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 23:21

23:21 When you make a vow to the Lord your God you must not delay in fulfilling it, for otherwise he ⁵  will surely ⁶  hold you accountable as a sinner. ⁷ 

Deuteronomy 33:3

33:3 Surely he loves the people; ⁸ 

all your holy ones ⁹  are in your power. ¹⁰ 

And they sit ¹¹  at your feet,

each receiving ¹²  your words.

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

⁶ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by “surely.”

⁷ tn Heb “and it will be a sin to you”; NIV, NCV, NLT “be guilty of sin.”

⁸ tc Heb “peoples.” The apparent plural form is probably a misunderstood singular (perhaps with a pronominal suffix) with enclitic mem (ם). See HALOT 838 s.v. עַם B.2.

⁹ tc Heb “his holy ones.” The third person masculine singular suffix of the Hebrew MT is problematic in light of the second person masculine singular suffix on בְּיָדֶךָ (bÿyadekha, “your hands”). The LXX versions by Lucian and Origen read, therefore, “the holy ones.” The LXX version by Theodotion and the Vulgate, however, presuppose third masculine singular suffix on בְּיָדָיו (bÿyadayv, “his hands”), and thus retain “his holy ones.” The efforts to bring pronominal harmony into the line is commendable but unnecessary given the Hebrew tendency to be untroubled by such grammatical inconsistencies. However, the translation harmonizes the first pronoun with the second so that the referent (the Lord) is clear.

¹⁰ tn Heb “hands.” For the problem of the pronoun see note on the term “holy ones” earlier in this verse.

¹¹ tn The Hebrew term תֻּכּוּ (tuku, probably Pual perfect of תָּכָה, takhah) is otherwise unknown. The present translation is based on the reference to feet and, apparently, receiving instruction in God’s words (cf. KJV, ASV). Other options are as follows: NIV “At your feet they all bow down” (cf. NCV, CEV); NLT “They follow in your steps” (cf. NAB, NASB); NRSV “they marched at your heels.”

¹² tn The singular verbal form in the Hebrew text (lit. “he lifts up”) is understood in a distributive manner, focusing on the action of each individual within the group.