Deuteronomy 4:6

4:6 So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding ¹  to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise ²  people.”

Deuteronomy 4:16

4:16 I say this ³  so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female,

Deuteronomy 12:20

The Sanctity of Blood

12:20 When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,” ⁴  you may do so as you wish. ⁵ 

Deuteronomy 17:14

Provision for Kingship

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,”

Deuteronomy 20:5

20:5 Moreover, the officers are to say to the troops, ⁶  “Who among you ⁷  has built a new house and not dedicated ⁸  it? He may go home, lest he die in battle and someone else ⁹  dedicate it.

Deuteronomy 20:8

20:8 In addition, the officers are to say to the troops, “Who among you is afraid and fainthearted? He may go home so that he will not make his fellow soldier’s ¹⁰  heart as fearful ¹¹  as his own.”

Deuteronomy 21:20

21:20 They must declare to the elders ¹²  of his city, “Our son is stubborn and rebellious and pays no attention to what we say – he is a glutton and drunkard.”

Deuteronomy 26:3

26:3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord your ¹³  God that I have come into the land that the Lord ¹⁴  promised ¹⁵  to our ancestors ¹⁶  to give us.”

Deuteronomy 27:15

27:15 ‘Cursed is the one ¹⁷  who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent ¹⁸  to the Lord, the work of the craftsman ¹⁹  – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ²⁰ 

Deuteronomy 29:25

29:25 Then people will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 30:12-13

30:12 It is not in heaven, as though one must say, “Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 30:13 And it is not across the sea, as though one must say, “Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”

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¹ tn Heb “it is wisdom and understanding.”

² tn Heb “wise and understanding.”

³ tn The words “I say this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 16 is subordinated to “Be careful” in v. 15, but this makes for an unduly long sentence in English.

⁴ tn Heb “for my soul desires to eat meat.”

⁵ tn Heb “according to all the desire of your soul you may eat meat.”

⁶ tn Heb “people” (also in vv. 8, 9).

⁷ tn Heb “Who [is] the man” (also in vv. 6, 7, 8).

⁸ tn The Hebrew term חָנַךְ (khanakh) occurs elsewhere only with respect to the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 8:63 = 2 Chr 7:5). There it has a religious connotation which, indeed, may be the case here as well. The noun form (חָנֻכָּה, khanukah) is associated with the consecration of the great temple altar (2 Chr 7:9) and of the postexilic wall of Jerusalem (Neh 12:27). In Maccabean times the festival of Hanukkah was introduced to celebrate the rededication of the temple following its desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (1 Macc 4:36-61).

⁹ tn Heb “another man.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “his brother’s.”

¹¹ tn Heb “melted.”

¹² tc The LXX and Smr read “to the men,” probably to conform to this phrase in v. 21. However, since judicial cases were the responsibility of the elders in such instances (cf. Deut 19:12; 21:3, 6; 25:7-8) the reading of the MT is likely original and correct here.

¹³ tc For the MT reading “your God,” certain LXX mss have “my God,” a contextually superior rendition followed by some English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, TEV). Perhaps the text reflects dittography of the kaf (כ) at the end of the word with the following preposition כִּי (ki).

¹⁴ tc The Syriac adds “your God” to complete the usual formula.

¹⁵ tn Heb “swore on oath.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 15).

¹⁷ tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”

²⁰ tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.