Your little ones: a term should be used that indicates children still living with their parents; the Hebrew does not mean just babies or toddlers.

For sojourner see 1.16. The people who performed the menial tasks were often foreigners; see especially the story about the Gibeonites in Joshua 9.

Hews your wood: Good News Translation has the more common English, “cut wood”; this was primarily to use as firewood. Draws your water (Good News Translation “carry water for you”) refers primarily to water to be drunk.

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 .

That you may enter: the purpose, as stated, connects with the beginning of verse 10, “You stand this day all….”

Enter into the sworn covenant: to “enter” a covenant means to become party to it, to agree to abide by its terms and conditions. The Hebrew expression translated sworn covenant is expressed in various ways. For example: New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “with its sanctions”; Good News Translation “and accept its obligations”; Revised English Bible “accept the oath and enter the covenant”; New International Version “a covenant the LORD is making with you this day and sealing with an oath”; Bible en français courant “and invites you to seal it with a solemn vow”; New Revised Standard Version “the covenant of the LORD your God, sworn by an oath.”

There are two things to consider in interpreting sworn covenant:
(1) the nature of the additional Hebrew word ʿalah, whether it refers to an oath, a curse, a stipulation, or a sanction; and
(2) whether this proceeds from Yahweh or from the Israelites.

As the various translations demonstrate, there is no agreement on these two matters. In the context, with the various blessings and curses playing such a prominent role, it seems that (1) these are conditions, or stipulations, or penalties, or sanctions; and (2) they are imposed by Yahweh; the very wording the sworn covenant of the LORD your God affirms this.

The translations of Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh most closely follow this interpretation, and translators are advised to take Good News Translation as a model. Good News Translation has “You are here today to enter into this covenant that the LORD your God is making with you, and to accept its obligations”; or we may say “… to promise that you will keep your part of the agreement with the LORD our God.”

This day means “today.”

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 .

Establish you this day as his people: this is the main purpose, which is dependent upon the first, “that you may enter” at the beginning of verse 12. Through the covenant Yahweh confirms, acknowledges, and confesses that they are, in theory and in fact, a people who belong to him, and they will be seen as such by others.

That he may be your God: the covenant affects the status both of Yahweh and of the people of Israel. Your God means “the God you [will] serve.”

As he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob: 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 .

In verses 16-17 Moses is the speaker again, and he gives a brief review of the situation of the Israelites as slaves in Egypt. This serves as an introduction to the long warning that follows (verses 18-28).

The translator will notice the switch from the first person plural we dwelt and we came to the second person plural you passed (verse 16) and you have seen (verse 17). Translators should study the Good News Translation to see one way to handle this problem. New International Version and others are also able to eliminate such inconsistencies.

We dwelt in the land of Egypt: according to the historical account in Deuteronomy, the adult generation that left Egypt had already died (see 2.14-15; 5.3), and it is the succeeding generation that is ready to enter the Promised Land. The verb translated dwelt is itself neutral, indicating neither prosperity nor hardship; but the modifying how was understood by the original readers of this account to indicate the condition of the Hebrews as slaves, in the latter part of their stay in Egypt; Good News Translation refers indirectly to this with “what life was like in Egypt.”

We came through the midst of the nations: as reported in chapters 1–3.

Through which you passed: this is as repetitive and illogical in Hebrew as it is in English. An alternative translation is “and [you know] what it was like to travel through the lands of other nations.”

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 .

Their detestable things: that is, their idols. The pronoun their very likely refers back to both Egypt and the nations in verse 16, so it is possible to combine the two verses as Contemporary English Version does (and see also the alternative model below). The Hebrew word translated detestable carries a sense of thoroughly disgusting, completely revolting. New Revised Standard Version has “their … detestable things, the filthy idols,” somewhat like Good News Translation “their disgusting idols.”

Idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold: see a similar statement in 4.28. For a comment on idols see 4.16.

Which were among them: this will be repetitive in many languages and may be deleted, as Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have done.

An alternative translation model combining verses 16 and 17 is the following:

• You know that when we lived in Egypt, you saw the Egyptians worship disgusting idols made of wood, stone, silver and gold. Then as you traveled through the lands of other nations, you saw those people worship other disgusting idols.

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 18-19 are a very long and complex sentence, which must be broken down into smaller units that will be easier to understand.

Beware lest there be among you: this is fairly unnatural English. Something like “Make sure that none of you” is better.

Man … woman … family … tribe: the various units of the nation. For tribes see 1.13.

Whose heart turns away … to go and serve the gods of those nations: this indicates a loss of loyalty and love, a betrayal or defection. See similar passages in 11.28; 13.6-7; 27.15. For gods see 4.28.

It is possible to state the first part of this verse positively as follows (Moses speaking):

• Make sure that every man, woman, family, and tribe here today remains faithful to Yahweh and never starts worshiping the gods of other nations.

The LORD our God: once more the first person plural; again the Septuagint has the second person plural.

Lest there be a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit: this metaphor is fairly clear in meaning; Good News Translation has changed it to the simile “This would be like a root.” This refers to concealed betrayal, secret apostasy, whose results will become highly visible. Heb 12.15 makes reference to this passage. In some languages it will be helpful to begin the sentence with “If you do this you will be like….” Contemporary English Version translates “If even one of you worships idols, you will be like….”

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 .

One who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant: that is, someone who hears the terms and conditions of the covenant—especially the curses (28.15-68). Another way to express this clause is “You may be a person who hears the solemn conditions of the LORD’s covenant [or, agreement] with you….”

One who … blesses himself in his heart, saying: that is, he reassures himself or comforts himself. Other renderings are Good News Translation “convinces himself,” Revised English Bible “flatters himself,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “believes himself to be too good,” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “believes himself blessed,” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “tells himself that all will be well.” All of these are good.

Sworn covenant: as in verse 12.

I shall be safe: this translates the Hebrew “I will have peace [or, safety]” (shalom). In some languages direct speech (see Revised Standard Version) will be natural style, whereas translators in other languages will prefer to follow Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version and use indirect speech.

Though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart: he recognizes that he is stubbornly following his own desires and not the terms of the covenant. Good News Translation has “even if he stubbornly goes his own way.” However, if a translator uses direct speech, the following is a possible alternative: “even if I am stubborn and go my own way.”

This would lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike: this is not something the person speaking says, but is a comment by Moses or by the writer of the account. The meaning of the saying seems clear enough, though its origin is unknown. It means that all will be swept away, that is, punished or destroyed. The word would in this construction in English indicates that what the sentence refers to has not actually happened (and it may not happen); it will only apply if some person does what the first part of the verse warns against. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates this sentence literally and has a footnote explaining the figure: “[that is] everything.” The Septuagint translates “the sinner will be destroyed together with the sinless,” and Good News Translation has “That would destroy all of you, good and evil alike.” The Contemporary English Version translation is more general, with “cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.” In languages that do not use the passive, we may say “that will cause them [unknown people] to destroy all of you, good and evil people alike.”

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 .