Deuteronomy 25 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter continues Moses’ second speech which continues to teach about justice in Israel. (See: justice)

1. Laws of Justice and Punishment (1–3)
2. Care for Working Animals (4)
3. Levirate Marriage Law (5–10)
4. Modesty in Physical Disputes (11–12)
5. Honest Weights and Measures (13–16)
6. Command to Remember Amalek (17–19)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

“a perfect and just weight you must have”

In the ancient Near East, money was weighted on a scale. If a person’s scale measured the weight incorrectly, they were robbing people.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Use of “you”

Throughout this chapter “you” is singular except for where noted in verse 17. Even though Moses is addressing all the Israelites, he uses the singular forms of “you.” If the singular forms of these pronouns would not be natural in your language, you could use the plural forms in your translation. (See: figs-youcrowd)

Generic nouns in hypothetical situations

This chapter gives instructions and warnings for the Israelites. In these hypothetical conditions, singular nouns like “man,” “witness,” and “neighbor” represent those groups of people in general, not a specific person.