Ulangan 1:1-5

The Covenant Setting

1:1 This is what ¹  Moses said to the assembly of Israel ²  in the Transjordanian ³  wastelands, the arid country opposite ⁴  Suph, ⁵  between ⁶  Paran ⁷  and Tophel, ⁸  Laban, ⁹  Hazeroth, ¹⁰  and Di Zahab ¹¹  1:2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey ¹²  from Horeb ¹³  to Kadesh Barnea ¹⁴  by way of Mount Seir. ¹⁵  1:3 However, it was not until ¹⁶  the first day of the eleventh month ¹⁷  of the fortieth year ¹⁸  that Moses addressed the Israelites just as ¹⁹  the Lord had instructed him to do. 1:4 This took place after the defeat ²⁰  of King Sihon ²¹  of the Amorites, whose capital was ²²  in Heshbon, ²³  and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was ²⁴  in Ashtaroth, ²⁵  specifically in Edrei. ²⁶  1:5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words: ²⁷ 

Ulangan 1:9

1:9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself.

Ulangan 1:37

1:37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there.

Ulangan 1:41

Unsuccessful Conquest of Canaan

1:41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country.

Ulangan 3:2

3:2 The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, ²⁸  and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.”

Ulangan 3:26

3:26 But the Lord was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me. Instead, he ²⁹  said to me, “Enough of that! ³⁰  Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.

Ulangan 4:1

The Privileges of the Covenant

4:1 Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances ³¹  I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, ³²  is giving you.

Ulangan 4:41

The Narrative Concerning Cities of Refuge

4:41 Then Moses selected three cities in the Transjordan, toward the east.

Ulangan 4:44-46

The Setting and Introduction of the Covenant

4:44 This is the law that Moses set before the Israelites. ³³  4:45 These are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that Moses spoke to the Israelites after he had brought them out of Egypt, 4:46 in the Transjordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. (It is he whom Moses and the Israelites attacked after they came out of Egypt.

Ulangan 5:1

The Opening Exhortation

5:1 Then Moses called all the people of Israel together and said to them: ³⁴  “Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am about to deliver to you today; learn them and be careful to keep them!

Ulangan 5:27

5:27 You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he ³⁵  says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”

Ulangan 5:31

5:31 But as for you, remain here with me so I can declare to you all the commandments, ³⁶  statutes, and ordinances that you are to teach them, so that they can carry them out in the land I am about to give them.” ³⁷ 

Ulangan 5:33

5:33 Walk just as he ³⁸  has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long ³⁹  in the land you are going to possess.

Ulangan 10:1

The Opportunity to Begin Again

10:1 At that same time the Lord said to me, “Carve out for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones and come up the mountain to me; also make for yourself a wooden ark. ⁴⁰ 

Ulangan 18:14

18:14 Those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not given you permission to do such things.

Ulangan 27:1

The Assembly at Shechem

27:1 Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Pay attention to all the commandments ⁴¹  I am giving ⁴²  you today.

Ulangan 27:9

27:9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be quiet and pay attention, Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God.

Ulangan 27:11

27:11 Moreover, Moses commanded the people that day:

Ulangan 29:1-2

Narrative Interlude

29:1 (28:69) ⁴³  These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb. ⁴⁴ 

The Exodus, Wandering, and Conquest Reviewed

29:2 Moses proclaimed to all Israel as follows: “You have seen all that the Lord did ⁴⁵  in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, all his servants, and his land.

Ulangan 31:1

Succession of Moses by Joshua

31:1 Then Moses went ⁴⁶  and spoke these words ⁴⁷  to all Israel.

Ulangan 31:7

31:7 Then Moses called out to Joshua ⁴⁸  in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will accompany these people to the land that the Lord promised to give their ancestors, ⁴⁹  and you will enable them to inherit it.

Ulangan 31:9-10

The Deposit of the Covenant Text

31:9 Then Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all Israel’s elders. 31:10 He ⁵⁰  commanded them: “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the cancellation of debts, ⁵¹  at the Feast of Temporary Shelters, ⁵² 

Ulangan 31:14

The Commissioning of Joshua

31:14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The day of your death is near. Summon Joshua and present yourselves in the tent ⁵³  of meeting ⁵⁴  so that I can commission him.” ⁵⁵  So Moses and Joshua presented themselves in the tent of meeting.

Ulangan 31:16

31:16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “You are about to die, ⁵⁶  and then these people will begin to prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land into which they ⁵⁷  are going. They ⁵⁸  will reject ⁵⁹  me and break my covenant that I have made with them. ⁶⁰ 

Ulangan 31:22

31:22 So on that day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites,

Ulangan 31:24-25

Anticipation of Disobedience

31:24 When Moses finished writing on a scroll the words of this law in their entirety, 31:25 he ⁶¹  commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant,

Ulangan 31:30

31:30 Then Moses recited the words of this song from start to finish in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel.

Ulangan 32:44-46

Narrative Interlude

32:44 Then Moses went with Joshua ⁶²  son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people. 32:45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel 32:46 he said to them, “Keep in mind all the words I am solemnly proclaiming to you today; you must command your children to observe carefully all the words of this law.

Ulangan 32:48

Instructions about Moses’ Death

32:48 Then the Lord said to Moses that same day,

Ulangan 33:1

Introduction to the Blessing of Moses

33:1 This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death.

Ulangan 33:4

33:4 Moses delivered to us a law, ⁶³ 

an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

Ulangan 33:6-8

Blessing on Reuben

33:6 May Reuben live and not die,

and may his people multiply. ⁶⁴ 

Blessing on Judah

33:7 And this is the blessing ⁶⁵  to Judah. He said,

Listen, O Lord, to Judah’s voice,

and bring him to his people.

May his power be great,

and may you help him against his foes.

Blessing on Levi

33:8 Of Levi he said:

Your Thummim and Urim ⁶⁶  belong to your godly one, ⁶⁷ 

whose authority you challenged at Massah, ⁶⁸ 

and with whom you argued at the waters of Meribah. ⁶⁹ 

Ulangan 33:12-13

Blessing on Benjamin

33:12 Of Benjamin he said:

The beloved of the Lord will live safely by him;

he protects him all the time,

and the Lord ⁷⁰  places him on his chest. ⁷¹ 

Blessing on Joseph

33:13 Of Joseph he said:

May the Lord bless his land

with the harvest produced by the sky, ⁷²  by the dew,

and by the depths crouching beneath;

Ulangan 33:18

Blessing on Zebulun and Issachar

33:18 Of Zebulun he said:

Rejoice, Zebulun, when you go outside,

and Issachar, when you are in your tents.

Ulangan 33:20

Blessing on Gad

33:20 Of Gad he said:

Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad.

Like a lioness he will dwell;

he will tear at an arm – indeed, a scalp. ⁷³ 

Ulangan 33:22-24

Blessing on Dan

33:22 Of Dan he said:

Dan is a lion’s cub;

he will leap forth from Bashan. ⁷⁴ 

Blessing on Naphtali

33:23 Of Naphtali he said:

O Naphtali, overflowing with favor,

and full of the Lord’s blessing,

possess the west and south.

Blessing on Asher

33:24 Of Asher he said:

Asher is blessed with children,

may he be favored by his brothers

and may he dip his foot in olive oil. ⁷⁵ 

Ulangan 34:1

The Death of Moses

34:1 Then Moses ascended from the deserts of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. ⁷⁶  The Lord showed him the whole land – Gilead to Dan,

Ulangan 34:4-5

34:4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ ⁷⁷  I have let you see it, ⁷⁸  but you will not cross over there.”

34:5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab as the Lord had said.

Ulangan 34:7-12

34:7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, but his eye was not dull ⁷⁹  nor had his vitality ⁸⁰  departed. 34:8 The Israelites mourned for Moses in the deserts of Moab for thirty days; then the days of mourning for Moses ended.

The Epitaph of Moses

34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had placed his hands on him; ⁸¹  and the Israelites listened to him and did just what the Lord had commanded Moses. 34:10 No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses, who knew the Lord face to face. ⁸²  34:11 He did ⁸³  all the signs and wonders the Lord had sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, all his servants, and the whole land, 34:12 and he displayed great power ⁸⁴  and awesome might in view of all Israel. ⁸⁵ 

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “These are the words.”

[1:1]  ² tn Heb “to all Israel.”

[1:1]  ³ tn Heb “on the other side of the Jordan.” This would appear to favor authorship by someone living on the west side of the Jordan, that is, in Canaan, whereas the biblical tradition locates Moses on the east side (cf. v. 5). However the Hebrew phrase בְּעֵבֶר הַיּרְדֵּן (bÿ’ever hayyrÿden) is a frozen form meaning “Transjordan,” a name appropriate from any geographical vantage point. To this day, one standing east of the Jordan can describe himself as being in Transjordan.

[1:1]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew term מוֹל (mol) may also mean “in front of” or “near” (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[1:1]  ⁵ sn This place is otherwise unattested and its location is unknown. Perhaps it is Khirbet Sufah, 4 mi (6 km) SSE of Madaba, Jordan.

[1:1]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term בֵּין (ben) may suggest “in the area of.”

[1:1]  ⁷ sn Paran is the well-known desert area between Mount Sinai and Kadesh Barnea (cf. Num 10:12; 12:16).

[1:1]  ⁸ sn Tophel refers possibly to et£-T£afîleh, 15 mi (25 km) SE of the Dead Sea, or to Da‚bîlu, another name for Paran. See H. Cazelles, “Tophel (Deut. 1:1),” VT 9 (1959): 412-15.

[1:1]  ⁹ sn Laban. Perhaps this refers to Libnah (Num 33:20).

[1:1]  ¹⁰ sn Hazeroth. This probably refers to àAin Khadra. See Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 199-200.

[1:1]  ¹¹ sn Di Zahab. Perhaps this refers to Mina al-Dhahab on the eastern Sinai coast.

[1:2]  ¹² sn An eleven-day journey was about 140 mi (233 km).

[1:2]  ¹³ sn Horeb is another name for Sinai. “Horeb” occurs 9 times in the Book of Deuteronomy and “Sinai” only once (33:2). “Sinai” occurs 13 times in the Book of Exodus and “Horeb” only 3 times.

[1:2]  ¹⁴ sn Kadesh Barnea. Possibly this refers to àAin Qudeis, about 50 mi (80 km) southwest of Beer Sheba, but more likely to àAin Qudeirat, 5 mi (8 km) NW of àAin Qudeis. See R. Cohen, “Did I Excavate Kadesh-Barnea?” BAR 7 (1981): 20-33.

[1:2]  ¹⁵ 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.”

[1:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “in” or “on.” Here there is a contrast between the ordinary time of eleven days (v. 2) and the actual time of forty years, so “not until” brings out that vast disparity.

[1:3]  ¹⁷ sn The eleventh month is Shebat in the Hebrew calendar, January/February in the modern (Gregorian) calendar.

[1:3]  ¹⁸ sn The fortieth year would be 1406 b.c. according to the “early” date of the exodus. See E. H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, 66-75.

[1:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “according to all which.”

[1:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “when he struck [or “smote”].”

[1:4]  ²¹ sn See Deut 2:26–3:22.

[1:4]  ²² tn Heb “who lived.”

[1:4]  ²³ sn Heshbon is probably modern Tell Hesban, about 7.5 mi (12 km) south southwest of Amman, Jordan.

[1:4]  ²⁴ tn Heb “who lived.”

[1:4]  ²⁵ sn Ashtaroth is probably Tell àAshtarah, about 22 mi (35 km) due east of the Sea of Galilee.

[1:4]  ²⁶ sn Edrei is probably modern Deràa, 60 mi (95 km) south of Damascus (see Num 21:33; Josh 12:4; 13:12, 31).

[1:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “this instruction”; KJV, NIV, NRSV “this law”; TEV “God’s laws and teachings.” The Hebrew noun תוֹרָה (torah) is derived from the verb יָרָה (yarah, “to teach”) and here it refers to the Book of Deuteronomy, not the Pentateuch as a whole.

[3:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “people.”

[3:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.” For stylistic reasons the pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation here.

[3:26]  ³⁰ tn Heb “much to you” (an idiom).

[4:1]  ³¹ tn These technical Hebrew terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) occur repeatedly throughout the Book of Deuteronomy to describe the covenant stipulations to which Israel had been called to subscribe (see, in this chapter alone, vv. 1, 5, 6, 8). The word חֻקִּים derives from the verb חֹק (khoq, “to inscribe; to carve”) and מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim) from שָׁפַט (shafat, “to judge”). They are virtually synonymous and are used interchangeably in Deuteronomy.

[4:1]  ³² tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 37).

[4:44]  ³³ tn Heb “the sons of Israel” (likewise in the following verse).

[5:1]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and Moses called to all Israel and he said to them”; NAB, NASB, NIV “Moses summoned (convened NRSV) all Israel.”

[5:27]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on “He” in 5:3.

[5:31]  ³⁶ tn Heb “commandment.” The MT actually has the singular (הַמִּצְוָה, hammitsvah), suggesting perhaps that the following terms (חֻקִּים [khuqqim] and מִשְׁפָּטִים [mishpatim]) are in epexegetical apposition to “commandment.” That is, the phrase could be translated “the entire command, namely, the statutes and ordinances.” This would essentially make מִצְוָה (mitsvah) synonymous with תּוֹרָה (torah), the usual term for the whole collection of law.

[5:31]  ³⁷ tn Heb “to possess it” (so KJV, ASV); NLT “as their inheritance.”

[5:33]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[5:33]  ³⁹ tn Heb “may prolong your days”; NAB “may have long life”; TEV “will continue to live.”

[10:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “chest” (so NIV, CEV); NLT “sacred chest”; TEV “wooden box.” This chest was made of acacia wood; it is later known as the ark of the covenant.

[27:1]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the whole commandment.” See note at 5:31.

[27:1]  ⁴² tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 10).

[29:1]  ⁴³ sn Beginning with 29:1, the verse numbers through 29:29 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 29:1 ET = 28:69 HT, 29:2 ET = 29:1 HT, 29:3 ET = 29:2 HT, etc., through 29:29 ET = 29:28 HT. With 30:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[29:1]  ⁴⁴ sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai (which some English versions substitute here for clarity, cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[29:2]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew text includes “to your eyes,” but this is redundant in English style (cf. the preceding “you have seen”) and is omitted in the translation.

[31:1]  ⁴⁶ tc For the MT reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “he went”), the LXX and Qumran have וַיְכַל (vaykhal, “he finished”): “So Moses finished speaking,” etc. The difficult reading of the MT favors its authenticity.

[31:1]  ⁴⁷ tn In the MT this refers to the words that follow (cf. NIV, NCV).

[31:7]  ⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew text includes “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 20).

[31:10]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “Moses.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:10]  ⁵¹ tn The Hebrew term שְׁמִטָּה (shÿmittah), a derivative of the verb שָׁמַט (shamat, “to release; to relinquish”), refers to the procedure whereby debts of all fellow Israelites were to be canceled. Since the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated God’s own deliverance of and provision for his people, this was an appropriate time for Israelites to release one another. See note on this word at Deut 15:1.

[31:10]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew phrase הַסֻּכּוֹת[חַג] ([khag] hassukot, “[festival of] huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. See note on the name of the festival in Deut 16:13.

[31:10]  sn For the regulations on this annual festival see Deut 16:13-15.

[31:14]  ⁵³ tc The LXX reads “by the door of the tent” in line with v. 10 but also, perhaps, as a reflection of its tendency to avoid over-familiarity with Yahweh and his transcendence.

[31:14]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “tent of assembly” (מוֹעֵד אֹהֶל, ’ohel mo’ed); this is not always the same as the tabernacle, which is usually called מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling-place”), a reference to its being invested with God’s presence. The “tent of meeting” was erected earlier than the tabernacle and was the place where Yahweh occasionally appeared, especially to Moses (cf. Exod 18:7-16; 33:7-11; Num 11:16, 24, 26; 12:4).

[31:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “I will command him.”

[31:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “lie down with your fathers” (so NASB); NRSV “ancestors.”

[31:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they,” which is necessary in any case in the translation because of contemporary English style. The third person singular also occurs in the Hebrew text twice more in this verse, three times in v. 17, once in v. 18, five times in v. 20, and four times in v. 21. Each time it is translated as third person plural for stylistic reasons.

[31:16]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “he.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “they.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “abandon” (TEV, NLT).

[31:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

[31:25]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Moses.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[32:44]  ⁶² tn Heb “Hoshea” (so KJV, ASV), another name for the same individual (cf. Num 13:8, 16).

[33:4]  ⁶³ tn The Hebrew term תּוֹרָה (torah) here should be understood more broadly as instruction.

[33:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and [not] may his men be few” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV).

[33:7]  ⁶⁵ tn The words “the blessing” are supplied in the translation for clarity and stylistic reasons.

[33:8]  ⁶⁶ sn Thummim and Urim. These terms, whose meaning is uncertain, refer to sacred stones carried in a pouch on the breastplate of the high priest and examined on occasion as a means of ascertaining God’s will or direction. See Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6. See also C. Van Dam, NIDOTTE 1:329-31.

[33:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “godly man.” The reference is probably to Moses as representative of the whole tribe of Levi.

[33:8]  ⁶⁸ sn Massah means “testing” in Hebrew; the name is a wordplay on what took place there. Cf. Exod 17:7; Deut 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8-9.

[33:8]  ⁶⁹ sn Meribah means “contention, argument” in Hebrew; this is another wordplay on the incident that took place there. Cf. Num 20:13, 24; Ps 106:32.

[33:12]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “between his shoulders.” This suggests the scene in John 13:23 with Jesus and the Beloved Disciple.

[33:13]  ⁷² tn Heb “from the harvest of the heavens.” The referent appears to be good crops produced by the rain that falls from the sky.

[33:20]  ⁷³ tn Heb “forehead,” picturing Gad attacking prey.

[33:22]  ⁷⁴ sn He will leap forth from Bashan. This may refer to Dan’s conquest of Laish, a region just to the west of Bashan (Judg 18:27-28).

[33:24]  ⁷⁵ sn Dip his foot in olive oil. This is a metaphor for prosperity, one especially apt in light of the abundance of olive groves in the area settled by Asher. The Hebrew term refers to olive oil, which symbolizes blessing in the OT. See R. Way, NIDOTTE 4:171-73.

[34:1]  ⁷⁶ sn For the geography involved, see note on the term “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17.

[34:1]  map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[34:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).

[34:4]  ⁷⁸ tn The Hebrew text includes “with your eyes,” but this is redundant in English and is left untranslated.

[34:7]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “dimmed.” The term could refer to dull appearance or to dimness caused by some loss of visual acuity.

[34:7]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “sap.” That is, he was still in possession of his faculties or liveliness.

[34:9]  ⁸¹ sn See Num 27:18.

[34:10]  ⁸² sn See Num 12:8; Deut 18:15-18.

[34:11]  ⁸³ tn Heb “to,” “with respect to.” In the Hebrew text vv. 10-12 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides this into two, using the verb “he did” at the beginning of v. 11 and “he displayed” at the beginning of v. 12.

[34:12]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “strong hand.”

[34:12]  ⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew text of v. 12 reads literally, “with respect to all the strong hand and with respect to all the awesome greatness which Moses did before the eyes of all Israel.”