20:18 “‘But I said to their children 2 in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations, 3 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 9 my regulations and carefully observe my statutes. 10
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 tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
3 tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.
4 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.
5 tn Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16).
6 tn Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.
7 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.
8 tn Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.
9 tn Heb “walk [in].”
10 tn Heb “and my statutes they will guard and they will do them.”