OET interlinear DEU 29:18

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּ֠⁠כֶם אִ֣ישׁ

(Some words not found in UHB: lest there_is among,you(pl) (a)_man or woman/wife or clan or tribe which/who heart_of,his turns_away the=day from,with YHWH God_of,our to=go to,serve DOM gods_of the=nations the=those lest there_is among,you(pl) root bearing_~_fruit head and,wormwood )

Moses is using the word translated as lest to introduce an outcome that he does not want to happen. Because of this, he first gives the Israelites an instruction to follow in verse 9. They should “keep the words of this covenant” so that this will not happen. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that avoiding this outcome is the purpose of the instruction. Alternate translation: [so that there will not be among you a man]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אִ֣ישׁ אוֹ־אִשָּׁ֞ה א֧וֹ מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה אוֹ־שֵׁ֗בֶט

(a)_man or (Some words not found in UHB: lest there_is among,you(pl) (a)_man or woman/wife or clan or tribe which/who heart_of,his turns_away the=day from,with YHWH God_of,our to=go to,serve DOM gods_of the=nations the=those lest there_is among,you(pl) root bearing_~_fruit head and,wormwood )

Here, a man or woman or clan or tribe represents people in general at every level of society, not specific individuals or groups. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use expressions that would be more natural in your language. Alternate translation: [any person or family or tribal group] or [anyone at any level of your community]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֲשֶׁר֩ לְבָב֨⁠וֹ פֹנֶ֤ה הַ⁠יּוֹם֙ מֵ⁠עִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה

(Some words not found in UHB: lest there_is among,you(pl) (a)_man or woman/wife or clan or tribe which/who heart_of,his turns_away the=day from,with YHWH God_of,our to=go to,serve DOM gods_of the=nations the=those lest there_is among,you(pl) root bearing_~_fruit head and,wormwood )

Moses uses the heart to represent where a person’s will and emotions exist. He is speaking of disobeying Yahweh as if one is turning away from walking on a path that follows Yahweh. You may have comparable expressions in your language, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [who decides today to disobey Yahweh]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּ⁠כֶ֗ם

(Some words not found in UHB: lest there_is among,you(pl) (a)_man or woman/wife or clan or tribe which/who heart_of,his turns_away the=day from,with YHWH God_of,our to=go to,serve DOM gods_of the=nations the=those lest there_is among,you(pl) root bearing_~_fruit head and,wormwood )

Moses is continuing to describe the undesired outcome of not keeping his covenant introduced at the beginning of this verse. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that avoiding this outcome is the purpose of the instruction. Alternate translation: [so that there will not be among you]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ פֹּרֶ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְ⁠לַעֲנָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: lest there_is among,you(pl) (a)_man or woman/wife or clan or tribe which/who heart_of,his turns_away the=day from,with YHWH God_of,our to=go to,serve DOM gods_of the=nations the=those lest there_is among,you(pl) root bearing_~_fruit head and,wormwood )

Here Moses is speaking of a person who disobeys Yahweh as if that person were a root bearing gall and wormwood. This image emphasizes how such a person will produce bitter and harmful consequences for the community. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [a person who brings trouble and bitterness]

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

רֹ֖אשׁ וְ⁠לַעֲנָֽה

head and,wormwood

The terms gall and wormwood are kinds of bitter plants. If your readers would not be familiar with what gall and wormwood are, you could use the names of similar plants that your readers would recognize, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [bitter and poisonous plants]