Deuteronomy 5
1Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: ▼▼ Heb “and Moses called to all Israel and he said to them”; NAB, NASB, NIV “Moses summoned (convened NRSV) all Israel.”
“Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them! 2The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3He ▼▼ Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
did not make this covenant with our ancestors ▼▼ Heb “fathers.”
but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now. 4The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire. 5(I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the message ▼▼ Or “word” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); NRSV “words.”
of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said: The Ten Commandments
6 “I am the Lord your God, he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery. 7You must not have any other gods ▼▼ Heb “there must not be for you other gods.” The expression “for you” indicates possession.
besides me. ▼▼ Heb “upon my face,” or “before me” (עַל־פָּנָיַ, ’al-panaya). Some understand this in a locative sense: “in my sight.” The translation assumes that the phrase indicates exclusion. The idea is that of placing any other god before the Lord in the sense of taking his place. Contrary to the view of some, this does not leave the door open for a henotheistic system where the Lord is the primary god among others. In its literary context the statement must be taken in a monotheistic sense. See, e.g., 4:39; 6:13–15.
8You must not make for yourself an image ▼▼ Heb “an image, any likeness.”
of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath. ▼▼ Heb “under the earth” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); NCV “below the land.”
9You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish ▼▼ 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.
the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject ▼ me, ▼▼ 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).
10but I show covenant faithfulness ▼ to the thousands ▼▼ By a slight emendation (לַאֲלּוּפִים [la’allufim] for לַאֲלָפִים [la’alafim]) “clans” could be read in place of the MT reading “thousands.” However, no ms or versional evidence exists to support this emendation.
▼ who choose ▼ me and keep my commandments. 11You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes, ▼▼ Heb “take up the name of the Lord your God to emptiness”; KJV “take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The idea here is not cursing or profanity in the modern sense of these terms but rather the use of the divine Name for unholy, mundane purposes, that is, for meaningless (the Hebrew term is שָׁוְא) and empty ends. In ancient Israel this would include using the Lord’s name as a witness in vows one did not intend to keep.
for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way. ▼▼ Heb “who takes up his name to emptiness.”
12Be careful to observe ▼ the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13You are to work and do all your tasks in six days, 14but the seventh day is the Sabbath ▼▼ There is some degree of paronomasia (wordplay) here: “the seventh (הַשְּׁבִיעִי, hashevi’i) day is the Sabbath (שַׁבָּת, shabbat).” Otherwise, the words have nothing in common, since “Sabbath” is derived from the verb שָׁבַת (shavat, “to cease”).
of the Lord your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the foreigner who lives with you, ▼▼ Heb “in your gates”; NRSV, CEV “in your towns”; TEV “in your country.”
so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest. 15Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power. ▼▼ Heb “by a strong hand and an outstretched arm,” the hand and arm symbolizing divine activity and strength. Cf. NLT “with amazing power and mighty deeds.”
That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe ▼▼ Or “keep” (so KJV, NRSV).
the Sabbath day. 16Honor ▼▼ The imperative here means, literally, “regard as heavy” (כַּבֵּד, kabbed). The meaning is that great importance must be ascribed to parents by their children.
your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he ▼ is about to give you. 17You must not murder. ▼ 18You must not commit adultery. 19You must not steal. 20You must not offer false testimony against another. ▼ 21You must not desire ▼▼ The Hebrew verb used here (חָמַד, khamad) is different from the one translated “crave” (אָוַה, ’avah) in the next line. The former has sexual overtones (“lust” or the like; cf. Song of Sol 2:3) whereas the latter has more the idea of a desire or craving for material things.
another man’s ▼ wife, nor should you crave his ▼▼ Heb “your neighbor’s.” The pronoun is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.” ▼▼ Heb “or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The Narrative of the Sinai Revelation and Israel’s Response
22 The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said. ▼▼ Heb “and he added no more” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NLT “This was all he said at that time.”
Then he inscribed the words ▼▼ Heb “them”; the referent (the words spoken by the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 23Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me. 24You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory ▼▼ Heb “his glory and his greatness.”
and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us ▼▼ Heb “this day we have seen.”
that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living. 25But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us! If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die! 26Who is there from the entire human race ▼▼ Heb “who is there of all flesh.”
who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived? 27You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he ▼ says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.” 28When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he ▼ said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you – they have spoken well. 29If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey ▼▼ Heb “keep” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever. 30Go and tell them, ‘Return to your tents!’ 31But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments, ▼▼ Heb “commandment.” The MT actually has the singular (הַמִּצְוָה, hammitsvah), suggesting perhaps that the following terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) are in epexegetical apposition to “commandment.” That is, the phrase could be translated “the entire command, namely, the statutes and ordinances.” This would essentially make מִצְוָה (mitsvah) synonymous with תּוֹרָה (torah), the usual term for the whole collection of law.
statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.” ▼▼ Heb “to possess it” (so KJV, ASV); NLT “as their inheritance.”
32Be careful, therefore, to do exactly what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn right or left! 33Walk just as he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long ▼▼ Heb “may prolong your days”; NAB “may have long life”; TEV “will continue to live.”
in the land you are going to possess. Deuteronomy 6
Exhortation to Keep the Covenant Principles
1Now these are the commandments, ▼ statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed ▼▼ Heb “where you are going over to possess it” (so NASB); NRSV “that you are about to cross into and occupy.”
