Acacia wood: the Hebrew is “shittim [wood],” a word that appears in the place-name “Abel-shittim” (Num 33.49), which, for obvious reasons, Good News Translation translates “Acacia Valley.” It was a durable wood, brownish orange in color, and these trees are still found in that part of the world. Where the acacia tree is unknown, we may say, for example, “wood from the tree called ‘acacia,’ ” and then, when the term appears again, leave out the phrase “tree called.” It will also be helpful to include a note in the Glossary describing this tree.

Like the first: exactly like the first two stone tablets, which God had made.

In my hand: the normal way of saying this in English is “in my hands” (New International Version, Revised English Bible); or else we may use the verb “holding…” or “carrying [the two tablets].”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .