The heavens … shall be brass: the sense of this is that “No rain shall fall” (Good News Translation). If the Hebrew figurative language is retained, New Revised Standard Version “sky” is better than heavens. It is also possible to keep the figurative language and also give the meaning of “drought,” as Contemporary English Version does with “The LORD will make the sky overhead seem like a bronze roof that keeps out the rain.”

The earth … shall be iron: because of the prolonged drought the soil will dry out and become hard as iron (see Lev 26.19). Contemporary English Version is even clearer, with “the ground under your feet will become hard as iron.”

Some translators will find it useful to combine verses 21-23 in order to eliminate the repetition. The following is a model which does this:

• The LORD will send terrible diseases to attack you until all of you die in the land that he is giving you. You will suffer from contagious diseases and burning fevers of various kinds. The LORD will make the sky overhead seem like a bronze roof that keeps the rain out. And the ground under your feet will become hard as iron. He will send scorching winds to ruin your crops and cause them to rot.

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 LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust: in a vivid figure of speech, instead of rain from the sky, dust and sand will come down on the earth beneath. Good News Translation “duststorms and sandstorms” sacrifices the beauty of the original for clarity of meaning.

Until you are destroyed: the picture that has been given is of total destruction, wiping out the Israelite people (see verses 20, 21).

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 first part of this verse states the opposite of verse 7; the Israelites will be defeated by their enemies, and not the other way round.

Go out … against them: that is, march out from their towns and go to war against their enemies.

You shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth: that is, all the people of the world will be horrified at what will happen to the Israelites (see verse 37; see also Jer 15.4; 24.9). New Jerusalem Bible has “a terrifying object lesson,” Good News Translation “will be terrified when they see what happens to you,” and Contemporary English Version “a horrible sight for…”; or we may say “when the other nations on earth see what happens to you, they will be terrified.”

All the kingdoms of the earth: a way of saying “all the people in the world.”

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 .

Your dead body: a collective expression; all the Israelites will have been killed. Therefore many translations have “your dead bodies [or, corpses]” or something similar.

Birds of the air … the beasts of the earth: scavenger birds such as vultures and buzzards, and meat-eating animals. Another way to express this is “the scavenger birds and the wild [or, forest] animals.”

No one to frighten them away: because everyone has been killed (see Jer 7.35; 34.20). This final sentence may be placed at the beginning of the verse as follows:

• There will be no one left to scare away [or, frighten] the scavenger birds and wild animals while they are eating your dead bodies.

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 .

Madness, blindness, and confusion of mind: all three of these terms are found also in Zech 12.4, where they are the consequences of war. Here they may refer more to mental and psychological disorders. Madness means “to become insane,” “lose your mind,” or “have a twisted mind.” Most languages will have suitable terms for this condition.

Blindness is loss of sight.

Confusion of mind is literally “numbness of heart” (it occurs only here and in Zech 12.4). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “dismay,” while Good News Translation has “confusion” (similarly Contemporary English Version). In many languages an expression similar to the Hebrew will be appropriate; for example, “make your minds [or, hearts] numb [or without feeling].”

Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje may prove useful as a model: “The LORD will punish you, causing you to become insane, blind, and confused.”

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:

• Yahweh will cause you to lose your minds. He will make you become blind and cause your hearts to be numb [or, confused].

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 .

Grope at noonday: that is, “try to find their way in broad daylight.” Contemporary English Version has “even in bright sunshine you will have to feel your way around.”

The blind grope in darkness: this is not logical, since to a blind person it’s all the same, whether it’s daytime or nighttime. Therefore some translations have taken the “darkness” here to mean the blindness itself, that is, the interior darkness, not the exterior darkness (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). But even if it is not logical (see Job 5.14; Isa 59.10), it may be that Revised Standard Version is how the Hebrew text should be translated. Contemporary English Version provides an ingenious solution: “like a blind person who cannot tell day from night.”

You shall not prosper in your ways: this is a general statement of total failure; see New International Version “unsuccessful in everything you do,” or we may say “You will not prosper [or, succeed] in anything you do.” Some translations, however, relate this to what comes before it: New Revised Standard Version “you shall be unable to find your way” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); New Jerusalem Bible “your steps will lead you nowhere”; Revised English Bible “you will fail to find your way.” It is better for the translator to follow the first interpretation, although the second interpretation is also possible.

Oppressed and robbed continually: they will be the target of attack by all evil people. In a number of languages translators will use the active voice here; for example, “People will constantly oppress [or, abuse] you and rob you.”

No one to help you: as in verse 26.

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:

• Even in broad daylight [or, bright sunshine] you will feel your way around like a blind person who cannot tell day from night. You will fail in everything you do. People will continually oppress you and rob you, and there will be no one to help you.

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 .

All three possibilities in this verse are dealt with in 20.5-7, which lists reasons for exempting a man from active military duty.

Betroth a wife: other ways to express this are “get engaged to a woman,” “marry a woman,” or “take a woman as wife.” The language reflects male dominance; the text addresses men, not women.

Another man shall lie with her: Good News Translation has “marry her”; however, the Hebrew verb is not the usual one for having sexual intercourse with a woman. It appears only here and in Isa 13.16; Jer 3.2; Zech 14.2, and seems to mean forcible intercourse, rape. This verb was considered obscene by the Masoretes (the scribes who copied and passed on the Hebrew text) and was regularly substituted by another verb, less offensive, that means “to lie with.” So it is probably truer to the meaning of the text to say “take her and ravish her” (New International Version), or “will enjoy her” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “will ravish her” (Revised English Bible), or even “raped by enemy soldiers” (Contemporary English Version).

You shall build a house, and you shall not dwell in it: this would happen because of either death or exile.

You shall plant a vineyard, and you shall not use the fruit of it: because someone else will take possession of it.

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 .

All the violent acts that will be inflicted on the Israelites are clearly stated and should offer no problems for the translator.

The singular general terms your ox … your ass … your sheep are better translated as plurals: “your cattle, your donkeys, and your flocks [of sheep].” We should not think, as New International Version seems to suggest, that the text is talking about the one and only ox, and one donkey (but many sheep!). The Hebrew word translated sheep applies both to sheep and goats; but most translations have only “sheep.” For ox, ass, and sheep see 5.14.

Before your eyes … before your face: that is, “in your presence,” “as you look on.”

Shall be given to your enemies: by strict grammatical rules, this says in English that someone other than your enemies will take possession of the sheep and give them to the enemies; it seems more likely, however, that this is simply a way of saying that the enemies will take away the sheep.

There shall be no one to help you: as in verse 29. The Hebrew is simply “and none to you [singular] a helper.” Some translations take this to refer to the sheep, “to rescue them” (so New International Version, Revised English Bible). It seems better, however, to translate as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have done.

An alternative translation model in languages that do not use the passive is the following:

• They shall kill your cattle as you watch, but you will not eat any of the meat. As you are watching they will drag away your donkeys and will not return them to you. Your enemies will steal your sheep, and there will be no one to help you.

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 .