Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 12:1

With the beginning of a new section, it will be helpful to start with something like “Moses said to the Israelites” or “Moses continued to speak to the Israelites, saying, ….”

Statutes and ordinances: see 4.1.

Be careful to do: this expression occurs frequently (5.1, 21; 6.3, 25; 7.11; 8.1; 11.22, 32).

The language of this verse is like that of other passages (see especially 1.8; 6.1, 18). The last clause, all the days that you live upon the earth, may go with the command you shall be careful to do (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or with the verb to possess (so, apparently, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). It is better to link it quite clearly with the command be careful to do.

Live upon the earth: Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, and BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum take the Hebrew noun ʾadamah in this expression to mean “the land,” that is, the land of Canaan, and not the earth. In the first part of the verse the Hebrew word translated land is a different word, ʾerets. It seems better to take the word ʾadamah here to mean the earth, meaning, of course, “as long as you live” (see Contemporary English Version).

The God of your fathers means “the God whom our [inclusive] ancestors worshiped.” For fathers see 1.8.

The following model for this verse may be useful:

• These are the rules and regulations that you must obey in the land that the LORD, the God of our ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live [or, always].

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 13:6

Verses 6-9 are another long sentence that must be broken into several shorter and simpler sentences; Good News Translation has six sentences and is a good model to follow. Translators should also study the model of Contemporary English Version, which combines verses 6-10, omitting a number of repetitious phrases that are unnatural style in English.

Your brother, the son of your mother: there is a textual problem here; the Samaritan and the Septuagint have “… the son of your father or the son of your mother.” The Hebrew, as it stands, seems to mean only a brother by your mother, but not by your father. There are several possibilities for the translator: (1) translate the Hebrew (as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and as recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project); (2) follow the Samaritan and Septuagint (as in New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible); (3) just say “your [own] brother” (as Good News Translation, New International Version, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant do). The best procedure to follow seems to be (3).

The wife of your bosom: New Revised Standard Version “the wife you embrace” or Good News Translation “the wife you love” could be taken to mean that there is also a wife you don’t embrace or love; New Jerusalem Bible “the spouse whom you embrace” is worse. Something like “your dear wife” is the most natural way to say this in English.

Your friend who is as your own soul: that is, “your dearest [or closest, or best] friend.”

Entices you secretly: playing the part of the traitor, the wife or friend comes to the Israelite in private and tries to persuade him to commit idolatry. Good News Translation has “secretly encourage you.” In a number of languages direct speech will be natural style; for example, “Your own brother … may come to you secretly and say, ‘Let’s worship other gods!’ ”

Let us go and serve other gods: see verse 2.

Which neither you nor your fathers have known: see verse 2. Your fathers means “your ancestors.”

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 15:5

If only you obey: this is the condition for the promise that there will be no poor people in the land. Again the emphatic form is used; the Hebrew verb is actually “hear,” meaning “listen to,” “pay heed to,” that is, obey.

The voice of the LORD your God: that is, “what the LORD your God orders [or, tells] you to do.”

Being careful to do: the sense is “doing your best to obey,” or “carefully observing” (Good News Translation).

All this commandment: see 5.31.

Again the emphasis is laid on this day (see 11.26, 28, 32; 13.18).

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 16:20

Here it is possible to go back to the second person of the text, addressing the people as a whole.

Justice, and only justice, you shall follow: the Hebrew text says simply “Justice, justice [you must pursue].” True, fair, impartial justice must be the sole aim of the Israelites. Good News Translation has “Always be fair and just.”

That you may live and inherit the land: this does not mean “live long enough to inherit the land”; rather, it means that if they pursue justice they will go on living in the land of Canaan (see 5.16; 11.31). And here the verb inherit is an inappropriate translation of the Hebrew verb, which is used many times in the sense of “take possession of” (see 11.8, 10, 29; 12.1). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New Revised Standard Version translate “occupy”; New International Version has “possess.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• People of Israel, if you want to occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and continue to live there, you must always treat people fairly and justly.

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 .

Deut 16.21-22

Plant any tree as an Asherah: this is not a good translation. The Hebrew noun here does not mean a tree but a pole; in relation to Asherah (see 7.5) the meaning is that a sacred pole should not be erected, or fixed into the ground, next to the altar used in the worship of Yahweh. So New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “You shall not set up a sacred post”; Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje uses the compound “a post-idol.”

The altar of the LORD your God: the altar used in the worship of Yahweh, on which animals were offered in sacrifice. For altar see 7.5, and for LORD your God see 1.6.

Set up a pillar: this is a stone pillar (see 7.5).

The LORD your God hates: see 12.31.

An alternative translation model for verses 21-22 is:

• When you make an altar for offering sacrifices to the LORD your God, don’t set up near it a sacred pole for worshiping the female god [or, goddess] Asherah. And don’t set up a sacred stone pillar. The LORD hates these things.

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 18:21

How are the people to be sure that what the prophet says is truly a message from Yahweh? This question follows naturally from the previous verse.

If you say in your heart: this is equivalent to “If you say to yourself,” “If you think.” Again the second singular is used for the people as a whole, but a plural pronoun is permissible; for example, “You [plural] may ask yourselves [or, think].”

How may we know…? Here, not like elsewhere, the first person plural is used.

… we know the word which the LORD has not spoken: this statement is nonsense in English. Strictly speaking we cannot “know” a word that has not been spoken. In the context, however, what it intends to say seems clear enough, that is, the people want to know how they can tell whether or not the prophet’s message was actually given to him by God. So Contemporary English Version says “How can we tell if a prophet’s message really comes from the LORD?”

This verse connects closely and logically with the following verse, and the connection should be clear and natural in translation.

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 20:14

All the other people are allowed to live, but they become the slaves of the Israelites.

But the women and the little ones: the little ones were children, presumably including adolescent boys not yet old enough to fight. “Take the women and children as slaves” (Contemporary English Version) is a good model.

All its spoil: this includes everything in the town that the conquerors can make use of. The same holds true for booty, all the belongings of the inhabitants, which the Israelites will keep. For spoil and booty see 2.35.

Enjoy the spoil of your enemies: the verb enjoy is literally “to eat,” used in a figurative sense but easily understood. In a number of languages and everything else … the spoil of your enemies may be shortened to something like “Take everything else that belongs to your enemies and use it.”

Which the LORD your God has given you: the people are constantly reminded that it is God who wins the victory for them.

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 22:9

The three instructions in verses 9-11 have to do with what is regarded as an unnatural mixing of two different forms of creation (see the parallel in Lev 19.19).

Sow your vineyard with two kinds of seeds: this means sowing some sort of crop in the rows between the grapevines. So Good News Translation has “Do not plant any crop in the same field with your grapevines.” For vineyard see 6.11.

Lest the whole yield be forfeited to the sanctuary: as the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, this translates the causative form of the Hebrew verb “be holy.” The meaning is that in this case both the crops and the wine belong to the LORD and will go to the Temple. There are various translations possible: “… may not be used” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “everything would be dedicated to the LORD” (Bible en français courant, BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum), “you will not be allowed to use…” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), or even “you must bring to the place of worship everything you harvest from the vineyard” (Contemporary English Version).

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 23:23

What has passed your lips … what you have promised with your mouth: this repetition, as elsewhere, is for emphasis.

You have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God: there was no obligation. The person who made the promise was not forced to do it. An alternative model may be “the LORD didn’t force you to make a promise.”

For the whole verse, many translators will find the Good News Translation model simpler than Revised Standard Version, which follows the Hebrew structure.

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 .