3:1 Next we set out on 1 the route to Bashan, 2 but King Og of Bashan and his whole army 3 came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. 4 3:2 The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, 5 and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.” 3:3 So the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left. 6 3:4 We captured all his cities at that time – there was not a town we did not take from them – sixty cities, all the region of Argob, 7 the dominion of Og in Bashan. 3:5 All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars; 8 in addition there were a great many open villages. 9 3:6 We put all of these under divine judgment 10 just as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon – every occupied city, 11 including women and children. 3:7 But all the livestock and plunder from the cities we kept for ourselves. 3:8 So at that time we took the land of the two Amorite kings in the Transjordan from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon 12 3:9 (the Sidonians 13 call Hermon Sirion 14 and the Amorites call it Senir), 15 3:10 all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead and Bashan as far as Salecah 16 and Edrei, 17 cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 3:11 Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy 18 that his sarcophagus 19 was made of iron. 20 Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath 21 of the Ammonites? It is thirteen and a half feet 22 long and six feet 23 wide according to standard measure.) 24
3:12 This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer 25 by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites. 26 3:13 The rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. 27 (All the region of Argob, 28 that is, all Bashan, is called the land of Rephaim. 3:14 Jair, son of Manasseh, took all the Argob region as far as the border with the Geshurites 29 and Maacathites 30 (namely Bashan) and called it by his name, Havvoth-Jair, 31 which it retains to this very day.) 3:15 I gave Gilead to Machir. 32 3:16 To the Reubenites and Gadites I allocated the territory extending from Gilead as far as Wadi Arnon (the exact middle of the wadi was a boundary) all the way to the Wadi Jabbok, the Ammonite border. 3:17 The Arabah and the Jordan River 33 were also a border, from the sea of Chinnereth 34 to the sea of the Arabah (that is, the Salt Sea), 35 beneath the watershed 36 of Pisgah 37 to the east.
3:18 At that time I instructed you as follows: “The Lord your God has given you this land for your possession. You warriors are to cross over before your fellow Israelites 38 equipped for battle. 3:19 But your wives, children, and livestock (of which I know you have many) may remain in the cities I have given you. 3:20 You must fight 39 until the Lord gives your countrymen victory 40 as he did you and they take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan River. Then each of you may return to his own territory that I have given you.” 3:21 I also commanded Joshua at the same time, “You have seen everything the Lord your God did to these two kings; he 41 will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going. 42 3:22 Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God will personally fight for you.”
3:23 Moreover, at that time I pleaded with the Lord, 3:24 “O, Lord God, 43 you have begun to show me 44 your greatness and strength. 45 (What god in heaven or earth can rival your works and mighty deeds?) 3:25 Let me please cross over to see the good land on the other side of the Jordan River – this good hill country and the Lebanon!” 46 3:26 But the Lord was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me. Instead, he 47 said to me, “Enough of that! 48 Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 3:27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and take a good look to the west, north, south, and east, 49 for you will not be allowed to cross the Jordan. 3:28 Commission 50 Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because he will lead these people over and will enable them to inherit the land you will see.” 3:29 So we settled down in the valley opposite Beth Peor. 51
4:1 Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances 52 I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, 53 is giving you. 4:2 Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to 54 you. 4:3 You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor, 55 how he 56 eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor. 57 4:4 But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you. 4:5 Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in 58 the land you are about to enter and possess. 4:6 So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding 59 to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise 60 people.” 4:7 In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? 4:8 And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just 61 as this whole law 62 that I am about to share with 63 you today?
4:9 Again, however, pay very careful attention, 64 lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. 4:10 You 65 stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he 66 said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. 67 Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.” 4:11 You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it 68 and yet dark with a thick cloud. 69 4:12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything – only a voice was heard. 70 4:13 And he revealed to you the covenant 71 he has commanded you to keep, the ten commandments, 72 writing them on two stone tablets. 4:14 Moreover, at that same time the Lord commanded me to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to keep in the land which you are about to enter and possess. 73
4:15 Be very careful, 74 then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 4:16 I say this 75 so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female, 4:17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 4:18 anything that crawls 76 on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth. 77 4:19 When you look up 78 to the sky 79 and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation 80 – you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, 81 for the Lord your God has assigned 82 them to all the people 83 of the world. 84 4:20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, 85 to be his special people 86 as you are today. 4:21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he 87 is about to give you. 88 4:22 So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess that 89 good land. 4:23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he 90 has forbidden 91 you. 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God. 92
4:25 After you have produced children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, 93 if you become corrupt and make an image of any kind 94 and do other evil things before the Lord your God that enrage him, 95 4:26 I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you 96 today that you will surely and swiftly be removed 97 from the very land you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. You will not last long there because you will surely be 98 annihilated. 4:27 Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you 99 among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 4:28 There you will worship gods made by human hands – wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell. 4:29 But if you seek the Lord your God from there, you will find him, if, indeed, you seek him with all your heart and soul. 100 4:30 In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, 101 if you return to the Lord your God and obey him 102 4:31 (for he 103 is a merciful God), he will not let you down 104 or destroy you, for he cannot 105 forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.
4:32 Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind 106 on the earth, and ask 107 from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been such a great thing as this, or even a rumor of it. 4:33 Have a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire, as you yourselves have, and lived to tell about it? 4:34 Or has God 108 ever before tried to deliver 109 a nation from the middle of another nation, accompanied by judgments, 110 signs, wonders, war, strength, power, 111 and other very terrifying things like the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 4:35 You have been taught that the Lord alone is God – there is no other besides him. 4:36 From heaven he spoke to you in order to teach you, and on earth he showed you his great fire from which you also heard his words. 112 4:37 Moreover, because he loved 113 your ancestors, he chose their 114 descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power 4:38 to dispossess nations greater and stronger than you and brought you here this day to give you their land as your property. 115 4:39 Today realize and carefully consider that the Lord is God in heaven above and on earth below – there is no other! 4:40 Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth 116 today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession.
4:41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east. 4:42 Anyone who accidentally killed someone 117 without hating him at the time of the accident 118 could flee to one of those cities and be safe. 4:43 These cities are Bezer, in the desert plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan for the Manassehites.
4:44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites. 119 4:45 These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt, 4:46 in the Transjordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. (It is he whom Moses and the Israelites attacked after they came out of Egypt. 4:47 They possessed his land and that of King Og of Bashan – both of whom were Amorite kings in the Transjordan, to the east. 4:48 Their territory extended 120 from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon valley as far as Mount Siyon 121 – that is, Hermon – 4:49 including all the Arabah of the Transjordan in the east to the sea of the Arabah, 122 beneath the watershed 123 of Pisgah.)
5:1 Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: 124 “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them! 5:2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 5:3 He 125 did not make this covenant with our ancestors 126 but with us, we who are here today, all of us living now. 5:4 The Lord spoke face to face with you at the mountain, from the middle of the fire. 5:5 (I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the message 127 of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:
5:6 “I am the Lord your God, he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery. 5:7 You must not have any other gods 128 besides me. 129 5:8 You must not make for yourself an image 130 of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath. 131 5:9 You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish 132 the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject 133 me, 134 5:10 but I show covenant faithfulness 135 to the thousands 136 who choose 137 me and keep my commandments. 5:11 You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes, 138 for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way. 139 5:12 Be careful to observe 140 the Sabbath day just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
1 tn Heb “turned and went up.”
2 sn Bashan. This plateau country, famous for its oaks (Isa 2:13) and cattle (Deut 32:14; Amos 4:1), was north of Gilead along the Yarmuk River.
3 tn Heb “people.”
4 sn Edrei is probably modern Deràa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31; also mentioned in Deut 1:4).
5 tn Heb “people.”
9 tn Heb “was left to him.” The final phrase “to him” is redundant in English and has been left untranslated.
13 sn Argob. This is a subdistrict of Bashan, perhaps north of the Yarmuk River. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 314.
17 tn Or “high walls and barred gates” (NLT); Heb “high walls, gates, and bars.” Since “bars” could be understood to mean “saloons,” the qualifying adjective “locking” has been supplied in the translation.
18 tn The Hebrew term פְּרָזִי (pÿraziy) refers to rural areas, at the most “unwalled villages” (KJV, NASB “unwalled towns”).
21 tn Heb “we put them under the ban” (נַחֲרֵם, nakharem). See note at 2:34.
22 tn Heb “city of men.”
25 sn Mount Hermon. This is the famous peak at the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range known today as Jebel es-Sheik.
29 sn Sidonians were Phoenician inhabitants of the city of Sidon (now in Lebanon), about 47 mi (75 km) north of Mount Carmel.
30 sn Sirion. This name is attested in the Ugaritic texts as sryn. See UT 495.
31 sn Senir. Probably this was actually one of the peaks of Hermon and not the main mountain (Song of Songs 4:8; 1 Chr 5:23). It is mentioned in a royal inscription of Shalmaneser III of Assyria (saniru; see ANET 280).
33 sn Salecah. Today this is known as Salkhad, in Jordan, about 31 mi (50 km) east of the Jordan River in the Hauran Desert.
34 sn Edrei. See note on this term in 3:1.
37 tn Heb “Behold” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
38 tn The Hebrew term עֶרֶשׂ (’eres), traditionally translated “bed” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) is likely a basaltic (volcanic) stone sarcophagus of suitable size to contain the coffin of the giant Rephaite king. Its iron-like color and texture caused it to be described as an iron container. See A. Millard, “King Og’s Iron Bed: Fact or Fancy?” BR 6 (1990): 16-21, 44; cf. also NEB “his sarcophagus of basalt”; TEV, CEV “his coffin.”
39 tn Or “of iron-colored basalt.” See note on the word “sarcophagus” earlier in this verse.
40 sn Rabbath. This place name (usually occurring as Rabbah; 2 Sam 11:11; 12:27; Jer 49:3) refers to the ancient capital of the Ammonite kingdom, now the modern city of Amman, Jordan. The word means “great [one],” probably because of its political importance. The fact that the sarcophagus “still remain[ed]” there suggests this part of the verse is post-Mosaic, having been added as a matter of explanation for the existence of the artifact and also to verify the claim as to its size.
41 tn Heb “nine cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 in (45 cm) for the standard cubit, this would be 13.5 ft (4.1 m) long.
42 tn Heb “four cubits.” This would be 6 ft (1.8 m) wide.
43 tn Heb “by the cubit of man.” This probably refers to the “short” or “regular” cubit of approximately 18 in (45 cm).
41 tn The words “the territory extending” are not in the Hebrew text; they are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
42 sn Reubenites and Gadites. By the time of Moses’ address the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh had already been granted permission to settle in the Transjordan, provided they helped the other tribes subdue the occupants of Canaan (cf. Num 32:28-42).
45 sn Half the tribe of Manasseh. The tribe of Manasseh split into clans, with half opting to settle in Bashan and the other half in Canaan (cf. Num 32:39-42; Josh 17:1-13).
46 sn Argob. See note on this term in v. 4.
49 sn Geshurites. Geshur was a city and its surrounding area somewhere northeast of Bashan (cf. Josh 12:5 ; 13:11, 13). One of David’s wives was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur and mother of Absalom (cf. 2 Sam 13:37; 15:8; 1 Chr 3:2).
50 sn Maacathites. These were the people of a territory southwest of Mount Hermon on the Jordan River. The name probably has nothing to do with David’s wife from Geshur (see note on “Geshurites” earlier in this verse).
51 sn Havvoth-Jair. The Hebrew name means “villages of Jair,” the latter being named after a son (i.e., descendant) of Manasseh who took the area by conquest.
53 sn Machir was the name of another descendant of Manasseh (cf. Num 32:41; 1 Chr 7:14-19). Eastern Manasseh was thus divided between the Jairites and the Machirites.
57 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in vv. 20, 25).
58 tn Heb “from Chinnereth.” The words “the sea of” have been supplied in the translation as a clarification.
59 sn The Salt Sea is another name for the Dead Sea (cf. Gen 14:3; Josh 3:16).
60 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term אַשְׁדֹּת (’ashdot) is unclear. It is usually translated either “slopes” (ASV, NAB, NIV) or “watershed” (NEB).
61 sn Pisgah. This appears to refer to a small range of mountains, the most prominent peak of which is Mount Nebo (Num 21:20; 23:14; Deut 3:27; cf. 34:1).
61 tn Heb “your brothers, the sons of Israel.”
65 tn The words “you must fight” are not present in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
66 tn Heb “gives your brothers rest.”
69 tn Heb “the
70 tn Heb “which you are crossing over there.”
73 tn Heb “Lord
74 tn Heb “your servant.” The pronoun is used in the translation to clarify that Moses is speaking of himself, since in contemporary English one does not usually refer to oneself in third person.
75 tn Heb “your strong hand” (so NIV), a symbol of God’s activity.
77 tn The article is retained in the translation (“the Lebanon,” cf. also NAB, NRSV) to indicate that a region (rather than the modern country of Lebanon) is referred to here. Other recent English versions accomplish this by supplying “mountains” after “Lebanon” (TEV, CEV, NLT).
81 tn Heb “the
82 tn Heb “much to you” (an idiom).
85 tn Heb “lift your eyes to the west, north, south, and east and see with your eyes.” The translation omits the repetition of “your eyes” for stylistic reasons.
89 tn Heb “command”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “charge Joshua.”
93 sn Beth Peor. This is probably the spot near Pisgah where Balaam attempted to curse the nation Israel (Num 23:28). The Moabites also worshiped Baal there by the name “Baal [of] Peor” (Num 25:1-5).
97 tn These technical Hebrew terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) occur repeatedly throughout the Book of Deuteronomy to describe the covenant stipulations to which Israel had been called to subscribe (see, in this chapter alone, vv. 1, 5, 6, 8). The word חֻקִּים derives from the verb חֹק (khoq, “to inscribe; to carve”) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim) from שָׁפַט (shafat, “to judge”). They are virtually synonymous and are used interchangeably in Deuteronomy.
98 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 37).
101 tn Heb “commanding.”
105 tc The LXX and Syriac read “to Baal Peor,” that is, the god worshiped at that place; see note on the name “Beth Peor” in Deut 3:29.
106 tn Heb “the
107 tn Or “
109 tn Heb “in the midst of” (so ASV).
113 tn Heb “it is wisdom and understanding.”
114 tn Heb “wise and understanding.”
117 tn Or “pure”; or “fair”; Heb “righteous.”
118 tn The Hebrew phrase הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת (hattorah hazzo’t), in this context, refers specifically to the Book of Deuteronomy. That is, it is the collection of all the חֻקִּים (khuqqim, “statutes,” 4:1) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “ordinances,” 4:1) to be included in the covenant text. In a full canonical sense, of course, it pertains to the entire Pentateuch or Torah.
119 tn Heb “place before.”
121 tn Heb “watch yourself and watch your soul carefully.”
125 tn The text begins with “(the) day (in) which.” In the Hebrew text v. 10 is subordinate to v. 11, but for stylistic reasons the translation treats v. 10 as an independent clause, necessitating the omission of the subordinating temporal phrase at the beginning of the verse.
126 tn Heb “the
127 tn Heb “my words.” See v. 13; in Hebrew the “ten commandments” are the “ten words.”
129 tn Heb “a mountain burning with fire as far as the heart of the heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
130 tn Heb “darkness, cloud, and heavy cloud.”
133 tn The words “was heard” are supplied in the translation to avoid the impression that the voice was seen.
137 sn This is the first occurrence of the word בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”) in the Book of Deuteronomy but it appears commonly hereafter (4:23, 31; 5:2, 3; 7:9, 12; 8:18; 9:9, 10, 11, 15; 10:2, 4, 5, 8; 17:2; 29:1, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 21, 25; 31:9, 16, 20, 25, 26; 33:9). Etymologically, it derives from the notion of linking or yoking together. See M. Weinfeld, TDOT 2:255.
138 tn Heb “the ten words.”
141 tn Heb “to which you are crossing over to possess it.”
145 tn Heb “give great care to your souls.”
149 tn The words “I say this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 16 is subordinated to “Be careful” in v. 15, but this makes for an unduly long sentence in English.
153 tn Heb “creeping thing.”
154 tn Heb “under the earth.”
157 tn Heb “lest you lift up your eyes.” In the Hebrew text vv. 16-19 are subordinated to “Be careful” in v. 15, but this makes for an unduly long sentence in English.
158 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
159 tn Heb “all the host of heaven.”
160 tn In the Hebrew text the verbal sequence in v. 19 is “lest you look up…and see…and be seduced…and worship them…and serve them.” However, the first two actions are not prohibited in and of themselves. The prohibition pertains to the final three actions. The first two verbs describe actions that are logically subordinate to the following actions and can be treated as temporal or circumstantial: “lest, looking up…and seeing…, you are seduced.” See Joüon 2:635 §168.h.
