Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 33:21

He chose the best of the land for himself: that is, in the division of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes. Another way to express this is “You chose the best of the land for yourselves.”

A commander’s portion: this means “a larger share,” which would be given to a leader.

And he came to the heads of the people: New Revised Standard Version has “he came at the head of the people.” However, Good News Translation and others follow the text of old translations and take the meaning as “the leaders of Israel” (see the Good News Translation footnote). This gives the sense that, when the tribal leaders came together to divide the land, they decided that the tribe of Gad should have “a ruler’s portion.”

Revised Standard Version indicates no textual problems here; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, however, notes that the meaning of the whole of verse 21 is uncertain. A change to the way the text of the first three lines is read is proposed by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project ({C} rating), resulting in the following: “He chose the best portion for himself, for (where) the portion of the commander (was) there the chiefs of the people gathered together.” In this restructured text the second line is joined to the third, not to the first. There seem to be as many solutions to this problem as there are translations.

Out of the many possibilities it is recommended that Revised English Bible serve as the basic text:

• He chose the best for himself,
for to him was allotted a ruler’s portion,
when the chiefs of the people were gathered together.

We may reorder the first three lines of the verse as follows:

• When the tribal leaders met together
they assigned the best of the land to you;
it was a ruler’s portion.

Revised Standard Version has reversed the order of the last two lines, translating with Israel he executed the commands and just decrees of the LORD. It is recommended that this rendition be ignored completely. New Revised Standard Version “he executed the justice of the LORD, and his ordinances for Israel” is better. For “ordinances” see 4.1.

The last two parallel lines may be translated as follows:

• When the leaders of Israel were gathered together,
he [Gad] carried out the LORD’s righteous will
and his ordinances [or, laws] for the people of Israel.

If translators choose to follow the radical restructuring of the first three lines of the verse suggested above, a possible model for the whole verse is:

• When the leaders of the tribes met together,
they assigned the best of the land to you—
the ruler’s portion.
You also carried out the LORD’s righteous will
and his ordinances for the people of Israel.

The following is offered as another possible model:

• He chose the best of the land for himself;
When the leaders of the tribes gathered together
They assigned a leader’s share to him.
He carried out the LORD’s righteous will,
He obeyed the laws that the LORD gave to the people of Israel.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 17:2

Verses 2-5 are one sentence, which must be broken up into smaller units. The passage has to do with what should be done to a person who leads a fellow-Israelite to worship idols. This is an example of what is called “casuistic law,” in which a possible criminal activity is described, and instructions are given on what to do should such a thing occur. For this reason Good News Translation begins with “Suppose you hear…”; Revised English Bible has “Should there be found…,” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “It is possible that…,” Bible en français courant “Perhaps some day….”

If there is found among you: the passive verb may be difficult to represent in translation; the clause means “Should it happen that…,” or “Suppose it happens that…,” and it introduces a hypothetical situation (a situation that may not have happened yet, but may come about in the future). The clause may be rendered as a conditional clause, “If any Israelite man or woman living in any of the towns that the LORD your God is going to give you does….” Good News Translation “Suppose you hear that…” or Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “It is possible that…” are other possible models.

Does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God: this is basically a way of saying “breaks God’s law,” “disobeys God,” or else “sins against the LORD your God” (see Good News Translation; see 4.25; 9.18). For the LORD your God see 1.6.

In transgressing his covenant: this is the sin the person has actually committed. For covenant see 4.13. Since by definition a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, it may be necessary to say “breaking [or, violating] the covenant that God has made with you.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 28:58

With the beginning of a new section, Moses should be reintroduced as the speaker.

If you are not careful to do all the words of this law which are written in this book: here the writer abandons the point of view that all these words were spoken by Moses in Moab; Moses could hardly refer to this book, that is, the book we call Deuteronomy, as though it were already in existence. For this law see also 1.5.

That you may fear this glorious and awful name: New Revised Standard Version is better English, “fearing this glorious and awesome name.” Good News Translation expresses the verse more clearly: “If you do not obey … and if you do not honor….” To fear here means to “respect,” “honor,” “revere” (see 4.10).

Glorious and awful: or “majestic and awesome.” In some languages we may say something like “the great name that inspires [or, causes] fear.”

The LORD your God: this is the very name they must honor and respect.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:24

And they turned and went up: as in verse 7, this means “They set out and went up” (New Revised Standard Version). Since the hill country is where they go, “went up” is quite appropriate.

And came: or, “and arrived.”

Valley of Eshcol: as commentators point out, “wadi” is a better translation of the Hebrew word than “valley,” since this is not a valley in the normal sense of the word. Rather, it is a ravine or watercourse that is dry during the dry season but that can become a torrent in the rainy season. However, in cultures where dry ravines or wadis like this do not exist, it will be better to translate “the dry river valley named Eshcol,” with a footnote explaining what a “wadi” is like. The name Eshcol means “cluster,” a reflection of the fruit that grew there (next verse), especially the grapes (Num 13.22-24); Contemporary English Version has “Bunch Valley.” It was located in the region of Hebron, but its exact site is unknown.

Spied it out: or “explored it” (Good News Translation).

As the verse stands, it seems to say that the twelve spies explored only the Valley of Eshcol. But it is more reasonable to assume that, as Revised English Bible has it, “they reconnoitered as far as the wadi of Eshcol,” or we may say “they explored as far as the dry river valley [or, wadi] named Eshcol.” It is recommended that translators follow one of these models.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 2:20 - 2:22

Verses 20-23 are another explanatory note that disrupts the narrative. It is well to place these verses within parentheses, as Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and others do. The speech of Yahweh resumes at verse 24.

Verse 20 speaks of an ancient race of giants known by some as Rephaim and by others as Zamzummim. The suffix -im is the Hebrew pluralizer. For Rephaim see verse 11. The origin of Zamzummim is uncertain; some think it was an insulting term used by the Ammonites, but this cannot be proved. This name will have to be transliterated, like any other personal name.

In verse 21 a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim is exactly like the wording in verse 10. The rest of the verse is virtually like verse 12, except that here Yahweh is named as the one who destroys them. Dispossessed them means “to drive out” or “dislodge” the inhabitants. Good News Translation has “took over their land.”

Verse 22 describes the same kind of event with the same kind of language. At the end of the verse, and settled in their stead even to this day is better expressed by Good News Translation “and settled there, where they still live.”

To this day: some translations may wish to imitate Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, which here and elsewhere includes a footnote:
to this day: that is, until the time this account was written.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 3:21

Joshua has seen how Yahweh enabled the Israelites to defeat Kings Sihon and Og (these two kings—which Good News Translation makes clear) and occupy their lands; and Yahweh will do the same in all the kingdoms the Israelites will invade in Canaan, west of the Jordan.

All that the LORD your God has done to these two kings may be alternatively expressed as “how the LORD our [inclusive] God has helped us to destroy King Sihon and King Og.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 4:28

In those foreign countries, where they will live as exiles, the Israelites will worship pagan gods, lifeless idols. There is no hint in the text that their conquerors will force them to do this, it is rather that on their own they will eventually worship the pagan deities.

Serve: that is, worship (see verse 19).

The gods of wood and stone are man-made idols, the work of men’s hands; therefore they cannot see, hear, eat, or smell (see Psa 115.4-6; 135.15-17). In some languages this first sentence will be expressed as “There you will worship idols made of wood and stone that represent gods…” or “… likenesses of gods that they have made out of wood….” See the comments on “graven image” in 4.16.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 5:17

You shall not kill: this does not include all killings (of people), such as killing in war or the execution of criminals. It is more narrowly restricted to murder, that is, the deliberate killing of a fellow human being. In English, at least, the proper translation is “You shall not murder” (Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version, Revised English Bible). This also is the proper translation of the citation of this commandment in the New Testament (Matt 5.21; 19.18; Mark 10.29; Luke 18.20; Rom 13.9; James 2.11). In languages where the various terms for killing are not clearly defined, it may be better to use the more general word for kill and say something like “kill from anger” or “kill deliberately.” Translators should find a term that excludes killing accidentally; it should be a term that means killing that society regards as wrong.

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 .