¹ tc Smr reads “Mount Gerizim” for the MT reading “Mount Ebal” to justify the location of the Samaritan temple there in the postexilic period. This reading is patently self-serving and does not reflect the original. In the NT when the Samaritan woman of Sychar referred to “this mountain” as the place of worship for her community she obviously had Gerizim in mind (cf. John 4:20).

¹ sn Mount Gerizim…Mount Ebal. These two mountains are near the ancient site of Shechem and the modern city of Nablus. The valley between them is like a great amphitheater with the mountain slopes as seating sections. The place was sacred because it was there that Abraham pitched his camp and built his first altar after coming to Canaan (Gen 12:6). Jacob also settled at Shechem for a time and dug a well from which Jesus once requested a drink of water (Gen 33:18-20; John 4:5-7). When Joshua and the Israelites finally brought Canaan under control they assembled at Shechem as Moses commanded and undertook a ritual of covenant reaffirmation (Josh 8:30-35; 24:1, 25). Half the tribes stood on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal and in antiphonal chorus pledged their loyalty to the Lord before Joshua and the Levites who stood in the valley below (Josh 8:33; cf. Deut 27:11-13).

² tn Or “you will mount them” (NRSV similar).

¹ sn Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom.

¹ sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.

¹ sn The laws were given at Mount Sinai.

² tn Or “Mount Heres”; the term הַר (har) means “mount” or “mountain” in Hebrew.

¹ tn Heb “I gave to Esau Mount Seir to possess it.”

² tn Heb “the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.”

¹ sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.

¹ sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.

⁵ sn Perhaps “the hill” refers to the temple mount.

⁴ sn Mount Seir is synonymous with Edom. “By way of Mount Seir” refers to the route from Horeb that ended up in Edom Cf. CEV “by way of the Mount Seir Road”; TEV “by way of the hill country of Edom.”

³ sn Mount Hor. See note on the name “Moserah” in Deut 10:6.

² sn The hill east of Jerusalem refers to the Mount of Olives.

¹ sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai (cf. Exod 3:1).

¹ tn Heb “now, look, the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir.”

¹ tn Heb “the sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the residents of Mount Seir.”

¹ sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).

¹ tn Heb “over all the place, Mount Zion.” Cf. NLT “Jerusalem”; CEV “the whole city.”