Deuteronomy 16–19

Footnotes

1. 1 The month Abib, later called Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esth 3:7), corresponds to March–April in the modern calendar.
2. 2 Heb “in the month Abib.” The demonstrative “that” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3. 3 Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
4. 4 Heb “sacrifice the Passover” (so ). The word “animal” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
5. 5 Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in the previous verse.
6. 6 Heb “leaven must not be seen among you in all your border.”
7. 7 Heb “remain all night until the morning” (so , ). This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8. 8 Heb “gates.”
9. 9 Heb “the Passover.” The translation uses a pronoun to avoid redundancy in English.
10. 10 The reading אֶל (’el, “unto”) before “the place” should, following , , Targums, and , be omitted in favor of ב (bet; בַּמָּקוֹם, bammaqom), “in the place.”
11. 11 Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in .
12. 12 The rules that governed the Passover meal are found in Exod 12:1–51, and Deut 16:1–8. The word translated “cook” (בָּשַׁל, bashal) here is translated “boil” in other places (e.g. Exod 23:19, 1 Sam 2:13–15). This would seem to contradict Exod 12:9 where the Israelites are told not to eat the Passover sacrifice raw or boiled. However, 2 Chr 35:13 recounts the celebration of a Passover feast during the reign of Josiah, and explains that the people “cooked (בָּשַׁל, bashal) the Passover sacrifices over the open fire.” The use of בָּשַׁל (bashal) with “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) suggests that the word could be used to speak of boiling or roasting.
13. 13 The words “on that day” are not in the Hebrew text; they are supplied in the translation for clarification (cf. , ).
14. 14 Heb “the seven weeks.” The translation uses a pronoun to avoid redundancy in English.
15. 15 The Hebrew phrase חַג שָׁבֻעוֹת (khag shavu’ot) is otherwise known in the OT (Exod 23:16) as קָצִיר (qatsir, “harvest”) and in the NT as πεντηχοστή (pentēchostē, “Pentecost”).
16. 16 Heb “the sufficiency of the offering of your hand.”
17. 17 Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in .
18. 18 Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in .
19. 19 Heb “gates.”
20. 20 The Hebrew phrase חַג הַסֻּכֹּת (khag hassukot, “festival of huts” or “festival of shelters”) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. , , ) is now preferable to the traditional “tabernacles” (, , ) in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. Clearer is the English term “shelters” (so , , , ), but this does not reflect the temporary nature of the living arrangement. This feast was a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt, suggesting that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.
21. 21 Heb “when you gather in your threshing-floor and winepress.”
22. 22 Heb “in your gates.”
23. 23 Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in .
24. 24 Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in .
25. 25 Heb “in all the work of your hands” (so , ); , “in all your undertakings.”
26. 26 Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in .
27. 27 Heb “a man must give according to the gift of his hand.” This has been translated as second person for stylistic reasons, in keeping with the second half of the verse, which is second person rather than third.
28. 28 The Hebrew term וְשֹׁטְרִים (véshoterim), usually translated “officers” (, ) or “officials” (, , , ), derives from the verb שֹׁטֵר (shoter, “to write”). The noun became generic for all types of public officials. Here, however, it may be appositionally epexegetical to “judges,” thus resulting in the phrase, “judges, that is, civil officers,” etc. Whoever the שֹׁטְרִים are, their task here consists of rendering judgments and administering justice.
29. 29 Heb “gates.”
30. 30 Heb “with judgment of righteousness”; , “with righteous judgment.”
31. 31 Heb “twist, overturn”; “subverts the cause.”
32. 32 Or “innocent”; “those who are in the right”; “the godly.”
33. 33 Heb “justice, justice.” The repetition is emphatic; one might translate as “pure justice” or “unadulterated justice” (cf. “true justice”).
34. 34 Heb “an Asherah, any tree.” Sacred Asherah pole. This refers to a tree (or wooden pole) dedicated to the worship of Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. See also Deut 7:5.
35. 35 Sacred pillar. This refers to the stelae (stone pillars; the Hebrew term is מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) associated with Baal worship, perhaps to mark a spot hallowed by an alleged visitation of the gods. See also Deut 7:5.
36. 1 Heb “to the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in .
37. 2 The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “an abomination”; cf. ) describes persons, things, or practices offensive to ritual or moral order. See M. Grisanti, 4:; see also the note on the word “abhorrent” in .
38. 3 Heb “gates.”
39. 4 Heb “does the evil in the eyes of the Lord your God.”
40. 5 The reads “and to the sun,” thus including the sun, the moon, and other heavenly spheres among the gods. However, Theodotion and Lucian read “or to the sun,” suggesting perhaps that the sun and the other heavenly bodies are not in the category of actual deities.
41. 6 Heb “which I have not commanded you.” The words “to worship” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
42. 7 Heb “an abomination” (תּוֹעֵבָה); see note on the word “offensive” in v. .
43. 8 Heb “gates.”
44. 9 Heb “stone them with stones so that they die” ( similar); “throw stones at that person until he dies.”
45. 10 Heb “the hand of the witnesses.” This means the two or three witnesses are to throw the first stones (cf. , , , ).
46. 11 Heb “the hand of all the people.”
47. 12 Heb “between blood and blood.”
48. 13 Heb “between claim and claim.”
49. 14 Heb “between blow and blow.”
50. 15 Heb “gates.”
51. 16 Several Greek recensions add “to place his name there,” thus completing the usual formula to describe the central sanctuary (cf. Deut 12:5, 11, 14, 18; 16:6). However, the context suggests that the local Levitical towns, and not the central sanctuary, are in mind.
52. 17 Heb “who acts presumptuously not to listen” (cf. ).
53. 18 The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “without fail.”
54. 19 Heb “your brothers,” but not referring to siblings (cf. “your brother Israelites”; “a fellow Israelite”). The same phrase also occurs in v. 20.
55. 20 Heb “your brothers.” See the preceding note on “fellow citizens.”
56. 21 Heb “in order to multiply horses.” The translation uses “do so” in place of “multiply horses” to avoid redundancy (cf. , ).
57. 22 Heb “must not multiply” (cf. , ); “must not take many.”
58. 23 Or “instruction.” The reads here τὸ δευτερονόμιον τοῦτο (to deuteronomion touto, “this second law”). From this Greek phrase the present name of the book, “Deuteronomy” or “second law” (i.e., the second giving of the law), is derived. However, the ’s expression מִשְׁנֶה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת (mishneh hattorah hazzo’t) is better rendered “copy of this law.” Here the term תּוֹרָה (torah) probably refers only to the book of Deuteronomy and not to the whole Pentateuch.
59. 24 The Hebrew term סֵפֶר (sefer) means a “writing” or “document” and could be translated “book” (so , , ). However, since “book” carries the connotation of a modern bound book with pages (an obvious anachronism) it is preferable to render the Hebrew term “scroll” here and elsewhere.
60. 25 Heb “upon his kingship.” supplies כִּסֵא (kise’, “throne”) so as to read “upon the throne of his kingship.” This overliteralizes what is a clearly understood figure of speech.
61. 1 The places the terms “priests” and “Levites” in apposition, thus creating an epexegetical construction in which the second term qualifies the first, i.e., “Levitical priests.” This is a way of asserting their legitimacy as true priests. The renders “to the priest and to the Levite,” making a distinction between the two, but one that is out of place here.
62. 2 Of his inheritance. This is a figurative way of speaking of the produce of the land the Lord will give to his people. It is the Lord’s inheritance, but the Levites are allowed to eat it since they themselves have no inheritance among the other tribes of Israel.
63. 3 Heb “he” (and throughout the verse).
64. 4 Heb “brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. “their countrymen”; “the other members of the community.”
65. 5 Heb “judgment”; , , “the priest’s due.”
66. 6 Heb “the firstfruits of your …” (so ).
67. 7 and some Greek texts add “before the Lord your God” to bring the language into line with a formula found elsewhere (Deut 10:8; 2 Chr 29:11). This reading is not likely to be original, however.
68. 8 Heb “the name of the Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
69. 9 Heb “according to all the desire of his soul.”
70. 10 Or “sojourning.” The verb used here refers to living temporarily in a place, not settling down.
71. 11 Presumably this would not refer to a land inheritance, since that was forbidden to the descendants of Levi (v. 1). More likely it referred to some family possessions (cf. , , , ) or other private property (cf. “a private source of income”), or even support sent by relatives (cf. “whatever his family sends him”).
72. 12 Heb “who passes his son or his daughter through the fire.” The expression “pass … through the fire” is probably a euphemism for human sacrifice (cf. , , , ). See also Deut 12:31.
73. 13 Heb “a diviner of divination” (קֹסֵם קְסָמִים, qosem qésamim). This was a means employed to determine the future or the outcome of events by observation of various omens and signs (cf. Num 22:7; 23:23; Josh 13:22; 1 Sam 6:2; 15:23; 28:8; etc.). See M. Horsnell, 3:.
74. 14 Heb “one who causes to appear” (מְעוֹנֵן, mé’onen). Such a practitioner was thought to be able to conjure up spirits or apparitions (cf. Lev 19:26; Judg 9:37; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 2:6; 57:3; Jer 27:9; Mic 5:11).
75. 15 Heb “a seeker of omens” (מְנַחֵשׁ, ménakhesh). This is a subset of divination, one illustrated by the use of a “divining cup” in the story of Joseph (Gen 44:5).
76. 16 Heb “a doer of sorcery” (מְכַשֵּׁף, mikhashef). This has to do with magic or the casting of spells in order to manipulate the gods or the powers of nature (cf. Lev 19:26–31; 2 Kgs 17:15b–17; 21:1–7; Isa 57:3, 5; etc.). See M. Horsnell, 2:.
77. 17 Heb “a binder of binding” (חֹבֵר חָבֶר, khover khaver). The connotation is that of immobilizing (“binding”) someone or something by the use of magical words (cf. Ps 58:6; Isa 47:9, 12).
78. 18 Heb “asker of a [dead] spirit” (שֹׁאֵל אוֹב, sho’el ’ov). This is a form of necromancy (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6; 1 Sam 28:8, 9; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4).
79. 19 Heb “a knowing [or “familiar”] [spirit]” (יִדְּעֹנִי, yiddé’oniy), i.e., one who is expert in mantic arts (cf. Lev 19:31; 20:6, 27; 1 Sam 28:3, 9; 2 Kgs 21:6; Isa 8:19; 19:3).
80. 20 Heb “a seeker of the dead.” This is much the same as “one who conjures up spirits” (cf. 1 Sam 28:6–7).
81. 21 Heb “these abhorrent things.” The repetition is emphatic. For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the same term used earlier in the verse has been translated “detestable” here.
82. 22 The translation understands the Hebrew participial form as having an imminent future sense here.
83. 23 The expands here on the usual formula by adding “from among you” (cf. Deut 17:15; 18:18; ; a number of Greek texts). The expansion seems to be for the purpose of emphasis, i.e., the prophet to come must be not just from Israel but an Israelite by blood. “from your brothers,” but not referring to actual siblings. Cf. “from among your own kinsmen”; “from your countrymen”; “from among your own people.” A similar phrase occurs in v. 17.
84. 24 The Hebrew text uses the collective singular in this verse: “my God … lest I die.”
85. 25 Heb “will seek from him”; “I myself will make him answer for it”; “will hold accountable.”
86. 26 Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
87. 27 Or “commanded” (so , , , ).
88. 28 Heb “in your heart.”
89. 29 Heb “know the word which the Lord has not spoken.” The issue here is not understanding the meaning of the message, but distinguishing a genuine prophetic word from a false one.
90. 30 Heb “the Lord’s.” See note on the word “his” in v. .
91. 31 Heb “the word,” but a predictive word is in view here. Cf. “his oracle.”
92. 32 Heb “does not happen or come to pass.”
93. 33 Heb “the Lord has.” See note on the word “his” in v. .
94. 34 Heb “that is the word which the Lord has not spoken.”