Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 31:27

Rebellious and stubborn: see the two adjectives in 9.6-7.

While I am yet alive with you, today: this does not make good sense in English. Good News Translation and Revised English Bible have “during my lifetime,” New International Version “while I am alive and with you,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “even now, while I am still alive in your midst.”

You have been rebellious against the LORD: see 1.26; 9.23-24.

How much more after my death! This can be expressed more clearly as, for example, “I am sure [or, I know] that after I die you [plural] will be even more rebellious.”

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 31:28

Assemble: here Moses is talking to the Levites (verse 25). It will be helpful for readers to put this information in the text; for example, “Then he said to the Levites, ‘Assemble….’ ”

The elders of your tribes: for elders see 5.23; this is the only place in the Old Testament where this phrase occurs.

Your officers: see 1.15.

I may speak these words in their ears: Moses is going to speak directly to them.

Call heaven and earth to witness against them: see 4.26 and 30.19. In the present verse the sky and the earth will be witnesses that the people of Israel know what they are supposed to do but haven’t done 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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 31:29

After my death you will surely act corruptly: as in 4.16, 25, this refers to idolatry (see the context of the phrase in verses 9, 12, 16). The general expression “become wicked” of Good News Translation is not satisfactory. The rendering of Contemporary English Version, “You will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong,” is better.

Turn aside from the way which I have commanded you: see 11.28.

The days to come: see 4.30.

Evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil: the first use of evil is in the sense of “disaster,” “punishment,” “ruin,” or “terrible things will happen to you” (Contemporary English Version). In the second case evil is “sin,” or “doing what he [God] has forbidden” (Good News Translation). In very few languages will the same word be a satisfactory translation for the same Hebrew word, used with two different meanings.

Provoking him to anger: see 4.25.

The work of your hands: this can be taken in the limited sense of “what you have made,” that is, idols, as in 4.28; so New International Version has “what your hands have made.” But it seems more likely that this is a general way of speaking about their wicked behavior or deeds, as a whole.

Contemporary English Version has an excellent alternative translation model for this verse:

• I am going to die soon, and I know that in the future you will stop caring about what is right and what is wrong, and so you will disobey the LORD and stop living the way I told you to live. The LORD will be angry, and terrible things will happen to 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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 32:2

The first two lines are parallel, having approximately the same meaning, and the last two are also in parallel lines and modify the verbs of the first two lines. A translator should determine whether a restructuring of the verse would make it easier to understand. See two different types of restructuring in Good News Translation and in the Contemporary English Version model given at the end of the comments on this verse.

May …: this comes as a wish, an effective way to begin a speech, especially one that is going to charge the accused party of evil conduct. The speaker promises that he will not be threatening or blustering, but he hopes to convince his hearers by means of a gentle and mild statement of facts. Where the equivalent of the English verb form for expressing a wish, “may,” is not natural or available in a language, a translator should find the most natural way of expressing a desire. Examples are “I want [or, wish] that my teaching will…” or “I pray that….”

Drop as rain … distil as the dew: Good News Translation “will fall” fails to express the poetic quality of the Hebrew drop. Contemporary English Version softens the effect by combining lines b and c of the verse as follows:

• My words will be like gentle rain
on tender young plants.

For the figure of rain dropping, see 33.28; Job 29.22-23. As for dew, the verb distil in English is a correct rendering of the Hebrew, but not natural; to distill a liquid is to vaporize it and then allow it to condense so as to remove impurities. People more naturally speak of dew “forming” or “condensing” (Good News Translation, New International Version), and in some languages the word for dew will be something like “water that clings.” And even though dew does not actually fall, as rain does, in some languages this will be the most natural way to speak of dew. The point of this figure of speech is the speaker’s hope that his audience will listen with sympathy to what he is about to say; see the New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh footnote: “(that is), may my words be received eagerly.”

Gentle rain … showers: these two have almost the same meaning; the Hebrew term for the first one appears only here in the Old Testament.

The tender grass … the herb: again, two nouns that are close in meaning. In these and similar instances the translator should not be too concerned to match the original text with two very similar terms in his or her language, especially if one of the two happens to be a very specialized term not used by the majority of speakers. Good News Translation has a good model: “young plants … tender grass.”

The Contemporary English Version translation of the whole verse is a good model:

• Israel, I will teach you.
My words will be like gentle rain
on tender young plants,
or like dew on the grass.

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 32:3

These two lines are not parallel; the first one is a declaration, the second a command for the people to tell about Yahweh’s greatness. Revised English Bible joins the two lines: “When I proclaim the name of the LORD, you will respond….” This is a possibility.

Proclaim the name of the LORD: this does not mean only that he will utter it, or tell people what the name is, but he will “praise” it (Good News Translation), “exalt” it; the name usually stands for the person. Mayes comments that the expression means “to make open declaration of his character as shown in his actions with his people and with individuals also.” One possible translation is “I will tell how great the LORD is.”

