Deuteronomy 11:13

11:13 Now, if you pay close attention ¹  to my commandments that I am giving you today and love ²  the Lord your God and serve him with all your mind and being, ³ 

Deuteronomy 15:11

15:11 There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open ⁴  your hand to your fellow Israelites ⁵  who are needy and poor in your land.

Deuteronomy 12:32

Idolatry and False Prophets

12:32 (13:1) ⁶  You ⁷  must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it! ⁸ 

Deuteronomy 15:5

15:5 if you carefully obey ⁹  him ¹⁰  by keeping ¹¹  all these commandments that I am giving ¹²  you today.

Deuteronomy 27:1

The Assembly at Shechem

27:1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Pay attention to all the commandments ¹³  I am giving ¹⁴  you today.

Deuteronomy 27:10

27:10 You must obey him ¹⁵  and keep his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.”

Deuteronomy 30:8

30:8 You will return and obey the Lord, keeping all his commandments I am giving ¹⁶  you today.

¹ tn Heb “if hearing, you will hear.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute to emphasize the verbal idea. The translation renders this emphasis with the word “close.”

² tn Again, the Hebrew term אָהַב (’ahav) draws attention to the reciprocation of divine love as a condition or sign of covenant loyalty (cf. Deut 6:5).

³ tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

⁴ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “make sure.”

⁵ tn Heb “your brother.”

⁷ sn Beginning with 12:32, the verse numbers through 13:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 12:32 ET = 13:1 HT, 13:1 ET = 13:2 HT, 13:2 ET = 13:3 HT, etc., through 13:18 ET = 13:19 HT. With 14:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

⁸ tn This verse highlights a phenomenon found throughout Deuteronomy, but most especially in chap. 12, namely, the alternation of grammatical singular and plural forms of the pronoun (known as Numeruswechsel in German scholarship). Critical scholarship in general resolves the “problem” by suggesting varying literary traditions – one favorable to the singular pronoun and the other to the plural – which appear in the (obviously rough) redacted text at hand. Even the ancient versions were troubled by the lack of harmony of grammatical number and in this verse, for example, offered a number of alternate readings. The MT reads “Everything I am commanding you (plural) you (plural) must be careful to do; you (singular) must not add to it nor should you (singular) subtract form it.” Smr, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate suggest singular for the first two pronouns but a few Smr mss propose plural for the last two. What both ancient and modern scholars tend to overlook, however, is the covenantal theological tone of the Book of Deuteronomy, one that views Israel as a collective body (singular) made up of many individuals (plural). See M. Weinfeld, Deuteronomy 1–11 (AB), 15-16; J. A. Thompson, Deuteronomy (TOTC), 21-23.

⁹ sn Do not add to it or subtract from it. This prohibition makes at least two profound theological points: (1) This work by Moses is of divine origination (i.e., it is inspired) and therefore can tolerate no human alteration; and (2) the work is complete as it stands (i.e., it is canonical).

¹⁰ tn Heb “if listening you listen to the voice of.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “carefully.” The idiom “listen to the voice” means “obey.”

¹¹ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 15:4.

¹² tn Heb “by being careful to do.”

¹³ tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB); NAB “which I enjoin you today.”

¹³ tn Heb “the whole commandment.” See note at 5:31.

¹⁴ tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 10).

¹⁶ tn Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” Here “listen” (NAB “hearken”) means “obey” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

¹⁹ tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I now enjoin on you.”