2and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments ▼ that I am giving ▼▼ Heb “commanding.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation.
you – you, your children, and your grandchildren – all your lives, to prolong your days. 3Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number ▼▼ Heb “may multiply greatly” (so NASB, NRSV); the words “in number” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
– as the Lord, God of your ancestors, ▼ said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey. The Essence of the Covenant Principles
4 Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! ▼▼ Heb “the Lord, our God, the Lord, one.” (1) One option is to translate: “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT). This would be an affirmation that the Lord was the sole object of their devotion. This interpretation finds support from the appeals to loyalty that follow (vv. 5, 14). (2) Another option is to translate: “The Lord is our God, the Lord is unique.” In this case the text would be affirming the people’s allegiance to the Lord, as well as the Lord’s superiority to all other gods. It would also imply that he is the only one worthy of their worship. Support for this view comes from parallel texts such as Deut 7:9 and 10:17, as well as the use of “one” in Song 6:8–9, where the starstruck lover declares that his beloved is unique (literally, “one,” that is, “one of a kind”) when compared to all other women.
▼▼ Verses 4–5 constitute the so-called Shema (after the first word שְׁמַע, shema’, “hear”), widely regarded as the very heart of Jewish confession and faith. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment of all, he quoted this text (Matt 22:37–38).
5You must love ▼▼ The verb אָהַב (’ahav, “to love”) in this setting communicates not so much an emotional idea as one of covenant commitment. To love the Lord is to be absolutely loyal and obedient to him in every respect, a truth Jesus himself taught (cf. John 14:15). See also the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37.
the Lord your God with your whole mind, ▼▼ Heb “heart.” In OT physiology the heart (לֵב, לֵבָב; levav, lev) was considered the seat of the mind or intellect, so that one could think with one’s heart. See A. Luc, NIDOTTE 2:749–54.
your whole being, ▼▼ Heb “soul”; “being.” Contrary to Hellenistic ideas of a soul that is discrete and separate from the body and spirit, OT anthropology equated the “soul” (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) with the person himself. It is therefore best in most cases to translate נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) as “being” or the like. See H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 10–25; D. Fredericks, NIDOTTE 3:133–34.
and all your strength. ▼ Exhortation to Teach the Covenant Principles
6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7and you must teach ▼▼ Heb “repeat” (so NLT). If from the root I שָׁנַן (shanan), the verb means essentially to “engrave,” that is, “to teach incisively” (Piel); note NAB “Drill them into your children.” Cf. BDB 1041-42 s.v.
them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, ▼▼ Or “as you are away on a journey” (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT); NAB “at home and abroad.”
as you lie down, and as you get up. 8You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm ▼▼ Tie them as a sign on your forearm. Later Jewish tradition referred to the little leather containers tied to the forearms and foreheads as tefillin. They were to contain the following passages from the Torah: Exod 13:1–10, 11–16; Deut 6:5–9; 11:13–21. The purpose was to serve as a “sign” of covenant relationship and obedience.
and fasten them as symbols ▼▼ Fasten them as symbols on your forehead. These were also known later as tefillin (see previous note) or phylacteries (from the Greek term). These box-like containers, like those on the forearms, held the same scraps of the Torah. It was the hypocritical practice of wearing these without heartfelt sincerity that caused Jesus to speak scathingly about them (cf. Matt 23:5).
on your forehead. 9Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates. ▼▼ The Hebrew term מְזוּזֹת (mezuzot) refers both to the door frames and to small cases attached on them containing scripture texts (always Deut 6:4–9 and 11:13–21; and sometimes the decalogue; Exod 13:1–10, 11–16; and Num 10:35–36). See J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPSTC), 443–44.
Exhortation to Worship the Lord Exclusively
10 Then when the Lord your God brings you to the land he promised your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you – a land with large, fine cities you did not build, 11houses filled with choice things you did not accumulate, hewn out cisterns you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – and you eat your fill, 12be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, that place of slavery. ▼▼ Heb “out of the house of slavery” (so NASB, NRSV).
13You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name. 14You must not go after other gods, those ▼▼ Heb “from the gods.” The demonstrative pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
of the surrounding peoples, 15for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God and his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land. ▼▼ Heb “lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you and destroy you from upon the surface of the ground.” Cf. KJV, ASV “from off the face of the earth.”
Exhortation to Obey the Lord Exclusively
16 You must not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. ▼▼ The place name Massah (מַסָּה, massah) derives from a root (נָסָה, nasah) meaning “to test; to try.” The reference here is to the experience in the Sinai desert when Moses struck the rock to obtain water (Exod 17:1–2). The complaining Israelites had, thus, “tested” the Lord, a wickedness that gave rise to the naming of the place (Exod 17:7; cf. Deut 9:22; 33:8).
17Keep his ▼▼ Heb “the commandments of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
commandments very carefully, ▼▼ The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb to emphasize the statement. The imperfect verbal form is used here with an obligatory nuance that can be captured in English through the imperative. Cf. NASB, NRSV “diligently keep (obey NLT).”
as well as the stipulations and statutes he commanded you to observe. 18Do whatever is proper ▼▼ Heb “upright.”
and good before the Lord so that it may go well with you and that you may enter and occupy the good land that he ▼ promised your ancestors, 19and that you may drive out all your enemies just as the Lord said. Exhortation to Remember the Past
20 When your children ▼▼ Heb “your son.”
ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?” 21you must say to them, ▼▼ Heb “to your son.”
“We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt in a powerful way. ▼ 22And he ▼ brought signs and great, devastating wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on his whole family ▼▼ Heb “house,” referring to the entire household.
before our very eyes. 23He delivered us from there so that he could give us the land he had promised our ancestors. 24The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him ▼ so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day. 25We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments ▼▼ The term “commandment” (מִצְוָה, mitsvah), here in the singular, refers to the entire body of covenant stipulations.
before the Lord our God, just as he demands.” ▼▼ Heb “as he has commanded us” (so NIV, NRSV).
Deuteronomy 7
The Dispossession of Nonvassals
1When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are going to occupy and forces out many nations before you – Hittites, ▼▼ 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.).
Girgashites, ▼▼ 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).
Amorites, ▼▼ Amorites. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200 b.c. or thereabouts.
Canaanites, ▼ Perizzites, ▼ Hivites, ▼ and Jebusites, ▼ seven ▼▼ 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.
nations more numerous and powerful than you – 2and he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
delivers them over to you and you attack them, you must utterly annihilate ▼▼ In the Hebrew text the infinitive absolute before the finite verb emphasizes the statement. The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here. Cf. ASV “shalt (must NRSV) utterly destroy them”; CEV “must destroy them without mercy.”
them. Make no treaty ▼▼ Heb “covenant” (so NASB, NRSV); TEV “alliance.”
with them and show them no mercy! 3You must not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4for they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will erupt against you and he will quickly destroy you. 5Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, ▼▼ Sacred pillars. The Hebrew word (מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) denotes a standing pillar, usually made of stone. Its purpose was to mark the presence of a shrine or altar thought to have been visited by deity. Though sometimes associated with pure worship of the Lord (Gen 28:18, 22; 31:13; 35:14; Exod 24:4), these pillars were usually associated with pagan cults and rituals (Exod 23:24; 34:13; Deut 12:3; 1 Kgs 14:23; 2 Kgs 17:10; Hos 3:4; 10:1; Jer 43:13).
cut down their sacred Asherah poles, ▼▼ Sacred Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [’asherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
and burn up their idols. 6For you are a people holy ▼▼ That is, “set apart.”
to the Lord your God. He ▼▼ Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
has chosen you to be his people, prized ▼▼ Or “treasured” (so NIV, NRSV); NLT “his own special treasure.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (segullah) 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.
above all others on the face of the earth. The Basis of Israel’s Election
7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you – for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. 8Rather it is because of his ▼ love ▼ for you and his faithfulness to the promise ▼▼ Heb “oath.” This is a reference to the promises of the so-called “Abrahamic Covenant” (cf. Gen 15:13–16).
he solemnly vowed ▼▼ Heb “swore on oath.”
to your ancestors ▼ that the Lord brought you out with great power, ▼▼ Heb “by a strong hand” (NAB similar); NLT “with such amazing power.”
redeeming ▼▼ Redeeming you from the place of slavery. The Hebrew verb translated “redeeming” (from the root פָּדָה, padah) has the idea of redemption by the payment of a ransom. The initial symbol of this was the Passover lamb, offered by Israel to the Lord as ransom in exchange for deliverance from bondage and death (Exod 12:1–14). Later, the firstborn sons of Israel, represented by the Levites, became the ransom (Num 3:11–13). These were all types of the redemption effected by the death of Christ who described his atoning work as “a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28; cf. 1 Pet 1:18).
you from the place of slavery, from the power ▼▼ Heb “hand” (so KJV, NRSV), a metaphor for power or domination.
of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9So realize that the Lord your God is the true God, ▼▼ Heb “the God.” The article here expresses uniqueness; cf. TEV “is the only God”; NLT “is indeed God.”
the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully ▼▼ Heb “who keeps covenant and loyalty.” The syndetic construction of בְּרִית (berit) 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”).
with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10but who pays back those who hate ▼ him as they deserve and destroys them. He will not ignore ▼▼ Heb “he will not hesitate concerning.”
those who hate him but will repay them as they deserve! 11So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do. Promises of Good for Covenant Obedience
12 If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you ▼ as he promised ▼▼ Heb “which he swore on oath.” The relative pronoun modifies “covenant,” so one could translate “will keep faithfully the covenant (or promise) he made on oath to your ancestors.”
your ancestors. 13He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children, ▼▼ Heb “will bless the fruit of your womb” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land which he promised your ancestors to give you. 14You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness ▼▼ One of the ironies about the promises to the patriarchs concerning offspring was the characteristic barrenness of the wives of the men to whom these pledges were made (cf. Gen 11:30; 25:21; 29:31). Their affliction is in each case described by the very Hebrew word used here (עֲקָרָה, ’aqarah), an affliction that will no longer prevail in Canaan.
among you or your livestock. 15The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead he will inflict them on all those who hate you. Exhortation to Destroy Canaanite Paganism
16 You must destroy ▼▼ 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.”
all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship ▼▼ Or “serve” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).
their gods, for that will be a snare to you. 17If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I – how can I dispossess them?” 18you must not fear them. You must carefully recall ▼▼ Heb “recalling, you must recall.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis. Cf. KJV, ASV “shalt well remember.”
what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt, 19the great judgments ▼ you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power ▼ by which he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
brought you out – thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear. 20Furthermore, the Lord your God will release hornets ▼▼ The meaning of the term translated “hornets” (צִרְעָה, tsir’ah) is debated. Various suggestions are “discouragement” (HALOT 1056-57 s.v.; cf. NEB, TEV, CEV “panic”; NCV “terror”) and “leprosy” (J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [JPSTC], 360, n. 33; cf. NRSV “the pestilence”), as well as “hornet” (BDB 864 s.v.; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). The latter seems most suitable to the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “send”; cf. Exod 23:28; Josh 24:12).
among them until the very last ones who hide from you ▼▼ Heb “the remnant and those who hide themselves.”
perish. 21You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God. 22He, ▼ the God who leads you, will expel the nations little by little. You will not be allowed to destroy them all at once lest the wild animals overrun you. 23The Lord your God will give them over to you; he will throw them into a great panic ▼▼ Heb “he will confuse them (with) great confusion.” The verb used here means “shake, stir up” (see Ruth 1:19; 1 Sam 4:5; 1 Kgs 1:45; Ps 55:2); the accompanying cognate noun refers to confusion, unrest, havoc, or panic (1 Sam 5:9, 11; 14:20; 2 Chr 15:5; Prov 15:16; Isa 22:5; Ezek 7:7; 22:5; Amos 3:9; Zech 14:13).
until they are destroyed. 24He will hand over their kings to you and you will erase their very names from memory. ▼▼ Heb “you will destroy their name from under heaven” (cf. KJV); NRSV “blot out their name from under heaven.”
Nobody will be able to resist you until you destroy them. 25You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent ▼▼ The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abhorrent; detestable”) describes anything detestable to the Lord because of its innate evil or inconsistency with his own nature and character. Frequently such things (or even persons) must be condemned to annihilation (חֵרֶם, kherem) lest they become a means of polluting or contaminating others (cf. Deut 13:17; 20:17–18). See M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 4:315.
to the Lord your God. 26You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath ▼▼ Heb “come under the ban” (so NASB); NRSV “be set apart for destruction.” The same phrase occurs again at the end of this verse.
▼ along with it. ▼▼ Or “like it is.”
You must absolutely detest ▼ and abhor it, ▼▼ Heb “detesting you must detest and abhorring you must abhor.” Both verbs are preceded by a cognate infinitive absolute indicating emphasis.
for it is an object of divine wrath. Deuteronomy 8
The Lord’s Provision in the Desert
1You must keep carefully all these commandments ▼ I am giving ▼ you today so that you may live, increase in number, ▼▼ Heb “multiply” (so KJV, NASB, NLT); NIV, NRSV “increase.”
and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors. ▼ 2Remember the whole way by which he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
has brought you these forty years through the desert ▼ so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. 3So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. ▼▼ 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).
He did this to teach you ▼▼ 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.
that humankind ▼▼ Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).
cannot live by bread ▼▼ The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. CEV).
alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. ▼ 4Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. 5Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, ▼▼ Heb “just as a man disciplines his son.” The Hebrew text reflects the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
the Lord your God disciplines you. 6So you must keep his ▼▼ Heb “the commandments of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
commandments, live according to his standards, ▼▼ Heb “by walking in his ways.” The “ways” of the Lord refer here to his moral standards as reflected in his commandments. The verb “walk” is used frequently in the Bible (both OT and NT) for one’s moral and ethical behavior.
and revere him. 7For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks, ▼▼ Or “wadis.”
springs, and fountains flowing forth in valleys and hills, 8a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, of olive trees and honey, 9a land where you may eat food ▼▼ The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. NASB, NCV, NLT) or “bread” in particular (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).
in plenty and find no lack of anything, a land whose stones are iron ▼▼ A land whose stones are iron. Since iron deposits are few and far between in Palestine, the reference here is probably to iron ore found in mines as opposed to the meteorite iron more commonly known in that area.
and from whose hills you can mine copper. 10You will eat your fill and then praise the Lord your God because of the good land he has given you. Exhortation to Remember That Blessing Comes from God
11 Be sure you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. 12When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses, 13when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything, 14be sure ▼ you do not feel self-important and forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery, 15and who brought you through the great, fearful desert of venomous serpents ▼▼ Heb “flaming serpents”; KJV, NASB “fiery serpents”; NAB “saraph serpents.” This figure of speech (metonymy) probably describes the venomous and painful results of snakebite. The feeling from such an experience would be like a burning fire (שָׂרָף, saraf).
and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow ▼▼ Heb “the one who brought out for you water.” In the Hebrew text this continues the preceding sentence, but the translation begins a new sentence here for stylistic reasons.
from a flint rock and 16fed you in the desert with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you ▼ and eventually bring good to you. 17Be careful ▼ not to say, “My own ability and skill ▼▼ Heb “my strength and the might of my hand.”
have gotten me this wealth.” 18You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, ▼ even as he has to this day. 19Now if you forget the Lord your God at all ▼▼ Heb “if forgetting, you forget.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis; the translation indicates this with the words “at all” (cf. KJV).
and follow other gods, worshiping and prostrating yourselves before them, I testify to you today that you will surely be annihilated. 20Just like the nations the Lord is about to destroy from your sight, so he will do to you ▼▼ Heb “so you will perish.”
because you would not obey him. ▼▼ Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
Deuteronomy 9
Theological Justification of the Conquest
1Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan so you can dispossess the nations there, people greater and stronger than you who live in large cities with extremely high fortifications. ▼▼ Heb “fortified to the heavens” (so NRSV); NLT “cities with walls that reach to the sky.” This is hyperbole.
