Keluaran 6:8

6:8 I will bring you to the land I swore to give ¹  to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob – and I will give it to you ²  as a possession. I am the Lord!’”

Keluaran 10:2

10:2 and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell ³  how I made fools ⁴  of the Egyptians ⁵  and about ⁶  my signs that I displayed ⁷  among them, so that you may know ⁸  that I am the Lord.”

Keluaran 12:42

12:42 It was a night of vigil for the Lord to bring them out from the land of Egypt, ⁹  and so ¹⁰  on this night all Israel is to keep the vigil ¹¹  to the Lord for generations to come.

[6:8]  ¹ tn Heb “which I raised my hand to give it.” The relative clause specifies which land is their goal. The bold anthropomorphism mentions part of an oath-taking ceremony to refer to the whole event and reminds the reader that God swore that he would give the land to them. The reference to taking an oath would have made the promise of God sure in the mind of the Israelite.

[6:8]  ² sn Here is the twofold aspect again clearly depicted: God swore the promise to the patriarchs, but he is about to give what he promised to this generation. This generation will know more about him as a result.

[10:2]  ³ tn The expression is unusual: תְּסַפֵּר בְּאָזְנֵי (tÿsapper bÿ’ozne, “[that] you may declare in the ears of”). The clause explains an additional reason for God’s hardening the heart of Pharaoh, namely, so that the Israelites can tell their children of God’s great wonders. The expression is highly poetic and intense – like Ps 44:1, which says, “we have heard with our ears.” The emphasis would be on the clear teaching, orally, from one generation to another.

[10:2]  ⁴ tn The verb הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי (hit’allalti) is a bold anthropomorphism. The word means to occupy oneself at another’s expense, to toy with someone, which may be paraphrased with “mock.” The whole point is that God is shaming and disgracing Egypt, making them look foolish in their arrogance and stubbornness (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:366-67). Some prefer to translate it as “I have dealt ruthlessly” with Egypt (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 123).

[10:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “of Egypt.” The place is put by metonymy for the inhabitants.

[10:2]  ⁶ tn The word “about” is supplied to clarify this as another object of the verb “declare.”

[10:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “put” or “placed.”

[10:2]  ⁸ tn The form is the perfect tense with vav consecutive, וִידַעְתֶּם (vida’tem, “and that you might know”). This provides another purpose for God’s dealings with Egypt in the way that he was doing. The form is equal to the imperfect tense with vav (ו) prefixed; it thus parallels the imperfect that began v. 2 – “that you might tell.”

[12:42]  ⁹ tn There is some ambiguity in לֵיל שִׁמֻּרִים הוּא לַיהוָה (lel shimmurim hu’ la’adonay [layhveh]). It is likely that this first clause means that Yahweh was on watch for Israel to bring them out, as the next clause says. He was protecting his people (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 102). Then, the night of vigil will be transferred to Israel, who now must keep it “to” him.

[12:42]  ¹⁰ tn “and so” has been supplied.

[12:42]  ¹¹ tn Heb “this night is for Yahweh a vigil for all Israelites for their generations.”