Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("vow")

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, chikaw-are-ru (誓われる) or “vow” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 28:9

Establish you: this gives the idea of firmness, permanence, endurance (also in 29.13).

A people holy to himself: that is, “a people completely dedicated to him” (7.6; 14.2; see Exo 19.6), namely, “his own special people” (Contemporary English Version).

As he has sworn to you: the LORD’s solemn promise (see 1.8).

Keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and walk in his ways: these are two ways of saying the same thing, for emphasis; for walk in his ways see 8.6; 10.12.

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 .