This verse is a summarizing conclusion, using terms and expressions of the previous verses.

I will surely hide: this translates the emphatic Hebrew phrase, the double use of the verb, meaning “I will refuse to help them” (Good News Translation), or “I will pay no attention to them.”

Because they have turned to other gods: this is precisely the evil that they have done; so New Revised Standard Version says “by turning to other gods.” To “turn” to other gods is to abandon Yahweh in order to worship and serve them. So it is possible to express this as “Because they have abandoned me and started worshiping other [or, false] gods.”

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 .

In the open in the first line is balanced by in the chambers in the second. The meaning is “both outdoors, in the streets of the towns, and indoors, in their houses.”

The sword shall bereave: that is, enemy warriors will kill them. There is no indication what the term terror refers to here (see Isa 24.17). But as a parallel to the sword, terror probably refers to the enemies as they invade the homes and strike terror in the hearts of their victims. But the word may refer to the terror the people feel, and which would cause them to die (so Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Contemporary English Version). So we may say “Outdoors your enemies will kill you, and indoors you will be so frightened that you will die.”

The overall meaning is that everyone will be killed: young men and women, children and old people. The translator need not try to find the exact equivalent of virgin or the man of gray hairs; these are ways of speaking of young women and old people.

The clauses of the verse may be reordered as follows:

• Young men and women,
babies and old people
will be killed in the streets,
and die from fright in their homes.

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 .

They shall teach: it is better to use the present tense, “They teach” (New Revised Standard Version; also New International Version); see 17.9-10.

Thy ordinances: see 4.1. For thy law see 1.5. The two terms are equivalent.

Jacob … Israel: these are identical in this context.

They shall put: again the present tense is better, “They place” (New Revised Standard Version).

Before thee … upon thy altar: in this context these are the same; the altar was the place where sacrifices were offered to God.

Incense: see Exo 30.7; Lev 16.12-13. It is an aromatic substance that was used with sacrifices. In cultures where incense or other spices are unknown, translators may use a general term; for example, “sweet smelling things.” For whole burnt offering see 13.16.

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 .

Some translators may decide to follow Revised Standard Version and New International Version and make this verse the beginning of the section, rather than beginning it at verse 46 of chapter 1. In this case the section heading should be placed here; and Moses should be introduced again here as the speaker; for example, “Moses said to the Israelites, ….”

Then we turned, and journeyed: see 1.40, where the order to do this is given. This clause may also be rendered as “We resumed our journey and went into the wilderness.” For wilderness see 1.1.

In the direction of the Red Sea: Good News Translation has “on the road to the Gulf of Aqaba,” and Contemporary English Version has “by way of the Red Sea Road.” The Good News Translation rendering is preferable (see also 1.40).

Went about Mount Seir: the verb may mean to wander rather aimlessly, to walk around without a set goal, as Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and Revised English Bible translate; or it may mean to bypass, to avoid going through, to go around, as New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible “skirted” translate. This meaning is supported by Num 21.4, where the same verb is used. It is not easy to decide which is the better translation, especially in light of verse 4, which says they were to go through Edom, and also verse 8, where the Hebrew text is not at all clear. On the basis of what the Hebrew of verse 8 seems to mean, it is recommended that here the translation be “bypass” or “go around.” Contemporary English Version follows this interpretation, with “We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir,” where “outside” means that they did not enter Edom but bypassed it. Mount Seir is not a particular mountain but the hill country of Seir (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), that is, of Edom (see the comment at 1.2), the region south of the Dead Sea.

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 .

You shall not muzzle an ox: the muzzle was an object placed over the mouth of the ox to prevent it from eating the grain as it was treading on it. In cultures where muzzles are unknown, we may translate, for example, “You must not put anything over the mouth of an ox while….” For a comment on ox see 5.14.

Treads out the grain: the ox would either be walked across the threshing floor, thus separating the grains from the ears, or else it would pull a threshing sledge across the floor (or, platform). According to this law the ox should be allowed to eat some of the ears of grain as it worked. In cultures where other methods are used for threshing grain, a cultural note in the glossary describing the Hebrew method will be helpful.