161 tn Or “allotted.”
162 tn Or “nations.”
163 tn Heb “under all the heaven.”
161 tn A כּוּר (kur) was not a source of heat but a crucible (“iron-smelting furnace”) in which precious metals were melted down and their impurities burned away (see I. Cornelius, NIDOTTE 2:618-19); cf. NAB “that iron foundry, Egypt.” The term is a metaphor for intense heat. Here it refers to the oppression and suffering Israel endured in Egypt. Since a crucible was used to burn away impurities, it is possible that the metaphor views Egypt as a place of refinement to bring Israel to a place of submission to divine sovereignty.
162 tn Heb “to be his people of inheritance.” The Lord compares his people to valued property inherited from one’s ancestors and passed on to one’s descendants.
165 tn Heb “the
166 tn The Hebrew text includes “(as) an inheritance,” or “(as) a possession.”
169 tn Heb “this.” The translation uses “that” to avoid confusion; earlier in the verse Moses refers to Transjordan as “this land.”
173 tn Heb “the
174 tn Heb “commanded.”
177 tn The juxtaposition of the Hebrew terms אֵשׁ (’esh, “fire”) and קַנָּא (qanna’, “jealous”) is interesting in light of Deut 6:15 where the
181 tn Heb “have grown old in the land,” i.e., been there for a long time.
182 tn Heb “a form of anything.” Cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV “an idol.”
183 tn The infinitive construct is understood here as indicating the result, not the intention, of their actions.
185 sn I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you. This stock formula introduces what is known form-critically as a רִיב (riv) or controversy pattern. It is commonly used in the ancient Near Eastern world in legal contexts and in the OT as a forensic or judicial device to draw attention to Israel’s violation of the
186 tn Or “be destroyed”; KJV “utterly perish”; NLT “will quickly disappear”; CEV “you won’t have long to live.”
187 tn Or “be completely” (so NCV, TEV). It is not certain here if the infinitive absolute indicates the certainty of the following action (cf. NIV) or its degree.
189 tn Heb “you will be left men (i.e., few) of number.”
193 tn Or “mind and being.” See Deut 6:5.
197 sn The phrase is not used here in a technical sense for the eschaton, but rather refers to a future time when Israel will be punished for its sin and experience exile. See Deut 31:29.
198 tn Heb “hear his voice.” The expression is an idiom meaning “obey,” occurring in Deut 8:20; 9:23; 13:18; 21:18, 20; 26:14, 17; 27:10; 28:1-2, 15, 45, 62; 30:2, 8, 10, 20.
201 tn Heb “the
202 tn Heb “he will not drop you,” i.e., “will not abandon you” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
203 tn Or “will not.” The translation understands the imperfect verbal form to have an added nuance of capability here.
205 tn The Hebrew term אָדָם (’adam) may refer either to Adam or, more likely, to “man” in the sense of the human race (“mankind,” “humankind”). The idea here seems more universal in scope than reference to Adam alone would suggest.
206 tn The verb is not present in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarification. The challenge has both temporal and geographical dimensions. The people are challenged to (1) inquire about the entire scope of past history and (2) conduct their investigation on a worldwide scale.
209 tn The translation assumes the reference is to Israel’s God in which case the point is this: God’s intervention in Israel’s experience is unique in the sense that he has never intervened in such power for any other people on earth. The focus is on the uniqueness of Israel’s experience. Some understand the divine name here in a generic sense, “a god,” or “any god.” In this case God’s incomparability is the focus (cf. v. 35, where this theme is expressed).
210 tn Heb “tried to go to take for himself.”
211 tn Heb “by testings.” The reference here is the judgments upon Pharaoh in the form of plagues. See Deut 7:19 (cf. v. 18) and 29:3 (cf. v. 2).
212 tn Heb “by strong hand and by outstretched arm.”
213 tn Heb “and his words you heard from the midst of the fire.”
217 tn The concept of love here is not primarily that of emotional affection but of commitment or devotion. This verse suggests that God chose Israel to be his special people because he loved the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and had promised to bless their descendants. See as well Deut 7:7-9.
218 tc The LXX, Smr, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read a third person masculine plural suffix for the MT’s 3rd person masculine singular, “his descendants.” Cf. Deut 10:15. Quite likely the MT should be emended in this instance.
