Take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground: this means crops, of course, and the word fruit (also New Revised Standard Version) should be understood in the general sense of “crops” or “produce,” not just what grew on fruit trees. Other ways to express this are “the first part of each crop that you harvest” (Good News Translation) or “when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the first things you pick…” (Contemporary English Version).

And you shall put it in a basket: the amount offered was a token amount (some), which could be carried in a basket. In cultures where many types of baskets are used, a translator should find a term for basket that foodstuffs such as grain or fruit are generally stored or carried in.

The place which the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there: the central sanctuary; see 12.11.

Contemporary English Version has a helpful model for verses 1 and 2:

• Moses said to Israel: The LORD is giving you the land, and soon you will conquer it, settle down, and plant crops. And when you begin harvesting each of your crops, the very first things you pick must be put in a basket. Take them to the place where the LORD your God chooses to be worshiped.

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 priest who is in office at that time: see the same statement of priests and judges in 17.9; 19.17.

I declare this day to the LORD your God: it is somewhat strange that the man refers to Yahweh as the God of the priest; it may seem that your (singular) is exclusive, meaning that Yahweh is not the God of the man himself; but this is not the case. Ways to avoid this problem are “the LORD my God” (Good News Translation, as in some Septuagint manuscripts) or “the LORD our God” (Contemporary English Version). Some languages, however, may wish to follow the Hebrew text quite literally and say “the LORD [or, Yahweh], the God you serve” (and see “your God” in the next verse). The verb declare introduces a formal statement, a solemn confession.

I have come into this land: the sense is that he is now living in Canaan.

The LORD swore to our fathers to give us: 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 .

Set it down before the altar of the LORD your God: here your is singular again, but this time it refers to the man who is making the offering.

In verse 10 it is the man himself, and not the priest, as here, who places the basket in front of the altar. For altar see 7.5.

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 .

You shall make response: a compound verbal phrase is used, “you will declare and say”; see 21.7. This is a formal statement. Another way to render this is “you will recite these words.”

Before the LORD your God: see 1.6.

A wandering Aramean: here Aramean means a native of Aram, modern Syria. Most take it to mean Jacob, but some others think it is Abraham. Jacob, however, seems to be more likely. This is the only place in the Old Testament where the noun Aramean appears. Instead of wandering (so most translations), some take the Hebrew to mean “ailing” or “perishing.” It seems better to take the sense as wandering, which means not having a fixed place to live, or “moving from place to place.” “Homeless” (Contemporary English Version) is misleading, since that means “not having a house or place to live in”; but Jacob lived in a tent, which was considered to be his home.

My father: “my ancestor,” that is, Jacob. But Jacob’s name should not appear in the text. For father or “ancestor” see 1.8.

He went down into Egypt: from Canaan, or possibly from Haran if the reference is to Abraham. The phrase went down is the conventional way of speaking in Hebrew about going from Canaan to Egypt; it does not mean descending from the mountains to the plains (although it is true that Egypt was lower in altitude than Canaan). An alternative model for this clause and the previous one is “My ancestor was an Aramean who moved from place to place. Eventually he and his family went to Egypt to live.”

Sojourned: that is, he lived in Egypt as a foreigner, a resident alien (see 1.16).

Few in number: that is, he and his family were few. In Gen 46.8-27 it is recorded that Jacob and his family numbered seventy in all when they went to Egypt. The Revised Standard Version translation and he went down into Egypt … few in number does not clearly state that Jacob had his family with him. Contemporary English Version keeps the same clause order but is somewhat clearer, with “who went to live in Egypt. There were only a few in his family then….” Good News Translation has a better model, “who took his family to Egypt to live. They were few in number….”

He became a nation: that is, he and his family, who were few at first, eventually became a large ethnic community in Egypt (see Exo 1.7).

Great, mighty, and populous: these are very similar in meaning, and it is not necessary to find three different adjectives in order to represent faithfully the meaning of the text. Great and mighty may be combined in a number of languages; they refer to the corporate strength of a large group of people rather than the physical strength of an individual. Instead of populous something like “numerous” (so Revised English Bible), or even “a large number of people,” is better.

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 Egyptians treated us harshly: Contemporary English Version has “were cruel and had no pity on us.” By a dramatic shift to the first person plural us, the Israelite becomes part of the events that had taken place centuries before.

Treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: again three terms that are similar in meaning are used to stress the cruel oppression they suffered in Egypt (see Exo 1.8-14). Contemporary English Version uses four verbs: “The Egyptians were cruel and had no pity on us. They abused our people and forced us into slavery.” Good News Translation uses two verbs, combining the last two. An alternative model is:

• The Egyptians treated us harshly and made us do hard labor [or, work very hard] until our spirits [or hearts, or livers] were sore [or, broken].

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 .

We cried to the LORD: the sense is that they protested, they prayed in anguish and pain to the LORD to rescue them.

The God of our fathers: again the sense is “our ancestors.” This is usually a reference to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In some languages direct speech will be used for the first part of this verse: “We called out to Yahweh the God our ancestors worshiped, saying, ‘Please help us!’ ”

The LORD heard our voice: that is, the LORD heard our prayers, our cries, our protests.

Saw our affliction … toil … oppression: again three terms that are similar in meaning are used to stress the desperate nature of their situation. Here Good News Translation uses three terms: “our suffering, hardship, and misery.” Contemporary English Version has only two: “we were in trouble and abused.” Another possible model for the final part of this verse is “He heard our cries for help, and saw how miserable we were as the Egyptians oppressed us and made us work hard.”

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 .

Brought us out of Egypt: or “led us out”; the verb should not have the overtone of transporting or carrying.

A mighty hand and an outstretched arm: see 4.34.

Great terror, with signs and wonders: these are the means by which Yahweh made the Egyptian king agree to let the Israelites leave Egypt. The word terror here refers to the effect the signs and wonders, that is, the plagues, had on the Egyptians. The word signs generally means “miracles,” and wonders often functions as a term that emphasizes this same meaning (see 4.34). The signs and wonders were done by Yahweh before he led them out of Egypt, so we may reorder the text as follows: “Then you made the Egyptians very afraid [or, terrified] with your powerful miracles, and led us out of Egypt.”

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 .

Brought us into this place: this is parallel to “brought us out of” in verse 8.

Gave us this land: once more the belief of the people of Israel is stated, that the “conquest” of the land of Canaan was not their achievement but God’s gift.

A land flowing with milk and 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 .