1:6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed 1 in the area of this mountain long enough.
6:20 When your children 13 ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?”
7:12 If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you 14 as he promised 15 your ancestors.
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 23 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. 30
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
14:1 You are children 34 of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald 35 for the sake of the dead.
16:1 Observe the month Abib 39 and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in that month 40 he 41 brought you out of Egypt by night. 16:2 You must sacrifice the Passover animal 42 (from the flock or the herd) to the Lord your God in the place where he 43 chooses to locate his name.
16:21 You must not plant any kind of tree as a sacred Asherah pole 47 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.
18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; 54 you must listen to him.
19:1 When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he 55 is about to give you and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and houses, 19:2 you must set apart for yourselves three cities 56 in the middle of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.
21:1 If a homicide victim 69 should be found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you, 70 and no one knows who killed 71 him,
21:10 When you go out to do battle with your enemies and the Lord your God allows you to prevail 72 and you take prisoners,
26:1 When 76 you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you occupy it and live in it,
26:16 Today the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul. 79 26:17 Today you have declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commandments, and ordinances, and obey him.
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.
32:4 As for the Rock, 90 his work is perfect,
for all his ways are just.
He is a reliable God who is never unjust,
he is fair 91 and upright.
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 92 had not known about.
33:26 There is no one like God, O Jeshurun, 93
who rides through the sky 94 to help you,
on the clouds in majesty.
33:27 The everlasting God is a refuge,
and underneath you are his eternal arms; 95
he has driven out enemies before you,
and has said, “Destroy!”
1 tn Heb “lived”; “dwelled.”
2 tn Heb “multiplied you.”
3 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
4 tn Heb “may he bless you.”
5 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).
6 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).
7 tn Heb “according to all which he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”
8 tc The translation follows the Qere or marginal reading; the Kethib (consonantal text) has the singular, “his son.”
9 tn Heb “all his people.”
10 tn Or “mind and being.” See Deut 6:5.
11 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.
12 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.
13 tn Heb “your son.”
14 tn Heb “will keep with you the covenant and loyalty.” On the construction used here, see v. 9.
15 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.”
16 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).
17 tn Or “wadis.”
18 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.
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 “your praise.” The pronoun is subjective and the noun “praise” is used here metonymically for the object of their praise (the Lord).
22 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
23 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).
24 tn Heb “seeks.” The statement reflects the ancient belief that God (Baal in Canaanite thinking) directly controlled storms and rainfall.
25 tn Heb “the eyes of the
sn Constantly attentive to it. This attention to the land by the
26 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.
27 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
28 tn Heb “and your houses,” referring to entire households. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in the Hebrew text.
29 tn Heb “the
30 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.
31 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
32 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.
33 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
34 tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); TEV, NLT “people.”
35 sn Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald. These were pagan practices associated with mourning the dead; they were not be imitated by God’s people (though they frequently were; cf. 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; Hos 7:14 [LXX]; Mic 5:1). For other warnings against such practices see Lev 21:5; Jer 16:5.
36 tn Heb “bind the silver in your hand.”
37 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “generously.”
38 tn Heb “any evil blemish”; NASB “any (+ other NAB, TEV) serious defect.”
39 sn The month Abib, later called Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esth 3:7), corresponds to March-April in the modern calendar.
40 tn Heb “in the month Abib.” The demonstrative “that” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
41 tn Heb “the
42 tn Heb “sacrifice the Passover” (so NASB). The word “animal” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
43 tn Heb “the
44 tn The rules that governed the Passover meal are found in Exod 12:1-51, and Deut 16:1-8. The word translated “cook” (בָּשַׁל, bashal) here is translated “boil” in other places (e.g. Exod 23:19, 1 Sam 2:13-15). This would seem to contradict Exod 12:9 where the Israelites are told not to eat the Passover sacrifice raw or boiled. However, 2 Chr 35:13 recounts the celebration of a Passover feast during the reign of Josiah, and explains that the people “cooked (בָּשַׁל, bashal) the Passover sacrifices over the open fire.” The use of בָּשַׁל (bashal) with “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) suggests that the word could be used to speak of boiling or roasting.
45 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.
46 tn Heb “justice, justice.” The repetition is emphatic; one might translate as “pure justice” or “unadulterated justice” (cf. NLT “true justice”).
