He humbled you: as in verse 2.

Let you hunger: God did not always provide food for them. Good News Translation has “made you go hungry,” where “made” is the equivalent of humbled, referring back to “sending hardships” in verse 2. This is a possible model.

Fed you with manna: or “gave you manna to eat” (Good News Translation). See Exo 16; Num 11.7-8.

Which you did not know, nor did your fathers know: this can be joined into one statement, as Good News Translation has done; or else we can say “food that neither you nor your ancestors had ever heard about” (or, eaten). For fathers see 1.8.

He might make you know: they were meant to learn from these experiences. So Good News Translation “He did this to teach you.”

Man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD: in English this is needlessly wordy; see Good News Translation. In avoiding the exclusive “man,” New Revised Standard Version uses the impersonal “one does not live by bread alone,” which doesn’t sound right in the context. “People” is a better alternative. Instead of bread the word “food” should be used. The main lesson here is that it is not what a person can acquire by his or her own power that keeps that person alive and healthy, but obedience to God’s commands. And this does not apply only to individuals; it applies to the people as a whole, as God’s people.

An alternative model for the final part of this verse can be:

• God wanted to teach you that food alone is not enough to keep us [or, people] alive; to stay alive we need [or, everyone needs] everything that the LORD commands.

This statement is quoted by Jesus in Matt 4.4; Luke 4.4.

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 Hebrew text uses the second singular form of address, but translators are urged to use the plural form, unless the singular is more natural style in their language. We may say something like the following: “Your [plural] clothes haven’t worn out and your [plural] feet haven’t swollen up.”

Your clothing did not wear out and your foot did not swell: from walking through the wilderness all those years. This is an exaggerated way of saying that they had come through those difficult forty years in good shape (see also 29.5; Neh 9.21).

For these forty years see verse 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 .

Know then in your heart: to “know in the heart” means to be aware of, to realize, or to be convinced about. See the comment on a similar word at 4.39 and 7.9.

As a man disciplines his son: the inclusive plural may be adopted; see Good News Translation “Remember that the LORD your God corrects and punishes you … just as parents discipline their children”; New Revised Standard Version has “as a parent disciplines a child.” Given the culture of the time, however, the exclusive “father” and “son” may be more appropriate in certain languages.

The verb discipline may mean to correct or punish, or to train or teach. The second option seems preferable here (see 4.36).

For the LORD your God 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 .

The way to obey Yahweh’s commandments is by walking in his ways, that is, with conduct that conforms to God’s laws. God’s paths (his ways) are not the paths he walks in but the paths God lays down for his people. In some languages this will be expressed figuratively as “walk your lives according to God’s laws” or even “walk along the path that God has set down for you.”

Fearing him: as in 4.10.

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 .

Verses 7-9 are one sentence in Hebrew, long but not complex, that describes the excellencies of the Promised Land.

Is bringing you: in some languages this will be expressed as “is taking you.”

A good land: see 1.25.

Brooks of water, fountains, and springs: some languages may not have three different words for free-running springs and brooks. New Revised Standard Version is better than Revised Standard Version: “a land with flowing springs, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills” (Revised English Bible is similar; see also Good News Translation). Streams are normally formed from the water produced by springs up in the mountains. This seems to be what this passage is speaking about. Contemporary English Version brings this idea out, with “streams that flow from springs in the valleys and hills.” In dry areas or small flat islands in the ocean, “springs” may not exist. In such a case translators will need to use a descriptive phrase; for example, “places where water flows out of the ground [or, rock].”

We may translate this verse as:

• The LORD your God is bringing [or, taking] you into a fertile land. It’s a land that has streams that are formed by water pouring out of places in the mountains.

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 .

Here agricultural items are listed; these are all cultivated, not wild, except possibly the honey (see 32.13).

Wheat and barley were grain crops from which bread was made. In cultures where they are unknown, and a general term for “grain” is available, that term should be used here; for example, “grains named ‘wheat’ and ‘barley.’ ” If such a general term is not available, we may use a phrase suggesting a similarity to grains that are known; for example, “rice-like plants named ‘wheat’ and ‘barley.’ ” In some areas a general word for “fruit” may be employed for crops that have grains and must be threshed; for example, “fruits called ‘wheat’ and ‘barley.’ ”

For vines see vineyards at 6.11. Figs may be rendered as “a sweet fruit named fig.” Pomegranates are the fruit of a small tree of the same name found in west Asia and north Africa. They are red and shiny, about the size of a small apple. In cultures where this fruit is unknown, we may say “a fruit named pomegranate.” After these first instances of “fig” and “pomegranate,” translators may simply use the borrowed word without saying “a fruit named….” For olives see 6.11. It will be helpful to include notes in the glossary describing these various types of fruit.

For honey see 6.3.

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 .

Eat bread without scarcity: or “never go hungry” (Good News Translation). They will always have plenty of food to eat.

You will lack nothing: all their needs will be supplied.

Stones are iron: there will be plentiful iron ore in Canaan, and this may be expressed as “the rocks are full of iron ore.”

Dig copper: in English, at least, “to mine copper” is more natural (so New Revised Standard Version, 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 .

Eat and be full repeats the thought of “without scarcity” in the previous verse.

You shall bless the LORD your God: here the verb “to bless” means to praise, to speak well of God for his goodness. In certain languages this will be expressed with direct speech; for example, “You shall say to God, ‘You are wonderful [or, good] for giving us….’ ”

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 .