Deuteronomy 5:2

5:2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

Deuteronomy 5:10

5:10 but I show covenant faithfulness 1  to the thousands 2  who choose 3  me and keep my commandments.

Deuteronomy 29:14

29:14 It is not with you alone that I am making this covenant by oath,

Deuteronomy 31:25

31:25 he 4  commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant,

1 tn This theologically rich term (חֶסֶד, khesed) describes God’s loyalty to those who keep covenant with him. Sometimes it is used synonymously with בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”; Deut 7:9), and sometimes interchangeably with it (Deut 7:12). See H.-J. Zobel, TDOT 5:44-64.

2 tc By a slight emendation (לַאֲלּוּפִים [la’allufim] for לַאֲלָפִים [la’alafim]) “clans” could be read in place of the MT reading “thousands.” However, no ms or versional evidence exists to support this emendation.

tn Another option is to understand this as referring to “thousands (of generations) of those who love me” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). See Deut 7:9.

3 tn Heb “love.” See note on the word “reject” in v. 9.

4 tn Heb “Moses.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.