OET interlinear DEU 28:13

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

וּ⁠נְתָֽנְ⁠ךָ֨ יְהוָ֤ה לְ⁠רֹאשׁ֙ וְ⁠לֹ֣א לְ⁠זָנָ֔ב וְ⁠הָיִ֨יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְ⁠מַ֔עְלָ⁠ה וְ⁠לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה לְ⁠מָ֑טָּה כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע אֶל־מִצְוֺ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗י⁠ךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּ⁠ךָ֛ הַ⁠יּ֖וֹם לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֥ר וְ⁠לַ⁠עֲשֽׂוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he,will_make_you YHWH into_[the],head and=not into_[the],tail and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (to),downwards that/for/because/then/when listen to/towards commands_of YHWH God_of,your which/who I [am]_commanding_of,you the=day to=guard/protect and,to,do )

Moses is presenting a possible condition beginning with the phrase, that Yahweh will only do the things described in this verse if the Israelites obey Yahweh’s commandments. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that could happen. It may be helpful to reorder this sentence so that the conditional statement is first. Alternate translation: [If you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God that I am commanding you today, to keep and do, then Yahweh will set you as head, and not as tail; and you will be only above, and you will not be beneath]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וּ⁠נְתָֽנְ⁠ךָ֨ יְהוָ֤ה לְ⁠רֹאשׁ֙ וְ⁠לֹ֣א לְ⁠זָנָ֔ב וְ⁠הָיִ֨יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְ⁠מַ֔עְלָ⁠ה וְ⁠לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה לְ⁠מָ֑טָּה

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he,will_make_you YHWH into_[the],head and=not into_[the],tail and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (to),downwards that/for/because/then/when listen to/towards commands_of YHWH God_of,your which/who I [am]_commanding_of,you the=day to=guard/protect and,to,do )

These two phrases Yahweh will set you as head, and not as tail and you will be only above, and you will not be beneath mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine them and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [and you will be in a position of honor and not of shame]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠נְתָֽנְ⁠ךָ֨ יְהוָ֤ה לְ⁠רֹאשׁ֙ וְ⁠לֹ֣א לְ⁠זָנָ֔ב

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he,will_make_you YHWH into_[the],head and=not into_[the],tail and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (to),downwards that/for/because/then/when listen to/towards commands_of YHWH God_of,your which/who I [am]_commanding_of,you the=day to=guard/protect and,to,do )

Here Moses is comparing Israel’s status among nations to the head and tail of an animal. He means that the Israelites will be leaders among the nations, not followers. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And Yahweh will make you the leader of nations, and not the follower]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠הָיִ֨יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְ⁠מַ֔עְלָ⁠ה וְ⁠לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה לְ⁠מָ֑טָּה

and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (Some words not found in UHB: and,he,will_make_you YHWH into_[the],head and=not into_[the],tail and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (to),downwards that/for/because/then/when listen to/towards commands_of YHWH God_of,your which/who I [am]_commanding_of,you the=day to=guard/protect and,to,do )

Here Moses is speaking of Israel’s status among nations as if it were above and not beneath in physical position. He means that the Israelites will be in a position of authority, not subservience. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and you will be in authority and not subservient]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֥ר וְ⁠לַ⁠עֲשֽׂוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he,will_make_you YHWH into_[the],head and=not into_[the],tail and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (to),downwards that/for/because/then/when listen to/towards commands_of YHWH God_of,your which/who I [am]_commanding_of,you the=day to=guard/protect and,to,do )

Moses is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [to keep them and do them]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֥ר וְ⁠לַ⁠עֲשֽׂוֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he,will_make_you YHWH into_[the],head and=not into_[the],tail and,you_will_be only (to),upwards, and=not be (to),downwards that/for/because/then/when listen to/towards commands_of YHWH God_of,your which/who I [am]_commanding_of,you the=day to=guard/protect and,to,do )

The terms keep and do mean similar things. Moses is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [to carefully obey them]