Deuteronomy 23:3-5

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Deuteronomy 23:3 sn An Ammonite or Moabite. These descendants of Lot by his two daughters (cf. Gen 19:30-38) were thereby the products of incest and therefore excluded from the worshiping community. However, these two nations also failed to show proper hospitality to Israel on their way to Canaan (v. 4).
2. Deuteronomy 23:3 tn The Hebrew term translated “ever” (עַד־עוֹלָם, ʿad ʿolam) suggests that “tenth generation” (vv. 2, 3) also means “forever.” However, in the OT sense “forever” means not “for eternity” but for an indeterminate future time. See A. Tomasino, NIDOTTE 3:346.
3. Deuteronomy 23:3 tn Heb “enter the assembly of the Lord.” The phrase “do so” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
4. Deuteronomy 23:4 tn Heb “hired against you.”
5. Deuteronomy 23:5 tn Heb “the Lord your God changed.” The phrase “the Lord your God” has not been included in the translation here for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy. Moreover, use of the pronoun “he” could create confusion regarding the referent (the Lord or Balaam).
6. Deuteronomy 23:5 tn The verb אָהֵב (ʾahev, “love”) here and commonly elsewhere in the Book of Deuteronomy speaks of God’s elective grace toward Israel. See note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37.