With the beginning of a new section, it is recommended that translators reintroduce Moses as the speaker. It may also be helpful to reintroduce the audience, the people of Israel (see alternative translation).

You shall tithe: in Hebrew this is an emphatic command, the compound verb form “tithing you shall tithe.” To tithe means to give to God one tenth of a person’s gross income — in this instance, agricultural produce (see verse 23 and also 12.6). In dealing with this, the most natural way of expressing the command is to say “Put aside one tenth,” “set aside ten percent” (Contemporary English Version), or “save up…” or “store away….”

All the yield of your seed: this concept is more naturally expressed by “everything you grow in your fields,” or “all your crops.”

Which comes forth from the field year by year: a more natural way of saying this is “[all] that your fields produce [or, grow] each year” (Today’s English Version, New International Version).

Although duplication and redundancy are common and effective in Hebrew, translators must constantly determine whether they are natural and effective in their language, and then act accordingly.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• People of Israel, every year you must set aside one part out of every ten parts of all that your fields produce.

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 .

With the beginning of this new section, it may be helpful to show that Moses is still speaking; for example, “Moses said to the people of Israel:….”

Verses 11-16 are one long sentence in Hebrew, which can be easily broken up in translation. Even in Today’s English Version verses 12-14 are one sentence, which may be too long for some languages. Contemporary English Version breaks this up into four sentences.

Take heed lest you forget: see 4.9, 15, 23.

By not keeping: that is, “by disregarding,” “by disobeying.”

Commandments … ordinances … statutes: see 4.1, 2.

Which I command you this day: see 4.2.

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 .

With the beginning of this new section, it may be good to introduce Moses again as the speaker; for example, “Moses continued to speak to the Israelites.”

Verses 12-13 are one sentence in Hebrew; in translation it is better to split up into two sentences at least.

Because you hearken: it is better to translate “If you pay attention to….”

For ordinances see 4.1.

Keep and do them: this is redundant, for emphasis. The sense is “faithfully obey them,” “always put them into practice.”

Will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love: see verse 9. In this context, however, the idea of continuity is present: “Then the LORD your God will continue to keep his covenant … and will always love you” (Today’s English Version).

Which he swore to your fathers: see verse 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 .

If translators follow the recommendation of this Handbook, to begin the new section here instead of at verse 22, it may be useful to introduce Moses again as the speaker: “And Moses went on to say: ‘When….’ ”

And when you heard: it is not necessary to begin the verse with And (see New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and others).

For the voice out of the midst of the darkness and while the mountain was burning with fire see 4.11-12, 33.

You came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders: here the pronoun you, which refers in previous verses to all the Israelites, is limited by the following heads of your tribes, and your elders. To translate literally, as Revised Standard Version does, may be natural style in some languages, but it is unnatural in most others. So the translation may be “You came near to me, that is, all the heads…,” or else it should imitate Today’s English Version and others and say “The chiefs of all your tribes and the elders came….” For heads of your tribes see 1.15. Elders were respected elderly males, wielding considerable authority in their communities (see also 27.1; 29.10; 31.9, 28). They were recognized for their maturity and ability to lead. If in the translation the two ideas of leadership and authority can be combined in one term like “elders,” then that term should be used. However, if such a term is not available, then Today’s English Version “your leaders,” or Contemporary English Version “the chiefs of your tribes,” or even Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “[other] authorities” are possible models. Bible en français courant provides a definition in its Vocabulary, “heads of families or clans,” and adds “Those in a given town formed a council, responsible for governing the town and rendering justice.”

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 whole section, from verse 44 to verse 49, is one long sentence in Hebrew and in Revised Standard Version. In most languages it is desirable to break this into a number of separate sentences; see Today’s English Version.

The law: see 1.5. This is the Torah, which is set forth in chapters 5–26.

Set before: that is, “transmitted to,” “delivered to,” “gave to.”

The children of Israel: the people of Israel, 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 .

^Then Moses: since this new section is narration in the third person, translators may wish to express Then as a time connection that is appropriate in their language; for example, “Later Moses…” or “After he finished speaking to the people, Moses….”

Set apart: chose, selected, or reserved these three towns. For cities or “towns” see 1.22.

In the east, beyond the Jordan: as stated in 1.1, beyond the Jordan is from the viewpoint of those who live in Canaan, west of the Jordan.
scv 4.:44

This whole section, from verse 44 to verse 49, is one long sentence in Hebrew and in Revised Standard Version. In most languages it is desirable to break this into a number of separate sentences; see Today’s English Version.

The law: see 1.5. This is the Torah, which is set forth in chapters 5–26.

Set before: that is, “transmitted to,” “delivered to,” “gave to.”

The children of Israel: the people of Israel, 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 .

As a separate section, this should begin with something like “Moses said” or “Moses continued to speak to the people of Israel.”

For ask now: the introductory For makes no sense in English and should not be imitated. In a general way verse 32 is a consequence of what has been said before. The verb ask does not have an indirect object, that is, whom they are to ask. It means either “talk about it [with one another]” or most likely “think about it.” The subject they are to discuss or think about is the way in which God has dealt with Israel. The people are told to recall their history.

Ask now of the days that are past: “Think over your [or, our] past history”; “Talk [or, Think] about what has happened in the past” (see a similar command in 32.7).

Since the day God created man upon the earth: they are to go back to the beginning of the human race. The terminology of Gen 1.27 is used. Instead of man it is preferable in English to say “human beings” (New Revised Standard Version), “the human race” (New Jerusalem Bible). So we may say “Since the time God created human beings [or, people].”

Ask from one end of heaven to the other: Revised Standard Version repeats the verb ask because of the sentence structure. Here the Israelites are told not only to study their own history but to include the whole earth in their inquiry into how God had dealt with them. The expression from one end of heaven to the other here does not mean that a search should be made in heaven but over all the earth (see its use in Psa 19.6).

Whether such a great thing as this has ever happened: in some languages it may be better to express this as a direct question: “Has anything as great as this ever happened before?” The phrase great thing includes what follows in verses 33-38: Yahweh’s appearance at Sinai (verse 33, 36); the exodus from Egypt (verse 34, 37); the conquest of Canaan (verse 38).

Or was ever heard of: Today’s English Version provides a good model for making this a separate question, “Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?” Contemporary English Version makes it into a statement, “No one has ever heard of another god trying to do such things.”

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 .