Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 13:17

The devoted things: these are the things that are under the ban, that is, that are dedicated to God and so must be destroyed completely (see verse 15; 2.34).

None … shall cleave to your hand: you are not to save any of those objects that must be destroyed. All of this is to be done in order to placate Yahweh’s furious anger. Good News Translation has a good model: “Do not keep for yourselves anything that was condemned to destruction.” However, in languages that do not use the passive voice, we may express this as “Do not keep any of the things that belong to Yahweh. You must destroy them.”

Show you mercy, and have compassion on you: these have very similar meanings, “be kind and merciful,” “be forgiving and compassionate.” Here New Revised Standard Version (also Revised English Bible) is more literal: “show you compassion, and in his compassion [multiply you].”

Multiply you: see 7.13.

An alternative translation model combining verses 16 and 17 may be:

• Gather all the possessions of the people who lived there, and pile them up in the open flat area near the town gate. Don’t keep anything that belongs to Yahweh. You must burn all these things and the whole town. Don’t ever rebuild the town. Then Yahweh will not be angry with you any more. He will be merciful to you and will cause you to prosper by giving you many children, as he promised your ancestors.

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 13:18

There is a similar exhortation to this in 12.28.

It is a good idea to put a full stop at the end of verse 17 and begin verse 18 as a new sentence: “The LORD will do this if….”

Obey the voice … keeping all his commandments: the Hebrew structure is again the use of a main verb and a participial subordinate clause, for emphasis. For commandments see 4.2.

Which I command you this day: again the emphasis is on “today” (see 11.26, 28, 32).

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 14:1

Since this seems to be a separate matter, it is recommended that translators start with something like “Moses said to the people of Israel.”

You are the sons of the LORD your God: that is, “… the children [or, sons and daughters] of Yahweh,” the covenant community. For the LORD your God see 1.6.

The last phrase of the verse, for the dead, modifies the two verbs cut and make. So it is better to place it first, as Good News Translation does: “So when you mourn for the dead…,” or “when you show sorrow for the dead [or, people who have died].”

Cut yourselves: this refers to gashes and cuts that were made by followers of some religions and cults as part of mourning for the dead.

Make any baldness on your forehead: New Revised Standard Version is somewhat better, “shave your forelocks.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, however, is best: “shave the front of your heads” (as also 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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 14:2

You are a people holy to the LORD your God: the Israelites were not allowed to do the things mentioned in the previous verse because they were dedicated to Yahweh alone; they belonged to him and served and worshiped only him. So Good News Translation has “You belong to the LORD your God”; in order to connect this verse logically with verse 1, we may say “Because you belong to Yahweh the God you worship.”

The LORD has chosen you to be a people of his own possession: this again emphasizes the fact that they are exclusively his.

Out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth: of all the human race, Yahweh chose the Israelites to be his special people. It is possible to place this phrase at the beginning of the verse, as follows:

• Because out of all the people who live on this earth, the LORD your God chose you to be his own people. You belong to him.

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 14:4

The animals in this verse should offer no difficulty. These are the domesticated animals. Instead of ox, however, as in Revised Standard Version (and others), it is better to say “cattle” (Good News Translation) or something similar. See the comment on “cattle” at 2.35.

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 14:5

Hart: New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible have “deer.” The name occurs also in 12.22; 15.22; 1 Kgs 4.23; Psa 42.1; Isa 35.6; Lam 1.6.

Gazelle: see 12.22; 15.22 (and 12 more times in the Old Testament).

Roebuck: New International Version has “roe deer.” See also 1 Kgs 4.23.

In parts of the world where only one type of deer is found (or none), we may combine the first three types in this list and translate “all kinds of deer” or “all kinds of animals named ‘deer.’ ”

Wild goat: New Jerusalem Bible has “ibex”; see also Psa 104.18 (and see “Wildgoats’ Rocks” in 1 Sam 24.2).

Ibex: New Jerusalem Bible has “antelope.” This name does not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Antelope: New Jerusalem Bible has “oryx” (an African antelope). See also Isa 51.20. If the ibex and antelope are unknown in a language or culture, we may simply say “all animals named ‘antelope.’ ”

Mountain-sheep: this name does not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament. It is possible to combine this with wild goat and translate “wild sheep and goats” or “sheep and goats that live 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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 14:6

Parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven: this is a double description of the same feature; it means simply “[any animal that] has cloven [or, divided] hoofs.” In cultures where animals like this are unknown, we may use a descriptive phrase; for example, “having feet that are separated [or, split] in the middle,” or “with feet that have two parts.”

And chews the cud: in order to be considered clean, that is, fit to be eaten, an animal had to fit both of these descriptions: it had to have cloven hoofs and had to chew the cud. As verses 7 and 8 show, if an animal displayed only one of these characteristics, then it could not be eaten. Chewing the cud is part of the digestion process in certain animals that have more than one stomach. Such animals can bring up the food from their stomachs in order to chew it again. Some languages will have technical terms for this activity, but in others a descriptive phrase may be used; for example, “animals who chew their food a second time” or “animals that bring up their food and chew it again.”

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 14:7

Camel: this animal is referred to many times in the Bible. If a language distinguishes between the two main types of camels, the one referred to here is the “dromedary,” which has only one hump on its back. Otherwise translators may borrow the general term “camel” and explain it in a footnote or glossary.

Hare: Good News Translation says “rabbit”; see Lev 11.6. Hares and rabbits don’t really chew the cud, but their jaws move in such a way that they appear to be doing this. But in any case they were considered unclean by the Hebrews because they do not have cloven hoofs, and thus were not to be eaten.

Rock badger: as noted above, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “damian”; New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible have “coney” (New International Version footnote, “hyrax or rock badger”). It appears also in Lev 11.5 (and see badger in Psa 104.18; Pro 30.26). This animal is about the same size as a rabbit and normally lives in rocky areas. It also does not chew the cud, but like the rabbit it appears to.

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 .