Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 34:1

The plains of Moab: see 1.5; Num 36.13.

To Mount Nebo: see 32.45. This is on the east side of the Jordan River, opposite the city of Jericho.

To the top of Pisgah: see 3.17. Either two traditions have been joined together here, or else Pisgah is taken to be the highest peak of Nebo. Good News Translation follows the second interpretation, understanding Pisgah to be a separate peak of Mount Nebo, whereas Contemporary English Version understands Mount Nebo to be a separate peak on Mount Pisgah. Translators may follow either Good News Translation or Contemporary English Version.

Opposite Jericho: see 32.49.

Showed him all the land: on both sides of the Jordan River.

Gilead: a territory on the east side of the Jordan River (see 2.36), its south end reaching the northern tip of the Dead Sea.

As far as Dan: the town of Dan was the northernmost town in the territory of the tribe of Dan, north of Lake Galilee.

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 22:13

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

Takes a wife, and goes in to her: this is the literal Hebrew text; it is not standard English. It is assumed that a man will have sexual intercourse with his wife as soon as they are married, so something like the following may be better: “A man marries and, after making love to [or, sleeping with] his wife, decides that he doesn’t like [or, love] her.”

Spurns: this translates the verb normally rendered “to hate.” New International Version and New Revised Standard Version have “dislikes her,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “takes an aversion to her,” Revised English Bible “turns against her,” Bible en français courant “stops loving her.”

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 3:23 - 24

O Lord GOD: in his prayer, Moses addresses God as Adonai Yahweh; only here and in 9.26 (also a prayer by Moses) is this title used in this book. Translators have the following options in translating “Adonai Yahweh.” One option is to follow Revised Standard Version; but the spelling GOD may seem strange to readers. Another option is to imitate Today’s English Version, or to say something like “Yahweh the All Powerful One,” or “Yahweh, our Lord,” or “Yahweh who is the Most Powerful.”

Thou hast only begun to show thy servant: Moses is confident that Yahweh will still perform many miracles and mighty acts in the future. To make clear that “your servant” refers to Moses himself, it may be well to translate “… to show me, your servant…” or simply to follow Today’s English Version and Contemporary English Version “me.”

Thy greatness and thy mighty hand: here hand stands for power, might, force. So the translation can be “your greatness and your power.” Bible en français courant has “you have shown me the first signs of your greatness and of your irresistible power.”

What god is there…? This is a rhetorical question, a way of stating “There is no god in heaven or on earth,” that is, no other god anywhere. The question does not deny the existence of other gods; it denies that any other god has the power that Yahweh, the God of Israel, has. God in small letters indicates a pagan deity. This term presents a difficult translation problem in many languages. A Handbook on the Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, iscusses the problem of “God” versus “god”:
In English the supreme God is differentiated from lesser gods or deities by the use of a capital letter. In many other languages this device is not suitable, for the term for God is only used for the Christian God, so it will seem strange to refer to other gods. There are two possible solutions. Translators may use a term or terms which refer to supernatural beings which non-Christians in the culture worship, or they may use the term for the Christian God with an adjective; for example, “false gods” or “small gods.” This will show that these are beings which are thought to be like God but are not really God.

The final sentence of this verse may be alternatively rendered as “No other god in the sky or on earth is able to do the mighty things that you do.” However, if a translator uses a term such as “small god” or “false god,” we may translate, for example, “If there are false gods in the sky or earth, they cannot do the mighty things that Yahweh has done.”

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 1:37

The LORD was angry with me also on your account: the translation should be quite clear that the report of what Yahweh said to Moses ends at verse 36, and Moses himself begins speaking in verse 37. In some translations it may be useful to begin this verse “And Moses said to them: Because of you….” Moses says that it was because of the people’s disobedience that Yahweh became angry with him also. “It was because of what you did that the LORD became angry with me also.” For a comment on angry see verse 34.

You shall not go in there: something like “You also will not set foot on that land” or “Neither will you enter the land of Canaan” will be better. It is also possible to say “I won’t let you go into the land either.”

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 2:32 - 2:33

The fighting began at Jahaz, whose location is unknown. The victory of the Israelites was complete. Again it is stated that it was Yahweh who enabled them to win.

Then Sihon came out: in certain languages it will be necessary to indicate where Sihon came out of; for example, “Then Sihon came out of the town of Heshbon with all his soldiers.”

And the LORD our God gave him over to us may be expressed as “And the LORD [or, Yahweh] our God helped us defeat him.”

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 4:3

Your eyes have seen: this can be said more simply, “You have seen” or, more emphatically, “With your very own eyes you saw.” New Revised Standard Version “You have seen for yourselves” is good.

What the LORD did at Baal-peor: this refers to what is reported in Num 25.1-9. Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility, had a sanctuary at Mount Peor, in Moab, which may be the same as the town Bethpeor (3.29; see map, page xii). The Good News Translation model is a good one: “You yourselves saw what the LORD did at Mount Peor.”

Destroyed all the men who followed the Baal of Peor: here the verb “destroy” means “to kill,” and “follow” means “to worship,” “to become a devotee of.” The Baal of Peor may also be expressed as “The god Baal at Mount Peor.” For “god” see 3.4.

It is possible to rearrange the clauses of this verse as follows:

• You yourselves saw how he killed everyone among you who worshiped the god Baal at Mount Peor.

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 4:40

For keep see 4.6; for statutes, 4.1; for commandments, 4.2.

That it may go well with you and your children after you: “that you and your descendants may prosper,” “all will go well with you and your descendants” (Good News Translation), or “that you and your descendants will be successful.”

Prolong your days in the land: this is not primarily a matter of their living an unusually long time but of their keeping possession of the land of Canaan for many generations. Good News Translation has “You will continue to live in the land.” We may also say “that you and your descendants will live a long time in the land.”

Gives you forever: the promise is made that the land of Canaan will belong to the Israelites for all time to come.

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 5:27

Go near, and hear … and speak to us: they ask Moses to act as an intermediary, believing, as they do, that he will not die from such a close encounter with Yahweh. Good News Translation has “Go back, Moses, and listen to everything…”; or we may say “Moses, you [singular] go up close and listen….”

And speak to us: Moses must go up the mountain and listen to the LORD, and then return to tell the people what he said. So it will be good for translators to indicate this; for example, “Then return and tell us” (Good News Translation).

We will hear and do it: the people’s spokesmen pledge the people to obey God’s commands.

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 .