The Negeb: the desert region south of Judah (see 1.7). It will be good to begin a new sentence here with, for example, “The LORD showed Moses the land called the Negeb that lay to the south of Judah.” Some traditions transliterate the name as “the Negev.”

The Plain, that is, the valley of Jericho … as far as Zoar: see Good News Translation for the translation of this region. This is a reference to the basin of the Dead Sea; Jericho was in the northwest, and Zoar in the southeast, south of the Dead Sea.

The city of palm trees: a familiar description of Jericho (see Judges 1.16; 3.13).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants’: among other passages, see 1.8; 6.10; 9.5; 30.20.

I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there: see 3.27.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The servant of the LORD: this is a title of honor (see Josh 1.1); there is no idea of servility or hard labor. In some languages this will be rendered as “The LORD’s man” or even “The LORD’s right hand person.” Translators need to find a term that shows that in Yahweh’s eyes Moses had dignity and status.

There in the land of Moab: this is included for emphasis; Moses did not die in Canaan.

According to the word of the LORD: that is, “as the LORD had said he would.” But in light of 32.50, it is possible to translate “at the command of the LORD” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “as the LORD decreed” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

He buried him: that is, Yahweh buried Moses.

In the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor: see 3.29. This is where the people of Israel have been all this time; Revised Standard Version indicates this by using the definite article the rather than the indefinite “a” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Translators are urged to follow the interpretation of Revised Standard Version.

No man knows: meaning “no person,” or “no one” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

To this day: that is, to the day this account was written (see 2.22).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

One hundred and twenty years old: see 31.2.

His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated: the noun translated “natural force” occurs only here in the Old Testament; perhaps it refers to sexual power. New Revised Standard Version translates “his sight was unimpaired, and his vigor had not abated.” If the idea of natural force or “vigor” is hard to translate, we may follow Good News Translation, with “was as strong as ever,” or Contemporary English Version “his body was still strong.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

See the similar account of Aaron’s death in Num 20.20. Thirty days seems to have been the normal length of time of mourning for a leader.

Then the days of weeping and mourning … were ended: this is quite redundant information. To make the text less repetitive, it may be placed at the beginning of the next paragraph (as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Contemporary English Version has a good model for this verse:

• The people of Israel stayed in the lowlands of Moab, where they mourned and grieved thirty days for Moses, as was their custom.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is somewhat of a shift; it is not a recital of what happened next, as we might expect, but a general statement about Joshua, successor of Moses. For the commissioning of Joshua, see 31.1-8; Num 27.12-23.

Full of the spirit of wisdom: this is God-given wisdom.

Moses had laid his hands on him: see Num 27.22-23. It will be helpful to place this information at the beginning of the verse as follows: “Before Moses died, he placed his hands on Joshua and appointed him to be his successor. Yahweh filled him with wisdom [or, made him a very wise person].”

The people of Israel obeyed him: this goes quite naturally with what follows; they did as the LORD had commanded Moses and obeyed Joshua (see Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verses 10-12 are a final statement from the perspective on an editor or editors after the time of Moses. They summarize the life and work of Moses and express the regard the people of Israel have held for him throughout their history. It will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here, and some translators will need to introduce a discourse marker or a change in verbal form that will indicate that this was written at a later period than that of Moses.

Has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses: see 18.15, 18. The verb “arise” here means to “appear,” or “be.”

The LORD knew face to face: in most instances the phrase is “to speak face to face” (5.4; Exo 33.11); Num 12.8 has “speak mouth to mouth.” If the verb “know” is retained, the idea must be conveyed of intimate knowledge, close friendship (see Exo 33.11). So we may say “He was Yahweh’s friend.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .