And you said: grammatically “you, the people of Israel,” but actually it refers to the tribal leaders and the elders, who were representing the people; see the previous verse. A translation should make this clear (see Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible): “… came to me and said, ….”

Behold: for emphasis. The sense is “See,” “Look,” “Listen.”

For LORD our God see 5.2.

Has shown us his glory and greatness: the Israelites had not seen any bodily form (4.15, 32-33, 36) but only “his majestic Presence” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). God’s glory is represented in terms of a bright light. Possible alternative translations are “dazzling light,” “dazzling light of his presence,” or even “dazzling light that shows that God is present [or, near].” God’s greatness is an expression of how people react to the power and majesty of the Creator and sovereign LORD of the universe, particularly in his acts on behalf of the chosen people. So we may say “How powerful he is.”

We have heard his voice out of the fire: see 4.32, 36.

We have this day seen God speak with man and man still live: see 4.33. New Revised Standard Version avoids the exclusive man: “We have seen that God may speak to someone and the person may still live.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• and said: Today the LORD our God has shown us the dazzling light that shows that he is here. He has also shown us how powerful he is. We heard his voice coming from the fire, and we have learned that, even if God speaks to someone, that person may still live [or, continue to live].

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 .