The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him: the witnesses, whose testimony led to the person’s condemnation, were to be the first to throw stones at the condemned person.

Afterward the hand of all the people: for both groups, normal English usage is “The witnesses will be the first to throw stones at the condemned person, and after that all the other people are to do the same” (see also Good News Translation).

For the rest of the verse, 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 .

For this verse see verse 2.

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 .

With the beginning of a new section, translators should reintroduce Moses as the speaker.

The land which the LORD your God gives you to possess: a phrase recurring throughout the book (see 3.18).

Any one is found slain: this is most probably a case of murder; but it could be manslaughter (19.4-6), since the circumstances of the slaying are unknown. In many languages the passive clause must be transformed into an active one; for example, “and someone happens to find [or, comes upon] the body of a person whom they [persons unknown] have killed.”

Lying in the open country: that is, outside the town. In a village, or even a city, it would be unusual for a murder to take place undetected. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have “in a field,” but a more general translation such as “away from where people live” is probably more accurate.

It is not known who killed him: the killer is unknown. The Hebrew uses the masculine pronoun him, but obviously the same instructions apply if the murdered person is a woman. Contemporary English Version and New Revised Standard Version are able to avoid exclusive language; Contemporary English Version has “Suppose the body of a murder victim is found … and no one knows who the murderer is,” and New Revised Standard Version “If … a body is found … and it is not known who struck the person down….”

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 .

The father … shall say: he reports to the elders what happened (see verse 14).

To wife means “to marry,” “to be his wife.”

And he spurns her: see verse 13.

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 .

Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam: see Num 12.10-15. For the LORD your God see 1.6.

As you came forth: Again the translator is reminded of the fact that Moses is the speaker, and the second person you could be read to mean that Moses was not with them. If that is what the reader will understand, then the translation should read “as we came out of Egypt.”

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 .

This prayer is addressed to God, who lives in his holy habitation in heaven; this may indicate that the worshiper is not in the central sanctuary (see verse 13). The translation of holy habitation should not mean a temple or a church; an expression like “your house” should be used. Here holy can be translated “your own home”: it is holy because God lives there (see 5.12; 14.2).

Bless thy people Israel: or “cause your people Israel to be prosperous.”

Bless … the ground which thou hast given us: that is, the land of Canaan. Another way to express this is “cause this land that you have given us to produce many crops [or, much fruit].”

As thou didst swear to our fathers: see 1.8.

A land flowing with milk and honey: see 6.3 and verse 9.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Look down from your home in heaven [or, from heaven, where you live] and cause your people Israel to prosper. You promised our ancestors that you would give us a land full of cattle and produce [or crops, or fruit]. You have done what you promised.

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 .

Your basket: this was a utensil for storing grain at home (see “basket” in 26.4).

Your kneading-trough: a wide, shallow bowl in which the housewife mixed the flour and other ingredients to make bread (see Exo 12.34).

Both objects in this verse are ways of referring to their contents: grain and bread, with bread representing food in general.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The LORD will cause you to have abundant grain and much food to eat.

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 serve your enemies: they will work as slaves for their enemies.

Whom the LORD will send against you: all the disasters are Yahweh’s doing. It will be good to make this clear in translation; for example, “you shall serve your enemies as slaves,” “you will serve the enemies that the LORD is going to send against you” (Good News Translation), or even “he [Yahweh] will send enemies to attack you and make you their slaves” (Contemporary English Version). However, it is also possible to say something like “Yahweh will let your enemies…,” as Yahweh will not actually be the one oppressing them. For a comment on enemies see 1.42.

In hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and in want of all things: this is a vivid description of the absolute misery to which they will be reduced. Contemporary English Version has “Then you will live in poverty with nothing to eat, drink, or wear.”

He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck: this is a picture of total and degrading slavery, and God will cause it to happen. See Jer 28.13-14 for the same figure of speech. Notice that Good News Translation, in a footnote, gives “Your enemies” as a possible rendering of the Hebrew text, instead of “The LORD.”

Until he has destroyed you: see the same kind of statements in verses 20, 22, 24.

An alternative translation model for verses 47 and 48 is:

• The LORD caused you to prosper in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts. For this reason he will send enemies to attack you, and you will serve them as slaves. You will be hungry, thirsty, and have nothing to wear. You will live in poverty. The LORD will let your enemies treat you harshly until you die.

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 .