Until the LORD gives rest to your brethren, as to you: that is, until Yahweh gives them complete victory over their enemies, as he did to the eastern tribes. Then they will be able to settle down and live in peace, “secure from the threat of enemies, and from the threat of homelessness” (Mayes). So the first part of this verse may be rendered as:

• You must help the other Israelites to conquer their enemies and occupy the land that the LORD is giving them west of the Jordan river. Then they will be able to live there securely.

The LORD your God: again the second person is used.

The land … beyond the Jordan: here, verse 25, and 11.30 are the three passages in which “beyond the Jordan” means on the west side of the Jordan; elsewhere it means the east side. Here the point of view is that of Moses, who is on the east side of the river.

As elsewhere, verses 17-19 make it clear that the Israelites are able to conquer and possess the land because Yahweh is giving it to them. His gift comes first and is the cause of their conquest of the land.

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 .