¹ tn Heb “in” or “on.” Here there is a contrast between the ordinary time of eleven days (v. 2) and the actual time of forty years, so “not until” brings out that vast disparity.

² sn The eleventh month is Shebat in the Hebrew calendar, January/February in the modern (Gregorian) calendar.

³ sn The fortieth year would be 1406 b.c. according to the “early” date of the exodus. See E. H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, 66-75.

⁴ tn Heb “according to all which.”

⁵ tn Heb “I have placed before you the land.”

⁶ tn Heb “the Lord.” Since the Lord is speaking, it is preferable for clarity to supply the first person pronoun in the translation.

⁷ tn Heb “swore” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). This refers to God’s promise, made by solemn oath, to give the patriarchs the land.

⁸ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 11, 21, 35).

⁹ tn Heb “their seed after them.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid repetition.

¹¹ tn Or “has given you the land” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).

¹² tn The Hebrew text includes “in their hand,” which is unnecessary and somewhat redundant in English style.

¹³ tn Heb “in your tents,” that is, privately.

¹⁴ tn Heb “Reed Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Deut 1:40.

¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text does not have the first person pronoun; it has been supplied for purposes of English style (the Lord is speaking here).

¹⁶ tn Heb “all the work of your hands.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “he has.” This has been converted to first person in the translation in keeping with English style.

¹⁸ tn Heb “known” (so ASV, NASB); NAB “been concerned about.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “the Lord your God has.” This has been replaced in the translation by the first person pronoun (“I”) in keeping with English style.

²⁰ sn Horites. Most likely these are the same as the well-known people of ancient Near Eastern texts described as Hurrians. They were geographically widespread and probably non-Semitic. Genesis speaks of them as the indigenous peoples of Edom that Esau expelled (Gen 36:8-19, 31-43) and also as among those who confronted the kings of the east (Gen 14:6).

²¹ tn Most modern English versions, beginning with the ASV (1901), regard vv. 10-12 as parenthetical to the narrative.

²² tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Rephaites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²³ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Ammonites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁴ 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.”

²⁵ tn Heb “hardened his spirit” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “made his spirit stubborn.”

²⁶ tn Heb “made his heart obstinate” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “made his heart defiant.”

²⁷ tn Heb “into your hand.”

²⁸ 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).

²⁹ 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.

³⁰ sn Wadi Jabbok. Now known as the Zerqa River, this is a major tributary of the Jordan that normally served as a boundary between Ammon and Gad (Deut 3:16).

³¹ tn Heb “was left to him.” The final phrase “to him” is redundant in English and has been left untranslated.

³² tn Heb “your brothers, the sons of Israel.”

³³ tn Heb “the Lord.” The translation uses the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

³⁴ tn Heb “which you are crossing over there.”

³⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.

³⁶ tn Heb “much to you” (an idiom).

³⁷ tn Heb “commanding.”

³⁸ tn Heb “in the midst of” (so ASV).

³⁹ tn Heb “to which you are crossing over to possess it.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 4:3.

⁴¹ tn Heb “commanded.”

⁴² tn Heb “have grown old in the land,” i.e., been there for a long time.

⁴³ tn Heb “a form of anything.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV “an idol.”

⁴⁴ tn The infinitive construct is understood here as indicating the result, not the intention, of their actions.

⁴⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the form is a participle, which is subordinated to what precedes. For the sake of English style, the translation divides this lengthy verse into two sentences.

⁴⁶ tn Heb “who hate” (so NAB, NIV, NLT). Just as “to love” (אָהַב, ’ahav) means in a covenant context “to choose, obey,” so “to hate” (שָׂנֵא, sane’) means “to reject, disobey” (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37; see also 5:10).

⁴⁷ tn Heb “visiting the sin of fathers upon sons and upon a third (generation) and upon a fourth (generation) of those who hate me.” God sometimes punishes children for the sins of a father (cf. Num 16:27, 32; Josh 7:24-25; 2 Sam 21:1-9). On the principle of corporate solidarity and responsibility in OT thought see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). In the idiom of the text, the father is the first generation and the “sons” the second generation, making grandsons the third and great-grandsons the fourth. The reference to a third and fourth generation is a way of emphasizing that the sinner’s punishment would last throughout his lifetime. In this culture, where men married and fathered children at a relatively young age, it would not be unusual for one to see his great-grandsons. In an Aramaic tomb inscription from Nerab dating to the seventh century b.c., Agbar observes that he was surrounded by “children of the fourth generation” as he lay on his death bed (see ANET 661). The language of the text differs from Exod 34:7, the sons are the first generation, the grandsons (literally, “sons of the sons”) the second, great-grandsons the third, and great-great-grandsons the fourth. One could argue that formulation in Deut 5:9 (see also Exod 20:50) is elliptical/abbreviated or that it suffers from textual corruption (the repetition of the words “sons” would invite accidental omission).

⁴⁸ tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on “He” in 5:3.

⁴⁹ 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.

⁵⁰ tn Heb “where you are going over to possess it” (so NASB); NRSV “that you are about to cross into and occupy.”

⁵¹ tn Here the terms are not the usual חֻקִּים (khuqqim) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim; as in v. 1) but חֻקֹּת (khuqqot, “statutes”) and מִצְוֹת (mitsot, “commandments”). It is clear that these terms are used interchangeably and that their technical precision ought not be overly stressed.

⁵² tn Heb “commanding.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation.

⁵³ tn Heb “upright.”

⁵⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.

⁵⁵ tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.

⁵⁶ sn Hittites. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 b.c.) they were at their zenith, establishing outposts and colonies near and far. Some elements were obviously in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (1400-1350 b.c.).

⁵⁷ sn Girgashites. These cannot be ethnically identified and are unknown outside the OT. They usually appear in such lists only when the intention is to have seven groups in all (see also the note on the word “seven” later in this verse).

⁵⁸ sn Amorites. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200 b.c. or thereabouts.

⁵⁹ sn Canaanites. These were the indigenous peoples of the land, going back to the beginning of recorded history (ca. 3000 b.c.). The OT identifies them as descendants of Ham (Gen 10:6), the only Hamites to have settled north and east of Egypt.

⁶⁰ sn Perizzites. This is probably a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).

⁶¹ sn Hivites. These are usually thought to be the same as the Hurrians, a people well-known in ancient Near Eastern texts. They are likely identical to the Horites (see note on the term “Horites” in Deut 2:12).

⁶² sn Jebusites. These inhabited the hill country, particularly in and about Jerusalem (cf. Num 13:29; Josh 15:8; 2 Sam 5:6; 24:16).

⁶³ sn Seven. This is an ideal number in the OT, one symbolizing fullness or completeness. Therefore, the intent of the text here is not to be precise and list all of Israel’s enemies but simply to state that Israel will have a full complement of foes to deal with. For other lists of Canaanites, some with fewer than seven peoples, see Exod 3:8; 13:5; 23:23, 28; 33:2; 34:11; Deut 20:17; Josh 3:10; 9:1; 24:11. Moreover, the “Table of Nations” (Gen 10:15-19) suggests that all of these (possibly excepting the Perizzites) were offspring of Canaan and therefore Canaanites.

⁶⁴ tn That is, “set apart.”

⁶⁵ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

⁶⁶ tn Or “treasured” (so NIV, NRSV); NLT “his own special treasure.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.

⁶⁷ tn Heb “the God.” The article here expresses uniqueness; cf. TEV “is the only God”; NLT “is indeed God.”

⁶⁸ tn Heb “who keeps covenant and loyalty.” The syndetic construction of בְּרִית (bÿrit) and חֶסֶד (khesed) should be understood not as “covenant” plus “loyalty” but as an adverbial construction in which חֶסֶד (“loyalty”) modifies the verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “keeps”).

⁶⁹ tn Heb “devour” (so NRSV); KJV, NAB, NASB “consume.” The verbal form (a perfect with vav consecutive) is understood here as having an imperatival or obligatory nuance (cf. the instructions and commands that follow). Another option is to take the statement as a continuation of the preceding conditional promises and translate “and you will destroy.”

