Deuteronomy 32-34

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Deuteronomy 32:2 tn Or “mist,” “light drizzle.” In some contexts the term appears to refer to light rain, rather than dew.
2. Deuteronomy 32:3 tc Smr and Tg read “in the name.”
3. Deuteronomy 32:4 tc The LXX reads Θεός (theos, “God”) for the MT’s “Rock.”sn The Hebrew term depicts God as a rocky summit where one may find safety and protection. Within a covenantal context it serves as a reminder to the people that their God has committed himself to their protection in return for their allegiance.
4. Deuteronomy 32:4 tn Or “just” (KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “righteous” (NASB).
5. Deuteronomy 32:5 tc The third person masculine singular שָׁחַת (shakhat) is rendered as third person masculine plural by Smr, a reading supported by the plural suffix on מוּם (mum, “defect”) as well as the plural of בֵּן (ben, “sons”).tn Heb “have acted corruptly” (so NASB, NIV, NLT); NRSV “have dealt falsely.”
6. Deuteronomy 32:5 tn Heb “(they are) not his sons.”
7. Deuteronomy 32:5 tn Heb “defect” (so NASB). This highly elliptical line suggests that Israel’s major fault was its failure to act like God’s people; in fact, they acted quite the contrary.
8. Deuteronomy 32:5 tn Heb “twisted,” “crooked.” See Ps 18:26.
9. Deuteronomy 32:6 tn Or “treat” (TEV).
10. Deuteronomy 32:7 tc The Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read second person masculine singular whereas the MT has second person masculine plural. The former is preferred, the latter perhaps being a misreading (בִּינוּ [binu] for בִּינָה [binah]). Both the preceding (“remember”) and following (“ask”) imperatives are singular forms in the Hebrew text.
11. Deuteronomy 32:7 tn Heb “generation and generation.” The repetition of the singular noun here singles out each of the successive past generations. See IBHS 116 §7.2.3b.
12. Deuteronomy 32:8 tn The Hebrew term עֶלְיוֹן (ʿelyon) is an abbreviated form of the divine name El Elyon, frequently translated “God Most High” (so here NCV, CEV) or something similar. This full name (or epithet) occurs only in Gen 14, though the two elements are parallel in Pss 73:11; 107:11; etc. Here it is clear that Elyon has to do with the nations in general whereas in v. 9, by contrast, Yahweh relates specifically to Israel. See T. Fretheim, NIDOTTE 1:400-401. The title depicts God as the sovereign ruler of the world, who is enthroned high above his dominion.
13. Deuteronomy 32:8 tn Heb “the sons of man” (so NASB); or “the sons of Adam” (so KJV).
14. Deuteronomy 32:8 tc Heb “the sons of Israel.” The idea, perhaps, is that Israel was central to Yahweh’s purposes and all other nations were arranged and distributed according to how they related to Israel. See S. R. Driver, Deuteronomy (ICC), 355-56. For the MT יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי (b^ene yisraʾel, “sons of Israel”) a Qumran fragment has “sons of God,” while the LXX reads ἀγγέλων θεοῦ (angelōn theou, “angels of God”), presupposing בְּנֵי אֵל (b^ene ʾel) or בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bene ʾelim). “Sons of God” is undoubtedly the original reading; the MT and LXX have each interpreted it differently. MT assumes that the expression “sons of God” refers to Israel (cf. Hos. 1:10), while LXX has assumed that the phrase refers to the angelic heavenly assembly (Pss 29:1; 89:6; cf. as well Ps 82). The phrase is also attested in Ugaritic, where it refers to the high god El’s divine assembly. According to the latter view, which is reflected in the translation, the Lord delegated jurisdiction over the nations to his angelic host (cf. Dan. 10:13-21), while reserving for himself Israel, over whom he rules directly. For a defense of the view taken here, see M. S. Heiser, “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God,” BSac 158 (2001): 52-74.
15. Deuteronomy 32:9 tc Heb “the portion of his inheritance.” The LXX and Smr add “Israel” and BHS suggests the reconstruction: “The Lord’s allotment is Jacob, the portion of his inheritance is Israel” (cf. NAB). While providing good parallelism, it destroys a fine chiastic structure: “allotment” (a), “his people” (b), “Jacob (b’), and “inheritance” (a’).
16. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn Heb “he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn The reference is to “his people/Jacob” (cf. v. 9), that is, Israel (using a collective singular). The singular pronouns are replaced by plural ones throughout vv. 10-14 by some English versions as an aid to the modern reader (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT).
18. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn Heb “a land of wilderness.” A מִדְבָּר (midbar, “wilderness”) refers to a dry region which is characterized as receiving less than twelve inches of rain per year. It therefore cannot support trees and may or may not have sparse vegetation (if receiving less than six inches of rain). The point of the poetic image is that it is desolate.
19. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn Heb “in an empty, howling wasteland.” The word “howling” is derived from a verbal root that typically refers to the wailing of mourners. Here it likely refers to the howling of desert animals, or perhaps to the howling wind, in which case one may translate, “in an empty, windy wasteland.”
20. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn Heb “was surrounding him.” The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing care during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.
21. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn Heb “he gave him understanding.” The form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.
22. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing protection during the period in view. See A. F. Rainey, “The Ancient Hebrew Prefix Conjugation in the Light of Amarnah Canaanite,” Hebrew Studies 27 (1986): 15-16.
23. Deuteronomy 32:10 tn Heb “the little man.” The term אִישׁוֹן (ʾishon) means literally “little man,” perhaps because when one looks into another’s eyes he sees himself reflected there in miniature. See A. Harman, NIDOTTE 1:391.
24. Deuteronomy 32:11 tn The prefixed verbal form is an imperfect, indicating habitual or typical behavior. The parallel verb (cf. “hovers” in the next line) is used in the same manner.
25. Deuteronomy 32:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
26. Deuteronomy 32:11 tn The form of the suffix on this and the following verb forms (cf. “lifted him up”) indicates that the verbs are preterites, not imperfects. As such they simply state the action factually. The use of the preterite here suggests that the preceding verb (cf. “spread out”) is preterite as well.
27. Deuteronomy 32:12 tn The distinctive form of the suffix on this verb form indicates that the verb is an imperfect, not a preterite. As such it draws attention to God’s continuing guidance during the period in view.
28. Deuteronomy 32:13 tn The form of the suffix on this verbal form indicates that the verb is a preterite, not an imperfect. As such it simply states the action factually. Note as well the preterites with vav (ו) consecutive that follow in the verse.
29. Deuteronomy 32:13 tn Heb “he made him suck honey from the rock.”
30. Deuteronomy 32:13 tn Heb “oil,” but this probably refers to olive oil; see note on the word “rock” at the end of this verse.
31. Deuteronomy 32:13 tn Heb “flinty.”
32. Deuteronomy 32:13 sn Olive oil from rock probably suggests olive trees growing on rocky ledges and yet doing so productively. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 415; cf. TEV “their olive trees flourished in stony ground.”
33. Deuteronomy 32:14 tn Heb “blood,” a figurative image based on the color of the juice.
34. Deuteronomy 32:15 tn To make the continuity of the referent clear, some English versions substitute “Jacob” here (NAB, NRSV) while others replace “Jeshurun” with “Israel” (NCV, CEV, NLT) or “the Lord’s people” (TEV).sn Jeshurun is a term of affection derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). Here it speaks of Israel “in an ideal situation, with its ‘uprightness’ due more to God’s help than his own efforts” (M. Mulder, TDOT 6:475).
35. Deuteronomy 32:15 tc The LXX reads the third person masculine singular (“he”) for the MT second person masculine singular (“you”), but such alterations are unnecessary in Hebrew poetic texts where subjects fluctuate frequently and without warning.
36. Deuteronomy 32:16 tc Heb “with strange (things).” The Vulgate actually supplies diis (“gods”).
37. Deuteronomy 32:16 tn Heb “abhorrent (things)” (cf. NRSV). A number of English versions understand this as referring to “idols” (NAB, NIV, NCV, CEV), while NLT supplies “acts.”
38. Deuteronomy 32:17 tn Heb “your fathers.”
39. Deuteronomy 32:18 tc The Hebrew text is uncertain here; the translation follows the suggestion offered in HALOT 1477 s.v. שׁיה. Cf. NASB, NLT “You neglected”; NIV “You deserted”; NRSV “You were unmindful of.”
40. Deuteronomy 32:20 tn Heb “I will hide my face from them.”
41. Deuteronomy 32:20 tn Heb “sons” (so NAB, NASB); TEV “unfaithful people.”
42. Deuteronomy 32:21 sn They have made me jealous. The “jealousy” of God is not a spirit of pettiness prompted by his insecurity, but righteous indignation caused by the disloyalty of his people to his covenant grace (see note on the word “God” in Deut 4:24). The jealousy of Israel, however (see next line), will be envy because of God’s lavish attention to another nation. This is an ironic wordplay. See H. Peels, NIDOTTE 3:938-39.
43. Deuteronomy 32:21 tn Heb “what is not a god,” or a “nondeity.”
44. Deuteronomy 32:21 tn Heb “their empty (things).” The Hebrew term used here to refer pejoratively to the false gods is הֶבֶל (hevel, “futile” or “futility”), used frequently in Ecclesiastes (e.g., Eccl 1:1, “Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher, “Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”).
45. Deuteronomy 32:21 tn Heb “what is not a people,” or a “nonpeople.” The “nonpeople” (לֹא־עָם, loʾ ʿam) referred to here are Gentiles who someday would become God’s people in the fullest sense (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23).
46. Deuteronomy 32:21 tn Heb “a foolish nation” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “a nation that has no understanding”; NLT “I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles.”
47. Deuteronomy 32:22 tn Or “to the lowest depths of the earth”; cf. NAB “to the depths of the nether world”; NIV “to the realm of death below”; NLT “to the depths of the grave.”sn Sheol refers here not to hell and hell-fire—a much later concept—but to the innermost parts of the earth, as low down as one could get. The parallel with “the foundations of the mountains” makes this clear (cf. Pss 9:17; 16:10; 139:8; Isa 14:9, 15; Amos 9:2).
48. Deuteronomy 32:23 tn Heb “upon them.”
49. Deuteronomy 32:24 tn The Hebrew term קֶטֶב (qetev) is probably metaphorical here for the sting of a disease (HALOT 1091-92 s.v.).
50. Deuteronomy 32:25 tn A verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text; for purposes of English style one suitable to the context is supplied.
51. Deuteronomy 32:26 tc The LXX reads “I said I would scatter them.” This reading is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., KJV, ASV, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT, CEV).
52. Deuteronomy 32:27 tn Heb “anger.”
53. Deuteronomy 32:27 tn Heb “lest.”
54. Deuteronomy 32:27 tn Heb “Our hand is high.” Cf. NAB “Our own hand won the victory.”
55. Deuteronomy 32:30 tn The words “man” and “of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
56. Deuteronomy 32:30 tn Heb “sold them” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
57. Deuteronomy 32:31 tn Heb “their,” but the referent (enemies) is specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
58. Deuteronomy 32:32 tn Heb “vine.”
59. Deuteronomy 32:32 sn Sodom…Gomorrah. The term “vine” is a reference to the pagan deities which, the passage says, find their ultimate source in Sodom and Gomorrah, that is, in the soil of perversion exemplified by these places (cf. Gen 18:20; 19:4-28; Isa 1:10; 3:9; Jer 23:14; Lam 4:6; Ezek 16:44-52; Matt 10:15; 11:23-24).
60. Deuteronomy 32:34 tn Verses 34-35 appear to be a quotation of the Lord and so the introductory phrase “says the Lord” is supplied in the translation.
61. Deuteronomy 32:35 tn Heb “prepared things,” “impending things.” See BDB 800 s.v. עָתִיד.
62. Deuteronomy 32:36 tn The translation understands the verb in the sense of “be grieved, relent” (cf. HALOT 689 s.v. נחם hitp 2); cf. KJV, ASV “repent himself”; NLT “will change his mind.” Another option is to translate “will show compassion to” (see BDB 637 s.v. נחם); cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV.
63. Deuteronomy 32:39 tn Verses 39-42 appear to be a quotation of the Lord and so the introductory phrase “says the Lord” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
64. Deuteronomy 32:39 tn Heb “deliver from” (so NRSV, NLT).
65. Deuteronomy 32:41 tn Heb “judgment.” This is a metonymy, a figure of speech in which the effect (judgment) is employed as an instrument (sword, spear, or the like), the means, by which it is brought about.
66. Deuteronomy 32:41 tn The Hebrew term שָׂנֵא (saneʾ, “hate”) in this covenant context speaks of those who reject Yahweh’s covenant overtures, that is, who disobey its stipulations (see note on the word “rejecting” in Deut 5:9; also see Deut 7:10; 2 Chr 19:2; Pss 81:15; 139:20-21).
67. Deuteronomy 32:42 tn Or “head” (the same Hebrew word can mean “head” in the sense of “leader, chieftain” or “head” in the sense of body part).
68. Deuteronomy 32:44 tn Heb “Hoshea” (so KJV, ASV), another name for the same individual (cf. Num 13:8, 16).
69. Deuteronomy 32:49 sn Abarim. This refers to the high plateau region of the Transjordan, the highest elevation of which is Mount Pisgah (or Nebo; cf. Deut 34:1). See also the note on the name “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17.
70. Deuteronomy 32:50 tn In the Hebrew text the forms translated “you will die…and join” are imperatives, but the actions in view cannot really be commanded. The imperative is used here in a rhetorical, emphatic manner to indicate the certainty of Moses’ death on the mountain. On the rhetorical use of the imperative see IBHS 572 §34.4c.
71. Deuteronomy 32:50 tn Heb “be gathered to your people.” The same phrase occurs again later in this verse.
72. Deuteronomy 32:50 sn Mount Hor. See note on the name “Moserah” in Deut 10:6.
73. Deuteronomy 32:51 tn The use of the plural (“you”) in the Hebrew text suggests that Moses and Aaron are both in view here, since both had rebelled at some time or other, if not at Meribah Kadesh then elsewhere (cf. Num 20:24; 27:14).
74. Deuteronomy 32:51 tn Heb “did not esteem me holy.” Cf. NIV “did not uphold my holiness”; NLT “failed to demonstrate my holiness.”
75. Deuteronomy 33:2 tn Or “rose like the sun” (NCV, TEV).
76. Deuteronomy 33:2 tc Heb “to him.” The LXX reads “to us” (לָנוּ [lanu] for לָמוֹ [lamo]), the reading of the MT is acceptable since it no doubt has in mind Israel as a collective singular.tn Heb “him”; the referent (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
77. Deuteronomy 33:2 tn Or “he shone forth” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
78. Deuteronomy 33:2 tc With slight alteration (מִמְרִבַת קָדֵשׁ [mimrivat qadesh] for the MT’s מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ [meriv^evot qodesh]) the translation would be “from Meribah Kadesh” (cf. NAB, NLT; see Deut 32:51). However, the language of holy war in the immediate context favors the reading of the MT, which views the Lord as accompanied by angelic hosts.
79. Deuteronomy 33:2 tc The mispointed Hebrew term אֵשְׁדָּת (ʾeshdat) should perhaps be construed as אֵשְׁהַת (ʾeshhat) with Smr.
80. Deuteronomy 33:3 tc Heb “peoples.” The apparent plural form is probably a misunderstood singular (perhaps with a pronominal suffix) with enclitic mem (ם). See HALOT 838 s.v. עַם B.2.
81. Deuteronomy 33:3 tc Heb “his holy ones.” The third person masculine singular suffix of the Hebrew MT is problematic in light of the second person masculine singular suffix on בְּיָדֶךָ (b^eyadekha, “your hands”). The LXX versions by Lucian and Origen read, therefore, “the holy ones.” The LXX version by Theodotion and the Vulgate, however, presuppose third masculine singular suffix on בְּיָדָיו (b^eyadayv, “his hands”), and thus retain “his holy ones.” The efforts to bring pronominal harmony into the line is commendable but unnecessary given the Hebrew tendency to be untroubled by such grammatical inconsistencies. However, the translation harmonizes the first pronoun with the second so that the referent (the Lord) is clear.
82. Deuteronomy 33:3 tn Heb “hands.” For the problem of the pronoun see note on the term “holy ones” earlier in this verse.
83. Deuteronomy 33:3 tn The Hebrew term תֻּכּוּ (tukku, probably Pual perfect of תָּכָה, takhah) is otherwise unknown. The present translation is based on the reference to feet and, apparently, receiving instruction in God’s words (cf. KJV, ASV). Other options are as follows: NIV “At your feet they all bow down” (cf. NCV, CEV); NLT “They follow in your steps” (cf. NAB, NASB); NRSV “they marched at your heels.”
84. Deuteronomy 33:3 tn The singular verbal form in the Hebrew text (lit. “he lifts up”) is understood in a distributive manner, focusing on the action of each individual within the group.
85. Deuteronomy 33:4 tn The Hebrew term תּוֹרָה (torah) here should be understood more broadly as instruction.
86. Deuteronomy 33:5 tn Heb “he was king.” The present translation avoids the sudden shift in person and the mistaken impression that Moses is the referent by specifying the referent as “the Lord.”
87. Deuteronomy 33:5 sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.
88. Deuteronomy 33:5 sn The following blessing is given to the tribes in order, although the tribe of Simeon is curiously missing from the list.
89. Deuteronomy 33:6 tn Heb “and [not] may his men be few” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV).
90. Deuteronomy 33:7 tn The words “the blessing” are supplied in the translation for clarity and stylistic reasons.
91. Deuteronomy 33:8 sn Thummim and Urim. These terms, whose meaning is uncertain, refer to sacred stones carried in a pouch on the breastplate of the high priest and examined on occasion as a means of ascertaining God’s will or direction. See Exod 28:30; Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 28:6. See also C. Van Dam, NIDOTTE 1:329-31.
92. Deuteronomy 33:8 tn Heb “godly man.” The reference is probably to Moses as representative of the whole tribe of Levi.
93. Deuteronomy 33:8 sn Massah means “testing” in Hebrew; the name is a wordplay on what took place there. Cf. Exod 17:7; Deut 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8-9.
94. Deuteronomy 33:8 sn Meribah means “contention, argument” in Hebrew; this is another wordplay on the incident that took place there. Cf. Num 20:13, 24; Ps 106:32.
95. Deuteronomy 33:9 sn This statement no doubt alludes to the Levites’ destruction of their own fellow tribesmen following the golden calf incident (Exod 32:25-29).
96. Deuteronomy 33:11 tn Heb “smash the sinews [or “loins,” so many English versions].” This part of the body was considered to be center of one’s strength (cf. Job 40:16; Ps 69:24; Prov 31:17; Nah 2:2, 11). See J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (JPSTC), 325.
97. Deuteronomy 33:12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
98. Deuteronomy 33:12 tn Heb “between his shoulders.” This suggests the scene in John 13:23 with Jesus and the Beloved Disciple.
99. Deuteronomy 33:13 tn Heb “from the harvest of the heavens.” The referent appears to be good crops produced by the rain that falls from the sky.
100. Deuteronomy 33:14 tn Heb “goings forth of the sun.”
101. Deuteronomy 33:14 tn Heb “and from the harvest of the yield of.” This has been simplified in the translation to avoid redundancy.
102. Deuteronomy 33:14 tn Heb “the moon.” Many English versions regard this as a reference to “months” (“moons”) rather than the moon itself (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
103. Deuteronomy 33:15 tn Heb “head” or “top.”
104. Deuteronomy 33:16 tn The expression “him who resided in the bush” is frequently understood as a reference to the appearance of the Lord to Moses at Sinai from a burning bush (so NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT; cf. Exod 2:2-6; 3:2, 4). To make this reference clear the word “burning” is supplied in the translation.
105. Deuteronomy 33:16 sn This apparently refers to Joseph’s special status among his brothers as a result of his being chosen by God to save the family from the famine and to lead Egypt.
106. Deuteronomy 33:17 sn Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph who became founders of the two tribes into which Joseph’s descendants were split (Gen 48:19-20). Jacob’s blessing granted favored status to Ephraim; this is probably why Ephraim is viewed here as more numerous than Manasseh.
107. Deuteronomy 33:19 tn Or “acceptable”; Heb “righteous” (so NASB).
108. Deuteronomy 33:19 tn Heb “suck.”
109. Deuteronomy 33:19 tn Heb “of the sand” (so NRSV, NLT); CEV “the sandy beach.”
110. Deuteronomy 33:20 tn Heb “forehead,” picturing Gad attacking prey.
111. Deuteronomy 33:21 tn The Hebrew term מְחֹקֵק (m^ekhoqeq; Poel participle of חָקַק, khaqaq, “to inscribe”) reflects the idea that the recorder of allotments (the “ruler”) is able to set aside for himself the largest and best. See E. H. Merrill, Deuteronomy (NAC), 444-45.
112. Deuteronomy 33:21 tn Heb “covered in” (if from the root סָפַן, safan; cf. HALOT 764-65 s.v. ספן qal).
113. Deuteronomy 33:21 tn Heb “heads” (in the sense of chieftains).
114. Deuteronomy 33:22 sn He will leap forth from Bashan. This may refer to Dan’s conquest of Laish, a region just to the west of Bashan (Judg 18:27-28).
115. Deuteronomy 33:24 sn Dip his foot in olive oil. This is a metaphor for prosperity, one especially apt in light of the abundance of olive groves in the area settled by Asher. The Hebrew term refers to olive oil, which symbolizes blessing in the OT. See R. Way, NIDOTTE 4:171-73.
116. Deuteronomy 33:25 tn The words “of your gates” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the referent of “bars.”
117. Deuteronomy 33:26 sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.
118. Deuteronomy 33:26 tn Or “(who) rides (on) the heavens” (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT). This title depicts Israel’s God as sovereign over the elements of the storm (cf. Ps 68:33). The use of the phrase here may be polemical; Moses may be asserting that Israel’s God, not Baal (called the “rider of the clouds” in the Ugaritic myths), is the true divine king (cf. v. 5) who controls the elements of the storm, grants agricultural prosperity, and delivers his people from their enemies. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 151 (1994): 275.
119. Deuteronomy 33:27 tn Heb “and from under, arms of perpetuity.” The words “you” and “his” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Some have perceived this line to be problematic and have offered alternative translations that differ significantly from the present translation: “He spread out the primeval tent; he extended the ancient canopy” (NAB); “He subdues the ancient gods, shatters the forces of old” (NRSV). These are based on alternate meanings or conjectural emendations rather than textual variants in the mss and versions.
120. Deuteronomy 33:28 tn Heb “all alone.” The idea is that such vital resources as water will some day no longer need protection because God will provide security.
121. Deuteronomy 33:28 tn Or “skies.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
122. Deuteronomy 33:28 tn Or perhaps “drizzle, showers.” See note at Deut 32:2.
123. Deuteronomy 34:1 sn For the geography involved, see note on the term “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17 and the note on “rift valley plains” in Num 21:1.
124. Deuteronomy 34:2 tn Or “western” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); Heb “latter,” a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
125. Deuteronomy 34:4 tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).
126. Deuteronomy 34:4 tn The Hebrew text includes “with your eyes,” but this is redundant in English and is left untranslated.
127. Deuteronomy 34:6 tc Smr and some LXX mss read “they buried him,” that is, the Israelites. The MT reads “he buried him,” meaning in the context that “the Lord buried him.” This understanding, combined with the statement at the end of the verse that Moses’ burial place is unknown, gave rise to traditions during the intertestamental period that are reflected in the NT in Jude 9 and in OT pseudepigraphic works like the Assumption of Moses.
128. Deuteronomy 34:7 tn Or “dimmed.” The term could refer to dull appearance or to dimness caused by some loss of visual acuity.
129. Deuteronomy 34:7 tn Heb “sap.” That is, he was still in possession of his faculties or liveliness.
130. Deuteronomy 34:8 sn This is the area of the rift valley basin to the north of the Dead Sea and east of the Jordan. See the note at Num 21:1.
131. Deuteronomy 34:9 sn See Num 27:18.
132. Deuteronomy 34:10 sn See Num 12:8; Deut 18:15-18.
133. Deuteronomy 34:11 tn Heb “to,” “with respect to.” In the Hebrew text vv. 10-12 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the translation divides this into two, using the verb “he did” at the beginning of v. 11 and “he displayed” at the beginning of v. 12.
134. Deuteronomy 34:12 tn Heb “strong hand.”
135. Deuteronomy 34:12 tn The Hebrew text of v. 12 reads literally, “with respect to all the strong hand and with respect to all the awesome greatness which Moses did before the eyes of all Israel.”