Will clear away these nations before you: God will drive them out as the Israelites advance (see verse 1).

Little by little: this means God will do this gradually, not all at once. The reason for this strategy is given in the following statement.

You may not make an end of them at once: that is, “… not finish them off immediately.” This would upset the balance of nature (the ecological balance). Exo 23.29-30 has a fuller statement of the matter. If all the native peoples of Canaan were killed, there would be an unusual increase in the number of wild animals, which would be a danger for the Israelites. Instead of at once here, Exo 23.30 has “in one year.”

Wild beasts may be expressed as “forest [or, jungle] animals” in many languages, or “nondomestic animals” in others.

Good News Translation is a helpful translation model for this verse, as is Contemporary English Version:

• As you attack these nations, the LORD will force them out little by little. He won’t let you get rid of them all at once—if he did, there wouldn’t be enough people living in the land to keep down the number of wild animals.

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 .

I turned and came down: or “I got up [see verse 12] and went down….” Yahweh is the center of focus, so in many languages Moses will “go” down the mountain away from Yahweh.

The mountain was burning with fire: that is, “The mountain was in flames” or “There was fire on the mountain.” This is possibly a way of describing a volcanic eruption (see 4.11).

The two tables of the covenant: see verse 11.

It is not necessary to say literally my two hands unless that is the natural way of referring to the hands. In some languages “both hands” will be the most natural way to say this. Good News Translation expresses the meaning well: “carrying the two stone tablets on which the covenant was written.” In languages that do not use the passive voice, we may say, for example, “carrying the two stone tablets on which Yahweh had written the covenant [or, Ten Commandments].”

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 .

Open your hand: a way of saying “be generous” (Good News Translation) or “be kind” (Contemporary English Version). In some languages this will be expressed as “having an open heart toward.”

Lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be: simply “lend him as much as he needs.” Again “money” is the unstated object of the verb lend.

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 .

It is told you and you hear of it: this may be a typical double way of saying one thing (so New International Version “this has been brought to your attention”; New Jerusalem Bible “and this person is denounced to you”; also Bible en français courant; and see Good News Translation). Some take it as an either-or proposition (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible), but this does not seem very likely.

You shall inquire diligently: or “make a thorough investigation.” New International Version has “you must investigate it thoroughly”; and see Good News Translation. Contemporary English Version has “You must carefully find out if….” See the same kind of language in 13.14.

An abominable thing: see verse 1; 13.14.

Has been done in Israel: it may be that Israel here is not the country as such but a way of speaking of the people. But most take it as the country itself.

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 .

The provision: the same noun is used at the beginning of 15.2. It indicates what is to be done. So we may translate “This is what you must do [or, This is the rule] in the case of someone who….”

The manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life: this is rather complex. New International Version has “This is the rule concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “Here is an example of how someone may save his life by fleeing to them.” Another possibility is “This is the rule about a person who kills another person and flees to one of these towns in order to save his [or her] life.” What follows deals with the case of the person who is legally allowed to flee to one of these towns and thus avoid being killed.

If any one kills his neighbor unintentionally: here neighbor means simply “another person” (New Revised Standard Version), or, more precisely, a fellow-Israelite; it does not indicate someone who lives next door. The Hebrew verb is literally “to strike” or “to hit,” here meaning to kill.

Unintentionally: that is, accidentally, without meaning to.

Without having been at enmity with him in the past: this is stated in order to further remove the possibility of murder.

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 .