A fire is kindled by my anger: God’s anger is compared to a fire that destroys everything before it (see 4.24). Good News Translation uses a simile: “My anger will flame up like fire.” We may also say “I will be very angry, and just like fire flares up, my anger will burn.” Contemporary English Version uses another picture: “I will breathe out fire that….”

It burns to the depths of Sheol: God’s fire burns all the way through the surface of the earth to the very bottom of the world of the dead.

Devours the earth and its increase: that is, the earth and everything that grows on it; New International Version translates “the earth and its harvests.”

Notice that Good News Translation, logically enough, reverses the order of these two lines, beginning with the earth, and then going down to the roots of the mountains and the world of the dead.

The foundations of the mountains: in the Hebrew concept of the universe, the sky was a flat disk supported by the mountains, whose roots reached down to the depths of Sheol (see Psa 18.7-8; Amos 7.4). Good News Translation may serve as a model for this verse.

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 .

And this he said of Judah: Good News Translation says “About the tribe of Judah he said.” Translators may follow these models, or introduce the name of Judah into the first line:

• People of the tribe of Judah, the LORD will listen to you, as….

Hear, O LORD, the voice of Judah: this is a request, or prayer, that the LORD will answer the prayer for help made by the people of Judah.

Bring him in to his people: this is a prayer that the LORD will make the tribe of Judah a part of the people of Israel again. When the northern tribes rebelled and became a separate nation, Judah was left alone as a separate nation, the Kingdom of Judah (see 1 Kgs 12.16-17). Alternative translation models are “and bring them [or, you] back to the other tribes,” or “unite you with the other tribes.”

With thy hands contend for him: the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates that this is a conjecture; the Hebrew is literally “with his hands he contended.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project ({B} rating) prefers “with his hands he contends for him,” meaning that he, Judah, fights for (or, defends) himself (see also Good News Translation footnote). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Though his own hands strive for him,” but in a footnote says “better ‘Make his hands strong for him.’ ” This is how Revised English Bible and New Revised Standard Version translate: “strengthen his hands for him”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “Defend him with your power.” It is recommended that translators follow New Revised Standard Version, perhaps with a footnote indicating that the Hebrew text has “with his hands he contended.” The translation can be “Make them [that is, the people of the tribe of Judah] strong,” or “May the LORD make you strong.”

Be a help against his adversaries: this request complements the previous one; it asks God to help the people of Judah as they fight their enemies. Contemporary English Version has “now the LORD will help 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 .

Verses 10-12 are a final statement from the perspective on an editor or editors after the time of Moses. They summarize the life and work of Moses and express the regard the people of Israel have held for him throughout their history. It will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here, and some translators will need to introduce a discourse marker or a change in verbal form that will indicate that this was written at a later period than that of Moses.

Has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses: see 18.15, 18. The verb “arise” here means to “appear,” or “be.”

The LORD knew face to face: in most instances the phrase is “to speak face to face” (5.4; Exo 33.11); Num 12.8 has “speak mouth to mouth.” If the verb “know” is retained, the idea must be conveyed of intimate knowledge, close friendship (see Exo 33.11). So we may say “He was Yahweh’s friend.”

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 .

Oppress: the ordinary meaning is “mistreat,” “treat harshly,” “abuse,” “exploit.” Here, however, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project understands the Masoretic Hebrew text to mean “you shall not exert any pressure [by means of] the wages of a poor man.” Revised English Bible translates this meaning with “keep back the wages of a poor man,” and Contemporary English Version “don’t hold back their pay.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy gives both meanings: “exploit or keep back the wages.” Should a translator decide to follow the recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, Revised English Bible and Contemporary English Version offer good models to follow.

A hired servant: a person who works for pay, usually on a daily basis (as the next verse makes clear).

Your brethren: that is, your fellow-Israelites (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

The sojourners who are in your land within your towns: for sojourners, “alien residents,” see 1.16. It is enough to say simply “the foreigners [or, non-Israelites] who live in your 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 .

With the beginning of a new section, translators are advised to reintroduce Moses as the speaker.

These nations, which you are about to dispossess: see 9.1; 11.23; 12.2, 29.

Give heed to: this means “pay attention to,” that is, “consult,” “go to them for advice.”

To soothsayers and to diviners: see 18.11.

The LORD your God has not allowed you so to do: God has forbidden the people of Israel to engage in these pagan practices. Today’s English Version has “The LORD your God does not allow you to do this,” and Contemporary English Version has “… won’t allow you to do those things.”

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 verse describes the extent of the territory that God tells the Israelites they are to conquer and possess. It includes practically all of modern day Israel, Lebanon, and Syria (see God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 15.18).

Turn and take your journey, and go: New Revised Standard Version is clearer in English, with “Resume your journey, and go” (see also Good News Translation); New International Version has “Break camp, and advance into.” It is not necessary to have three verbs, as though every verb carries a distinct, separate meaning. The first two verbs “turn and start out” go together: “start marching again,” “resume your journey.”

The hill country of the Amorites: here the phrase may have the broader meaning of all the land of Canaan (as in verse 19), and not just a particular region, even though in verse 4 “the Amorites” are people living on the east side of the Jordan. (See also that verse for a comment on Amorites.)

Instead of following Revised Standard Version all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country…, it is better to imitate Good News Translation, “and to all the surrounding regions—to the…” (also New Revised Standard Version “as well as into the neighboring regions—the Arabah…”). Another possible model for the first part of this verse is “Break camp [or, Pack up your tents] and resume your journey. Go into the land that belongs to the Amorites and their neighbors. This includes:….”

The Arabah: see verse 1.

The hill country and … the lowland: or “the hill country and the Shephelah” (New Revised Standard Version; also Revised English Bible). The Shefelah was the low hill country between the mountains of Judah and the plain of Philistia. Another way to express hill country is “an area with many hills.”

The Negeb was the wilderness between the southern hill country and the desert to the south. For a comment on the translation of wilderness, see verse 1.

And by the seacoast: New Revised Standard Version is more natural in English, “and the seacoast”; also Good News Translation, “the Mediterranean coast.” This was the plain along the coast. So we may express by the seacoast as “the flat area along the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.”

The land of the Canaanites: or in more natural English, “the land of Canaan.” This phrase may mean the whole country, in which case this is a summary statement, as Revised English Bible translates: “… and on the coast; in short, all Canaan and the Lebanon….” But the phrase may also be used in a more restricted sense to mean Phoenicia, on the coast (as in the New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh footnote). It seems better, however, to take it to mean the whole land of Canaan.

Lebanon: or “the Lebanon Mountains,” since at that time there was no country known as Lebanon.

The great river, the river Euphrates: the Euphrates is sometimes called simply “the River” (Josh 24.3, 14-15). Great here means “large” or “wide.” In some languages this phrase will be expressed as “the great [or, wide] river named Euphrates.”

It may help to give the directions for the Lebanon Mountains and the Euphrates, as follows: “as far north as the Lebanon Mountains, and as far east as the great Euphrates River” (see Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje).

The whole verse may be translated as follows:

• Get moving again, and advance into the land of the Amorites and all the nearby regions: the Jordan Valley, the hill country and the lowlands, the Negeb [or, the southern wilderness], and the Mediterranean coast. That is, move into the whole land of Canaan and the Lebanon Mountains, and advance as far as the mighty Euphrates River.

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 .

And command the people may be also expressed as “He told me to give you the following instructions:…” (Good News Translation), or “And give the people these orders:…” (Contemporary English Version).

You are about to pass through the territory of your brethren the sons of Esau: the Israelites, proceeding north, would go through Edom, where the descendants of Esau lived. These sons of Esau were a kindred race; in English “kindred” (New Revised Standard Version) or “distant relatives” (Good News Translation) is the best way to express the meaning. Seir is Edom (1.2). An alternative translation model for this sentence may be “You will very soon walk [or, travel] through the hill country of Edom. It is the land that belongs to your distant relatives, the descendants of Esau.” For “descendants” see 1.8.

They will be afraid of you: the relation between this statement and what follows is not clear. If the Edomites were afraid of the Israelites, why should the Israelites be careful not to fight them? Revised English Bible provides a good answer by translating “Although they are afraid of you, be very careful not to quarrel with them…” (also New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). And the adversative “but” used in Good News Translation, “… but you must not start a war with” (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), is another way to handle the matter. Either one makes for a good translation.

So take good heed: this means to be careful, to not act rashly, and goes with what follows: “so be careful not to attack them.” New Revised Standard Version has “be very careful not to engage in battle with 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 .

All these were cities: for the sixty fortified towns, see 2.36.

The Hebrew word translated gates appears in its dual form, which explains New Revised Standard Version “double gates,” and the footnote in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “double-leaf doors.” This is quite possible, because the metal bars (usually bronze) were normally laid across the inside of a pair of double gates to keep them from being pushed open by enemies. Most translations, though, have simply “gates.” The phrase gates and bars means “gates with bars,” “barred gates” (Revised English Bible), and may be also rendered as “gates with metal bars across them on the inside,” or even “double gates locked with bars.”

Many unwalled villages: these were small farming villages not big enough or wealthy enough to have walls or strong fences around them. In case of war the villagers would go to the nearest fortified town. The Hebrew word translated unwalled villages appears in the Septuagint as a proper name, “the Perizzites,” which is what New Jerusalem Bible has. Other translations have “villages without walls” or the like; Revised English Bible has “open settlements.” This Handbook prefers the Hebrew text.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• They had protected these towns with high walls [or, fences] and double gates locked with bronze bars. There were also many villages with no walls [or, fences].

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 .