If translators follow the recommendation of this Handbook, to begin the new section here instead of at verse 22, it may be useful to introduce Moses again as the speaker: “And Moses went on to say: ‘When….’ ”

And when you heard: it is not necessary to begin the verse with And (see New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and others).

For the voice out of the midst of the darkness and while the mountain was burning with fire see 4.11-12, 33.

You came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders: here the pronoun you, which refers in previous verses to all the Israelites, is limited by the following heads of your tribes, and your elders. To translate literally, as Revised Standard Version does, may be natural style in some languages, but it is unnatural in most others. So the translation may be “You came near to me, that is, all the heads…,” or else it should imitate Today’s English Version and others and say “The chiefs of all your tribes and the elders came….” For heads of your tribes see 1.15. Elders were respected elderly males, wielding considerable authority in their communities (see also 27.1; 29.10; 31.9, 28). They were recognized for their maturity and ability to lead. If in the translation the two ideas of leadership and authority can be combined in one term like “elders,” then that term should be used. However, if such a term is not available, then Today’s English Version “your leaders,” or Contemporary English Version “the chiefs of your tribes,” or even Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “[other] authorities” are possible models. Bible en français courant provides a definition in its Vocabulary, “heads of families or clans,” and adds “Those in a given town formed a council, responsible for governing the town and rendering justice.”

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 .