20:18 “‘But I said to their children 11 in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, 12 nor defile yourselves with their idols.
37:24 “‘My servant David will be king over them; there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow 18 my regulations and carefully observe my statutes. 19
1 sn The expression They will be my people, and I will be their God occurs as a promise to Abraham (Gen 17:8), Moses (Exod 6:7), and the nation (Exod 29:45).
2 tc The MT reads לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱמֶת (la’asot ’emet, “to do with integrity”), while the LXX reads “to do them,” presupposing לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתָם (la’asot ’otam). The ם (mem) and ת (tav) have been reversed in the MT. The LXX refelcts the original, supported by similar phrasing in Ezekiel 11:20; 20:19.
3 tn Heb “he.”
4 tn Heb “living, he will live.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
5 sn The laws were given at Mount Sinai.
6 tn Heb “the man.”
7 tn Heb “does.”
8 tn The wording and the concept is contained in Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:15-19.
9 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.
11 tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
12 tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.
13 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 23-24 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
14 tn Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16).
15 tn Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.
16 tn Heb “and I will do that which in my statutes you will walk.” The awkward syntax (verb “to do, act” + accusative sign + relative clause + prepositional phrase + second person verb) is unique, though Eccl 3:14 contains a similar construction. In the last line of that verse we read that “God acts so that (relative pronoun) they fear before him.” However, unlike Ezek 36:27, the statement has no accusative sign before the relative pronoun.
17 tn Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.
18 tn Heb “walk [in].”
19 tn Heb “and my statutes they will guard and they will do them.”