221 tn Heb “(as) an inheritance,” that is, landed property that one can pass on to one’s descendants.
225 tn Heb “commanding” (so NRSV).
229 tn Heb “the slayer who slew his neighbor without knowledge.”
230 tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day).” The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing.
233 tn Heb “the sons of Israel” (likewise in the following verse).
237 tn The words “their territory extended” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 47-49 are all one sentence, but for the sake of English style and readability the translation divides the text into two sentences.
238 sn Mount Siyon (the Hebrew name is שִׂיאֹן [si’on], not to be confused with Zion [צִיּוֹן, tsiyyon]) is another name for Mount Hermon, also called Sirion and Senir (cf. Deut 3:9).
241 sn The sea of the Arabah refers to the Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea in OT times (cf. Deut 3:17).
242 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term אַשְׁדֹּת (’ashdot) is unclear. It is usually translated either “slopes” (ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or “watershed” (NEB).
245 tn Heb “and Moses called to all Israel and he said to them”; NAB, NASB, NIV “Moses summoned (convened NRSV) all Israel.”
249 tn Heb “the
250 tn Heb “fathers.”
253 tn Or “word” (so KJV, NASB, NIV); NRSV “words.”
257 tn Heb “there must not be for you other gods.” The expression “for you” indicates possession.
258 tn Heb “upon my face,” or “before me” (עַל־פָּנָיַ, ’al-panaya). Some understand this in a locative sense: “in my sight.” The translation assumes that the phrase indicates exclusion. The idea is that of placing any other god before the
261 tn Heb “an image, any likeness.”
262 tn Heb “under the earth” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV); NCV “below the land.”
265 tn In the Hebrew text the form is a participle, which is subordinated to what precedes. For the sake of English style, the translation divides this lengthy verse into two sentences.
266 tn Heb “who hate” (so NAB, NIV, NLT). Just as “to love” (אָהַב, ’ahav) means in a covenant context “to choose, obey,” so “to hate” (שָׂנֵא, sane’) means “to reject, disobey” (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37; see also 5:10).
267 tn Heb “visiting the sin of fathers upon sons and upon a third (generation) and upon a fourth (generation) of those who hate me.” God sometimes punishes children for the sins of a father (cf. Num 16:27, 32; Josh 7:24-25; 2 Sam 21:1-9). On the principle of corporate solidarity and responsibility in OT thought see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). In the idiom of the text, the father is the first generation and the “sons” the second generation, making grandsons the third and great-grandsons the fourth. The reference to a third and fourth generation is a way of emphasizing that the sinner’s punishment would last throughout his lifetime. In this culture, where men married and fathered children at a relatively young age, it would not be unusual for one to see his great-grandsons. In an Aramaic tomb inscription from Nerab dating to the seventh century b.c., Agbar observes that he was surrounded by “children of the fourth generation” as he lay on his death bed (see ANET 661). The language of the text differs from Exod 34:7, the sons are the first generation, the grandsons (literally, “sons of the sons”) the second, great-grandsons the third, and great-great-grandsons the fourth. One could argue that formulation in Deut 5:9 (see also Exod 20:50) is elliptical/abbreviated or that it suffers from textual corruption (the repetition of the words “sons” would invite accidental omission).
269 tn This theologically rich term (חֶסֶד, khesed) describes God’s loyalty to those who keep covenant with him. Sometimes it is used synonymously with בְּרִית (bÿrit, “covenant”; Deut 7:9), and sometimes interchangeably with it (Deut 7:12). See H.-J. Zobel, TDOT 5:44-64.
270 tc By a slight emendation (לַאֲלּוּפִים [la’allufim] for לַאֲלָפִים [la’alafim]) “clans” could be read in place of the MT reading “thousands.” However, no
271 tn Heb “love.” See note on the word “reject” in v. 9.
273 tn Heb “take up the name of the Lord your God to emptiness”; KJV “take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The idea here is not cursing or profanity in the modern sense of these terms but rather the use of the divine Name for unholy, mundane purposes, that is, for meaningless (the Hebrew term is שָׁוְא) and empty ends. In ancient Israel this would include using the Lord’s name as a witness in vows one did not intend to keep.
274 tn Heb “who takes up his name to emptiness.”
277 tn Heb “to make holy,” that is, to put to special use, in this case, to sacred purposes (cf. vv. 13-15).