2They include the Anakites, ▼ a numerous ▼▼ Heb “great and tall.” Many English versions understand this to refer to physical size or strength rather than numbers (cf. “strong,” NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT).
and tall people whom you know about and of whom it is said, “Who is able to resist the Anakites?” 3Understand today that the Lord your God who goes before you is a devouring fire; he will defeat and subdue them before you. You will dispossess and destroy them quickly just as he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style to avoid redundancy.
has told you. 4Do not think to yourself after the Lord your God has driven them out before you, “Because of my own righteousness the Lord has brought me here to possess this land.” It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out ahead of you. 5It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness, ▼▼ Heb “uprightness of your heart” (so NASB, NRSV). The Hebrew word צְדָקָה (tsedaqah, “righteousness”), though essentially synonymous here with יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”), carries the idea of conformity to an objective standard. The term יֹשֶׁר has more to do with an inner, moral quality (cf. NAB, NIV “integrity”). Neither, however, was grounds for the Lord’s favor. As he states in both vv. 4–5, the main reason he allowed Israel to take this land was the sinfulness of the Canaanites who lived there (cf. Gen 15:16).
that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he ▼ made on oath to your ancestors, ▼▼ Heb “fathers.”
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6Understand, therefore, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is about to give you this good land as a possession, for you are a stubborn ▼▼ Heb “stiff-necked” (so KJV, NAB, NIV).
▼ people! The History of Israel’s Stubbornness
7 Remember – don’t ever forget ▼▼ By juxtaposing the positive זְכֹר (zekhor, “remember”) with the negative אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח (’al-tishekakh, “do not forget”), Moses makes a most emphatic plea.
– how you provoked the Lord your God in the desert; from the time you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place you were constantly rebelling against him. ▼ 8At Horeb you provoked him and he was angry enough with you to destroy you. 9When I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord made with you, I remained there ▼▼ Heb “in the mountain.” The demonstrative pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
forty days and nights, eating and drinking nothing. 10The Lord gave me the two stone tablets, written by the very finger ▼▼ 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).
of God, and on them was everything ▼▼ Heb “according to all the words.”
he ▼ said to you at the mountain from the midst of the fire at the time of that assembly. 11Now at the end of the forty days and nights the Lord presented me with the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. 12And he said to me, “Get up, go down at once from here because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have sinned! They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a cast metal image.” ▼ 13Moreover, he said to me, “I have taken note of these people; they are a stubborn ▼ lot! 14Stand aside ▼▼ Heb “leave me alone.”
and I will destroy them, obliterating their very name from memory, ▼▼ Heb “from under heaven.”
and I will make you into a stronger and more numerous nation than they are.” 15 So I turned and went down the mountain while it ▼
▼ Heb “the mountain.” The translation uses a pronoun for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
was blazing with fire; the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. 16When I looked, you had indeed sinned against the Lord your God and had cast for yourselves a metal calf; ▼ you had quickly turned aside from the way he ▼ had commanded you! 17I grabbed the two tablets, threw them down, ▼▼ The Hebrew text includes “from upon my two hands,” but as this seems somewhat obvious and redundant, it has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
and shattered them before your very eyes. 18Then I again fell down before the Lord for forty days and nights; I ate and drank nothing because of all the sin you had committed, doing such evil before the Lord as to enrage him. 19For I was terrified at the Lord’s intense anger ▼▼ Heb “the anger and the wrath.” Although many English versions translate as two terms, this construction is a hendiadys which serves to intensify the emotion (cf. NAB, TEV “fierce anger”).
that threatened to destroy you. But he ▼ listened to me this time as well. 20The Lord was also angry enough at Aaron to kill him, but at that time I prayed for him ▼▼ Heb “Aaron.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid redundancy.
too. 21As for your sinful thing ▼▼ Heb “your sin.” This is a metonymy in which the effect (sin) stands for the cause (the metal calf).
that you had made, the calf, I took it, melted it down, ▼▼ Heb “burned it with fire.”
ground it up until it was as fine as dust, and tossed the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain. 22Moreover, you continued to provoke the Lord at Taberah, ▼▼ Taberah. By popular etymology this derives from the Hebrew verb בָעַר (ba’ar, “to burn”), thus, here, “burning.” The reference is to the Lord’s fiery wrath against Israel because of their constant complaints against him (Num 11:1–3).
Massah, ▼ and Kibroth-Hattaavah. ▼▼ Kibroth-Hattaavah. This place name means in Hebrew “burial places of appetite,” that is, graves that resulted from overindulgence. The reference is to the Israelites stuffing themselves with the quail God had provided and doing so with thanklessness (Num 11:31–35).
