Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:24

And they turned and went up: as in verse 7, this means “They set out and went up” (New Revised Standard Version). Since the hill country is where they go, “went up” is quite appropriate.

And came: or, “and arrived.”

Valley of Eshcol: as commentators point out, “wadi” is a better translation of the Hebrew word than “valley,” since this is not a valley in the normal sense of the word. Rather, it is a ravine or watercourse that is dry during the dry season but that can become a torrent in the rainy season. However, in cultures where dry ravines or wadis like this do not exist, it will be better to translate “the dry river valley named Eshcol,” with a footnote explaining what a “wadi” is like. The name Eshcol means “cluster,” a reflection of the fruit that grew there (next verse), especially the grapes (Num 13.22-24); Contemporary English Version has “Bunch Valley.” It was located in the region of Hebron, but its exact site is unknown.

Spied it out: or “explored it” (Good News Translation).

As the verse stands, it seems to say that the twelve spies explored only the Valley of Eshcol. But it is more reasonable to assume that, as Revised English Bible has it, “they reconnoitered as far as the wadi of Eshcol,” or we may say “they explored as far as the dry river valley [or, wadi] named Eshcol.” It is recommended that translators follow one of these models.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:25

And they took in their hands: this is better translated “They gathered [or, picked].” The fruit is not necessarily restricted to fruits as such but may have the broader sense of “produce” (New Revised Standard Version).

The quaint and brought us word again should be “brought back a report to us” (New Revised Standard Version). Some translators will prefer to use direct speech here as Revised Standard Version does, and also combine the expression and brought us word again with the word said and translate: “They reported, ‘The land that the LORD our God is giving us is a fertile land.’ ”

A good land may be rendered “a fine country” (New Jerusalem Bible), “a rich land” (Revised English Bible), or “a very fertile land” (see Good News Translation), or even “a land that produces much fruit [or, produce].”

The LORD our God: see verse 19.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:26

You would not go up, but rebelled: something stronger than “disobeyed” should be used here, and in English rebelled is the exact word to use. This was an open revolt, a mutiny, against God’s order through Moses.

The LORD your God: see verse 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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:27

You murmured in your tents: this was a rather passive revolt, not an active one in which people left their tents and hurled angry accusations against Moses. Instead of murmured the translation should be “grumbled” or “complained.” A translation should be careful to use an appropriate word for a dwelling that can be taken down and carried (tents), not a permanent construction (“houses” or “homes”). Something like “You stayed in your tents and grumbled” (Contemporary English Version) is a good model.

And said: the complaints were the exact opposite of the truth. It was out of love and compassion that Yahweh had delivered the Israelites from Egypt, the land of slavery, and he had promised to be with them and to assure them success as they took possession of the land of Canaan (see, for instance, 4.37-38). But they accused God of hating them and of bringing them out of Egypt in order to exterminate them.

Hate in certain languages is expressed as “being enemies of,” so in this context we may say “The LORD [or, Yahweh] must consider us his enemies,” or “In Yahweh’s sight we must be his enemies.”

To give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us: the phrase “the hand of the Amorites” means that the Amorites would do the killing; God would allow the Israelites to be captured and killed by the Amorites. It is important to translate the whole statement in such a way that the clear subject of the verb “destroy” or “kill” is Yahweh, not the Amorites (as in Good News Translation). New Jerusalem Bible has “… and so destroy us” (with Yahweh as the subject). An alternative model is:

• “… he brought us out of Egypt, just so he could give us over to the Amorites, and in that way destroy 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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:28

Whither are we going up? New Revised Standard Version is more natural with “Where are we headed?” New Jerusalem Bible brings out even better the intent of the question: “What kind of place are we going to?”

Our brethren have made our hearts melt: in the context these brethren are the twelve Israelites chosen to spy out the land, and a translation should make this clear. So Good News Translation has “the men we sent,” and Contemporary English Version has “the men who explored the land.” To “melt the heart” means to cause people to lose all courage, to fill them with fear with the report they brought back, that the people were bigger and stronger than the Israelites themselves, and their cities were fortified and heavily defended.

The people are greater and taller than we: instead of taller than we, as in the Masoretic text (the standard Hebrew text that translators normally follow), the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (Hebrew Old Testament Text Project) prefers “more numerous than we” (a {C} decision), which is found in a few Hebrew manuscripts. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the Masoretic reading is due to assimilation to parallel passages (see 2.10, 21). However, no major modern translation has “more numerous,” and a translator should feel free to follow the Masoretic text. Greater refers to physical strength. The order of the words greater and taller may be reversed in some languages to “taller and stronger.”

The expression fortified up to heaven indicates the height of the walls that surrounded the cities (“towns,” see verse 22); this is a typical exaggeration not to be taken literally. The translation may say “their towns are strongly defended, and the walls that surround them reach as high as the sky.” A town with walls was considered a city even though it may have been very small. In languages that don’t distinguish between cities, towns, and even villages, we may say “a very large place with walls [or, with a high fence] around it.”

The sons of the Anakim: the Anakim and others (see 2.10-11, 20-21) were the legendary original inhabitants of the land, famous for their size. Sons of the Anakim will be expressed in many languages as “people who are descended from the giant Anak.”

It is possible to reorder the clauses from the people are greater on as follows:

• … the towns are strongly defended, and the walls that surround them reach up to the sky. The people who live there are taller and stronger than we are, and some of them are the descendants of the giant Anak.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:29

There is no substantial difference between the two verbs translated be in dread and be … afraid. The verb for be in dread is used less frequently than the other verb and appears also at 7.21; 20.3; 21.6. Another way to express this is “Don’t let your hearts fall [or, melt] when you think about these people.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:30

The LORD your God: see verse 10.

Who goes before you: or “who leads you,” or “who is in charge of you” (since in a military campaign the officer in charge led his troops).

Will himself fight for you: this is quite emphatic, and the translation should be equally emphatic. Other ways to express this clause are “He will fight on your side” (Contemporary English Version) or “He will help you as you fight.”

As he did for you in Egypt before your eyes: few if any of the Israelites with Moses in Kadesh Barnea had been present in Egypt when the exodus took place, since all the adults who had left Egypt had died in the wilderness (Num 26.63-65). But the Israelites Moses was addressing had heard the story and knew what Yahweh had done for his people.

Before your eyes means “as you saw [him do it]” (see Good News Translation), and this final sentence may be expressed as “just as he did when we saw him do all those things to the Egyptians” (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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 1:31

The wilderness: see verse 19.

You have seen: the emphasis here is on the people’s own experience. Moses is simply reminding them of what they themselves know, because all of this happened to them.

The LORD your God bore you, as a man bears his son: the verb “to bear” means to carry, so that his son refers to a young child. However, in many languages two different verbs will be used; for example, “how he brought you … just as a father will carry” (Good News Translation) or “has taken care of you … just as you might carry” (Contemporary English Version).

In all that way that you went until you came to this place: care must be taken with the two verbs went and came so that the proper perspective is maintained. “This place” is Kadesh Barnea (verse 19). It is possible to change the order of the clauses of this verse as follows: “and you know that the LORD has taken care of you [or, us] all the time you [or, we] have been in the wilderness, just as you [or, we] might carry one of your [or, our] children.”

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 .