Deuteronomy 13:7

13:7 the gods of the surrounding people (whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth ¹  to the other).

Deuteronomy 15:12

Release of Debt Slaves

15:12 If your fellow Hebrew ²  – whether male or female ³  – is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant ⁴  go free. ⁵ 

Deuteronomy 15:21

15:21 If they have any kind of blemish – lameness, blindness, or anything else ⁶  – you may not offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 17:6

17:6 At the testimony of two or three witnesses they must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

Deuteronomy 22:1

Laws Concerning Preservation of Life

22:1 When you see ⁷  your neighbor’s ⁸  ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; ⁹  you must return it without fail ¹⁰  to your neighbor.

Deuteronomy 22:4

22:4 When you see ¹¹  your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; ¹²  instead, you must be sure ¹³  to help him get the animal on its feet again. ¹⁴ 

Deuteronomy 27:22

27:22 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

[13:7]  ¹ tn Or “land” (so NIV, NCV); the same Hebrew word can be translated “land” or “earth.”

[15:12]  ² sn Elsewhere in the OT, the Israelites are called “Hebrews” (עִבְרִי, ’ivriy) by outsiders, rarely by themselves (cf. Gen 14:13; 39:14, 17; 41:12; Exod 1:15, 16, 19; 2:6, 7, 11, 13; 1 Sam 4:6; Jonah 1:9). Thus, here and in the parallel passage in Exod 21:2-6 the term עִבְרִי may designate non-Israelites, specifically a people well-known throughout the ancient Near East as ’apiru or habiru. They lived a rather vagabond lifestyle, frequently hiring themselves out as laborers or mercenary soldiers. While accounting nicely for the surprising use of the term here in an Israelite law code, the suggestion has against it the unlikelihood that a set of laws would address such a marginal people so specifically (as opposed to simply calling them aliens or the like). More likely עִבְרִי is chosen as a term to remind Israel that when they were “Hebrews,” that is, when they were in Egypt, they were slaves. Now that they are free they must not keep their fellow Israelites in economic bondage. See v. 15.

[15:12]  ³ tn Heb “your brother, a Hebrew (male) or Hebrew (female).”

[15:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “him.” The singular pronoun occurs throughout the passage.

[15:12]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text includes “from you.”

[15:21]  ³ tn Heb “any evil blemish”; NASB “any (+ other NAB, TEV) serious defect.”

[22:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “you must not see,” but, if translated literally into English, the statement is misleading.

[22:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “brother’s” (also later in this verse). In this context it is not limited to one’s siblings, however; cf. NAB “your kinsman’s.”

[22:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “hide yourself.”

[22:1]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail.”

[22:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “you must not see.” See note at 22:1.

[22:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and (must not) hide yourself from them.”

[22:4]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “be sure.”

[22:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “help him to lift them up.” In keeping with English style the singular is used in the translation, and the referent (“the animal”) has been specified for clarity.