translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: DEU

label: NET translator note

text: The MT places the terms “priests” and “Levites” in apposition, thus creating an epexegetical construction in which the second term qualifies the first, i.e., “Levitical priests.” This is a way of asserting their legitimacy as true priests. The Syriac renders “to the priest and to the Levite,” making a distinction between the two, but one that is out of place here.


text: Heb “he” (and throughout the verse).


text: Heb “brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NASB “their countrymen”; NRSV “the other members of the community.”


text: Heb “judgment”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “the priest’s due.”


text: Heb “the firstfruits of your…” (so NIV).


label: NET textual note

text: Smr and some Greek texts add “before the Lord your God” to bring the language into line with a formula found elsewhere ( Deut 10:8 ; 2 Chr 29:11 ). This reading is not likely to be original, however.


text: Heb “the name of the Lord. ” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.


text: Heb “according to all the desire of his soul.”


text: Or “sojourning.” The verb used here refers to living temporarily in a place, not settling down.


text: Presumably this would not refer to a land inheritance, since that was forbidden to the descendants of Levi (v. 1 ). More likely it referred to some family possessions (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV) or other private property (cf. NLT “a private source of income”), or even support sent by relatives (cf. TEV “whatever his family sends him”).


text: Heb “who passes his son or his daughter through the fire.” The expression “pass…through the fire” is probably a euphemism for human sacrifice (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, NLT). See also Deut 12:31 .


text: Heb “a diviner of divination” ( קֹסֵם קְסָמִים , qosem qÿsamim ). This was a means employed to determine the future or the outcome of events by observation of various omens and signs (cf. Num 22:7; 23:23 ; Josh 13:22 ; 1 Sam 6:2; 15:23; 28:8 ; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 3:945-51.


text: Heb “one who causes to appear” ( מְעוֹנֵן , mÿ ’ onen ). Such a practitioner was thought to be able to conjure up spirits or apparitions (cf. Lev 19:26 ; Judg 9:37 ; 2 Kgs 21:6 ; Isa 2:6; 57:3 ; Jer 27:9 ; Mic 5:11 ).


text: Heb “a seeker of omens” ( מְנַחֵשׁ , mÿnakhesh ). This is a subset of divination, one illustrated by the use of a “divining cup” in the story of Joseph ( Gen 44:5 ).


text: Heb “a doer of sorcery” ( מְכַשֵּׁף , mikhashef ). This has to do with magic or the casting of spells in order to manipulate the gods or the powers of nature (cf. Lev 19:26-31 ; 2 Kgs 17:15 b-17; 21:1-7 ; Isa 57:3, 5 ; etc.). See M. Horsnell, NIDOTTE 2:735-38.


text: 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 ).


text: 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 ).


text: 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 ).


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


text: Heb “these abhorrent things.” The repetition is emphatic. For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the same term used earlier in the verse has been translated “detestable” here.


text: The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here.


text: The MT expands here on the usual formula by adding “from among you” (cf. Deut 17:15; 18:18 ; Smr; a number of Greek texts). The expansion seems to be for the purpose of emphasis, i.e., the prophet to come must be not just from Israel but an Israelite by blood. tn “from your brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. NAB “from among your own kinsmen”; NASB “from your countrymen”; NRSV “from among your own people.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 17 .


text: The Hebrew text uses the collective singular in this verse: “my God…lest I die.”


text: Heb “will seek from him”; NAB “I myself will make him answer for it”; NRSV “will hold accountable.”


text: Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet mentioned in v. 18 ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “commanded” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).


text: Heb “in your heart.”


text: Heb “know the word which the Lord has not spoken.” The issue here is not understanding the meaning of the message, but distinguishing a genuine prophetic word from a false one.


text: Heb “the Lord ’s.” See note on the word “his” in v. 5 .


text: Heb “the word,” but a predictive word is in view here. Cf. NAB “his oracle.”


text: Heb “does not happen or come to pass.”


text: Heb “the Lord has.” See note on the word “his” in v. 5 .


text: Heb “that is the word which the Lord has not spoken.”