.”
23 sn When the bondslave’s ear was drilled through to the door, the door in question was that of the master’s house. In effect, the bondslave is declaring his undying and lifelong loyalty to his creditor. The scar (or even hole) in the earlobe would testify to the community that the slave had surrendered independence and personal rights. This may be what Paul had in mind when he said “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6:17).
24 tn The Hebrew phrase חַג שָׁבֻעוֹת (khag shavu’ot) is otherwise known in the OT (Exod 23:16) as קָצִיר (qatsir, “harvest”) and in the NT as πεντηχοστή (penthcosth, “Pentecost”).
25 tn Heb “the sufficiency of the offering of your hand.”
26 tn Heb “the
27 tn Heb “the hand of the witnesses.” This means the two or three witnesses are to throw the first stones (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
28 tn Heb “the hand of all the people.”
29 tc Heb “upon his kingship.” Smr supplies כִּסֵא (kise’, “throne”) so as to read “upon the throne of his kingship.” This overliteralizes what is a clearly understood figure of speech.
30 tn Heb “the
31 tn Heb “the word,” but a predictive word is in view here. Cf. NAB “his oracle.”
32 tn Heb “does not happen or come to pass.”
33 tn Heb “the
34 tn Heb “that is the word which the Lord has not spoken.”
35 tn Heb “slain [one].”
36 tn Heb “the priests, the sons of Levi.”
37 tn Heb “in the name of the
38 tn Heb “by their mouth.”
39 tn Heb “every controversy and every blow.”
40 tn Heb “Atone for.”
41 tn Heb “and do not place innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.”
42 sn Heb “send her off.” The Hebrew term שִׁלַּחְתָּה (shillakhtah) is a somewhat euphemistic way of referring to divorce, the matter clearly in view here (cf. Deut 22:19, 29; 24:1, 3; Jer 3:1; Mal 2:16). This passage does not have the matter of divorce as its principal objective, so it should not be understood as endorsing divorce generally. It merely makes the point that if grounds for divorce exist (see Deut 24:1-4), and then divorce ensues, the husband could in no way gain profit from it.
43 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates by the words “in any case.”
44 tn The Hebrew text includes “for money.” This phrase has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
45 tn Or perhaps “must not enslave her” (cf. ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); Heb “[must not] be tyrannical over.”
46 sn You have humiliated her. Since divorce was considered rejection, the wife subjected to it would “lose face” in addition to the already humiliating event of having become a wife by force (21:11-13). Furthermore, the Hebrew verb translated “humiliated” here (עָנָה, ’anah), commonly used to speak of rape (cf. Gen 34:2; 2 Sam 13:12, 14, 22, 32; Judg 19:24), likely has sexual overtones as well. The woman may not be enslaved or abused after the divorce because it would be double humiliation (see also E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy [NAC], 291).
47 tn The Hebrew term בִּעַרְתָּה (bi’artah), here and elsewhere in such contexts (cf. Deut 13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:19; 21:9), suggests God’s anger which consumes like fire (thus בָעַר, ba’ar, “to burn”). See H. Ringgren, TDOT 2:203-4.
48 tc Some LXX traditions read הַנִּשְׁאָרִים (hannish’arim, “those who remain”) for the MT’s יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”), understandable in light of Deut 19:20. However, the more difficult reading found in the MT is more likely original.
49 tn Heb “sit.” This expression is euphemistic.
50 tn Heb “with it”; the referent (the spade mentioned at the beginning of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
51 tn Heb “what comes from you,” a euphemism.
52 tn Heb “nakedness of a thing.” The Hebrew phrase עֶרְוַת דָּבָר (’ervat davar) refers here to some gross sexual impropriety (see note on “indecent” in Deut 23:14). Though the term usually has to do only with indecent exposure of the genitals, it can also include such behavior as adultery (cf. Lev 18:6-18; 20:11, 17, 20-21; Ezek 22:10; 23:29; Hos 2:10).
53 tn Heb “hates.” See note on the word “other” in Deut 21:15.
54 tn Heb “writes her a document of divorce.”
55 tn Heb “and it will be.”
56 tn Heb “if the evil one is a son of smiting.”
57 tn Heb “according to his wickedness, by number.”
58 tn Heb “the
59 tn Heb “so that.” Verses 18-19 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but the translation divides it into three sentences for stylistic reasons. The first clause in verse 19 gives a result of the preceding clause. When Israel keeps God’s law, God will bless them with fame and honor (cf. NAB “he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory”; NLT “And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation”).
60 tn Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”
61 tn Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.
62 tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.
63 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.
64 tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”
65 tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.
66 tn Heb “do not hear the voice of.”
67 tn Heb “and overtake you” (so NIV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “and overwhelm you.”
68 tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NRSV); NASB “the offspring of your own body.”
69 tn Heb “siege and stress.”
70 tn Heb “the
71 tn Heb “fathers” (also later in this verse and in vv. 9, 20).
72 tn The phrase “this law” is not in the Hebrew text, but English style requires an object for the verb here. Other translations also supply the object which is otherwise implicit (cf. NIV “who do not know this law”; TEV “who have never heard the Law of the Lord your God”).
73 tc The LXX reads “by the door of the tent” in line with v. 10 but also, perhaps, as a reflection of its tendency to avoid over-familiarity with Yahweh and his transcendence.
74 tn Heb “tent of assembly” (מוֹעֵד אֹהֶל, ’ohel mo’ed); this is not always the same as the tabernacle, which is usually called מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling-place”), a reference to its being invested with God’s presence. The “tent of meeting” was erected earlier than the tabernacle and was the place where Yahweh occasionally appeared, especially to Moses (cf. Exod 18:7-16; 33:7-11; Num 11:16, 24, 26; 12:4).
75 tn Heb “I will command him.”
76 tn To make the continuity of the referent clear, some English versions substitute “Jacob” here (NAB, NRSV) while others replace “Jeshurun” with “Israel” (NCV, CEV, NLT) or “the Lord’s people” (TEV).
sn Jeshurun is a term of affection derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). Here it speaks of Israel “in an ideal situation, with its ‘uprightness’ due more to God’s help than his own efforts” (M. Mulder, TDOT 6:475).
77 tc The LXX reads the third person masculine singular (“he”) for the MT second person masculine singular (“you”), but such alterations are unnecessary in Hebrew poetic texts where subjects fluctuate frequently and without warning.
78 sn For the geography involved, see note on the term “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17.
map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
79 tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).
80 tn The Hebrew text includes “with your eyes,” but this is redundant in English and is left untranslated.