While I stood between the LORD and you: Moses was the spokesman, the mediator who transmitted Yahweh’s message to the people. As commentators point out, this differs from what is said in the previous verse (and see verse 22 also). New Revised Standard Version places this verse within parentheses, but it is uncertain what readers will understand this device to mean, and translators are discouraged from doing this.

To declare to you the word of the LORD: this does not mean a single “word” but refers to Yahweh’s message, the “ten words” of the covenant in particular. New Jerusalem Bible translates, “to let you know what Yahweh was saying.”

You were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up: this may be expressed as “the fire [on the mountain] made you afraid to go up….” See Exo 24.1-2. For afraid see 1.21, 29. Good News Translation has a good model and translators are urged to follow it.

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 .