As with previous new sections, Moses should be reintroduced as the speaker.

Appoint judges and officers: it is not clear how these officials were to be chosen. In English the verb appoint assumes that there is a higher authority who selects and installs such officers. The Hebrew verb is the one normally translated “give.” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “Choose” may be easier for many translators to imitate.

Judges: perhaps the word is used here in a more general sense of “governors” or “leaders” (see 1.16).

Officers: see 1.16. Here the officers are probably administrative assistants to the judges. Good News Translation has “other officials,” and Contemporary English Version has “other officers.” The first part of the verse may be alternatively expressed as “You must choose governors [or, leaders] and other officers [or, officials] in every town that Yahweh your God gives you.”

All your towns which the LORD your God gives you: see verse 5.

According to your tribes: there was to be an even distribution of local judges and officers, so that every one of the twelve tribes had its fair share. New Revised Standard Version restructures this part of the verse: “You shall appoint judges and officials throughout your tribes, in all your towns.” Translators should keep the phrase according to your tribes, even though Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version omit it. For tribes see 1.13.

They shall judge the people: perhaps not just in the limited sense of settling legal disputes, but of administering all matters in the local communities; so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “they shall govern the people.”

Righteous judgment: Good News Translation “impartially” expresses the meaning well, as the following instructions make clear; New International Version has “fairly.” See also 1.17 for a similar expression, “perfect in judgment.”

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 thing seemed good to me: this is more clearly translated “I thought the plan was a good one,” or even “I gave my approval to your plan.” See verse 14.

And I took: see the same use of the verb in verse 15.

One man for each tribe: this is better rendered “one man from each tribe [or, from each of the twelve tribes].”

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 Hebrew word translated frontier here is different from the one translated “boundary” in verse 18, and can be taken to mean “boundary” or “frontier.” The phrase the sons of Ammon means “the Ammonites,” or “people of Ammon” who, like the Moabites, were descended from Lot (Gen 19.30-38).

For do not harass them or contend with them, see verse 9. The assignment of this region to the Ammonites is stated in the same way as the assignment made to the Moabites in verse 9.

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 .

Until the LORD gives rest to your brethren, as to you: that is, until Yahweh gives them complete victory over their enemies, as he did to the eastern tribes. Then they will be able to settle down and live in peace, “secure from the threat of enemies, and from the threat of homelessness” (Mayes). So the first part of this verse may be rendered as:

• You must help the other Israelites to conquer their enemies and occupy the land that the LORD is giving them west of the Jordan river. Then they will be able to live there securely.

The LORD your God: again the second person is used.

The land … beyond the Jordan: here, verse 25, and 11.30 are the three passages in which “beyond the Jordan” means on the west side of the Jordan; elsewhere it means the east side. Here the point of view is that of Moses, who is on the east side of the river.

As elsewhere, verses 17-19 make it clear that the Israelites are able to conquer and possess the land because Yahweh is giving it to them. His gift comes first and is the cause of their conquest of the land.

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 exile of Israelites to other countries is seen as God’s punishment for their idolatry.

The LORD will scatter you among the peoples … the LORD will drive you: again, the repetition gives emphasis in Hebrew. For languages in which repetition does not produce emphasis, a translator may wish to reduce the repetition (see Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). The LORD will scatter you … may also be expressed as “the LORD will make you go in all directions to where you will live among other peoples.”

The verb translated will drive you may have the gentler sense of “lead you” (Septuagint, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). In this context, however, the harsher sense seems justified (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible), namely “will force you to leave the land.”

You will be left few in number: “only a few of you will survive” (Good News Translation). In the context, the people’s idolatry and their punishment is seen as happening within the next fifty years (see verse 25).

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 .

Honor your father and your mother: to honor is to respect and obey.

As the LORD your God commanded you: see verse 12.

For the rest of the verse, see 4.40. The primary emphasis of your days may be prolonged here, as in 4.40, is that the Israelites, as a people, will live in the land of Canaan for many generations. This, of course, is not incompatible with an individual Israelite living to a ripe old age—which is the way the commandment is understood in Eph 6.2-3. In any case both clauses, your days may be prolonged and it may go well with you, go with the final part of the verse, in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

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 .