¹ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates by “make certain.”

² tn Heb “hung,” but this could convey the wrong image in English (hanging with a rope as a means of execution). Cf. NCV “anyone whose body is displayed on a tree.”

³ sn The idea behind the phrase cursed by God seems to be not that the person was impaled because he was cursed but that to leave him exposed there was to invite the curse of God upon the whole land. Why this would be so is not clear, though the rabbinic idea that even a criminal is created in the image of God may give some clue (thus J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [JPSTC], 198). Paul cites this text (see Gal 3:13) to make the point that Christ, suspended from a cross, thereby took upon himself the curse associated with such a display of divine wrath and judgment (T. George, Galatians [NAC], 238-39).

⁴ tn Heb “to return to take her to be his wife.”

⁵ sn The issue here is not divorce and its grounds per se but prohibition of remarriage to a mate whom one has previously divorced.

⁶ tn Heb “cause the land to sin” (so KJV, ASV).

⁷ tn Heb “ the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

⁸ tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it.”

⁹ tn Or “from beneath the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

¹⁰ sn This command is fulfilled in 1 Sam 15:1-33.