translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: DEU

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “and it will come to pass that.”


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


label: NET textual note

text: For the MT reading “your God,” certain LXX mss have “my God,” a contextually superior rendition followed by some English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, TEV). Perhaps the text reflects dittography of the kaf ( כ ) at the end of the word with the following preposition כִּי ( ki ).


text: The Syriac adds “your God” to complete the usual formula.


text: Heb “swore on oath.”


text: Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 15 ).


text: Heb “your hand.”


text: Though the Hebrew term אָבַד (’ avad ) generally means “to perish” or the like ( HALOT 2-3 s.v.; BDB 1-2 s.v.; cf. KJV “a Syrian ready to perish”), a meaning “to go astray” or “to be lost” is also attested. The ambivalence in the Hebrew text is reflected in the versions where LXX Vaticanus reads ἀπέβαλεν ( apebalen , “lose”) for a possibly metathesized reading found in Alexandrinus, Ambrosianus, ἀπέλαβεν ( apelaben , “receive”); others attest κατέλειπεν ( kateleipen , “leave, abandon”). “Wandering” seems to suit best the contrast with the sedentary life Israel would enjoy in Canaan (v. 9 ) and is the meaning followed by many English versions.


text: Heb “father.”


text: Heb “sojourned there few in number.” The words “with a household” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.


text: Heb “the Lord. ” See note on “he” in 26:2 .


text: Heb “by a powerful hand and an extended arm.” These are anthropomorphisms designed to convey God’s tremendously great power in rescuing Israel from their Egyptian bondage. They are preserved literally in many English versions (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).


text: Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 26:2 .


text: Or “household” (so NASB, NIV, NLT); Heb “house” (so KJV, NRSV).


text: Heb includes “the tithes of.” This has not been included in the translation to avoid redundancy.


text: The terms “Levite, resident foreigner, orphan, and widow” are collective singulars in the Hebrew text (also in v. 13 ).


text: Heb “gates.”


text: Heb “the sacred thing.” The term הַקֹּדֶשׁ ( haqqodesh ) likely refers to an offering normally set apart for the Lord but, as a third-year tithe, given on this occasion to people in need. Sometimes this is translated as “the sacred portion” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV), but that could sound to a modern reader as if a part of the house were being removed and given away.


text: Heb “according to all your commandment that you commanded me.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.


text: Heb “the Lord my God.” See note on “he” in 26:2 .


text: Or “mind and being”; cf. NCV “with your whole being”; TEV “obey them faithfully with all your heart.”


text: Heb “so that.” Verses 18-19 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but the translation divides it into three sentences for stylistic reasons. The first clause in verse 19 gives a result of the preceding clause. When Israel keeps God’s law, God will bless them with fame and honor (cf. NAB “he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory”; NLT “And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation”).


text: Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”


text: Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.