23And when he ▼ sent you from Kadesh-Barnea and told you, “Go up and possess the land I have given you,” you rebelled against the Lord your God ▼▼ Heb “the mouth of the Lord your God,” that is, against the commandment that he had spoken.
and would neither believe nor obey him. 24You have been rebelling against him ▼ from the very first day I knew you! Moses’ Plea on Behalf of the Lord’s Reputation
25 I lay flat on the ground before the Lord for forty days and nights, ▼▼ The Hebrew text includes “when I prostrated myself.” Since this is redundant, it has been left untranslated.
for he ▼ had said he would destroy you. 26I prayed to him: ▼ O, Lord God, ▼ do not destroy your people, your valued property ▼▼ 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.
that you have powerfully redeemed, ▼▼ Heb “you have redeemed in your greatness.”
whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength. ▼▼ Heb “by your strong hand.”
27Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people. 28Otherwise the people of the land ▼▼ The MT reads only “the land.” Smr supplies עַם (’am, “people”) and LXX and its dependents supply “the inhabitants of the land.” The truncated form found in the MT is adequate to communicate the intended meaning; the words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
from which you brought us will say, “The Lord was unable to bring them to the land he promised them, and because of his hatred for them he has brought them out to kill them in the desert.” ▼▼ Or “wilderness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
29They are your people, your valued property, ▼ whom you brought out with great strength and power. ▼▼ Heb “an outstretched arm.”
Deuteronomy 10
The Opportunity to Begin Again
1At that same time the Lord said to me, “Carve out for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones and come up the mountain to me; also make for yourself a wooden ark. ▼▼ 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.
2I will write on the tablets the same words ▼▼ The same words. The care with which the replacement copy must be made underscores the importance of verbal precision in relaying the Lord’s commandments.
that were on the first tablets you broke, and you must put them into the ark.” 3So I made an ark of acacia ▼▼ Acacia wood (Heb “shittim wood”). This is wood from the acacia, the most common timber tree of the Sinai region. Most likely it is the species Acacia raddiana because this has the largest trunk. See F. N. Hepper, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Plants, 63.
wood and carved out two stone tablets just like the first ones. Then I went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. 4The Lord ▼▼ Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
then wrote on the tablets the same words, ▼ the ten commandments, ▼▼ Heb “ten words.” The “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the “Ten Words,” which in Greek became the “Decalogue.”
which he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
had spoken to you at the mountain from the middle of the fire at the time of that assembly, and he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” earlier in this verse.
gave them to me. 5Then I turned, went down the mountain, and placed the tablets into the ark I had made – they are still there, just as the Lord commanded me. Conclusion of the Historical Resume
6 “During those days the Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan ▼▼ Beeroth Bene-Yaaqan. This Hebrew name could be translated “the wells of Bene-Yaaqan” or “the wells of the sons of Yaaqan,” a site whose location cannot be determined (cf. Num 33:31–32; 1 Chr 1:42).
to Moserah. ▼ There Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar became priest in his place. 7From there they traveled to Gudgodah, ▼ and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, ▼▼ Jotbathah. This place, whose Hebrew name can be translated “place of wadis,” is possibly modern Ain Tabah, just north of Eilat, or Tabah, 6.5 mi (11 km) south of Eilat on the west shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.
a place of flowing streams. 8At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi ▼▼ The Lord set apart the tribe of Levi. This was not the initial commissioning of the tribe of Levi to this ministry (cf. Num 3:11–13; 8:12–26), but with Aaron’s death it seemed appropriate to Moses to reiterate Levi’s responsibilities. There is no reference in the Book of Numbers to this having been done, but the account of Eleazar’s succession to the priesthood there (Num 20:25–28) would provide a setting for this to have occurred.
to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate blessings ▼▼ To formulate blessings. The most famous example of this is the priestly “blessing formula” of Num 6:24–26.
in his name, as they do to this very day. 9Therefore Levi has no allotment or inheritance ▼▼ Levi has no allotment or inheritance. As the priestly tribe, Levi would have no land allotment except for forty-eight towns set apart for their use (Num 35:1–8; Josh 21:1–42). But theirs was a far greater inheritance, for the Lord himself was their apportionment, that is, service to him would be their full-time and lifelong privilege (Num 18:20–24; Deut 18:2; Josh 13:33).
among his brothers; ▼▼ That is, among the other Israelite tribes.
the Lord is his inheritance just as the Lord your God told him. 10As for me, I stayed at the mountain as I did the first time, forty days and nights. The Lord listened to me that time as well and decided not to destroy you. 11Then he ▼ said to me, “Get up, set out leading ▼▼ Heb “before” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NRSV “at the head of.”
the people so they may go and possess ▼▼ After the imperative these subordinated jussive forms (with prefixed vav) indicate purpose or result.
the land I promised to give to their ancestors.” ▼ An Exhortation to Love Both God and People
12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him, ▼ to obey all his commandments, ▼▼ Heb “to walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “follow his ways exactly”; NLT “to live according to his will.”
to love him, to serve him ▼ with all your mind and being, ▼ 13and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving ▼▼ Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation.
you today for your own good? 14The heavens – indeed the highest heavens – belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it. 15However, only to your ancestors did he ▼ show his loving favor, ▼▼ Heb “take delight to love.” Here again the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “love”), juxtaposed with בָחַר (bakhar, “choose”), is a term in covenant contexts that describes the Lord’s initiative in calling the patriarchal ancestors to be the founders of a people special to him (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37).
and he chose you, their descendants, ▼▼ The Hebrew text includes “after them,” but it is redundant in English style and has not been included in the translation.
