Here end Moses’ words to the people of Israel.

Happy are you, O Israel! The translator must decide whether it is better to say “Israel” or “people of Israel.” Here happy has the meaning of “fortunate.” So “People of Israel, you are so fortunate” is a good alternative model.

Grammatically Revised Standard Version Who is like you … is a question, demanding a question mark at the end of the sentence. This is a rhetorical question whose answer is “No one.” It is better to render it as an emphatic declaration, “There is no other people like you…,” followed by the reasons for this affirmation. See a similar kind of statement in 4.7.

A people saved by the LORD: this can be a reference to their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, or more generally to their being protected and guarded by Yahweh during their forty years’ trek through the wilderness. If it is the latter we may say “Yahweh has continually protected you.”

The shield … the sword: a shield is a defensive weapon, a sword an offensive weapon. God both defended the Israelites and attacked their enemies. Some translators will prefer to use similes; for example, “Like a shield he protects you, and like a sword he kills your enemies.”

Your help: or “to help you,” that is, “to defend you.”

Your triumph: or “to win the victory for you.”

Shall come fawning to you: the form of this verb occurs only here in the Old Testament. It means to act submissively, or else to try to gain favor by flattery. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Revised English Bible translate “cringing.” Good News Translation has “begging for mercy,” and Contemporary English Version has “will bow in fear.”

Tread upon their high places: this can mean to walk triumphantly over their land (see “high places” in 32.13). The phrase can be understood to mean the pagan shrines of those people. But the opinion of most is that “their backs” is meant (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible; the Septuagint translates “their neck”).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• People of Israel,
how fortunate you are!
The LORD has continually guarded you.
Like a shield he protects you,
and like a sword he kills your enemies.
Your enemies will come and beg you not to kill them,
but you will trample on their backs.

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 .