This verse prohibits the Israelites from worshiping any of the heavenly bodies; they were regarded by many peoples as representing various gods or being controlled by different gods. Only the other nations should worship them; and that is by the decision of Yahweh (see 32.8-9).

And beware lest: “and be careful not to….”

You lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see: this is not a prohibition against looking at the sun and the other heavenly bodies, but of worshiping them as gods.

All the host of heaven: a collective term including all heavenly bodies; that is, the sun, the moon, and the stars (Gen 1.16). It is possible to reorder the clauses at the beginning of this verse as follows: “when you look at the sun or moon or stars, don’t be tempted to….”

You be drawn away: the verb means “to lead astray,” “to entice,” “to tempt.” This is spiritual apostasy, and we may express this as “Don’t let your heart lead you astray to….”

Worship and serve them: these are not two separate actions, but the one action of devoted worship. Revised English Bible and Contemporary English Version have “bow down and worship”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “don’t fall into the temptation to worship.”

Things which: this translates the Hebrew relative pronoun “that,” “which.”

For the LORD your God see 1.16.

Has allotted: “has assigned,” “has designated”; Bible en français courant “has reserved for,” and Contemporary English Version has “The LORD put them there for….” God has reserved these heavenly bodies to be worshiped by all the peoples under the whole heaven, a wordy way of saying “all the other peoples on earth,” “everybody else in the world.” The text clearly states that Yahweh provided these heavenly bodies as objects of worship for all people, except his own people, Israel.

An alternative translation model reordering the clauses of this verse is:

• When you look at the sun or moon or stars, don’t be tempted [or, let your heart cause you] to bow down and worship them. The LORD your God has designated them for everybody else in the world to worship.

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 .