from all peoples – as is apparent today. 16Therefore, cleanse ▼▼ Heb “circumcise the foreskin of” (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV). Reference to the Abrahamic covenant prompts Moses to recall the sign of that covenant, namely, physical circumcision (Gen 17:9–14). Just as that act signified total covenant obedience, so spiritual circumcision (cleansing of the heart) signifies more internally a commitment to be pliable and obedient to the will of God (cf. Deut 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26).
your heart and stop being so stubborn! ▼ 17For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, 18who justly treats ▼▼ Or “who executes justice for” (so NAB, NRSV); NLT “gives justice to.”
the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. 19So you must love the resident foreigner because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20Revere the Lord your God, serve him, be loyal to him and take oaths only in his name. 21He is the one you should praise; ▼▼ Heb “your praise.” The pronoun is subjective and the noun “praise” is used here metonymically for the object of their praise (the Lord).
he is your God, the one who has done these great and awesome things for you that you have seen. 22When your ancestors went down to Egypt, they numbered only seventy, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky. ▼▼ Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
Deuteronomy 11
Reiteration of the Call to Obedience
1You must love the Lord your God and do what he requires; keep his statutes, ordinances, and commandments ▼▼ This collocation of technical terms for elements of the covenant text lends support to its importance and also signals a new section of paraenesis in which Moses will exhort Israel to covenant obedience. The Hebrew term מִשְׁמָרוֹת (mishmarot, “obligations”) sums up the three terms that follow – חֻקֹּת (khuqot), מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishppatim), and מִצְוֹת (mitsot).
at all times. 2Bear in mind today that I am not speaking ▼▼ Heb “that not.” The words “I am speaking” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
to your children who have not personally experienced the judgments ▼▼ 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.
of the Lord your God, which revealed ▼▼ 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.
his greatness, strength, and power. ▼▼ Heb “his strong hand and his stretched-out arm.”
3They did not see ▼▼ In the Hebrew text vv. 2–7 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the English translation divides the passage into three sentences. To facilitate this stylistic decision the words “They did not see” are supplied at the beginning of both v. 3 and v. 5, and “I am speaking” at the beginning of v. 7.
the awesome deeds he performed ▼▼ Heb “his signs and his deeds which he did” (NRSV similar). The collocation of “signs” and “deeds” indicates that these acts were intended to make an impression on observers and reveal something about God’s power (cf. v. 2b). The word “awesome” has been employed to bring out the force of the word “signs” in this context.
in the midst of Egypt against Pharaoh king of Egypt and his whole land, 4or what he did to the army of Egypt, including their horses and chariots, when he made the waters of the Red Sea ▼▼ Heb “Reed Sea.” “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
overwhelm them while they were pursuing you and he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
annihilated them. ▼▼ Heb “and the Lord destroyed them to this day” (cf. NRSV); NLT “he has kept them devastated to this very day.” The translation uses the verb “annihilated” to indicate the permanency of the action.
5They did not see ▼ what he did to you in the desert before you reached this place, 6or what he did to Dathan and Abiram, ▼▼ Dathan and Abiram. These two (along with others) had challenged Moses’ leadership in the desert with the result that the earth beneath them opened up and they and their families disappeared (Num 16:1–3, 31–35).
sons of Eliab the Reubenite, ▼▼ Or “the descendant of Reuben”; Heb “son of Reuben.”
when the earth opened its mouth in the middle of the Israelite camp ▼▼ Heb “in the midst of all Israel” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “among all Israel.” In the Hebrew text these words appear at the end of the verse, but they are logically connected with the verbs. To make this clear the translation places the phrase after the first verb.
and swallowed them, their families, ▼▼ Heb “their houses,” referring to all who lived in their household. Cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “households.”
their tents, and all the property they brought with them. ▼▼ Heb “and all the substance which was at their feet.”
7I am speaking to you ▼ because you are the ones who saw all the great deeds of the Lord! The Abundance of the Land of Promise
8 Now pay attention to all the commandments ▼ I am giving ▼ you today, so that you may be strong enough to enter and possess the land where you are headed, ▼▼ Heb “which you are crossing over there to possess it.”
9and that you may enjoy long life in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors ▼ and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10For the land where you are headed ▼▼ Heb “you are going there to possess it”; NASB “into which you are about to cross to possess it”; NRSV “that you are crossing over to occupy.”
is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, a land where you planted seed and which you irrigated by hand ▼▼ Heb “with your foot” (so NASB, NLT). There is a two-fold significance to this phrase. First, Egypt had no rain so water supply depended on human efforts at irrigation. Second, the Nile was the source of irrigation waters but those waters sometimes had to be pumped into fields and gardens by foot-power, perhaps the kind of machinery (Arabic shaduf) still used by Egyptian farmers (see C. Aldred, The Egyptians, 181). Nevertheless, the translation uses “by hand,” since that expression is the more common English idiom for an activity performed by manual labor.
like a vegetable garden. 11Instead, the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy ▼▼ Heb “which you are crossing over there to possess it.”
is one of hills and valleys, a land that drinks in water from the rains, ▼▼ Heb “rain of heaven.”
12a land the Lord your God looks after. ▼▼ Heb “seeks.” The statement reflects the ancient belief that God (Baal in Canaanite thinking) directly controlled storms and rainfall.
He is constantly attentive to it ▼▼ Heb “the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it” (so NIV); NASB, NRSV “always on it.”
