Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 7:25

All objects of worship of pagan gods are to be destroyed, to avoid the possibility of the Israelites being drawn to worship them.

Graven images: these are idols of wood and metal (see 4.16; 5.8).

Burn with fire: see a similar phrase at 7.5.

Covet the silver or the gold: for covet see 5.21. Even the silver and the gold that was on the idols must be destroyed. These were wooden idols overlaid with silver or gold; the Israelites were to melt the metal off them and throw it away.

Lest you be ensnared by it: see the same idea (but not the same Hebrew word) in verse 16. Contemporary English Version has “Don’t get trapped into wanting the silver or gold on an idol.” Another way to express this is “Don’t let your hearts lead you into wanting the silver….”

An abomination: this is something so hateful, so terrible, that it produces the strongest dislike. It may be expressed as “detestable” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) or “abhorrent” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version). BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum has “is horrified with these things”; Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “to worship idols is a disgusting thing”; Good News Translation “because the LORD hates idolatry”; Contemporary English Version “is disgusting to the LORD.” We may also say “makes the LORD’s insides turn over.”

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 9:19

I was afraid of the anger and the hot displeasure: God’s anger is described in terms of fire and heat, a common enough way of talking about anger.

Which the LORD bore against you: to “bear anger” means to have it, to feel it, to nurture it. We may restructure the first sentence as follows: “The LORD was terribly angry with [or, his heart, or nose, burned fiercely against] you and I was afraid of him. He was so angry with you that he wanted to….”

The LORD hearkened to me that time also: this probably refers back to 5.23-28, where Moses interceded successfully with Yahweh. Good News Translation has “but once again the LORD listened to me.”

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 11:4

Here Moses recalls the destruction of the Egyptian army at the Red Sea (Exo 14.23-29).

The army … their horses … their chariots: all these words are also found in Exo 14.23. Army refers to the Egyptian soldiers or fighting men, and in many languages it will be expressed as “all the Egyptian soldiers.” The Egyptian war chariots were pulled by two horses. In many languages translators will need to use a descriptive phrase for chariots; for example, “horse-drawn war carts” or “war carts pulled by two horses.” It will be helpful in cultures where horses are unknown to use a descriptive phrase, for example, “animal called ‘horse,’ ” and include an illustration of this animal, preferably pulling a chariot.

He made the water of the Red Sea overflow them: that is, as explained in the account in Exodus, God allowed the waters of the Sea to fall back in place and drown the Egyptians. For Red Sea see 1.40.

As they pursued after you: the Egyptian soldiers rode in their chariots as they pursued the Israelites. It will therefore be helpful to place this clause at the beginning of the verse as follows: “When the Egyptian soldiers chased you in their war carts pulled by horses, you saw the LORD drown them in the Red Sea and destroy them completely [or, decisively].”

To this day: this means “and so things remain to this day” (Revised English Bible). New International Version has “the LORD brought lasting ruin on 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 12:7

Revised Standard Version follows the form and order of the Hebrew text; the last part of the verse is especially difficult to read. Good News Translation uses a more natural style, which makes for easier understanding.

You shall eat before the LORD your God: Moses is talking about the sanctuary, or temple, in which the Israelites will offer their sacrifices. So Bible en français courant has “at the sanctuary of the LORD.” We may also use something like “And there, in the place where the LORD your God is present, ….” The meal is a sacred meal; in some sacrifices part of the animal offered in sacrifice was eaten by the worshipers. This should be made clear, as Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje has it: “You and your families will eat of the meat of the sacrifices.” Or we may say, for example, “You and your families will eat the meat of the animals you have slaughtered and offered to the LORD.”

For the LORD your God see 1.6.

And you shall rejoice: or “and your hearts will be full of joy.”

You and your households: the word “household” includes everyone in the one home, not only family members but servants and slaves also. So Contemporary English Version has “You and your family and your servants.”

All that you undertake: this includes all the work they have done, especially in cultivating their fields and tending their herds and flocks.

Blessed you means “made you prosper” or “caused you to be successful.”

Bible en français courant offers a good model for the whole verse:

• It is there, also, at the sanctuary of the LORD, that you and your families will eat together the sacred meals; you will be full of joy because of the success that the LORD your God has given you in all that you have worked for.

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 13:12 - 13:13

Verses 12-18 deal with another possibility, this one involving the attempt to lead astray a whole community (city or town). The punishment will fit the crime.

The section begins with a long sentence (verses 12-15), which must be broken up into smaller sentences. Here it is quite difficult to make verse 12 a complete sentence. The most logical way to begin is the way Good News Translation restructures the sentence: “When you are living in the towns….”

You hear in one of your cities is wrongly placed by Revised Standard Version. One of your cities is the scene of the attempted revolt against God, not the place where it becomes known. New Revised Standard Version has got it right: “If you hear it said about one of your towns…” (see also Revised English Bible). Contemporary English Version has “You may hear a rumor about one of the towns.” However, we may also say “People may tell you about one of the towns.”

One of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell there: in most languages “towns” or its equivalent will be better than cities (see 1.22). The point is that the Israelites, after conquering the land of Canaan, will be living in cities or towns already built by the Canaanites.

Base fellows is literally “sons of Belial”—worthless people, of no account. A modern equivalent in some dialects of English would be “bums.” Most languages will have a good equivalent to describe such people, as they normally exist in every society.

Have drawn away the inhabitants of the city: as in verse 10, this is apostasy.

‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known: see verses 2, 6.

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 15:11

The closing command is based on the fact that there would always be Israelites in need of help.

The poor will never cease out of the land: that is, “There will always be some Israelites who are poor or in need” (Good News Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version). This is simply a statement of fact, not an expression of God’s will for his people. Jesus has this verse in mind as he rebukes his disciples (John 12.8).

You shall open wide your hand: another use of the compound form for emphasis (see verse 8 for the figure of an open hand).

To the needy and to the poor: these two phrases modify to your brother. They may mean exactly the same, or they may indicate temporary and permanent impoverishment. An alternative translation model may be “to those who have few possessions and need help.”

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 18:3

And this shall be the priests’ due: in verses 3-4 Moses says what the priests, the Levites, are to receive (their due) from the other Israelites.

From the people, from those offering a sacrifice: the second phrase defines more precisely the first one.

Ox or sheep: this is more accurately “cattle or sheep” (Good News Translation). The Hebrew term does not mean only a castrated bull, as ox often does in English; it means any member of the bovine (cattle) family. The first part of the verse may thus be expressed as “Whenever you sacrifice a cow or sheep, you must give the priests….”

The shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach: the parts mentioned are fairly clear. The two cheeks are the jowls (or, more simply, Good News Translation “the jaw”); the stomach is more generally “the inner parts” (New International Version), that is, the internal organs.

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 19:20

This verse is almost exactly the same as 17.13; see also 13.1.

Never again commit any such evil: here the standard Hebrew word for “crime” or “wrongdoing” is used. So we may say “and no one will ever again commit this crime.”

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 .