With the beginning of this new chapter and section, it will be helpful to have something like “Moses said to the Israelites:…” or “Moses continued to speak to the Israelites:….”

When you go forth to war against your enemies: this indicates that the Israelites would take the initiative, since they were the aggressors who were trying to destroy the native peoples of the land. A more natural way of saying this is “When you go out to fight your enemies” (see Good News Translation). For enemies see 1.42.

Horses and chariots and an army larger than your own: for horses and chariots see Josh 11.4; 1 Kgs 20.25; Isa 31.1. Horses and chariots is a way of speaking of horse-drawn vehicles carrying the driver and one or two other fighters. Both the Assyrians and the Egyptians had chariots (see 11.4); the Israelite army was composed of men on foot, that is, foot soldiers, infantry troops. Chariots in some languages will be expressed as “war wagons” or “war wagons pulled by horses.” For horses see 17.16.

You shall not be afraid of them: the reason the Israelites need not fear a superior enemy force is that Yahweh, their God, will fight for them (see 7.17-19; 8.14).

Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt: the verb in 8.14 is “brought you out,” but it means exactly the same. If they recall how God destroyed the Egyptians when they, the Israelites, did not even have an army to fight them, this will give them courage.

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 .