All the violent acts that will be inflicted on the Israelites are clearly stated and should offer no problems for the translator.

The singular general terms your ox … your ass … your sheep are better translated as plurals: “your cattle, your donkeys, and your flocks [of sheep].” We should not think, as New International Version seems to suggest, that the text is talking about the one and only ox, and one donkey (but many sheep!). The Hebrew word translated sheep applies both to sheep and goats; but most translations have only “sheep.” For ox, ass, and sheep see 5.14.

Before your eyes … before your face: that is, “in your presence,” “as you look on.”

Shall be given to your enemies: by strict grammatical rules, this says in English that someone other than your enemies will take possession of the sheep and give them to the enemies; it seems more likely, however, that this is simply a way of saying that the enemies will take away the sheep.

There shall be no one to help you: as in verse 29. The Hebrew is simply “and none to you [singular] a helper.” Some translations take this to refer to the sheep, “to rescue them” (so New International Version, Revised English Bible). It seems better, however, to translate as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have done.

An alternative translation model in languages that do not use the passive is the following:

• They shall kill your cattle as you watch, but you will not eat any of the meat. As you are watching they will drag away your donkeys and will not return them to you. Your enemies will steal your sheep, and there will be no one to help you.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .