And Moses summoned all Israel: it is not necessary to preserve And in translation, unless it is a natural feature of the language. “Moses called all the people of Israel to meet with him.”

“Hear, O Israel, all the statutes and ordinances…”: this may be expressed as “People of Israel [or, Israelites], listen to….” For statutes and ordinances see 4.1.

Which I speak in your hearing this day: that is, “that I am announcing [or, proclaiming] to you today [or, now],” “that I am giving you today” (Good News Translation), or “Today I am telling you the laws that you…” (Contemporary English Version). The phrase in your hearing is quite repetitive and unnatural in today’s English, and perhaps in some other languages as well. The language should be natural and conform to normal style.

You shall learn them and be careful to do them: or “you must learn them and obey them faithfully” or “learn them and be sure that you obey them” (Good News Translation). See similar commands in 4.2, 5, 6.

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 LORD our God may be “The LORD [or, Yahweh] whom we worship.” For The LORD see 1.3.

Made a covenant with us: see 4.13, 23.

In Horeb: at Mount Sinai (see 1.6).

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 .

Not with our fathers … but with us: for not with Good News Translation has “not only with,” and Contemporary English Version translates “that agreement wasn’t only for.” It is not clear who “our ancestors” (our fathers) are in this context. They could be the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see 1.8; 4.31), but it seems more probable that they are the fathers and mothers of these people, who had gathered at Mount Sinai, where the covenant was made (4.10-14), forty years earlier, and who had subsequently died (1.35; 2.14-16). So we may translate “parents” or “mothers and fathers” here. This view is even more likely in light of what follows: who are all of us here alive this day (see 4.4), which contrasts with those who had died since the revelation at Mount Sinai. Israel is regarded as a corporate unity at all times, regardless of the generations of which it is made up.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Yahweh made this agreement [or, covenant] not only with our parents, but also with us who are here today.

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 LORD spoke with you face to face: the sense of face to face is “The LORD spoke to you personally [or, in person].”

At the mountain, out of the midst of the fire: that is, “from the fire on the mountain”; see 4.12, 15.

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 .

While I stood between the LORD and you: Moses was the spokesman, the mediator who transmitted Yahweh’s message to the people. As commentators point out, this differs from what is said in the previous verse (and see verse 22 also). New Revised Standard Version places this verse within parentheses, but it is uncertain what readers will understand this device to mean, and translators are discouraged from doing this.

To declare to you the word of the LORD: this does not mean a single “word” but refers to Yahweh’s message, the “ten words” of the covenant in particular. New Jerusalem Bible translates, “to let you know what Yahweh was saying.”

You were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up: this may be expressed as “the fire [on the mountain] made you afraid to go up….” See Exo 24.1-2. For afraid see 1.21, 29. Good News Translation has a good model and translators are urged to follow it.

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 .

In this verse Yahweh gives the reason why he is making this covenant with Israel. This statement also explains why he has the right to require that the Israelites obey the commandments of verses 7-21, which are the terms of the covenant. This historical prologue is like those found in treaties of that time between rulers and leaders of states.

I am the LORD your God: this standard phrase may be translated “I, Yahweh, am your God.” Most translations, however, are the same as Revised Standard Version.

Who brought you out: that is, “who led you out” or “who rescued you from.”

The house of bondage means “the country where you were slaves.” New International Version has “the land of slavery,” and Revised English Bible “the land where you lived as slaves.” The Israelites were not slaves in the sense of being forced to work without pay, and being the property of someone, but rather they were forced by the Egyptians to do heavy construction work. But at the same time they were provided with food and allowed to live in their homes in Goshen. So in languages where a distinction must be made between “slaves” as owned by someone, and people forced to do hard work, we may translate “… from Egypt where you were forced to do hard labor.”

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 .

You shall have no other gods before [or, besides] me: this may be expressed “You shall [or, must] not worship any other god except me,” or “Do not worship any god but me.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “You will have no gods other than me.” It is better to use the verb “worship” or “obey,” rather than “have.”

This commandment does not deny the existence of other gods; it demands of the Israelites that they acknowledge only Yahweh as their god. Psa 81.9-10 has a good statement of this first commandment. The you is singular as mentioned in the introduction to this chapter. But many translators will wish to use a plural pronoun here and throughout the rest of the chapter.

See the comment on gods at 3.24.

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 words and phrases of this commandment, see 4.16-18.

The force of make for yourself is “make for your own use.”

A graven image, or any likeness: there is a small problem in the Hebrew text here that Hebrew Old Testament Text Project addresses. The standard (Masoretic) Hebrew text has “a [graven] image of any likeness,” that is, an image that looks like any being (in the whole universe). Revised Standard Version and some other versions follow the text found in many Hebrew manuscripts, a Qumran manuscript, the Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, andVulgate (and see Exo 20.4). In this case a translation like Good News Translation may be preferable, as the two phrases “an image” and “a likeness” mean the same thing. However, in some languages where there is no term for graven image or “idol,” it will be necessary to translate the underlying meaning; for example, “You shall not carve out the likeness of anything living in…,” where “likeness” means “the image of.”

Heaven will be translated as “sky” in many languages.

For water under the earth see 4.18.

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 .