¹ tn The translation assumes the reference is to Israel’s God in which case the point is this: God’s intervention in Israel’s experience is unique in the sense that he has never intervened in such power for any other people on earth. The focus is on the uniqueness of Israel’s experience. Some understand the divine name here in a generic sense, “a god,” or “any god.” In this case God’s incomparability is the focus (cf. v. 35, where this theme is expressed).

² tn Heb “tried to go to take for himself.”

³ tn Heb “by testings.” The reference here is the judgments upon Pharaoh in the form of plagues. See Deut 7:19 (cf. v. 18) and 29:3 (cf. v. 2).

⁴ tn Heb “by strong hand and by outstretched arm.”

⁵ tn Heb “his glory and his greatness.”

⁶ tn Heb “this day we have seen.”

⁷ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 12:5.

⁸ tn See note at Deut 12:12.

⁹ tn Heb “in all the sending forth of your hands.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.

¹¹ tn Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namely, high treason against the Great King. Idolatry is a violation of the first two commandments (Deut 5:6-10) as well as the spirit and intent of the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).

¹² tn This refers to wine in the early stages of fermentation. In its later stages it becomes wine (יַיִן, yayin) in its mature sense.

¹³ tn The Hebrew text uses the collective singular in this verse: “my God…lest I die.”

¹⁴ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates by “make certain.”

¹⁵ 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.”

¹⁶ 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).

¹⁷ tn Here the Hebrew term זוֹנָה (zonah) refers to a noncultic (i.e., “secular”) female prostitute; see note on the phrase “sacred prostitute” in v. 17.

¹⁸ tn Heb “of a dog.” This is the common Hebrew term for a noncultic (i.e., “secular”) male prostitute. See note on the phrase “sacred male prostitute” in v. 17.

¹⁹ tn Heb “fathers.”

²⁰ tc The MT reads “hand” (singular). Most versions read the plural.

²¹ tn Heb “the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV); NRSV “of your body.”

²² tn Heb “return and.” The Hebrew verb is used idiomatically here to indicate the repetition of the following action.

²³ tn The Hebrew text includes “for good.”

²⁴ tc A number of LXX mss insert before this verse, “if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God,” thus translating אֲשֶׁר (’asher) as “which” and the rest as “I am commanding you today, to love,” etc., “then you will live,” etc.

²⁵ tn Heb “which you are going there to possess it.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.