▼ from the beginning to the end of the year. ▼ 13Now, if you pay close attention ▼▼ 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.”
to my commandments that I am giving you today and love ▼ the Lord your God and serve him with all your mind and being, ▼ 14then he promises, ▼ “I will send rain for your land ▼▼ Heb “the rain of your land.” In this case the genitive (modifying term) indicates the recipient of the rain.
in its season, the autumn and the spring rains, ▼▼ The autumn and the spring rains. The “former” (יוֹרֶה, yoreh) and “latter” (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) rains come in abundance respectively in September/October and March/April. Planting of most crops takes place before the former rains fall and the harvests follow the latter rains.
so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil. 15I will provide pasture ▼▼ Heb “grass in your field.”
for your livestock and you will eat your fill.” Exhortation to Instruction and Obedience
16 Make sure you do not turn away to serve and worship other gods! ▼▼ Heb “Watch yourselves lest your heart turns and you turn aside and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
17Then the anger of the Lord will erupt ▼▼ Heb “will become hot”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “will be kindled”; NAB “will flare up”; NIV, NLT “will burn.”
against you and he will close up the sky ▼▼ Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
so that it does not rain. The land will not yield its produce, and you will soon be removed ▼▼ Or “be destroyed”; NAB, NIV “will soon perish.”
from the good land that the Lord ▼ is about to give you. 18Fix these words of mine into your mind and being, ▼ and tie them as a reminder on your hands and let them be symbols ▼▼ On the Hebrew term טוֹטָפֹת (totafot, “reminders”), cf. Deut 6:4–9.
on your forehead. 19Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, ▼▼ Or “as you are away on a journey” (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT); NAB “at home and abroad.”
as you lie down, and as you get up. 20Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates 21so that your days and those of your descendants may be extended in the land which the Lord promised to give to your ancestors, like the days of heaven itself. ▼▼ Heb “like the days of the heavens upon the earth,” that is, forever.
22For if you carefully observe all of these commandments ▼ I am giving you ▼▼ 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.
and love the Lord your God, live according to his standards, ▼▼ Heb “walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV); TEV “do everything he commands.”
and remain loyal to him, 23then he ▼▼ Heb “the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
will drive out all these nations ahead of you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you. 24Every place you set your foot ▼ will be yours; your border will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the River (that is, the Euphrates) as far as the Mediterranean Sea. ▼▼ Heb “the after sea,” that is, the sea behind one when one is facing east, which is the normal OT orientation. Cf. ASV “the hinder sea.”
25Nobody will be able to resist you; the Lord your God will spread the fear and terror of you over the whole land on which you walk, just as he promised you. Anticipation of a Blessing and Cursing Ceremony
26 Take note – I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: ▼▼ A blessing and a curse. Every extant treaty text of the late Bronze Age attests to a section known as the “blessings and curses,” the former for covenant loyalty and the latter for covenant breach. Blessings were promised rewards for obedience; curses were threatened judgments for disobedience. In the Book of Deuteronomy these are fully developed in 27:1–28:68. Here Moses adumbrates the whole by way of anticipation.
27the blessing if you take to heart ▼▼ Heb “listen to,” that is, obey.
the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, 28and the curse if you pay no attention ▼▼ Heb “do not listen to,” that is, do not obey.
to his ▼▼ Heb “the commandments of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
commandments and turn from the way I am setting before ▼▼ Heb “am commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
you today to pursue ▼▼ Heb “walk after”; NIV “by following”; NLT “by worshiping.” This is a violation of the first commandment, the most serious of the covenant violations (Deut 5:6–7).
other gods you have not known. 29When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are to possess, you must pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. ▼▼ Mount Gerizim…Mount Ebal. These two mountains are near the ancient site of Shechem and the modern city of Nablus. The valley between them is like a great amphitheater with the mountain slopes as seating sections. The place was sacred because it was there that Abraham pitched his camp and built his first altar after coming to Canaan (Gen 12:6). Jacob also settled at Shechem for a time and dug a well from which Jesus once requested a drink of water (Gen 33:18–20; John 4:5–7). When Joshua and the Israelites finally brought Canaan under control they assembled at Shechem as Moses commanded and undertook a ritual of covenant reaffirmation (Josh 8:30–35; 24:1, 25). Half the tribes stood on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal and in antiphonal chorus pledged their loyalty to the Lord before Joshua and the Levites who stood in the valley below (Josh 8:33; cf. Deut 27:11–13).
30Are they not across the Jordan River, ▼▼ The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
toward the west, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah opposite Gilgal ▼ near the oak ▼▼ The MT plural “oaks” (אֵלוֹנֵי, ’eloney) should probably be altered (with many Greek texts) to the singular “oak” (אֵלוֹן, ’elon; cf. NRSV) in line with the only other occurrence of the phrase (Gen 12:6). The Syriac, Tg. Ps.-J. read mmrʾ, confusing this place with the “oaks of Mamre” near Hebron (Gen 13:18). Smr also appears to confuse “Moreh” with “Mamre” (reading mwr’, a combined form), adding the clarification mwl shkm (“near Shechem”) apparently to distinguish it from Mamre near Hebron.
of Moreh? 31For you are about to cross the Jordan to possess the land the Lord your God is giving you, and you will possess and inhabit it. 32Be certain to keep all the statutes and ordinances that I am presenting to you today.
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