This verse repeats, in a briefer form, the warning of verse 38.

The fruit of your ground: “the crops” (see verse 11).

The locust shall possess: that is, “the locusts will destroy.”

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 .

This verse is a summarizing statement; see verse 15.

All these curses: this refers to all the disasters foretold in verses 15-44.

Shall come upon you … pursue … overtake: again the use of vivid language, portraying these disasters as wild animals or merciless enemies.

Till you are destroyed: in the context, this is total destruction, extinction of the Israelites as a people.

Did not obey the voice of the LORD your God: see verse 1.

His commandments and his statutes: see 4.1-2. This clause and the previous one may be placed at the beginning of the verse, as follows:

• Moses said to the Israelites: “If you [plural] don’t obey the laws and teachings that the LORD your God is giving you, he will send all these disasters on you. They will follow you until they completely destroy 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 .

They shall be upon you: that is, they will befall you, come down on you.

A sign and a wonder: see the two words in 4.34. Here they mean a solemn warning, a powerful reminder, to other people, as Good News Translation makes clear. Some, however, take this to be a solemn warning to the Israelites themselves; but the Hebrew preposition translated upon seems to require the other meaning. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “They shall serve as signs and proofs against you and your offspring…”; or we may say “… that God is punishing you.”

You and your descendants for ever: formally this contradicts the passages that foretell the total destruction of the Israelites.

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 did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart: here a new note is added, that of gratitude and joy.

By reason of the abundance of all things: this translation does not convey the meaning of the text very clearly. The sense is that the Israelites had been blessed with prosperity and peace, and for this reason they should have served God joyfully and gladly. New Revised Standard Version is somewhat better: “Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and with gladness of heart for all the abundance of everything…”; or we may say “… even though he has made you prosper in every way.”

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 serve your enemies: they will work as slaves for their enemies.

Whom the LORD will send against you: all the disasters are Yahweh’s doing. It will be good to make this clear in translation; for example, “you shall serve your enemies as slaves,” “you will serve the enemies that the LORD is going to send against you” (Good News Translation), or even “he [Yahweh] will send enemies to attack you and make you their slaves” (Contemporary English Version). However, it is also possible to say something like “Yahweh will let your enemies…,” as Yahweh will not actually be the one oppressing them. For a comment on enemies see 1.42.

In hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and in want of all things: this is a vivid description of the absolute misery to which they will be reduced. Contemporary English Version has “Then you will live in poverty with nothing to eat, drink, or wear.”

He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck: this is a picture of total and degrading slavery, and God will cause it to happen. See Jer 28.13-14 for the same figure of speech. Notice that Good News Translation, in a footnote, gives “Your enemies” as a possible rendering of the Hebrew text, instead of “The LORD.”

Until he has destroyed you: see the same kind of statements in verses 20, 22, 24.

An alternative translation model for verses 47 and 48 is:

• The LORD caused you to prosper in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts. For this reason he will send enemies to attack you, and you will serve them as slaves. You will be hungry, thirsty, and have nothing to wear. You will live in poverty. The LORD will let your enemies treat you harshly until you die.

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 .

In Revised Standard Version verses 49-51 are one sentence, which must be broken into several smaller units.

A nation … from afar, from the end of the earth: this is a normal way of speaking of a country a great distance from Israel.

As swift as the eagle flies: it does not appear that the swiftness is the main point of comparison, but rather the manner in which an eagle swoops down on its prey. Good News Translation has “will swoop down on you like an eagle,” and New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have the same kind of statement. See a similar use of the figure in Jer 48.40; Hos 8.1. In cultures where eagles are unknown, we may use a similar bird if that is available, or say something like “just like a large bird of prey swoops down.”

A nation whose language you do not understand: this is natural, since these people would come from a far off land, and the Israelites would never have had any dealings with them. Contemporary English Version has a helpful model: “foreigners who speak a strange language.”

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 .

A nation of stern countenance: these foreigners are fierce-looking (New Revised Standard Version “grim-faced,” New Jerusalem Bible “grim of face”). In other words “They are merciless,” “ruthless” (Good News Translation), or “won’t show mercy” (Contemporary English Version).

Not regard the person of the old or show favor to the young: they show no respect for anyone; they have pity on no one.

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 .

Shall eat: this doesn’t mean just to “eat” (Good News Translation) or “take” (Contemporary English Version), as such, but take possession of, and possibly destroy all the livestock (see the same verb in verse 35).

The offspring of your cattle and the fruit of your ground: see verse 11.

Until you are destroyed: see verses 20, 24.

Not leave you grain, wine, or oil: see verses 38-40. They will do away with all the property of the Israelites.

The increase of your cattle or the young of your flock: see verses 4, 18.

Until they have caused you to perish: all the things the enemy will do will completely wipe out the Israelites; they will disappear.

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 .