Ascribe greatness: the Hebrew has “Give greatness,” as though greatness were an object that can be given to God. This can be handled in different ways. For example, New International Version has “Oh, praise the greatness,” New Jerusalem Bible “Oh, tell the greatness,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “Give glory to our God.” It means to recognize and confess the greatness of God. We may also express this as “All you people should tell Yahweh how great he is,” or “All you people should say, ‘Yahweh is wonderful!’ ”

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 32:4

In verses 4-6 Moses makes a brief statement of the reason for this charge against the people of Israel.

The Rock: a title for God; the Septuagint, in all places where this title appears in this song (also verses 15, 18, 30), translates “God.” The main idea of the metaphor (as in Psa 18.2) is that of defense, protection. Bible en français courant has “The LORD is a protecting rock,” Contemporary English Version “The LORD is a mighty rock”; but in some languages it may not be satisfactory to use simply a word for “rock.” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translate the meaning of the metaphor: “He is our protector”; BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum has “He is our refuge,” while Revised English Bible has “the Creator,” drawing from verse 18, where God is spoken of as Creator. Good News Translation has “your mighty defender,” using the second person plural pronoun as required by what is coming in verse 5. It is recommended that the meaning be expressed by “strong defender,” “mighty protector,” or the like.

His work is perfect … all his ways are justice: the first two lines of the verse have almost the same meaning; one refers to Yahweh’s actions, the other to his manner of doing things. Good News Translation has “perfect and just in all his ways.”

A God of faithfulness and without iniquity: these final two lines expand on what was said about God in line two. The first quality, faithfulness, describes God as someone who does what he says he will do, who keeps his promise: “a trustworthy God” (New Jerusalem Bible). We may also say “You can always trust what he promises,” or even “He always does what he promises to do.” The second quality, without iniquity, describes him as never doing anything wrong; in this context, however, it may be that New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “A faithful God, never false,” is closer to the meaning, the second term being the negative way of stating what the first one says. Another way to express this is “and never breaks his promises [or, words].”

Just and right: these are very close in meaning, with the sense of “true,” “upright,” “honest,” “fair.”

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 32:5

Except for the line they are a perverse and crooked generation, this verse in Hebrew is very difficult. Moses is talking about the people of Israel. New Revised Standard Version translates the first line in Hebrew as “yet his degenerate children have dealt falsely with him,” with a footnote stating that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New International Version have alternative renderings in footnotes.

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project ({B} rating) proposes the following:
it [that is, the generation of the last line] has dealt perversely with him, they are no longer his children (that is their blemish).

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project also suggests that a note should be added: “ ‘(that is their blemish)’ perhaps a gloss.” This may be a good model for those translations in which the note “perhaps a gloss” is helpful; but in many translations a note like this will hinder rather than help. In such cases a translator can use the Good News Translation as a model, with the footnote “Hebrew unclear.”

The first thing to do when translating is to clearly establish who Revised Standard Version They are. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version do well by introducing at once “You,” that is, the people of Israel; but we may also say “You people of Israel….”

The following is proposed as a model, translating along the lines suggested by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project:

• But you have sinned against the LORD,
and because of your faults
you are no longer his children;
you are a wicked and deceitful people.

It is important that readers should understand this verse as an accusation and not just as a statement of fact. See similar language in 9.12.

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 32:6

Requite the LORD: the verb requite means to repay or to pay back; so Revised English Bible says “is this how you repay the LORD?” In a more general sense “how you treat the LORD” is a possibility (similarly Good News Translation).

Foolish and senseless: two terms almost the same in meaning; other possibilities are “stupid,” “dull,” “witless.” The sense of “ignorant” is not primary; it is not a lack of information but a lack of good judgment—even being stupid. So Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje has “a people without any good sense or wisdom.” The first two lines may be reversed as follows:

• You are foolish and stupid people,
Is this the way you repay the LORD?

The second question is also an accusation.

Your father, who created you: the verb created means to “bring into being,” to “give life.” It is different from the verb used in Gen 1.1, but it is the same verb used in Gen 4.1, where it is said to be the origin of the name “Cain” (see also Exo 15.16); so New Revised Standard Version has “the people whom you have acquired.” But if the equivalent of the verb “acquire” is used, care must be taken that it is not understood as a purchase, with a price paid to someone, as the New International Version footnote “who bought you” suggests. This Handbook recommends that translators use the word “create” or “Creator” in the text (with Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and New International Version), with a footnote saying, for example, “Or Father, who acquired you.”

Who made you and established you: the verb “make” is the one most generally used of making something; to “establish” means to make secure or strong. The text is talking about how God made the people of Israel into a nation, a people of his own; this happened when he brought them out of Egypt. So Good News Translation has “he made you into a nation.” Translators are advised to follow Good News Translation as a model for this verse.

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 .