If you do not turn aside … to the right hand or to the left: this is a figure of complete obedience, without any deviation (see 5.32). So Good News Translation has “you must never disobey.”

The words which I command you this day: as often stated in the book, this refers to all of Moses’ words delivered on the same day in one long discourse.

To go after other gods to serve them: there is a constant indication in Deuteronomy of rivalry between Yahweh and the gods of Canaan; to serve other gods is to be guilty of idolatry (see 8.19).

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 .