Do not say in your heart: see 8.17.

After the LORD your God has thrust them out before you: the verb here means “expel,” “drive out,” the same as in verse 3. Good News Translation “driven them out for you” is not quite right; it should be “as you advance.”

It is because of my righteousness: see 6.25. Here the plural form would be more natural, since this is the statement of the people, not of an individual. The word righteousness here means “good conduct” and is well translated by Good News Translation “because we deserve it” (also Bible en français courant); New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “because of our virtues” is possible; Revised English Bible “because of our merits” is better, or even “because we are such good people.”

The LORD has brought me in to possess this land: this statement occurs over and over again. Here the point of view is the land of Canaan itself, so that brought … in is correct; for possess see 1.8; 2.12.

The wickedness of these nations: Yahweh is enabling the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan because the pagan peoples who live there are wicked; we may say “they do wrong” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “are evil people.”

Driving them out before you: this is a phrase that occurs often and is repeated in the next verse.

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 .