complete verse (Deuteronomy 17:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 17:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “He must do like that so that he does not in any way become proud with respect to his people, and he is not to go astray from these laws. Then, he and his grandchildren shall be ruling for a long time.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In doing this he will be kept from considering himself higher than his brothers. And he will be kept from turning away from these Law by going to the right or to the left. In this way he and his descendants will rule in Israel for a long time.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “By always reading them, he can-stay-away from boasting that he is better than his fellow Israelinhon, and he can-stay-away from disobeying the commands of the LORD. If he will-obey all of-this, he and his descendants will-reign long in Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If he does that, he will not think that he is better/more important than his fellow Israelis, and he will completely obey Yahweh’s commands. As a result, he and his descendants will rule as kings in Israel for many years.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 17:20

That his heart may not be lifted up above his brethren: the king is not to be conceited or arrogant; he must not think of himself as superior to his fellow-Israelites (New International Version “consider himself better than his brothers”). The word used to translate his brethren should not mean only his blood brothers, that is, sons (and daughters) of his own parents.

Turn aside from the commandment: that is, disregard, pay no attention to, or disobey. For commandment see 4.2.

To the right hand or to the left: see this idiom in 5.32.

That he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children: this means that his royal line is to last a very long time. The Davidic dynasty, in Judah, lasted from about 1010 to 586 B.C., a total of some 424 years. This same kind of promise is made to Israelites as a whole in 5.32–6.2. Instead of children the word “descendants” is preferable. Good News Translation has a helpful translation: “then he will reign for many years, and his descendants will rule Israel for many generations.” Contemporary English Version is shorter, with “he and his descendants will rule Israel for many years.”

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 .