Keluaran 9:5

9:5 The Lord set ¹  an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this ²  in the land.”

Keluaran 21:13

21:13 But if he does not do it with premeditation, ³  but it happens by accident, ⁴  then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

Keluaran 2:6

2:6 opened it, ⁵  and saw the child ⁶  – a boy, ⁷  crying! ⁸  – and she felt compassion ⁹  for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Keluaran 23:20

The Angel of the Presence

23:20 ¹⁰ “I am going to send ¹¹  an angel ¹²  before you to protect you as you journey ¹³  and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. ¹⁴ 

Keluaran 10:4

10:4 But if you refuse to release my people, I am going to bring ¹⁵  locusts ¹⁶  into your territory ¹⁷  tomorrow.

Keluaran 5:19

5:19 The Israelite foremen saw ¹⁸  that they ¹⁹  were in trouble when they were told, ²⁰  “You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.”

Keluaran 18:18

18:18 You will surely wear out, ²¹  both you and these people who are with you, for this is too ²²  heavy a burden ²³  for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

Keluaran 19:12

19:12 You must set boundaries ²⁴  for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed ²⁵  to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death!

Keluaran 8:9

8:9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me ²⁶  – when shall I pray for you, your servants, and your people, for the frogs to be removed ²⁷  from you and your houses, so that ²⁸  they will be left ²⁹  only in the Nile?”

Keluaran 19:23

19:23 Moses said to the Lord, “The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, because you solemnly warned us, ³⁰  ‘Set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart.’” ³¹ 

Keluaran 13:10

13:10 So you must keep ³²  this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year. ³³ 

Keluaran 12:47

12:47 The whole community of Israel must observe it.

Keluaran 23:31

23:31 I will set ³⁴  your boundaries from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River, ³⁵  for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

Keluaran 34:18

34:18 “You must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days ³⁶  you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you; do this ³⁷  at the appointed time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.

Keluaran 18:15

18:15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire ³⁸  of God.

Keluaran 22:23

22:23 If you afflict them ³⁹  in any way ⁴⁰  and they cry to me, I will surely hear ⁴¹  their cry,

Keluaran 22:29

22:29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. ⁴²  You must give me the firstborn of your sons.

Keluaran 20:24

20:24 ‘You must make for me an altar made of earth, ⁴³  and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, ⁴⁴  your sheep and your cattle. In every place ⁴⁵  where I cause my name to be honored ⁴⁶  I will come to you and I will bless you.

Keluaran 21:22

21:22 “If men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, ⁴⁷  but there is no serious injury, he will surely be punished in accordance with what the woman’s husband demands of him, and he will pay what the court decides. ⁴⁸ 

Keluaran 23:15

23:15 You are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days ⁴⁹  you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for at that time ⁵⁰  you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before ⁵¹  me empty-handed.

Keluaran 1:11

1:11 So they put foremen ⁵²  over the Israelites ⁵³  to oppress ⁵⁴  them with hard labor. As a result ⁵⁵  they built Pithom and Rameses ⁵⁶  as store cities for Pharaoh.

Keluaran 18:26

18:26 They judged the people under normal circumstances; the difficult cases they would bring ⁵⁷  to Moses, but every small case they would judge themselves.

Keluaran 19:21

19:21 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and solemnly warn ⁵⁸  the people, lest they force their way through to the Lord to look, and many of them perish. ⁵⁹ 

Keluaran 23:33

23:33 They must not live in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare ⁶⁰  to you.”

Keluaran 29:17

29:17 Then you are to cut the ram into pieces and wash the entrails and its legs and put them on its pieces and on its head

Keluaran 30:13

30:13 Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered ⁶¹  is to pay this: a half shekel ⁶²  according to the shekel of the sanctuary ⁶³  (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering ⁶⁴  to the Lord.

Keluaran 30:16

30:16 You are to receive the atonement money ⁶⁵  from the Israelites and give it for the service ⁶⁶  of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial ⁶⁷  for the Israelites before the Lord, to make atonement ⁶⁸  for your lives.”

Keluaran 33:4

33:4 When the people heard this troubling word ⁶⁹  they mourned; ⁷⁰  no one put on his ornaments.

Keluaran 38:26

38:26 one beka per person, that is, a half shekel, ⁷¹  according to the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who crossed over to those numbered, from twenty years old or older, ⁷²  603,550 in all. ⁷³ 

Keluaran 2:14

2:14 The man ⁷⁴  replied, “Who made you a ruler ⁷⁵  and a judge over us? Are you planning ⁷⁶  to kill me like you killed that ⁷⁷  Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, ⁷⁸  “Surely what I did ⁷⁹  has become known.”

Keluaran 3:13

3:13 Moses said ⁸⁰  to God, “If ⁸¹  I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ ⁸²  – what should I say ⁸³  to them?”

Keluaran 13:19

13:19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph ⁸⁴  had made the Israelites solemnly swear, ⁸⁵  “God will surely attend ⁸⁶  to you, and you will carry ⁸⁷  my bones up from this place with you.”

Keluaran 22:11

22:11 then there will be an oath to the Lord ⁸⁸  between the two of them, that he has not laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods, and its owner will accept this, and he will not have to pay.

Keluaran 31:6

31:6 Moreover, ⁸⁹  I have also given him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and I have given ability to all the specially skilled, ⁹⁰  that they may make ⁹¹  everything I have commanded you:

Keluaran 33:5

33:5 For ⁹²  the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for a moment, ⁹³  I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments, ⁹⁴  that I may know ⁹⁵  what I should do to you.’” ⁹⁶ 

[9:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and Yahweh set.”

[9:5]  ² tn Heb “this thing.”

[21:13]  ³ tn Heb “if he does not lie in wait” (NASB similar).

[21:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “and God brought into his hand.” The death is unintended, its circumstances outside human control.

[2:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “and she opened.”

[2:6]  ⁶ tn The grammatical construction has a pronominal suffix on the verb as the direct object along with the expressed object: “and she saw him, the child.” The second object defines the previous pronominal object to avoid misunderstanding (see GKC 425 §131.m).

[2:6]  ⁷ tn The text has נַעַר (na’ar, “lad, boy, young man”), which in this context would mean a baby boy.

[2:6]  ⁸ tn This clause is introduced with a disjunctive vav and the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “behold” in the KJV). The particle in this kind of clause introduces the unexpected – what Pharaoh’s daughter saw when she opened the basket: “and look, there was a baby boy crying.” The clause provides a parenthetical description of the child as she saw him when she opened the basket and does not advance the narrative. It is an important addition, however, for it puts readers in the position of looking with her into the basket and explains her compassion.

[2:6]  ⁹ tn The verb could be given a more colloquial translation such as “she felt sorry for him.” But the verb is stronger than that; it means “to have compassion, to pity, to spare.” What she felt for the baby was strong enough to prompt her to spare the child from the fate decreed for Hebrew boys. Here is part of the irony of the passage: What was perceived by many to be a womanly weakness – compassion for a baby – is a strong enough emotion to prompt the woman to defy the orders of Pharaoh. The ruler had thought sparing women was safe, but the midwives, the Hebrew mother, the daughter of Pharaoh, and Miriam, all work together to spare one child – Moses (cf. 1 Cor 1:27-29).

[23:20]  ¹⁰ sn This passage has some of the most interesting and perplexing expressions and constructions in the book. It is largely promise, but it is part of the Law and so demands compliance by faith. Its points are: God promises to send his angel to prepare the way before his obedient servants (20-23); God promises blessing for his loyal servants (24-33). So in the section one learns that God promises his protection (victory) and blessing (through his angel) for his obedient and loyal worshipers.

[23:20]  ¹¹ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with the active participle indicates imminent future, something God is about to do.

[23:20]  ¹² sn The word is מַלְאָךְ (mal’akh, “messenger, angel”). This angel is to be treated with the same fear and respect as Yahweh, for Yahweh will be speaking in him. U. Cassuto (Exodus, 305-6) says that the words of the first clause do not imply a being distinct from God, for in the ancient world the line of demarcation between the sender and the sent is liable easily to be blurred. He then shows how the “Angel of Yahweh” in Genesis is Yahweh. He concludes that the words here mean “I will guide you.” Christian commentators tend to identify the Angel of Yahweh as the second person of the Trinity (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:446). However, in addition to being a preincarnate appearance, the word could refer to Yahweh – some manifestation of Yahweh himself.

[23:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “protect you in the way.”

[23:20]  ¹⁴ tn The form is the Hiphil perfect of the verb כּוּן (kun, “to establish, prepare”).

[10:4]  ¹⁵ tn הִנְנִי (hinni) before the active participle מֵבִיא (mevi’) is the imminent future construction: “I am about to bring” or “I am going to bring” – precisely, “here I am bringing.”

[10:4]  ¹⁶ tn One of the words for “locusts” in the Bible is אַרְבֶּה (’arbeh), which comes from רָבָה (ravah, “to be much, many”). It was used for locusts because of their immense numbers.

[10:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “within your border.”

[5:19]  ¹⁸ tn The common Hebrew verb translated “saw,” like the common English verb for seeing, is also used to refer to mental perception and understanding, as in the question “See what I mean?” The foremen understood how difficult things would be under this ruling.

[5:19]  ¹⁹ tn The text has the sign of the accusative with a suffix and then a prepositional phrase: אֹתָם בְּרָע (’otam bÿra’), meaning something like “[they saw] them in trouble” or “themselves in trouble.” Gesenius shows a few examples where the accusative of the reflexive pronoun is represented by the sign of the accusative with a suffix, and these with marked emphasis (GKC 439 §135.k).

[5:19]  ²⁰ tn The clause “when they were told” translates לֵאמֹר (le’mor), which usually simply means “saying.” The thing that was said was clearly the decree that was given to them.

[18:18]  ²¹ tn The verb means “to fall and fade” as a leaf (Ps 1:3). In Ps 18:45 it is used figuratively of foes fading away, failing in strength and courage (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 166). Here the infinitive absolute construction heightens the meaning.

[18:18]  ²² tn Gesenius lists the specialized use of the comparative min (מ) where with an adjective the thought expressed is that the quality is too difficult for the attainment of a particular aim (GKC 430 §133.c).

[18:18]  ²³ tn Here “a burden” has been supplied.

[19:12]  ²⁴ tn The verb is a Hiphil perfect (“make borders”) with vav (ו) consecutive, following the sequence of instructions.

[19:12]  ²⁵ tn The Niphal imperative (“guard yourselves, take heed to yourselves”) is followed by two infinitives construct that provide the description of what is to be avoided – going up or touching the mountain.

[8:9]  ²⁶ tn The expression הִתְפָּאֵר עָלַי (hitpa’er ’alay) is problematic. The verb would be simply translated “honor yourself” or “deck yourself with honor.” It can be used in the bad sense of self-exaltation. But here it seems to mean “have the honor or advantage over me” in choosing when to remove the frogs. The LXX has “appoint for me.” Moses is doing more than extending a courtesy to Pharaoh; he is giving him the upper hand in choosing the time. But it is also a test, for if Pharaoh picked the time it would appear less likely that Moses was manipulating things. As U. Cassuto puts it, Moses is saying “my trust in God is so strong you may have the honor of choosing the time” (Exodus, 103).

[8:9]  ²⁷ tn Or “destroyed”; Heb “to cut off the frogs.”

[8:9]  ²⁸ tn The phrase “so that” is implied.

[8:9]  ²⁹ tn Or “survive, remain.”

[19:23]  ³⁰ tn The construction is emphatic: “because you – you solemnly warned us.” Moses’ response to God is to ask how they would break through when God had already charged them not to. God knew them better than Moses did.

[19:23]  ³¹ tn Heb “sanctify it.”

[13:10]  ³² tn The form is a perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive, functioning as the equivalent of an imperfect of instruction or injunction.

[13:10]  ³³ tn Or “every year,” or “year after year.”

[23:31]  ³⁴ tn The form is a perfect tense with vav consecutive.

[23:31]  ³⁵ tn In the Hebrew Bible “the River” usually refers to the Euphrates (cf. NASB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT). There is some thought that it refers to a river Nahr el Kebir between Lebanon and Syria. See further W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:447; and G. W. Buchanan, The Consequences of the Covenant (NovTSup), 91-100.

[34:18]  ³⁶ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[34:18]  ³⁷ tn The words “do this” have been supplied.

[18:15]  ³⁸ tn The form is לִדְרֹשׁ (lidrosh), the Qal infinitive construct giving the purpose. To inquire of God would be to seek God’s will on a matter, to obtain a legal decision on a matter, or to settle a dispute. As a judge Moses is speaking for God, but as the servant of Yahweh Moses’ words will be God’s words. The psalms would later describe judges as “gods” because they made the right decisions based on God’s Law.

[22:23]  ³⁹ tn The accusative here is the masculine singular pronoun, which leads S. R. Driver to conclude that this line is out of place, even though the masculine singular can be used in places like this (Exodus, 232). U. Cassuto says its use is to refer to certain classes (Exodus, 292).

[22:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Here again and with “cry” the infinitive absolute functions with a diminished emphasis (GKC 342-43 §113.o).

[22:23]  ⁴¹ tn Here is the normal use of the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense to emphasize the verb: “I will surely hear,” implying, “I will surely respond.”

[22:29]  ⁴² tn The expressions are unusual. U. Cassuto renders them: “from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses” (Exodus, 294). He adds the Hittite parallel material to show that the people were to bring the offerings on time and not let them overlap, because the firstfruits had to be eaten first by the priest.

[20:24]  ⁴³ sn The instructions here call for the altar to be made of natural things, not things manufactured or shaped by man. The altar was either to be made of clumps of earth or natural, unhewn rocks.

[20:24]  ⁴⁴ sn The “burnt offering” is the offering prescribed in Lev 1. Everything of this animal went up in smoke as a sweet aroma to God. It signified complete surrender by the worshiper who brought the animal, and complete acceptance by God, thereby making atonement. The “peace offering” is legislated in Lev 3 and 7. This was a communal meal offering to celebrate being at peace with God. It was made usually for thanksgiving, for payment of vows, or as a freewill offering.

[20:24]  ⁴⁵ tn Gesenius lists this as one of the few places where the noun in construct seems to be indefinite in spite of the fact that the genitive has the article. He says בְּכָל־הַמָּקוֹם (bÿkhol-hammaqom) means “in all the place, sc. of the sanctuary, and is a dogmatic correction of “in every place” (כָּל־מָקוֹם, kol-maqom). See GKC 412 §127.e.

[20:24]  ⁴⁶ tn The verb is זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”), but in the Hiphil especially it can mean more than remember or cause to remember (remind) – it has the sense of praise or honor. B. S. Childs says it has a denominative meaning, “to proclaim” (Exodus [OTL], 447). The point of the verse is that God will give Israel reason for praising and honoring him, and in every place that occurs he will make his presence known by blessing them.

[21:22]  ⁴⁷ tn This line has occasioned a good deal of discussion. It may indicate that the child was killed, as in a miscarriage; or it may mean that there was a premature birth. The latter view is taken here because of the way the whole section is written: (1) “her children come out” reflects a birth and not the loss of children, (2) there is no serious damage, and (3) payment is to be set for any remuneration. The word אָסוֹן (’ason) is translated “serious damage.” The word was taken in Mekilta to mean “death.” U. Cassuto says the point of the phrase is that neither the woman or the children that are born die (Exodus, 275). But see among the literature on this: M. G. Kline, “Lex Talionis and the Human Fetus,” JETS 20 (1977): 193-201; W. House, “Miscarriage or Premature Birth: Additional Thoughts on Exodus 21:22-25,” WTJ 41 (1978): 108-23; S. E. Loewenstamm, “Exodus XXI 22-25,” VT 27 (1977): 352-60.

[21:22]  ⁴⁸ tn The word בִּפְלִלִים (biflilim) means “with arbitrators.” The point then seems to be that the amount of remuneration for damages that was fixed by the husband had to be approved by the courts. S. R. Driver mentions an alternative to this unusual reading presented by Budde, reading בנפלים as “untimely birth” (Exodus, 219). See also E. A. Speiser, “The Stem PLL in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6.

[23:15]  ⁴⁹ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[23:15]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “in it.”

[23:15]  ⁵¹ tn The verb is a Niphal imperfect; the nuance of permission works well here – no one is permitted to appear before God empty (Heb “and they will not appear before me empty”).

[1:11]  ⁵² tn Heb “princes of work.” The word שָׂרֵי (sare, “princes”) has been translated using words such as “ruler,” “prince,” “leader,” “official,” “chief,” “commander,” and “captain” in different contexts. It appears again in 2:14 and 18:21 and 25. Hebrew מַס (mas) refers to a labor gang organized to provide unpaid labor, or corvée (Deut 20:11; Josh 17:13; 1 Kgs 9:15, 21). The entire phrase has been translated “foremen,” which combines the idea of oversight and labor. Cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “taskmasters”; NIV “slave masters”; NLT “slave drivers.”

[1:11]  ⁵³ tn Heb “over them”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:11]  ⁵⁴ sn The verb עַנֹּתוֹ (’annoto) is the Piel infinitive construct from עָנָה (’anah, “to oppress”). The word has a wide range of meanings. Here it would include physical abuse, forced subjugation, and humiliation. This king was trying to crush the spirit of Israel by increasing their slave labor. Other terms in the passage that describe this intent include “bitter” and “crushing.”

[1:11]  ⁵⁵ tn The form is a preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive, וַיִּבֶן (vayyiven). The sequence expressed in this context includes the idea of result.

[1:11]  ⁵⁶ sn Many scholars assume that because this city was named Rameses, the Pharaoh had to be Rameses II, and hence that a late date for the exodus (and a late time for the sojourn in Egypt) is proved. But if the details of the context are taken as seriously as the mention of this name, this cannot be the case. If one grants for the sake of discussion that Rameses II was on the throne and oppressing Israel, it is necessary to note that Moses is not born yet. It would take about twenty or more years to build the city, then eighty more years before Moses appears before Pharaoh (Rameses), and then a couple of years for the plagues – this man would have been Pharaoh for over a hundred years. That is clearly not the case for the historical Rameses II. But even more determining is the fact that whoever the Pharaoh was for whom the Israelites built the treasure cities, he died before Moses began the plagues. The Bible says that when Moses grew up and killed the Egyptian, he fled from Pharaoh (whoever that was) and remained in exile until he heard that that Pharaoh had died. So this verse cannot be used for a date of the exodus in the days of Rameses, unless many other details in the chapters are ignored. If it is argued that Rameses was the Pharaoh of the oppression, then his successor would have been the Pharaoh of the exodus. Rameses reigned from 1304 b.c. until 1236 and then was succeeded by Merneptah. That would put the exodus far too late in time, for the Merneptah stela refers to Israel as a settled nation in their land. One would have to say that the name Rameses in this chapter may either refer to an earlier king, or, more likely, reflect an updating in the narrative to name the city according to its later name (it was called something else when they built it, but later Rameses finished it and named it after himself [see B. Jacob, Exodus, 14]). For further discussion see G. L. Archer, “An 18th Dynasty Ramses,” JETS 17 (1974): 49-50; and C. F. Aling, “The Biblical City of Ramses,” JETS 25 (1982): 129-37. Furthermore, for vv. 11-14, see K. A. Kitchen, “From the Brick Fields of Egypt,” TynBul 27 (1976): 137-47.

[18:26]  ⁵⁷ tn This verb and the verb in the next clause are imperfect tenses. In the past tense narrative of the verse they must be customary, describing continuous action in past time.

[19:21]  ⁵⁸ tn The imperative הָעֵד (ha’ed) means “charge” them – put them under oath, or solemnly warn them. God wished to ensure that the people would not force their way past the barriers that had been set out.

[19:21]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and fall”; NAB “be struck down.”

[23:33]  ⁶⁰ tn The idea of the “snare” is to lure them to judgment; God is apparently warning about contact with the Canaanites, either in worship or in business. They were very syncretistic, and so it would be dangerous to settle among them.

[30:13]  ⁶¹ sn Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side.

[30:13]  ⁶² sn The half shekel weight of silver would be about one-fifth of an ounce (6 grams).

[30:13]  ⁶³ sn It appears that some standard is in view for the amount of a shekel weight. The sanctuary shekel is sometimes considered to be twice the value of the ordinary shekel. The “gerah,” also of uncertain meaning, was mentioned as a reference point for the ancient reader to understand the value of the required payment. It may also be that the expression meant “a sacred shekel” and looked at the purpose more – a shekel for sanctuary dues. This would mean that the standard of the shekel weight was set because it was the traditional amount of sacred dues (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 333). “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams…Whether an official standard is meant [by ‘sanctuary shekel’] or whether the sanctuary shekel had a different weight than the ‘ordinary’ shekel is not known” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181).

[30:13]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “contribution” (תְּרוּמָה, tÿrumah).

[30:16]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “the silver of the atonements.” The genitive here is the result (as in “sheep of slaughter”) telling what the money will be used for (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 11, §44).

[30:16]  ⁶⁶ sn The idea of “service” is maintenance and care of the sanctuary and its service, meaning the morning and evening sacrifices and the other elements to be used.

[30:16]  ⁶⁷ sn S. R. Driver says this is “to keep Jehovah in continual remembrance of the ransom which had been paid for their lives” (Exodus, 334).

[30:16]  ⁶⁸ tn The infinitive could be taken in a couple of ways here. It could be an epexegetical infinitive: “making atonement.” Or it could be the infinitive expressing result: “so that atonement will be made for your lives.”

[33:4]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “bad news” (NAB, NCV).

[33:4]  ⁷⁰ sn The people would rather have risked divine discipline than to go without Yahweh in their midst. So they mourned, and they took off the ornaments. Such had been used in making the golden calf, and so because of their association with all of that they were to be removed as a sign of remorse.

[38:26]  ⁷¹ sn The weight would be about half an ounce.

[38:26]  ⁷² tn Heb “upward.”

[38:26]  ⁷³ tn The phrase “in all” has been supplied.

[2:14]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “And he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “Who placed you for a man, a ruler and a judge over us?” The pleonasm does not need to be translated. For similar constructions see Lev 21:9; Judg 6:8; 2 Sam 1:13; Esth 7:6.

[2:14]  ⁷⁶ tn The line reads “[is it] to kill me you are planning?” The form אֹמֵר (’omer) is the active participle used verbally; it would literally be “[are you] saying,” but in this context it conveys the meaning of “thinking, planning.” The Qal infinitive then serves as the object of this verbal form – are you planning to kill me?

[2:14]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the Egyptian.” Here the Hebrew article functions in an anaphoric sense, referring back to the individual Moses killed.

[2:14]  ⁷⁸ tn The verb form is “and he said.” But the intent of the form is that he said this within himself, and so it means “he thought, realized, said to himself.” The form, having the vav consecutive, is subordinated to the main idea of the verse, that he was afraid.

[2:14]  ⁷⁹ tn The term הַדָּבָר (haddavar, “the word [thing, matter, incident]”) functions here like a pronoun to refer in brief to what Moses had done. For clarity this has been specified in the translation with the phrase “what I did.”

[3:13]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “And Moses said.”

[3:13]  ⁸¹ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) in this clause introduces the foundation for what comes later – the question. Moses is saying, “Suppose I do all this and they ask this question – what should I say?”

