You shall not bow down to them or serve them: or “You must not….” See 4.19. Bow down in some languages will be expressed as “prostrate yourself before.” So we may also render this first sentence as “Do not prostrate yourselves before [or, bow down to] any likeness [or, image] of these gods.”

I … am a jealous God: see 4.24; 6.14-15. There are better ways of translating the concept of jealous when applied to God. Bible en français courant has “I demand to be your only God,” and see Good News Translation, “I tolerate no rivals”; or we may say “I demand that you love only me.” For a further discussion see 4.24.

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon …: that is, extending the punishment for the sins of fathers onto their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. This may require considerable restructuring (see below).

Instead of the children to the third and fourth generation, it is better to say “their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.”

Those who hate me refers back to the fathers, not to the future generations. The verb hate can be translated “oppose me” (Bible en français courant), “are against me,” or even “my enemies.” Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version interpret the iniquity as being the sin of “hate” or “rejection.” So Good News Translation restructures the sentence, combining fathers and those who hate me to read “I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generations.” Contemporary English Version puts the clause those who hate me at the beginning of the sentence, making it conditional: “If you reject [the equivalent of “hate”] me, I will punish….”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Do not bow down to [or, prostrate yourselves before] and worship any likeness of these gods. I am Yahweh, the God you must worship. I will not tolerate your worshiping any other gods. If you hate me, I will punish you for that sin. I will punish not only you, but your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

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 .

Showing steadfast love: the Hebrew verb translated showing is literally “doing,” better translated “acting with….” This is the first occurrence in this book of the noun chesed, which appears frequently in the Hebrew Scriptures. When used of God it refers to God’s covenant love, God’s faithfulness in keeping his promise to the people of Israel, to be their God and to bless them. It is variously translated: New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “kindness,” which does not seem adequate; something like “love” (Good News Translation, New International Version, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “faithful [or, loyal] love,” or “unchanging love” is better. Revised English Bible has “I keep faith with.” See 7.9, 12. For a comment on love see 4.37.

To thousands: it is better to follow Good News Translation “to thousands of generations,” or New Revised Standard Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “to the thousandth generation” (also Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). See 7.9.

Who love me and keep my commandments: see 4.2.

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 .

Take the name … in vain: that is, to use the name in a manner not befitting God’s holiness. The phrase in vain means essentially “for a worthless purpose.” This could involve the use of magic, incantations, or curses. Good News Translation has “for evil purposes,” New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible “misuse the name,” New Revised Standard Version “make wrongful use of,” Revised English Bible “make wrong use of,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “swear falsely” (which is supported by Jer 7.9). Craigie defines it as “an attempt to manipulate God for personal ends.”

Will not hold him guiltless: this is variously expressed as “will not leave unpunished” (New Jerusalem Bible), “will not acquit” (New Revised Standard Version), and “will punish” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). It is better to avoid Revised Standard Version‘s exclusive him and say instead “I will punish anyone [or, any person] who….”

It must be noted that in this verse Yahweh refers to himself in the third person. In a number of languages it will be better to change this to the first person; for example, “I, the LORD your God” (Good News Translation) or “I am the LORD your God, and I will…” (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 .

Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy: the verb Observe (Exo 20.8 has “Remember”) means “Take care,” “Be careful,” or “Make sure” (see the same verb in 4.9, 15). Bible en français courant has “Take care to consecrate to me…”; other possibilities are “Make sure that you treat the Sabbath as a holy day” or “Make sure that you treat the day of rest as belonging [or, dedicated] to me.”

Sabbath is a word that in some places will have to be carefully translated so as to avoid misunderstandings. Most modern translations use the traditional word for “Sabbath”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, however, has “day of rest,” and this may be a more meaningful translation. If, however, a translator transliterates the word sabbath, a footnote and a note in the Glossary should be included.

To keep it holy means to dedicate the day to God. Since God himself had made the seventh day a special day of rest (Gen 2.3; Exo 20.11), Israel was to do the same. Another way to express the first part of this verse is “Keep on observing the day of rest and dedicate it to me.”

As the LORD your God commanded you: this refers back to the original giving of the commandments at Mount Sinai (Exo 20.8).

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 .

Six days you shall labor, and do all your work: this may be treated as a statement of fact, “There are six days in which to do your work,” or as a command, “Do all your work in six days.” What the Hebrew says is literally a command, but it is possible that it can be read as a statement, showing the special nature of the seventh day, the day of rest. Work here refers to work in general, such as daily business, the work one does to earn a living. Again the singular you may be changed to the plural if required.

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 .

But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God: that is “The seventh day is a day of rest that is to be dedicated to the LORD your God”; or we may say “The seventh day is a day of rest that belongs to me, Yahweh your God.” Notice that the third person reference to God may be changed to first person.

The rest of the verse itemizes the people and the animals in the Israelite household that are included in the prohibition. We may notice that the man’s wife is not listed, and one explanation is that this was done to allow normal domestic activities to be carried on during the sabbath.

Your son or your daughter: in all instances plural forms should be used, “all your sons and daughters,” or “all your children.” Your manservant … your maidservant means “your male and female slaves.”

Your ox … your ass … any of your cattle: the translation can give the names of the animals, as in the Hebrew text. In cultures that have cattle, the translation of ox usually presents no problem. Here the word applies to either a male or a female member of a herd of cattle, not as in English, where “bull” refers only to a male and “cow” refers only to a female. The ass or “donkey” is smaller than the horse, with shorter legs and longer ears. It was the beast of burden used for carrying supplies and also for agricultural work. It will be helpful in cultures where “cows” and “donkeys” are unknown to include illustrations of these animals and have a general translation such as “all your [work] animals” (see also 2.35).

The sojourner who is within your gates: this means “the resident aliens [or, foreigners] who live in your towns [or, country].” See 1.16.

That your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you: this is said to emphasize the fact that the man’s slaves were to have a day off from work. In this final sentence your manservant and your maidservant may be combined as “slaves” (see Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). For “slaves” see verse 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 commandment is given emphasis by the reminder that the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt, where they got no day of rest. The sabbath commemorates freedom from forced labor; they are now not forced to work, but commanded to rest. The first part of the verse may be alternatively translated as “This day of rest will remind you that you did hard labor in Egypt, and that I, Yahweh, the God you worship….”

Brought you out thence with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm: see 4.34. The Good News Translation model “rescued you by my great power and strength” will be helpful for many translators. However, “used my great power and strength to rescue you” is also possible.

Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day will sound unnatural in some languages. Another model is “That is why I, Yahweh, command you to observe the sabbath [or, special day of rest].”

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 .

Honor your father and your mother: to honor is to respect and obey.

As the LORD your God commanded you: see verse 12.

For the rest of the verse, see 4.40. The primary emphasis of your days may be prolonged here, as in 4.40, is that the Israelites, as a people, will live in the land of Canaan for many generations. This, of course, is not incompatible with an individual Israelite living to a ripe old age—which is the way the commandment is understood in Eph 6.2-3. In any case both clauses, your days may be prolonged and it may go well with you, go with the final part of the verse, in the land which the LORD your God gives 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 .