In the Hebrew text this is verse 69 of chapter 28; consequently Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have 29 verses in chapter 29, whereas the Hebrew text has 28 verses; some modern translations, such as Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, follow the Hebrew text (see the same thing at 12.32 and 22.30). A translator must weigh various options before deciding whether to follow the verse numbering of the Hebrew text or the numbering of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.
The most important factor will be whether there is already a tradition with which the readers are familiar, or which is commonly followed in the region where the translation is to be used. If the translation is the first one in that region or in that language, it seems better to follow the verse numbering of Revised Standard Version. This Handbook will follow the Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation numbering. Whatever is done about the numbering, this verse begins a new section of the book.
These are the words of the covenant: words is not simply the text (whether oral or written) of the covenant, but “the terms” (Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “the conditions” (Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), or “the things they had to do in order to keep the covenant [or, agreement].” Bible en français courant has “This is how Moses drew up a covenant with the Israelites”; or we may say “The following are the things that the Israelites had to do in order to keep the agreement that Yahweh was making with them.” For covenant see 4.13.
The land of Moab: see 1.5.
Besides the covenant which he had made with them at Horeb: the subject he is not Moses but Yahweh. Besides the covenant means “This was in addition to the covenant” (Good News Translation). Bible en français courant puts this whole comment within parentheses: “(This covenant is different from the one that was drawn up at Mount Horeb.)” Other possible models are “This agreement is distinct from [or, in addition to] the one that Yahweh made with them at Mount Sinai,” or even “These terms [or, conditions] were added to those that were in the agreement that Yahweh made….” For Horeb see 1.6. The translator should be careful not to say “This agreement replaces the one….”
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 .