Moses continues speaking. Since most translations will have a break here, with a title for the section 6.1-9, as in Good News Translation, it may be good to start anew (with closing quotes at the end of 5.33 if necessary), as follows: “Moses continued to speak to the Israelites:….”

Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances: this construction is like the one in 5.31, and here the translator may follow the same procedure as there; see Bible en français courant: “These are the commandments, the laws, and the rules” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “And this is the Instruction—the laws and the rules—that the LORD…” (similarly New Revised Standard Version), taking the first word commandment to be general, including the two terms statutes and ordinances that follow. The Handbook recommends that translators follow Bible en français courant. However, if there are insufficient suitable terms in a language, we may say, for example, “These are the laws and teachings” (Contemporary English Version), or even “These are all the laws” (Good News Translation). For commandment see 4.2; statutes and ordinances, 4.1.

The LORD your God commanded me to teach you: Yahweh gave the Law to Moses and ordered him to teach it to the Israelites; your and you are plural in the Hebrew text. The verb for teach should be a general one if possible, and not make the reader think of a classroom with a teacher and students; Moses was to announce these laws in the hearing of the people. For the LORD your God see 1.6.

That you may do them: instead of that, meaning “in order that,” it is often better to join this closely with the previous verb, as New Revised Standard Version does: “… that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to follow.” To do a commandment is to obey it, put it into practice. Something like the following may serve as a model: “These are the commandments, the laws and the rules that the LORD your God ordered me to teach you to obey.”

In the land to which you are going over, to possess it: this wordy and awkward English is a formal equivalent of the Hebrew; Good News Translation is more natural and simple. The phrase going over refers to the crossing of the Jordan River (see 4.14). For to possess see 1.8.

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 .

That you may fear the LORD your God: this is the purpose of Moses’ teaching the Law to the Israelites, to fear God, that is, to honor, respect, and obey him (see 4.10; 5.29).

You and your son and your son’s son: although singular in form, these are all plural in meaning: “all of you, and your children and your grandchildren,” that is, “for all future generations.” Translators may follow the Hebrew pattern if this is natural style in their language and if it means “descendants.”

By keeping all his statutes and commandments: this is what “to fear God” means: obedience to his laws. Good News Translation has “obey all his laws.”

The singular second person pronoun is used in Hebrew in all the days of your life and your days may be prolonged. The people of Israel are addressed as though they were one person (as in 5.6-21); but translators may continue to use the plural if this is more natural style.

That your days may be prolonged: this is not long life as such but permanent residence in the Promised Land (4.40; 5.16); see Good News Translation.

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 .

Moses continues addressing Israel in the second singular, except for you may multiply greatly, which is plural.

Hear therefore, O Israel: Hear is an attention-getter: “Listen to me, people of Israel!”; “Pay attention, Israelites!” This vocative addresses all the people as one individual. “Listen to them” (Good News Translation) departs needlessly from the meaning of the Hebrew text.

Be careful to do them: this is a way of saying “Do your best to obey them” (see 5.1).

That it may go well with you: obedience will bring blessings of prosperity and peace (see the same language in 5.29).

That you may multiply greatly: this means to have many descendants. Both Good News Translation “a mighty nation” and Contemporary English Version “a successful and powerful nation” emphasize the consequence of being a nation with a large population; it is better to stay close to the immediate meaning of the Hebrew text (see 1.10).

The God of your fathers: fathers refers to their ancestors, especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see 1.8 and 6.10).

A land flowing with milk and honey: this is traditional language (see Exo 3.8), meaning “a rich and fertile land” (11.9; 26.9, 15; 27.3; 31.20). Many modern translations still keep the biblical figure (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible). The meaning is that the land is a good one for large herds and flocks (milk), and for crops and fruit trees (honey is probably the thick syrup produced from dates, not wild honey made by bees). In some languages this phrase has been deeply established in the Christian vocabulary and may need to be retained, but in many other languages a literal translation will be meaningless. In such a case “rich and fertile land” (Good News Translation) will be a suitable alternative model. We may also say something like “a land full of cattle and many crops (or, much fruit).”

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 .

These words which I command you this day: Moses is talking about the laws that, on that day, he is ordering the Israelites to obey. In verses 6-9 the second person “you” and “your” are singular in the Hebrew text; the people are addressed as a whole, and every individual is included. However, in some languages the plural will be more natural style.

Shall be upon your heart: in Hebrew thought the heart was the center of thought, of intellectual activity, as was noted under verse 5 and 4.29. This command means they are to remember and never forget these commandments. Revised English Bible has “are to be remembered and taken to heart”; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “take to heart.” Another model is “Memorize these laws that I am giving you 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 .

Teach … diligently: this translates a Hebrew word that seems to mean “repeat,” or “say again and again”; this meaning is reinforced by the following shall talk of them. New Revised Standard Version translates “Recite them … and talk about them”; Revised English Bible has “repeat them … and speak of them,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “tell them … and keep on telling them.” Any of these is a good model for the translator to follow.

When you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way: this means while at home or away from home, which includes, of course, the whole time. The following when you lie down and when you rise is also a way of including the whole day, either “when you are asleep and when you are awake” or Good News Translation “when you are resting and when you are working.” (These two constructions are a figure of speech called “merism,” in which the two opposites include the whole subject.) Provided that such repetition is good style in a language, the translator should certainly follow the Hebrew.

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 .

And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes: see 11.18-20. This command was later kept by writing scripture verses on pieces of parchment and placing them in small leather pouches, called tefilin (“phylacteries”), on the forehead and the left forearm (see Matt 23.5). Contemporary English Version has “Write down copies and tie them….” This will be a good model for many translators. However, in languages that must indicate the kind of material that these laws were to be written on, we may say, for example, “Write these laws on parchment and….”

The word frontlets, which means a band or ornament on the forehead, has a meaning parallel to sign here. The two terms have the sense of “sign and symbol,” a public demonstration of the person’s commitment to God’s Law. Good News Translation uses only one phrase, “as a reminder”; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “as a sign … as a symbol”; New Revised Standard Version “as a sign … as an emblem.” The literal between your eyes means on the forehead.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Write down copies of these laws and tie them on your wrists and foreheads to help you remember them.

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 doorposts of your house and … your gates: in later times mezuzoth, small containers holding scripture verses, were fastened to the right-hand doorpost of the house. In this context gates means the city gates (homes were not surrounded by fences, so they had no gates); Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and Bible en français courant make this clear, and the translator is urged to do the same; for example, “the gates [in the walls] of your towns.”

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 .