1tn Heb “the whole commandment.” See note at 5:31.

2tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today” (likewise in v. 10).

3tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

4tn Heb “plaster” (so KJV, ASV; likewise in v. 4). In the translation “cover” has been used for stylistic reasons.

5tn Heb “fathers.”

6tc Smr reads “Mount Gerizim” for the MT reading “Mount Ebal” to justify the location of the Samaritan temple there in the postexilic period. This reading is patently self-serving and does not reflect the original. In the NT when the Samaritan woman of Sychar referred to “this mountain” as the place of worship for her community she obviously had Gerizim in mind (cf. John 4:20).

7tn Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” Here “listen” (NAB “hearken”) means “obey” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

8tn The word “tribes” has been supplied here and in the following verse in the translation for clarity.

9tn Heb “Israelite man.”

10tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.

11tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, toevah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.

12tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”

13tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.

14tn The Levites speak again at this point; throughout this pericope the Levites pronounce the curse and the people respond with “Amen.”

15tn The Hebrew term קָלָה (qalah) means to treat with disdain or lack of due respect (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “dishonors”; NLT “despises”). It is the opposite of כָּבֵד (kaved, “to be heavy,” that is, to treat with reverence and proper deference). To treat a parent lightly is to dishonor him or her and thus violate the fifth commandment (Deut 5:16; cf. Exod 21:17).

16tn Heb “who lies with” (so NASB, NRSV); also in vv. 22, 23. This is a Hebrew idiom for having sexual relations (cf. NIV “who sleeps with”; NLT “who has sexual intercourse with”).

17tn See note at Deut 22:30.

18tn Heb “he uncovers his father’s skirt” (NASB similar). See note at Deut 22:30.

19tn Heb “lies with any animal” (so NASB, NRSV). “To lie with” is a Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations with someone (or in this case, some animal).

20tn Or “strikes down” (so NRSV).