God speaks as a human being, lifting up his hand to heaven and taking a solemn vow to exterminate his enemies (verses 40-42).

I lift up my hand to heaven: this is the normal way of taking a vow (see Psa 106.26; Rev 10.5-6); in Dan 12.7 both hands are lifted. In Gen 14.22; Exo 6.8; Num 14.30; Neh 9.15; Ezek 20.5 the Hebrew text says simply “I raise my hand,” meaning “I take a vow.” If the idea of God raising his hand to heaven seems ridiculous, it is all right to say only “I raise my hand” (Good News Translation).

Swear: this means to take a solemn vow (see 1.8).

As I live for ever: this may be translated in different ways. Good News Translation says “As surely as I am the living God,” Bible en français courant “As surely as I live forever,” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “I swear by my eternal life.” It must be clear to readers that verses 41 and 42 are the content of God’s promise. Good News Translation will serve as a good alternative model.

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 .

If I whet my glittering sword: this makes for an awkward statement. It is better to say, as New Revised Standard Version does, “When I whet…,” or to follow New International Version, “When I sharpen my flashing sword.” Or it is possible to make this a statement, as Bible en français courant does: “I sharpen and polish my sword.” In cultures where swords are unknown, but other kinds of knives are used, there are many ways to express sword; for example, “a large long knife,” “a large knife like a machete,” or “a weapon called a ‘sword.’”

My hand takes hold on judgment: this can mean “when I get ready to judge [or, punish],” or else “When I seize the instrument of judgment,” that is, my … sword.

Everything considered, it seems best to take this verse as the very oath, or vow, that God makes:

• I will sharpen [and polish] my sword,
I will grasp [or, seize] it to enforce justice.
I will take revenge on my enemies,
I will repay those who hate me.

For vengeance see verse 35.

Requite: in this context the verb means to pay back, to punish the enemies as they deserve.

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 vivid figure of making his arrows drunk and of his sword eating flesh may be kept in certain languages. Contemporary English Version offers an alternative model using such a figure:

• My arrows will get drunk
on enemy blood

In a number of languages, however, this figure and the following one may be too strange to translate literally (see the same figures in Jer 46.10). Good News Translation offers a good model. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “I will drench my arrows with blood, and my sword will kill them [his enemies] off.”

The blood of the slain and the captives: this means that even the captives will be slain; the Hebrew text says “all the slain….” Bible en français courant offers a good model: “None of the enemy warriors will escape; wounded or captive, they will all be victims.”

The long-haired heads of the enemy: see Judges 5.2. When consecrated for military service, warriors would not cut their hair while at war; this is the long hair of dedicated warriors. Num 6.5 and Ezek 44.20 speak of the long hair of dedicated priests. It will be good to keep “long-haired heads” in the translation, with a footnote explaining this custom, and the last two lines may be alternatively rendered as:

• I will kill all the captives
and cut off the long-haired heads of the enemy.

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 song ends with Moses exhorting the nations to praise Israel for what God has done on their behalf, and translators should reintroduce Moses as the speaker here.

Praise his people, O you nations: that is, “All peoples everywhere, you are urged to praise the LORD’s people,” or “All peoples everywhere, you must say to the LORD’s people, ‘You are wonderful [or, great].’ ”

But New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible translate the Qumran manuscript and the Septuagint, as follows:

Praise, O heavens, his people,
worship him, all you gods (New Revised Standard Version).

Rejoice with him, you heavens,
bow down, all you gods, before him (Revised English Bible).

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends the following modified form of the text of Qumran manuscript and Septuagint ({B} rating):

Cry out for joy with him, you heavens,
Bow down before him, all you gods.

It is recommended that translators follow Hebrew Old Testament Text Project as translated by Revised English Bible. In the first line “him” refers to the Israelites, the LORD’s people; in the second line “him” is the LORD. A possible rendering is:

• Heavens, you must cry out for joy
with the LORD’s people,
and all you gods bow down
before the LORD.

He avenges the blood of his servants: here, as elsewhere, the blood means violent death; and his servants are his people, the Israelites (verse 36). Here the Qumran manuscript and Septuagint have “his children,” which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers ({B} rating); it is followed by New Revised Standard Version. It is recommended that “his children” be adopted as the text to be translated; “his children” means the same as his servants, that is, the Israelites, the LORD’s people.

Takes vengeance on his adversaries: see verse 41.

Makes expiation for the land of his people: the verb makes expiation means to do what is needed to remove the result of the sins of the people. In effect the sins made the land unclean, and it must be purified—which God does. The text does not say how God does this. Good News Translation “forgives the sins of his people” expresses an important element of the text, but it does not focus on the land (of Israel), as the text itself does. So it is better, with New Jerusalem Bible “purify” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “cleanse,” to make the land the object of the verb. We may say something like the following: “He cleanses the land of his people from the impurities caused by their sins.”

There is a further textual problem here; the Hebrew text as we have it has “his land his people”; but the Qumran manuscript and the Septuagint have “the land of his people,” which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project ({B} rating) and this Handbook recommend.

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 .

See the close parallel to this verse at 31.30, at the beginning of Moses’ recital.

Moses came and recited all the words of this song: here came indicates movement; recited translates the verb normally meaning “to say, to speak.”

In the hearing of the people: see 31.30.

He and Joshua the son of Nun: the verbs came and recited are both in the third singular, meaning Moses only. It is possible to say something like the following: “Moses went with Joshua before the people, and [he] recited the entire song as the people listened.”

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 .

It is no trifle for you, but it is your life: see 30.20. This emphasizes the seriousness of the matter; what Moses has taught the people is not something insignificant that they can take or leave. Their very existence as a people depends on their obedience to the Law. Contemporary English Version has a helpful model: “The Law isn’t empty words. It can give you long life….”

Thereby you shall live long in the land: see 30.20. Thereby means “by means of it” and refers to obeying the Law, and Good News Translation has “Obey them [the teachings] and you will live….”

Possess: see 1.8. For parallels see 4.26, 40.

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 .

And die: in the context this is a command. But we may say something like “you shall die” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

On the mountain which you ascend: this will be needless repetition in some languages; in others it will be normal style.

Be gathered to your people: that is, Moses will go to Sheol, where the other dead Israelites are. This is a common way of speaking of dying; see Gen 25.3; 27.13; 35.29; Num 27.13 (and see the similar expression in 31.16). In some cultures this will be a normal way of talking about death; where it is not, this phrase should not be used. The translation should say simply “you will die.”

As Aaron your brother: for Aaron’s death see 10.6; Num 20.22-29; 33.38-39. Good News Translation is a good 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 .

For the parallel to this passage, see Num 27.12-14.

You broke faith with me: the verb is plural, and the meaning is that both Moses and Aaron broke faith with God. New Jerusalem Bible takes the plural to mean Moses and the other Israelites; it seems better, however, to understand it to mean the two brothers. See the account of this in Num 20.1-13. To “break faith” means to be disloyal, unfaithful, disobedient.

The waters of Meribath-Kadesh: Good News Translation expands this to say “the waters of Meribath, near the town of Kadesh.” In this context waters means springs of water. So Contemporary English Version has “Meribah Spring.” We may also say “at Meribah where the water pours out of a rock.”

The wilderness of Zin: on the southern border of Judah, toward the Dead Sea. For wilderness see 1.1.

You did not revere me as holy: again the verb is plural, referring to Moses and Aaron. God’s holiness is his way of being God, separated from all that is morally and spiritually unclean. To revere God as holy is to show him the respect and honor due to him. The two men did not respect the holiness of the God of Israel when they disobeyed him. Contemporary English Version translates holy as “I am God,” and renders the final sentence as follows: “I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect that I deserve.”

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 .