Some translators may decide to follow Revised Standard Version and New International Version and make this verse the beginning of the section, rather than beginning it at verse 46 of chapter 1. In this case the section heading should be placed here; and Moses should be introduced again here as the speaker; for example, “Moses said to the Israelites, ….”

Then we turned, and journeyed: see 1.40, where the order to do this is given. This clause may also be rendered as “We resumed our journey and went into the wilderness.” For wilderness see 1.1.

In the direction of the Red Sea: Good News Translation has “on the road to the Gulf of Aqaba,” and Contemporary English Version has “by way of the Red Sea Road.” The Good News Translation rendering is preferable (see also 1.40).

Went about Mount Seir: the verb may mean to wander rather aimlessly, to walk around without a set goal, as Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and Revised English Bible translate; or it may mean to bypass, to avoid going through, to go around, as New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible “skirted” translate. This meaning is supported by Num 21.4, where the same verb is used. It is not easy to decide which is the better translation, especially in light of verse 4, which says they were to go through Edom, and also verse 8, where the Hebrew text is not at all clear. On the basis of what the Hebrew of verse 8 seems to mean, it is recommended that here the translation be “bypass” or “go around.” Contemporary English Version follows this interpretation, with “We spent many years wandering around outside the hill country of Seir,” where “outside” means that they did not enter Edom but bypassed it. Mount Seir is not a particular mountain but the hill country of Seir (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), that is, of Edom (see the comment at 1.2), the region south of the Dead Sea.

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 .