The LORD said to Moses: See the comments on verse 6. This new paragraph begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”). New International Version and New Living Translation render it “Then,” which might suggest that what is reported here occurred immediately after the case of Zelophehad’s daughters. As noted in the introductory comments on this section, this is probably not the case, and there is a thematic rather than a temporal connection between the two sections of this chapter. Perhaps leaving the transition here unmarked is the best solution (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible). If naturalness demands some sort of transition here, translators may begin with “One day” (New Living Translation), which does not indicate a specific time.

Go up into this mountain of Abarim: Abarim refers to a mountain range, so New International Readers’ Version renders this clause as “Go up this mountain in the Abarim range.” The Abarim Mountains were located in the northwestern region of Moab east of the Jordan River (see 21.11; 33.47). This mountain is specified as “Mount Nebo” in the Septuagint and in Deut 32.49 and 34.1. It was only about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the place where God spoke to Moses, so the demonstrative pronoun this is appropriate in this context.

And see the land: Some languages have several words for “seeing.” The word that suggests a deliberate (and perhaps extended) viewing should be chosen for the verb see; for example, New Living Translation renders this clause as “and look out over the land.”

Which I have given to the people of Israel: See the comments on 20.12.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .