This verse is the conclusion of the long sentence beginning with verse 37 (see the comment there).

Know … lay it to your heart: this may be treated as the double expression of one action, or else as two separate actions: “Recognize … and reflect without ceasing” (Bible en français courant); “Acknowledge … take to heart” (New Revised Standard Version); “Hence grasp this … and meditate on it constantly” (New Jerusalem Bible); “Remember today and never forget” (Good News Translation).

In heaven above and on the earth beneath: in many languages this may be somewhat redundant, and something like “in heaven and on earth” (Good News Translation) or “in the whole universe” may be more natural.

For the rest of the verse, see verse 35.

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 .

For keep see 4.6; for statutes, 4.1; for commandments, 4.2.

That it may go well with you and your children after you: “that you and your descendants may prosper,” “all will go well with you and your descendants” (Good News Translation), or “that you and your descendants will be successful.”

Prolong your days in the land: this is not primarily a matter of their living an unusually long time but of their keeping possession of the land of Canaan for many generations. Good News Translation has “You will continue to live in the land.” We may also say “that you and your descendants will live a long time in the land.”

Gives you forever: the promise is made that the land of Canaan will belong to the Israelites for all time to come.

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 .

That the manslayer might flee there who kills his neighbor unintentionally: the meaning of the text is clear and should be expressed naturally: “so that anyone who accidentally kills another person can flee there and be safe [or, find safety].”

Another qualification is added, without being at enmity with him in the past, to make quite clear that this law has nothing to do with premeditated murder. New International Version uses standard legal language: “unintentionally … without malice aforethought.” Good News Translation is simpler with “accidentally killed someone who had not been his enemy.”

By fleeing to one of these cities he might save his life: the underlying assumption is that a member of the dead person’s family would seek to kill the man, even though the killing had been accidental. In the city of refuge he would be safe. A fuller treatment is given in 19.1-13.

An alternative translation model for languages that do not have the passive voice is the following:

• He could escape to any of these towns and they [unknown agents] cannot execute him.

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 .

For the location of these cities, see the map, page xii. There is a city of refuge for each of the three tribes east of the Jordan, listed from south to north: For cities or “towns” see 1.22.

For the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness of the tableland: for wilderness see 1.1; tableland is plateau, flat country (see 3.10). Bezer was not far from Heshbon, the capital city of King Sihon (2.26).

For the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in the territory of Gilead.

For the tribe of (East) Manasseh, Golan in the territory of Bashan: see 3.1-7.

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 .

This is a summary statement of the conquest of these two territories (see 2.26–3.10). If translators have a comma at the end of verse 46, they may begin verse 47 with “and King Og who ruled in Bashan, and occupied their lands. These two Amorite kings had ruled the territory east of the Jordan River” (so also Contemporary English Version).

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 .

Aroer … on the edge of the valley of the Arnon: see 2.36; 3.12.

Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon): as the Revised Standard Version note states, the Hebrew has “Sion”; Syriac reads “Sirion.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew text, and states “ ‘Sion’ may be another name for ‘Sirion.’ ” (It should be noted that “Sion” is not the same name as the Hebrew for “Zion”.) In light of 3.8-9 translators may prefer “Sirion,” perhaps with a footnote stating that the Hebrew text has another name for the same mountain, “Sion,” with a reference to 3.8-9. The Good News Translation model will be a helpful one for many translators.

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 .

The Arabah: see 1.1.

The sea of the Arabah: the Dead Sea (see 3.17).

Under the slopes of Pisgah: Good News Translation gives an understandable rendering of the text. Bible en français courant has “the region that includes the eastern part of the Jordan Valley, as far as the Dead Sea, at the foot of Mount Pisgah.” See map, page xii.

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 .