The LORD your God himself will go over: it is God who will lead the people across the river and into the land of Canaan. It will be helpful in many languages to make it clear that go over means “go over the Jordan River”; so we may say “The LORD your God himself will go before you across the Jordan River.”

Before you means that Yahweh will lead them as they conquer the land.

He will destroy these nations before you: for this declaration see 1.23; 2.12. These nations are the peoples that the Israelites will encounter in the land of Canaan, namely, “the nations that live on the other side of the Jordan” (Contemporary English Version).

You shall dispossess them: for this verb see 9.1; 11.23; 12.2, 29.

Joshua will go over at your head: indeed it will be Yahweh who will take them into the Promised Land, but Joshua will go in front of them and lead them there.

As the LORD has spoken: in certain languages that do not use indirect speech, it is possible to begin the verse with this clause; for example,

• For Yahweh said, “I will go before you across the Jordan River, and will destroy the nations on the other side so that you can occupy their land. Joshua will be your leader, as I have said.”

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 .