Jeshurun: this is an affectionate name for the people of Israel, and it appears also in 33.5, 26; Isa 44.2; in all instances the Septuagint translates “Jacob.” Jeshurun means “the upright one.” If the name is used in the text, a footnote like the one in New International Version should be used: “Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.” In most languages it will be better to use “Israel” or “Yahweh’s people” in the text.

Kicked: that is, “rebelled.” For a description of rebellion see 8.12-17.

You waxed fat … grew thick … became sleek: these are successive stages in the process of becoming fat and prosperous (see 31.20). In this context sleek means well-fed, healthy, even prosperous. Notice the change from the third person of narration to the second person of address. The second line of the verse expands what is said in the first line; see point 2 in the section about “Translation of Poetry” in “Translating Deuteronomy” at the beginning of the Handbook (page 8). It is thus possible to combine the two lines as follows:

• People of Israel, you grew rich and revolted against God….

He forsook: another change of person; see 31.16. However, “you [plural]” may be kept by translators who have been using the second person pronoun throughout.

Scoffed: New International Version and Good News Translation take it to mean “rejected,” as a closer parallel to forsook. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “spurned” (see its use in Jer 14.21; but the meaning “treat with contempt” is to be found in Micah 7.6; Nahum 3.6). See below for a way to combine these two verbs.

The Rock of his salvation: that is, the Rock (see verse 4) who saved them. Translators should be careful that the translation of the final two lines doesn’t seem to refer to two separate deities, one who is the God who made him and the other the Rock of his salvation. Since scoffed at and forsook in the previous line are so close in meaning, it is possible to combine the information in the final two lines as follows:

• They [or, You] rejected God their [or, your] Creator,
the one who is their [or, your] mighty savior.

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 .