Joshua 7:25-26

7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster ¹  on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.) ²  7:26 Then they erected over him a large pile of stones (it remains to this very day ³ ) and the Lord’s anger subsided. So that place is called the Valley of Disaster to this very day.

Deuteronomy 13:15-16

13:15 you must by all means ⁴  slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate ⁵  with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock. 13:16 You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza ⁶  and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It will be an abandoned ruin ⁷  forever – it must never be rebuilt again.

Deuteronomy 13:1

13:1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams ⁸  should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, ⁹ 

Deuteronomy 14:1

The Holy and the Profane

14:1 You are children ¹⁰  of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald ¹¹  for the sake of the dead.

Deuteronomy 14:1

The Holy and the Profane

14:1 You are children ¹²  of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald ¹³  for the sake of the dead.

[7:25]  ¹ tn Or “trouble.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause).

[7:25]  ² tc Heb “and they burned them with fire and they stoned them with stones.” These words are somewhat parenthetical in nature and are omitted in the LXX; they may represent a later scribal addition.

[7:26]  ³ tc Heb “to this day.” The phrase “to this day” is omitted in the LXX and may represent a later scribal addition.

[13:15]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “by all means.” Cf. KJV, NASB “surely”; NIV “certainly.”

[13:15]  ⁵ tn Or “put under divine judgment. The Hebrew word (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to placing persons or things under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction.Though primarily applied against the heathen, this severe judgment could also fall upon unrepentant Israelites (cf. the story of Achan in Josh 7). See also the note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.

[13:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “street.”

[13:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “mound”; NAB “a heap of ruins.” The Hebrew word תֵּל (tel) refers to this day to a ruin represented especially by a built-up mound of dirt or debris (cf. Tel Aviv, “mound of grain”).

[13:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).

[13:1]  ⁹ tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the Lord as a means of testing his people.

[14:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); TEV, NLT “people.”

[14:1]  ¹¹ sn Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald. These were pagan practices associated with mourning the dead; they were not be imitated by God’s people (though they frequently were; cf. 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; Hos 7:14 [LXX]; Mic 5:1). For other warnings against such practices see Lev 21:5; Jer 16:5.

[14:1]  ¹² tn Heb “sons” (so NASB); TEV, NLT “people.”

[14:1]  ¹³ sn Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald. These were pagan practices associated with mourning the dead; they were not be imitated by God’s people (though they frequently were; cf. 1 Kgs 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; Hos 7:14 [LXX]; Mic 5:1). For other warnings against such practices see Lev 21:5; Jer 16:5.