47 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.
48 tn Heb “to the
49 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.
50 tc Smr and some Greek texts add “before the
51 tn Heb “the name of the
52 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.
53 tn The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here.
54 tc The MT expands here on the usual formula by adding “from among you” (cf. Deut 17:15; 18:18; Smr; a number of Greek texts). The expansion seems to be for the purpose of emphasis, i.e., the prophet to come must be not just from Israel but an Israelite by blood.
tn “from your brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NAB “from among your own kinsmen”; NASB “from your countrymen”; NRSV “from among your own people.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 17.
55 tn Heb “the
56 sn These three cities, later designated by Joshua, were Kedesh of Galilee, Shechem, and Hebron (Josh 20:7-9).
57 tn Heb “fathers.”
58 tn Heb “he said to give to your ancestors.” The pronoun has been used in the translation instead for stylistic reasons.
59 tn Heb “innocent blood must not be shed.” The Hebrew phrase דָּם נָקִי (dam naqiy) means the blood of a person to whom no culpability or responsibility adheres because what he did was without malice aforethought (HALOT 224 s.v דָּם 4.b).
60 tn Heb “and blood will be upon you” (cf. KJV, ASV); NRSV “thereby bringing bloodguilt upon you.”
61 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.
62 sn Hittite. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200
63 sn Amorite. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200
64 sn Canaanite. These were the indigenous peoples of the land of Palestine, going back to the beginning of recorded history (ca. 3000
65 sn Perizzite. This probably refers to a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).
66 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).
67 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).
68 tn Heb “to do according to all their abominations which they do for their gods.”
69 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).
70 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
71 tn Heb “struck,” but in context a fatal blow is meant; cf. NLT “who committed the murder.”
72 tn Heb “gives him into your hands.”
73 tn Heb “the
74 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by “surely.”
75 tn Heb “and it will be a sin to you”; NIV, NCV, NLT “be guilty of sin.”
76 tn Heb “and it will come to pass that.”
77 tn Heb “the
78 tn Or “household” (so NASB, NIV, NLT); Heb “house” (so KJV, NRSV).
79 tn Or “mind and being”; cf. NCV “with your whole being”; TEV “obey them faithfully with all your heart.”
80 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
81 tn Heb “plaster” (so KJV, ASV; likewise in v. 4). In the translation “cover” has been used for stylistic reasons.
82 tc The LXX reads “that he is the
83 tc Heb “your heads, your tribes.” The Syriac presupposes either “heads of your tribes” or “your heads, your judges,” etc. (reading שֹׁפְטֵכֶם [shofÿtekhem] for שִׁבְטֵיכֶם [shivtekhem]). Its comparative difficulty favors the originality of the MT reading. Cf. KJV “your captains of your tribes”; NRSV “the leaders of your tribes”; NLT “your tribal leaders.”
84 tn This is interpreted by some English versions as a reference to generations not yet born (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
85 tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “children.”
86 tn Or “heart and soul” (also in vv. 6, 10).
87 tn Heb “according to all.”
88 tn Heb “are at the farthest edge of the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
89 tn Heb “before all Israel.”
90 tc The LXX reads Θεός (qeos, “God”) for the MT’s “Rock.”
sn The Hebrew term depicts God as a rocky summit where one may find safety and protection. Within a covenantal context it serves as a reminder to the people that their God has committed himself to their protection in return for their allegiance.
91 tn Or “just” (KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “righteous” (NASB).
92 tn Heb “your fathers.”
93 sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.
94 tn Or “(who) rides (on) the heavens” (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT). This title depicts Israel’s God as sovereign over the elements of the storm (cf. Ps 68:33). The use of the phrase here may be polemical; Moses may be asserting that Israel’s God, not Baal (called the “rider of the clouds” in the Ugaritic myths), is the true divine king (cf. v. 5) who controls the elements of the storm, grants agricultural prosperity, and delivers his people from their enemies. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 151 (1994): 275.
95 tn Heb “and from under, arms of perpetuity.” The words “you” and “his” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Some have perceived this line to be problematic and have offered alternative translations that differ significantly from the present translation: “He spread out the primeval tent; he extended the ancient canopy” (NAB); “He subdues the ancient gods, shatters the forces of old” (NRSV). These are based on alternate meanings or conjectural emendations rather than textual variants in the