Deuteronomy 18:11

18:11 one who casts spells, ¹  one who conjures up spirits, ²  a practitioner of the occult, ³  or a necromancer. ⁴ 

Deuteronomy 6:20

Exhortation to Remember the Past

6:20 When your children ⁵  ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?”

Deuteronomy 13:14

13:14 You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you, ⁶ 

Deuteronomy 32:7

32:7 Remember the ancient days;

bear in mind ⁷  the years of past generations. ⁸ 

Ask your father and he will inform you,

your elders, and they will tell you.

Deuteronomy 4:32

The Uniqueness of Israel’s God

4:32 Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind ⁹  on the earth, and ask ¹⁰  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.

Deuteronomy 10:12

An Exhortation to Love Both God and People

10:12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him, ¹¹  to obey all his commandments, ¹²  to love him, to serve him ¹³  with all your mind and being, ¹⁴ 

Deuteronomy 14:26

14:26 Then you may spend the money however you wish for cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or whatever you desire. You and your household may eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and enjoy it.

Deuteronomy 18:16

18:16 This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our ¹⁵  God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.”

[18:11]  ¹ tn Heb “a binder of binding” (חֹבֵר חָבֶר, khover khaver). The connotation is that of immobilizing (“binding”) someone or something by the use of magical words (cf. Ps 58:6; Isa 47:9, 12).

[18:11]  ² tn Heb “asker of a [dead] spirit” (שֹׁאֵל אוֹב, sho’el ’ov). This is a form of necromancy (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6; 1 Sam 28:8, 9; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4).

[18:11]  ³ tn Heb “a knowing [or “familiar”] [spirit]” (יִדְּעֹנִי, yiddÿ’oniy), i.e., one who is expert in mantic arts (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam 28:3, 9; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 8:19; 19:3).

[18:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “a seeker of the dead.” This is much the same as “one who conjures up spirits” (cf. 1 Sam 28:6-7).

[6:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “your son.”

[13:14]  ⁹ tc Theodotian adds “in Israel,” perhaps to broaden the matter beyond the local village.

[32:7]  ¹³ tc The Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read 2nd person masculine singular whereas the MT has 2nd person masculine plural. The former is preferred, the latter perhaps being a misreading (בִּינוּ [binu] for בִּינָה [binah]). Both the preceding (“remember”) and following (“ask”) imperatives are singular forms in the Hebrew text.

[32:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “generation and generation.” The repetition of the singular noun here singles out each of the successive past generations. See IBHS 116 §7.2.3b.

[4:32]  ¹⁷ 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.

[4:32]  ¹⁸ 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.

[10:12]  ²¹ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

[10:12]  ²² tn Heb “to walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “follow his ways exactly”; NLT “to live according to his will.”

[10:12]  ²³ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

[10:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being”; NCV “with your whole being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

[18:16]  ²⁵ tn The Hebrew text uses the collective singular in this verse: “my God…lest I die.”