Deuteronomy 26:5

answer testify, as in Deuteronomy 5:20; Deuteronomy 19:16; Deuteronomy 19:18; Deuteronomy 21:7; Deuteronomy 25:9.

A nomad Aramean was my father Jacob-Israel, the son of an Aramean (Genesis 24:10, cp. Deuteronomy 24:4), himself a nomad shepherd in Aram (Hosea 12:12, Genesis 29-31), with Aramean mothers to his children. EVV. ready to perishand R.V. marg. wanderingor lostare all possible transl. of the Heb. "ôbed, used of lost or -wandered" beasts, Deu 22:3, 1 Samuel 9:3; 1 Samuel 9:20; Ezekiel 34:4; Ezekiel 34:16; Psalms 119:176; and of men perishing, Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 7:20; Deuteronomy 8:19 f., Deuteronomy 28:20; 2 Samuel 1:27; Job 6:18 and frequently. Here no doubt intended to mark the nomad origins of Israel in contrast to their present state as cultivators of their own land.

Dillm. -verlorner oder verkommender," Dri. -ready to perish," Steuern. -dem Untergang naher," Berth. -dem Untergang zugehend," Marti, -umherirrender." The LXX, at a time when Aramean= heathen, avoided such a reproach to Israel by differently dividing the two words ("Aram yo'bed) and producing the renderings -threw off" or -lost" and -forsook" or -recovered (!) Syria": Συρίαν ἀπέβαλεν (LXX B), ἀπέλιπεν (N, etc.), ἀπέλαβεν (A, F).

went down So always from Palestine to Egypt, e.g. JE, Numbers 20:15.

sojourned Was a gçr, cp. Deuteronomy 23:7 (8).

few in number Deuteronomy 10:22.

great, and mighty, and populous So Sam., Vulg., etc. J, Exodus 1:9, more and mightier than we(Egyptians), 12, 20, multiplied, waxed mighty.