People of Israel: literally “sons of Israel,” but in most languages it will be more natural to translate people of Israel or “Israelites.”

Statutes: the word here is a very general one for anything that is prescribed or decreed.

Which the LORD has spoken: since this is still a part of a direct quotation from God himself, Good News Translation has replaced the noun LORD with the pronoun “I.” This will also be necessary in most other languages, if direct discourse is being used.

To them: the use of the third person plural pronoun may give the impression that Aaron and his sons are not included among those to whom the laws were given. For this reason Good News Translation uses the pronoun “you,” which is intended to include the priests with the rest of the people of Israel. In some languages the translation will have to be even more explicit.

By Moses: literally “by the hand of Moses.” See 8.36.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .