Stand here by me: that is, “Stay with me,” “Stay by my side.” Such human language does not mean that Yahweh was a being with a (human) body.

All the commandment: this is a strange singular form, with the accompanying plural forms. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh takes the singular to be inclusive, translating “the whole Instruction—the laws and the rules—” (see also 11.22). This is possible, and a translator may choose to do the same. Most translations, like Good News Translation, translate the commandment (4.2) as plural, in conformity with the plurals the statutes and the ordinances (4.1): “all my laws or commands,” or as Contemporary English Version translates, “my laws and teachings.”

Which you shall teach them: it will be helpful in many languages to begin a new sentence here as Good News Translation does: “Teach them to the people, so that….”

That they may do them: this may be understood to mean that God is giving the people permission to obey his laws. It is better to follow Good News Translation: “so that they will obey them.”

The land which I am giving them to possess: the land of Canaan; for the language see 1.8; 3.18; 4.1.

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 .