⁷⁰ tn Or “serve” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

⁷¹ tn Heb “testings” (so NAB), a reference to the plagues. See note at 4:34.

⁷² tn Heb “the strong hand and outstretched arm.” See 4:34.

⁷³ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

⁷⁴ tn The singular term (מִצְוָה, mitsvah) includes the whole corpus of covenant stipulations, certainly the book of Deuteronomy at least (cf. Deut 5:28; 6:1, 25; 7:11; 11:8, 22; 15:5; 17:20; 19:9; 27:1; 30:11; 31:5). The plural (מִצְוֹת, mitsot) refers to individual stipulations (as in vv. 2, 6).

⁷⁵ tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation (likewise in v. 11).

⁷⁶ tn Heb “multiply” (so KJV, NASB, NLT); NIV, NRSV “increase.”

⁷⁷ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 16, 18).

⁷⁸ tn Heb “manna which you and your ancestors did not know.” By popular etymology the word “manna” comes from the Hebrew phrase מָן הוּא (man hu’), i.e., “What is it?” (Exod 16:15). The question remains unanswered to this very day. Elsewhere the material is said to be “white like coriander seed” with “a taste like honey cakes” (Exod 16:31; cf. Num 11:7). Modern attempts to associate it with various desert plants are unsuccessful for the text says it was a new thing and, furthermore, one that appeared and disappeared miraculously (Exod 16:21-27).

⁷⁹ tn Heb “in order to make known to you.” In the Hebrew text this statement is subordinated to what precedes, resulting in a very long sentence in English. The translation makes this statement a separate sentence for stylistic reasons.

⁸⁰ tn Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).

⁸¹ tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. CEV).

⁸² sn Jesus quoted this text to the devil in the midst of his forty-day fast to make the point that spiritual nourishment is incomparably more important than mere physical bread (Matt 4:4; cf. Luke 4:4).

⁸³ tn Heb “if forgetting, you forget.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis; the translation indicates this with the words “at all” (cf. KJV).

⁸⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style to avoid redundancy.

⁸⁵ tn Heb “stiff-necked” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).

sn The Hebrew word translated stubborn means “stiff-necked.” The image is that of a draft animal that is unsubmissive to the rein or yoke and refuses to bend its neck to draw the load. This is an apt description of OT Israel (Exod 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9; Deut 9:13).

⁸⁶ tn By juxtaposing the positive זְכֹר (zekhor, “remember”) with the negative אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח (’al-tishÿkakh, “do not forget”), Moses makes a most emphatic plea.

⁸⁷ tn Heb “the Lord” (likewise in the following verse with both “him” and “he”). See note on “he” in 9:3.

⁸⁸ tn Heb “in the mountain.” The demonstrative pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁸⁹ sn The very finger of God. This is a double figure of speech (1) in which God is ascribed human features (anthropomorphism) and (2) in which a part stands for the whole (synecdoche). That is, God, as Spirit, has no literal finger nor, if he had, would he write with his finger. Rather, the sense is that God himself – not Moses in any way – was responsible for the composition of the Ten Commandments (cf. Exod 31:18; 32:16; 34:1).

⁹⁰ tn Heb “according to all the words.”

⁹¹ tn Heb “the Lord” (likewise at the beginning of vv. 12, 13). See note on “he” in 9:3.

⁹² tn On the phrase “metal calf,” see note on the term “metal image” in v. 12.

⁹³ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

⁹⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

⁹⁵ tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord your God,” that is, against the commandment that he had spoken.

⁹⁶ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

⁹⁷ tn Heb “Lord Lord” (אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, ’adonay yÿhvih). The phrase is customarily rendered by Jewish tradition as “Lord God” (אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהִים, ’adonay ’elohim). See also the note on the phrase “Lord God” in Deut 3:24.

⁹⁸ tn Heb “your inheritance”; NLT “your special (very own NRSV) possession.” Israel is compared to landed property that one would inherit from his ancestors and pass on to his descendants.

⁹⁹ tn Heb “you have redeemed in your greatness.”

¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “by your strong hand.”

¹⁰¹ tn Or “chest” (so NIV, CEV); NLT “sacred chest”; TEV “wooden box.” This chest was made of acacia wood; it is later known as the ark of the covenant.

¹⁰² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰³ tn Heb “according to the former writing.” See note on the phrase “the same words” in v. 2.

¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “ten words.” The “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the “Ten Words,” which in Greek became the “Decalogue.”

¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” earlier in this verse.

¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “to walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “follow his ways exactly”; NLT “to live according to his will.”

¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

¹¹⁰ tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being”; NCV “with your whole being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

¹¹¹ tn Heb “that not.” The words “I am speaking” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹¹² tn Heb “who have not known and who have not seen the discipline of the Lord.” The collocation of the verbs “know” and “see” indicates that personal experience (knowing by seeing) is in view. The term translated “discipline” (KJV, ASV “chastisement”) may also be rendered “instruction,” but vv. 2b-6 indicate that the referent of the term is the various acts of divine judgment the Israelites had witnessed.

¹¹³ tn The words “which revealed” have been supplied in the translation to show the logical relationship between the terms that follow and the divine judgments. In the Hebrew text the former are in apposition to the latter.

¹¹⁴ tn Heb “his strong hand and his stretched-out arm.”

¹¹⁵ 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.”

¹¹⁶ 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).

¹¹⁷ tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

¹¹⁸ tn Heb “like the days of the heavens upon the earth,” that is, forever.

¹¹⁹ tn Heb “this commandment.” See note at Deut 5:30.

¹²⁰ tn Heb “commanding you to do it.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation and “to do it” has been left untranslated.

¹²¹ tn Heb “walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV); TEV “do everything he commands.”

¹²² tn Heb “fathers.”

¹²³ tn Heb “you must be careful to obey in the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days which you live in the land.” This adverbial statement modifies “to obey,” not “to possess,” so the order in the translation has been rearranged to make this clear.

¹²⁴ tn Heb “within your gates” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “who belongs to your community.”

¹²⁵ sn They have no allotment or inheritance with you. See note on the word “inheritance” in Deut 10:9.

¹²⁶ tn Heb “for my soul desires to eat meat.”

¹²⁷ tn Heb “according to all the desire of your soul you may eat meat.”

¹²⁸ tc Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.” The LXX adds “your God” to create the common formula, “the Lord your God.” The MT is preferred precisely because it does not include the stereotyped formula; thus it more likely preserves the original text.

¹²⁹ sn These other sacrifices would be so-called peace or fellowship offerings whose ritual required a different use of the blood from that of burnt (sin and trespass) offerings (cf. Lev 3; 7:11-14, 19-21).

¹³⁰ tn Heb “on the altar of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

¹³¹ tn Heb “you must not do thus to/for the Lord your God.”

¹³² tn See note on this term at Deut 7:25.

¹³³ tn Heb “every abomination of the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 27.

¹³⁴ tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.

¹³⁵ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

¹³⁶ tn Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

¹³⁷ 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).

¹³⁸ tn Or “anything that has been put under the divine curse”; Heb “anything of the ban” (cf. NASB). See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.

¹³⁹ tn Or “set apart.”

¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “The Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

¹⁴¹ tn Or “treasured.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.

sn The Hebrew term translated “select” (and the whole verse) is reminiscent of the classic covenant text (Exod 19:4-6) which describes Israel’s entry into covenant relationship with the Lord. Israel must resist paganism and its trappings precisely because she is a holy people elected by the Lord from among the nations to be his instrument of world redemption (cf. Deut 7:6; 26:18; Ps 135:4; Mal 3:17; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9).

¹⁴² 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.

¹⁴³ tn Heb “gates.”

¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).

¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “from your needy brother.”

¹⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “by all means.”

¹⁴⁷ tc Heb “your heart must not be grieved in giving to him.” The LXX and Orig add, “you shall surely lend to him sufficient for his need,” a suggestion based on the same basic idea in v. 8. Such slavish adherence to stock phrases is without warrant in most cases, and certainly here.

¹⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁנֶה (mishneh, “twice”) could mean “equivalent to” (cf. NRSV) or, more likely, “double” (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). The idea is that a hired worker would put in only so many hours per day whereas a bondslave was available around the clock.

¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “sanctify” (תַּקְדִּישׁ, taqdish), that is, put to use on behalf of the Lord.

¹⁵⁰ tn The words “on that day” are not in the Hebrew text; they are supplied in the translation for clarification (cf. TEV, NLT).

¹⁵¹ tn The Hebrew phrase חַג שָׁבֻעוֹת (khag shavu’ot) is otherwise known in the OT (Exod 23:16) as קָצִיר (qatsir, “harvest”) and in the NT as πεντηχοστή (penthcosth, “Pentecost”).

¹⁵² tn Heb “the sufficiency of the offering of your hand.”

¹⁵³ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 16:1.

¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 16:1.

¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 16:1.

¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “in all the work of your hands” (so NASB, NIV); NAB, NRSV “in all your undertakings.”

¹⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew term וְשֹׁטְרִים (vÿshoterim), usually translated “officers” (KJV, NCV) or “officials” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), derives from the verb שֹׁטֵר (shoter, “to write”). The noun became generic for all types of public officials. Here, however, it may be appositionally epexegetical to “judges,” thus resulting in the phrase, “judges, that is, civil officers,” etc. Whoever the שֹׁטְרִים are, their task here consists of rendering judgments and administering justice.

¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “gates.”

¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “with judgment of righteousness”; ASV, NASB “with righteous judgment.”

¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “between blood and blood.”

¹⁶¹ tn Heb “between claim and claim.”

¹⁶² tn Heb “between blow and blow.”

¹⁶³ tn Heb “gates.”

¹⁶⁴ tc Several Greek recensions add “to place his name there,” thus completing the usual formula to describe the central sanctuary (cf. Deut 12:5, 11, 14, 18; 16:6). However, the context suggests that the local Levitical towns, and not the central sanctuary, are in mind.

¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “who acts presumptuously not to listen” (cf. NASB).

¹⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “without fail.”

¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “your brothers,” but not referring to siblings (cf. NIV “your brother Israelites”; NLT “a fellow Israelite”). The same phrase also occurs in v. 20.

¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “your brothers.” See the preceding note on “fellow citizens.”

¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “in order to multiply horses.” The translation uses “do so” in place of “multiply horses” to avoid redundancy (cf. NAB, NIV).

¹⁷⁰ tn The MT places the terms “priests” and “Levites” in apposition, thus creating an epexegetical construction in which the second term qualifies the first, i.e., “Levitical priests.” This is a way of asserting their legitimacy as true priests. The Syriac renders “to the priest and to the Levite,” making a distinction between the two, but one that is out of place here.

¹⁷¹ sn Of his inheritance. This is a figurative way of speaking of the produce of the land the Lord will give to his people. It is the Lord’s inheritance, but the Levites are allowed to eat it since they themselves have no inheritance among the other tribes of Israel.

¹⁷² tn Heb “according to all the desire of his soul.”

¹⁷³ tn Or “sojourning.” The verb used here refers to living temporarily in a place, not settling down.

¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “border.”

¹⁷⁵ 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).

¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today.”

¹⁷⁷ 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.

¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “border.” Cf. NRSV “You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker.”

¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “which they set off from the beginning.”

¹⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it.” This phrase has been left untranslated to avoid redundancy.

¹⁸¹ tn Heb “horse and chariot.”

¹⁸² tn Heb “people.”

¹⁸³ tn The antecedent of the relative pronoun is “cities.”

¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “any breath.”

¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “the priests, the sons of Levi.”

¹⁸⁶ 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.

¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “by their mouth.”

¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “every controversy and every blow.”

¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “Atone for.”

¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and do not place innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.”

¹⁹¹ tn Heb “a man’s clothing.”

¹⁹² tn The Hebrew term תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “offense”) speaks of anything that runs counter to ritual or moral order, especially (in the OT) to divine standards. Cross-dressing in this covenant context may suggest homosexuality, fertility cult ritual, or some other forbidden practice.

¹⁹³ tn Or “just”; Heb “righteous.”

