Numbers 26:2

26:2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israelites, from twenty years old and upward, by their clans, everyone who can serve in the army of Israel.”

Deuteronomy 3:18

Instructions to the Transjordanian Tribes

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 equipped for battle.

Deuteronomy 24:5

24:5 When a man is newly married, he need not go into the army nor be obligated in any way; he must be free to stay at home for a full year and bring joy to the wife he has married.

Deuteronomy 24:2

24:2 When she has left him she may go and become someone else’s wife.

Deuteronomy 24:9

24:9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam along the way after you left Egypt.

Deuteronomy 24:2

24:2 When she has left him she may go and become someone else’s wife.

Deuteronomy 17:13-18

17:13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and not be so presumptuous again.

Provision for Kingship

17:14 When you come to the land the Lord your God is giving you and take it over and live in it and then say, “I will select a king like all the nations surrounding me,” 17:15 you must select without fail a king whom the Lord your God chooses. From among your fellow citizens 10  you must appoint a king – you may not designate a foreigner who is not one of your fellow Israelites. 11  17:16 Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so, 12  for the Lord has said you must never again return that way. 17:17 Furthermore, he must not marry many 13  wives lest his affections turn aside, and he must not accumulate much silver and gold. 17:18 When he sits on his royal throne he must make a copy of this law 14  on a scroll 15  given to him by the Levitical priests.

Deuteronomy 26:11-13

26:11 You will celebrate all the good things that the Lord your God has given you and your family, 16  along with the Levites and the resident foreigners among you.

Presentation of the Third-year Tithe

26:12 When you finish tithing all 17  your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows 18  so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages. 19  26:13 Then you shall say before the Lord your God, “I have removed the sacred offering 20  from my house and given it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows just as you have commanded me. 21  I have not violated or forgotten your commandments.


tn Heb “house of their fathers.”

tn Heb “everyone who goes out in the army in Israel.”

tn Heb “your brothers, the sons of Israel.”

tn Heb “go out with.”

tc For the MT’s reading Piel שִׂמַּח (simmakh, “bring joy to”), the Syriac and others read שָׂמַח (samakh, “enjoy”).

tn Heb “his house.”

sn What the Lord your God did to Miriam. The reference is to Miriam’s having contracted leprosy because of her intemperate challenge to Moses’ leadership (Num 12:1-15). The purpose for the allusion here appears to be the assertion of the theocratic leadership of the priests who, like Moses, should not be despised.

tn Heb “his house.”

tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “without fail.”

10 tn Heb “your brothers,” but not referring to siblings (cf. NIV “your brother Israelites”; NLT “a fellow Israelite”). The same phrase also occurs in v. 20.

11 tn Heb “your brothers.” See the preceding note on “fellow citizens.”

12 tn Heb “in order to multiply horses.” The translation uses “do so” in place of “multiply horses” to avoid redundancy (cf. NAB, NIV).

13 tn Heb “must not multiply” (cf. KJV, NASB); NLT “must not take many.”

14 tn Or “instruction.” The LXX reads here τὸ δευτερονόμιον τοῦτο (to deuteronomion touto, “this second law”). From this Greek phrase the present name of the book, “Deuteronomy” or “second law” (i.e., the second giving of the law), is derived. However, the MT’s expression מִשְׁנֶה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת (mishneh hattorah hazzot) is better rendered “copy of this law.” Here the term תּוֹרָה (torah) probably refers only to the book of Deuteronomy and not to the whole Pentateuch.

15 tn The Hebrew term סֵפֶר (sefer) means a “writing” or “document” and could be translated “book” (so KJV, ASV, TEV). However, since “book” carries the connotation of a modern bound book with pages (an obvious anachronism) it is preferable to render the Hebrew term “scroll” here and elsewhere.

16 tn Or “household” (so NASB, NIV, NLT); Heb “house” (so KJV, NRSV).

17 tn Heb includes “the tithes of.” This has not been included in the translation to avoid redundancy.

18 tn The terms “Levite, resident foreigner, orphan, and widow” are collective singulars in the Hebrew text (also in v. 13).

19 tn Heb “gates.”

20 tn Heb “the sacred thing.” The term הַקֹּדֶשׁ (haqqodesh) likely refers to an offering normally set apart for the Lord but, as a third-year tithe, given on this occasion to people in need. Sometimes this is translated as “the sacred portion” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV), but that could sound to a modern reader as if a part of the house were being removed and given away.

21 tn Heb “according to all your commandment that you commanded me.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.