Deuteronomy 15:4

15:4 However, there should not be any poor among you, for the Lord ¹  will surely bless ²  you in the land that he ³  is giving you as an inheritance, ⁴ 

Deuteronomy 15:21

15:21 If they have any kind of blemish – lameness, blindness, or anything else ⁵  – you may not offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 16:21

Examples of Legal Cases

16:21 You must not plant any kind of tree as a sacred Asherah pole ⁶  near the altar of the Lord your God which you build for yourself.

Deuteronomy 17:1

17:1 You must not sacrifice to him ⁷  a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive ⁸  to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 17:3

17:3 by serving other gods and worshiping them – the sun, ⁹  moon, or any other heavenly bodies which I have not permitted you to worship. ¹⁰ 

Deuteronomy 18:8

18:8 He must eat the same share they do, despite any profits he may gain from the sale of his family’s inheritance. ¹¹ 

Deuteronomy 23:16

23:16 Indeed, he may live among you in any place he chooses, in whichever of your villages ¹²  he prefers; you must not oppress him.

Deuteronomy 23:24

23:24 When you enter the vineyard of your neighbor you may eat as many grapes as you please, ¹³  but you must not take away any in a container. ¹⁴ 

Deuteronomy 24:10

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. ¹⁵ 

---

¹ tc After the phrase “the Lord” many mss and versions add “your God” to complete the usual full epithet.

² tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “surely.” Note however, that the use is rhetorical, for the next verse attaches a condition.

³ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

⁴ tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess.”

⁵ tn Heb “any evil blemish”; NASB “any (+ other NAB, TEV) serious defect.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ tn Heb “to the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 16:1.

⁸ 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.

⁹ tc The MT reads “and to the sun,” thus including the sun, the moon, and other heavenly spheres among the gods. However, Theodotion and Lucian read “or to the sun,” suggesting perhaps that the sun and the other heavenly bodies are not in the category of actual deities.

¹⁰ tn Heb “which I have not commanded you.” The words “to worship” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹¹ tn Presumably this would not refer to a land inheritance, since that was forbidden to the descendants of Levi (v. 1). More likely it referred to some family possessions (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV) or other private property (cf. NLT “a private source of income”), or even support sent by relatives (cf. TEV “whatever his family sends him”).

¹² tn Heb “gates.”

¹³ tn Heb “grapes according to your appetite, your fullness.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “in your container”; NAB, NIV “your basket.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “his pledge.” This refers to something offered as pledge of repayment, i.e., as security for the debt.