Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 12:11

Notice that Revised Standard Version, following the Hebrew text, places the main verb you shall bring in the middle of the sentence. A more normal and intelligible ordering of the sentence is found in Good News Translation: “The LORD will choose a single place where he is to be worshiped.” However, in languages that do not use the passive voice, we may say, for example, “… where you must worship him.” This verse repeats essentially verses 5-6. Here the verb make … dwell is used with his name, whereas in verse 5 the verb is “put.” The figure of speech is different, but the action is the same.

All that I command you: Moses is the speaker.

The list of sacrifices and offerings here is the same as in verse 6, except that here “freewill offerings” are not included. And where verse 6 has simply “your votive offerings,” here a fuller phrase is used: all your votive offerings which you vow to the LORD. The phrase is redundant, since a votive offering is something that is vowed. The verb “to vow” means to promise or to dedicate. The Hebrew is literally “your choice votive offerings.” New Revised Standard Version has “all your choice votive gifts which you vow to the LORD.” Good News Translation has “those special gifts that you have promised to the LORD.” Revised Standard Version fails to represent the adjective “choice” (Good News Translation “special”).

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 13:17

The devoted things: these are the things that are under the ban, that is, that are dedicated to God and so must be destroyed completely (see verse 15; 2.34).

None … shall cleave to your hand: you are not to save any of those objects that must be destroyed. All of this is to be done in order to placate Yahweh’s furious anger. Good News Translation has a good model: “Do not keep for yourselves anything that was condemned to destruction.” However, in languages that do not use the passive voice, we may express this as “Do not keep any of the things that belong to Yahweh. You must destroy them.”

Show you mercy, and have compassion on you: these have very similar meanings, “be kind and merciful,” “be forgiving and compassionate.” Here New Revised Standard Version (also Revised English Bible) is more literal: “show you compassion, and in his compassion [multiply you].”

Multiply you: see 7.13.

An alternative translation model combining verses 16 and 17 may be:

• Gather all the possessions of the people who lived there, and pile them up in the open flat area near the town gate. Don’t keep anything that belongs to Yahweh. You must burn all these things and the whole town. Don’t ever rebuild the town. Then Yahweh will not be angry with you any more. He will be merciful to you and will cause you to prosper by giving you many children, as he promised 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 15:16

Verses 16-17 are one sentence, with verse 16 providing the setting for the action described in verse 17. Good News Translation offers one model of how this long sentence may be broken into more manageable units.

If he says … because he loves … since: these circumstantial clauses may be placed first, in the order in which they happen; for example, “But the slave who has been well-treated by you may love you and your family. So he may say to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you.’ ”

I will not go out from you: that is, “I don’t want to leave you.”

He loves you and your household: see 14.26.

He fares well with you: this can be represented by “he is well-off with you” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible) or “you have treated him well.”

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 17:12

Acts presumptuously: see 1.43. This means to act from pride and self-will, with an arrogant attitude. New Revised Standard Version is good: “presumes to disobey the priest”; also Good News Translation “Anyone who dares to disobey either the judge or the priest on duty.”

Stands to minister there before the LORD your God: that is, in the central sanctuary.

That man shall die: the sentence of death is to be passed on that person. In languages that do not use the passive voice as Good News Translation does, we may say, for example, “they must put to death [or, execute] that man.”

You shall purge the evil from Israel: see verse 7.

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 19:11

Verses 11-13 take up the case of murder.

Hates his neighbor: again neighbor stands here for “someone,” “another person,” or “a fellow-Israelite.” In certain languages hates his neighbor will be expressed as “considers someone his enemy” (see also Good News Translation).

Lies in wait … attacks … wounds him mortally so that he dies: this is a graphic description of a deliberate, premeditated, wilful act of murder.

Flees into one of these cities: see verse 5.

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 21:5

The priests … shall come forward: once they have been notified of the case, they are to be in charge of the proceedings.

For the LORD your God has chosen them: for introduces the reason why the priests are to have a role in the case.

To minister to him: that is, they are in charge of worship (see 10.8). Good News Translation has “chosen them to serve him,” but Contemporary English Version is better, with “chosen them to be his special servants at the place of worship.”

To bless in the name of the LORD: the priests, the authorized representatives of the LORD, invoke his blessings upon the people. This may also be expressed as “to ask Yahweh to give them prosperity and well-being.” Translators should look for the most natural way of expressing the idea of “well-being.”

By their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled: again a repetition, the general class (every dispute, that is, “quarrels,” “arguments,” “controversies”) and the particular type of case (every assault, that is, arguments that result in “violence” or “bodily harm”). See also 17.8-13. Bible en français courant translates “matters of blows and wounds.” Good News Translation has “every legal case involving violence.” We may also translate “every legal case where people hurt each other.”

For the statement by their word … shall be settled, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “their decision will be final.” This final clause may also be translated as “they are to decide every legal case involving violence.”

A possible alternative translation model reordering the clauses of the verse is:

• The priests the descendants of Levi are to go there also, because they are to decide every legal case where people hurt each other. The LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and to ask him to give the people prosperity and well-being.

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 22:20 - 22:21

But if the thing is true: if, however, the father cannot prove that his daughter was a virgin when she was married, she must be put to death.

The door of her father’s house: because she belongs to her father.

The men of her city shall stone her to death: this was the punishment for adultery. For stone … to death, see 13.10.

Wrought folly in Israel: folly is not simply a foolish thing but an immoral action. The fool is someone who disregards God’s commands. Good News Translation has “She has done a shameful thing among our people”; or we may say “She has caused all of our people to be disgraced [or, lose face].”

By playing the harlot: meaning “being promiscuous” (New International Version). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “committing fornication,” New Revised Standard Version “prostituting herself,” Good News Translation “having intercourse before she was married,” Contemporary English Version “sleeping with someone before she got married.”

In her father’s house: this does not necessarily mean that she was at home when she had sexual intercourse with a man. Rather, she was still under her father’s care when she did this; she was still his daughter. Good News Translation expresses this well.

You shall purge the evil from the midst of you: see 13.5.

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 24:18

You shall remember: see 15.15.

For redeemed see 7.8.

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 .