¹⁹⁴ 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”).

¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”

¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.

¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.

¹⁹⁸ 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.

¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”

²⁰⁰ tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.

²⁰¹ tn Heb “who rise up against” (so NIV).

²⁰² tn Heb “way” (also later in this verse and in v. 25).

²⁰³ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” Because English would not typically reintroduce the proper name following a relative pronoun (“he will bless…the Lord your God is giving”), the pronoun (“he”) has been employed here in the translation.

²⁰⁴ tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “will give you a lot of children.”

²⁰⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 28:8.

²⁰⁶ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 36, 64).

²⁰⁷ tn Heb “do not hear the voice of.”

²⁰⁸ tn Heb “and overtake you” (so NIV, NRSV); NAB, NLT “and overwhelm you.”

²⁰⁹ tn Heb “the curse, the confusion, and the rebuke” (NASB and NIV similar); NRSV “disaster, panic, and frustration.”

²¹⁰ tn Heb “in all the stretching out of your hand.”

²¹¹ tc For the MT first person common singular suffix (“me”), the LXX reads either “Lord” (Lucian) or third person masculine singular suffix (“him”; various codices). The MT’s more difficult reading probably represents the original text.

tn Heb “the evil of your doings wherein you have forsaken me”; CEV “all because you rejected the Lord.”

²¹² tc The meaningless MT reading זַעֲוָה (za’avah) is clearly a transposition of the more commonly attested Hebrew noun זְוָעָה (zÿva’ah, “terror”).

²¹³ tc The LXX reads the plural “kings.”

²¹⁴ tn Heb “commanded”; NAB, NIV, TEV “he gave you.”

²¹⁵ tn Heb “lack of everything.”

²¹⁶ tn Heb “he” (also later in this verse). The pronoun is a collective singular referring to the enemies (cf. CEV, NLT). Many translations understand the singular pronoun to refer to the Lord (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV).

²¹⁷ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.”

²¹⁸ tn Some translations understand this to mean “like an eagle swoops down” (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), comparing the swift attack of an eagle to the attack of the Israelites’ enemies.

²¹⁹ tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NRSV); NASB “the offspring of your own body.”

²²⁰ tn Heb “siege and stress.”

²²¹ tn Heb “If you are not careful to do.”

²²² tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

²²³ tn Heb “have not listened to the voice of.”

²²⁴ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 28:8.

²²⁵ sn Beginning with 29:1, the verse numbers through 29:29 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 29:1 ET = 28:69 HT, 29:2 ET = 29:1 HT, 29:3 ET = 29:2 HT, etc., through 29:29 ET = 29:28 HT. With 30:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

²²⁶ sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai (which some English versions substitute here for clarity, cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

²²⁷ tn Heb “set him apart.”

²²⁸ tn Heb “for evil”; NAB “for doom”; NASB “for adversity”; NIV “for disaster”; NRSV “for calamity.”

²²⁹ tn Heb “will say and see.” One expects a quotation to appear, but it seems to be omitted. To avoid confusion in the translation, the verb “will say” is omitted.

²³⁰ tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); KJV, ASV, NIV, NRSV “children.”

²³¹ tn Heb “the blessing and the curse.”

²³² tn Heb “and you bring (them) back to your heart.”

²³³ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

²³⁴ tn Heb “circumcise” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “will give you and your descendents obedient hearts.” See note on the word “cleanse” in Deut 10:16.

²³⁵ tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).

²³⁶ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on the second occurrence of the word “he” in v. 3.

²³⁷ tn Heb “to the Lord your God.” See note on the second occurrence of the word “he” in v. 3.

²³⁸ tn Or “am no longer able to lead you” (NIV, NLT); Heb “am no longer able to go out and come in.”

²³⁹ 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”).

²⁴⁰ tc The LXX reads “by the door of the tent” in line with v. 10 but also, perhaps, as a reflection of its tendency to avoid over-familiarity with Yahweh and his transcendence.

²⁴¹ tn Heb “tent of assembly” (מוֹעֵד אֹהֶל, ’ohel mo’ed); this is not always the same as the tabernacle, which is usually called מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling-place”), a reference to its being invested with God’s presence. The “tent of meeting” was erected earlier than the tabernacle and was the place where Yahweh occasionally appeared, especially to Moses (cf. Exod 18:7-16; 33:7-11; Num 11:16, 24, 26; 12:4).

²⁴² tn Heb “I will command him.”

²⁴³ tn Heb “he.” Since the pronoun could be taken to refer to Moses, the referent has been specified as “the Lord” in the translation for clarity. See also the note on the word “you” later in this verse.

²⁴⁴ tc The LXX reads, “as the Lord promised them, and he will be with you.” This relieves the problem of Moses apparently promising to be with Joshua as the MT reads on the surface (“I will be with you”). However, the reading of the LXX is clearly an attempt to clarify an existing obscurity and therefore is unlikely to reflect the original.

²⁴⁵ tn Heb “stiffness of neck” (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV). See note on the word “stubborn” in Deut 9:6.

²⁴⁶ tn Heb “How much more after my death?” The Hebrew text has a sarcastic rhetorical question here; the translation seeks to bring out the force of the question.

²⁴⁷ tn Heb “he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁴⁸ tn The reference is to “his people/Jacob” (cf. v. 9), that is, Israel (using a collective singular). The singular pronouns are replaced by plural ones throughout vv. 10-14 by some English versions as an aid to the modern reader (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT).

²⁴⁹ tn Heb “in an empty, howling wasteland.” The word “howling” is derived from a verbal root that typically refers to the wailing of mourners. Here it likely refers to the howling of desert animals, or perhaps to the howling wind, in which case one may translate, “in an empty, windy wasteland.”

²⁵⁰ tn Heb “was surrounding him.” The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing care during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.

²⁵¹ tn Heb “he gave him understanding.” The form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.

²⁵² tn The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing protection during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.

²⁵³ tn Heb “the little man.” The term אִישׁוֹן (’ishon) means literally “little man,” perhaps because when one looks into another’s eyes he sees himself reflected there in miniature. See A. Harman, NIDOTTE 1:391.

²⁵⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form is an imperfect, indicating habitual or typical behavior. The parallel verb (cf. “hovers” in the next line) is used in the same manner.

²⁵⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁵⁶ tn The form of the suffix on this and the following verb forms (cf. “lifted him up”) indicates that the verbs are preterites, not imperfects. As such they simply state the action factually. The use of the preterite here suggests that the preceding verb (cf. “spread out”) is preterite as well.

²⁵⁷ tn The translation understands the verb in the sense of “be grieved, relent” (cf. HALOT 689 s.v. נחם hitp 2); cf. KJV, ASV “repent himself”; NLT “will change his mind.” Another option is to translate “will show compassion to” (see BDB 637 s.v. נחם); cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV.

²⁵⁸ tn Verses 39-42 appear to be a quotation of the Lord and so the introductory phrase “says the Lord” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

²⁵⁹ tn Heb “deliver from” (so NRSV, NLT).

²⁶⁰ tn The words “the blessing” are supplied in the translation for clarity and stylistic reasons.

²⁶¹ tn Heb “smash the sinews [or “loins,” so many English versions].” This part of the body was considered to be center of one’s strength (cf. Job 40:16; Ps 69:24; Prov 31:17; Nah 2:2, 11). See J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPSTC), 325.

²⁶² tn The Hebrew term מְחֹקֵק (mÿkhoqeq; Poel participle of חָקַק, khaqaq, “to inscribe”) reflects the idea that the recorder of allotments (the “ruler”) is able to set aside for himself the largest and best. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 444-45.

²⁶³ tn Heb “covered in” (if from the root סָפַן, safan; cf. HALOT 764-65 s.v. ספן qal).

²⁶⁴ tn Heb “heads” (in the sense of chieftains).

²⁶⁵ sn For the geography involved, see note on the term “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17.

map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

²⁶⁶ tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).

²⁶⁷ tn The Hebrew text includes “with your eyes,” but this is redundant in English and is left untranslated.

²⁶⁸ sn See Num 27:18.