Alternative ways of expressing this verse are:

• You shall not put anything on the mouth of an ox to prevent it from eating while it is treading out the grain.

• You must not prevent an ox from eating while….

scv 25:5

Brothers dwell together: not necessarily in the same house, but on the same family property. Good News Translation makes this clear, with “live on the same property.” In this instance brothers means blood brothers.

One of them dies and has no son: the Hebrew word is the normal one for son; but the Septuagint has “seed” (meaning descendants, of either sex). As quoted in the Gospels, Mark 13.19 has “has no child,” Matt 22.24 “has no children,” and Luke 20.28 “is childless.” It seems from the context that the meaning here is a male descendant, a son (so also Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version).

The wife of the dead: many languages will have a technical term such as “widow” for this woman, and say for example, “his widow,” or “the widow of the man”; but in other languages “the wife of the dead man” may be preferable.

Shall not be married outside the family to a stranger: the woman was not to be married off to a man belonging to a clan different from the one her dead husband belonged to. The main reason for this, it seems, was to keep property from passing on to another family. Shall not be married suggests that the woman would not take the initiative to choose a partner, but that her family would find a new husband for her. Good News Translation follows this interpretation with “then his widow is not to be married to.” Contemporary English Version “his widow must not marry” appears to clash with Hebrew custom.

Go in to her, and take her as his wife: this is a normal way in Hebrew of speaking of possessing a woman sexually; in most languages there are more appropriate ways of saying this. In many languages “and take her as his wife” will be sufficient.

In the Hebrew text the noun “brother-in-law,” the verb perform the duty of a husband’s brother, and the noun brother’s wife in verse 7 are all cognates, that is, they come from the same Hebrew root; they appear only here and in Gen 38.8. For perform the duty of a husband’s brother, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “perform the levir‘s duty.” Good News Translation combines both sentences with “it is the duty of the dead man’s brother to marry her.” This will be a helpful model for many translators.

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 .

Brothers dwell together: not necessarily in the same house, but on the same family property. Today’s English Version makes this clear, with “live on the same property.” In this instance brothers means blood brothers.

One of them dies and has no son: the Hebrew word is the normal one for son; but the Septuagint has “seed” (meaning descendants, of either sex). As quoted in the Gospels, Mark 13.19 has “has no child,” Matt 22.24 “has no children,” and Luke 20.28 “is childless.” It seems from the context that the meaning here is a male descendant, a son (so also Today’s English Version, Contemporary English Version, New International Version).

The wife of the dead: many languages will have a technical term such as “widow” for this woman, and say for example, “his widow,” or “the widow of the man”; but in other languages “the wife of the dead man” may be preferable.

Shall not be married outside the family to a stranger: the woman was not to be married off to a man belonging to a clan different from the one her dead husband belonged to. The main reason for this, it seems, was to keep property from passing on to another family. Shall not be married suggests that the woman would not take the initiative to choose a partner, but that her family would find a new husband for her. Today’s English Version follows this interpretation with “then his widow is not to be married to.” Contemporary English Version “his widow must not marry” appears to clash with Hebrew custom.

Go in to her, and take her as his wife: this is a normal way in Hebrew of speaking of possessing a woman sexually; in most languages there are more appropriate ways of saying this. In many languages “and take her as his wife” will be sufficient.

In the Hebrew text the noun “brother-in-law,” the verb perform the duty of a husband’s brother, and the noun brother’s wife in verse 7 are all cognates, that is, they come from the same Hebrew root; they appear only here and in Gen 38.8. For perform the duty of a husband’s brother, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “perform the levir‘s duty.” Today’s English Version combines both sentences with “it is the duty of the dead man’s brother to marry her.” This will be a helpful model for many translators.

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 .

It may be helpful to start verse 10 with something like “Moses continued to speak to the Israelites.”

Moses tells of another forty days and forty nights he stayed on the mountain (see 9.9).

The LORD hearkened to me at that time also: again the LORD answered his prayer. And as a consequence of Moses’ prayer, the LORD was unwilling to destroy you (see 9.26 and similar passages). This can be rendered “the LORD agreed not to destroy you,” or “the LORD decided not to….”

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 .