¹ tn The Hebrew text includes “in their hand,” which is unnecessary and somewhat redundant in English style.

² tc The translation follows the LXX in reading the first person pronoun. The MT, followed by many English versions, has a second person masculine singular pronoun, “your.”

³ tn Heb “hardened his spirit” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “made his spirit stubborn.”

⁴ tn Heb “made his heart obstinate” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “made his heart defiant.”

⁵ tn Heb “into your hand.”

⁶ sn Aroer. Now known as àAraáir on the northern edge of the Arnon river, Aroer marked the southern limit of Moab and, later, of the allotment of the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9, 16).

⁷ tn Heb “the city in the wadi.” This enigmatic reference may refer to Ar or, more likely, to Aroer itself. Epexegetically the text might read, “From Aroer…, that is, the city in the wadi.” See D. L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 1–11 (WBC), 49.

⁸ tn These technical Hebrew terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) occur repeatedly throughout the Book of Deuteronomy to describe the covenant stipulations to which Israel had been called to subscribe (see, in this chapter alone, vv. 1, 5, 6, 8). The word חֻקִּים derives from the verb חֹק (khoq, “to inscribe; to carve”) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim) from שָׁפַט (shafat, “to judge”). They are virtually synonymous and are used interchangeably in Deuteronomy.

⁹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 37).

¹⁰ tn Heb “commandment.” The word מִצְוָה (mitsvah) again is in the singular, serving as a comprehensive term for the whole stipulation section of the book. See note on the word “commandments” in 5:31.

¹¹ tn Heb “where you are going over to possess it” (so NASB); NRSV “that you are about to cross into and occupy.”

¹² tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 7:19.

¹³ tc Smr and Lucian add “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the standard way of rendering this almost stereotypical formula (cf. Deut 1:8; 6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The MT’s harder reading presumptively argues for its originality, however.

¹⁴ tn Heb “if hearing, you will hear.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute to emphasize the verbal idea. The translation renders this emphasis with the word “close.”

¹⁵ tn Again, the Hebrew term אָהַב (’ahav) draws attention to the reciprocation of divine love as a condition or sign of covenant loyalty (cf. Deut 6:5).

¹⁶ tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

¹⁷ sn Sacred pillars. These are the stelae (stone pillars; the Hebrew term is מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) associated with Baal worship, perhaps to mark a spot hallowed by an alleged visitation of the gods. See also Deut 7:5.

¹⁸ sn Sacred Asherah poles. The Hebrew term (plural) is אֲשֵׁרִים (’asherim). See note on the word “(leafy) tree” in v. 2, and also Deut 7:5.

¹⁹ tn Heb “within your gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “who belongs to your community.”

²⁰ sn They have no allotment or inheritance with you. See note on the word “inheritance” in Deut 10:9.

²¹ tn Heb “for my soul desires to eat meat.”

²² tn Heb “according to all the desire of your soul you may eat meat.”

²³ sn Execution by means of pelting the offender with stones afforded a mechanism whereby the whole community could share in it. In a very real sense it could be done not only in the name of the community and on its behalf but by its members (cf. Lev 24:14; Num 15:35; Deut 21:21; Josh 7:25).

²⁴ tn Heb “street.”

²⁵ tn Heb “mound”; NAB “a heap of ruins.” The Hebrew word תֵּל (tel) refers to this day to a ruin represented especially by a built-up mound of dirt or debris (cf. Tel Aviv, “mound of grain”).

²⁶ tn Heb “one of your brothers” (so NASB); NAB “one of your kinsmen”; NRSV “a member of your community.” See the note at v. 2.

²⁷ tn Heb “gates.”

²⁸ tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).

²⁹ tn Heb “from your needy brother.”

³⁰ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “generously.”

³¹ tn Heb “sanctify” (תַּקְדִּישׁ, taqdish), that is, put to use on behalf of the Lord.

³² tn Heb “who acts presumptuously not to listen” (cf. NASB).

³³ tn Heb “border.”

³⁴ tn Heb “all this commandment.” This refers here to the entire covenant agreement of the Book of Deuteronomy as encapsulated in the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).

³⁵ tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today.”

³⁶ sn You will add three more cities. Since these are alluded to nowhere else and thus were probably never added, this must be a provision for other cities of refuge should they be needed (cf. v. 8). See P. C. Craigie, Deuteronomy (NICOT), 267.

³⁷ tn Heb “the priests, the sons of Levi.”

³⁸ tn Heb “in the name of the Lord.” See note on Deut 10:8. The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

³⁹ tn Heb “by their mouth.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “every controversy and every blow.”

⁴¹ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “by all means.”

⁴² tn Or “righteous” (so NIV, NLT).

⁴³ tn Though the Hebrew term אָבַד (’avad) generally means “to perish” or the like (HALOT 2-3 s.v.; BDB 1-2 s.v.; cf. KJV “a Syrian ready to perish”), a meaning “to go astray” or “to be lost” is also attested. The ambivalence in the Hebrew text is reflected in the versions where LXX Vaticanus reads ἀπέβαλεν (apebalen, “lose”) for a possibly metathesized reading found in Alexandrinus, Ambrosianus, ἀπέλαβεν (apelaben, “receive”); others attest κατέλειπεν (kateleipen, “leave, abandon”). “Wandering” seems to suit best the contrast with the sedentary life Israel would enjoy in Canaan (v. 9) and is the meaning followed by many English versions.

⁴⁴ sn A wandering Aramean. This is a reference to Jacob whose mother Rebekah was an Aramean (Gen 24:10; 25:20, 26) and who himself lived in Aram for at least twenty years (Gen 31:41-42).

⁴⁵ tn Heb “father.”

⁴⁶ tn Heb “sojourned there few in number.” The words “with a household” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.

⁴⁷ tn Heb “so that.” Verses 18-19 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but the translation divides it into three sentences for stylistic reasons. The first clause in verse 19 gives a result of the preceding clause. When Israel keeps God’s law, God will bless them with fame and honor (cf. NAB “he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory”; NLT “And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation”).

⁴⁸ tn Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”

⁴⁹ tn Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.

⁵⁰ tn Heb “the Lord your God’s.” See note on “he” in 28:8.

⁵¹ tn Heb “commanding” (so NRSV); NASB “which I charge you today.”

⁵² tn Heb “do not hear the voice of.”

⁵³ tn Heb “and overtake you” (so NIV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “and overwhelm you.”

⁵⁴ tn Heb “commanded”; NAB, NIV, TEV “he gave you.”

⁵⁵ tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NRSV); NASB “the offspring of your own body.”

⁵⁶ tn Heb “siege and stress.”

⁵⁷ tn Heb “in order to establish you today to him for a people and he will be to you for God.” Verses 10-13 are one long sentence in Hebrew. The translation divides this into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

⁵⁸ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 25).

⁵⁹ tn The phrase “this law” is not in the Hebrew text, but English style requires an object for the verb here. Other translations also supply the object which is otherwise implicit (cf. NIV “who do not know this law”; TEV “who have never heard the Law of the Lord your God”).