[3:13]  ⁸² sn There has been considerable debate about the name of Yahweh in the Pentateuch, primarily because of theories that have maintained that the name Yahweh was not known in antiquity (see also 6:3 and notes there). The argument of this whole section nullifies that view. The idea that God’s name was revealed only here raises the question of what he was called earlier. The word “God” is not a name. “El Shaddai” is used only a few times in Genesis. But Israel would not have had a nameless deity – especially since Genesis says that from the very beginning people were making proclamation of the name of Yahweh (Gen 4:26; 12:8). It is possible that they did not always need a name if they were convinced that only he existed and there was no other God. But probably what Moses was anticipating was the Israelites’ wanting to be sure that Moses came with a message from their God, and that some sign could prove it. They would have known his name (Yahweh), and they would have known the ways that he had manifested himself. It would do no good for Moses to come with a new name for God, for that would be like introducing them to a new God. That would in no way authenticate to them Moses’ call, only confuse; after all, they would not be expecting a new name – they had been praying to their covenant God all along. They would want to be sure that their covenant God actually had sent Moses. To satisfy the Israelites Moses would have had to have been familiar with the name Yahweh – as they were – and know that he appeared to individuals. They would also want to know if Yahweh had sent Moses, how this was going to work in their deliverance, because they had been crying to him for deliverance. As it turned out, the Israelites had less problem with this than Moses anticipated – they were delighted when he came. It is likely that much of this concern was Moses’ own need for assurance that this was indeed the God of the fathers and that the promised deliverance was now to take place.

[3:13]  ⁸³ tn The imperfect tense here has a deliberative nuance (“should”), for Moses is wondering what would be best to say when the Israelites want proof of the calling.

[13:19]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:19]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “solemnly swear, saying” (so NASB). The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive absolute with the Hiphil perfect to stress that Joseph had made them take a solemn oath to carry his bones out of Egypt. “Saying” introduces the content of what Joseph said.

[13:19]  ⁸⁶ sn This verb appears also in 3:16 and 4:31. The repetition here is a reminder that God was doing what he had said he would do and what Joseph had expected.

[13:19]  ⁸⁷ tn The form is a Hiphil perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it follows in the sequence of the imperfect tense before it, and so is equal to an imperfect of injunction (because of the solemn oath). Israel took Joseph’s bones with them as a sign of piety toward the past and as a symbol of their previous bond with Canaan (B. Jacob, Exodus, 380).

[22:11]  ⁸⁸ tn The construct relationship שְׁבֻעַת יְהוָה (shÿvu’at yÿhvah, “the oath of Yahweh”) would require a genitive of indirect object, “an oath [to] Yahweh.” U. Cassuto suggests that it means “an oath by Yahweh” (Exodus, 287). The person to whom the animal was entrusted would take a solemn oath to Yahweh that he did not appropriate the animal for himself, and then his word would be accepted.

[31:6]  ⁸⁹ tn The expression uses the independent personal pronoun (“and I”) with the deictic particle (“behold”) to enforce the subject of the verb – “and I, indeed I have given.”

[31:6]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and in the heart of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom.”

[31:6]  sn The verse means that there were a good number of very skilled and trained artisans that could come to do the work that God wanted done. But God’s Spirit further endowed them with additional wisdom and skill for the work that had to be done.

[31:6]  ⁹¹ tn The form is a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The form at this place shows the purpose or the result of what has gone before, and so it is rendered “that they may make.”

[33:5]  ⁹² tn The verse simply begins “And Yahweh said.” But it is clearly meant to be explanatory for the preceding action of the people.

[33:5]  ⁹³ tn The construction is formed with a simple imperfect in the first half and a perfect tense with vav (ו) in the second half. Heb “[in] one moment I will go up in your midst and I will destroy you.” The verse is certainly not intended to say that God was about to destroy them. That, plus the fact that he has announced he will not go in their midst, leads most commentators to take this as a conditional clause: “If I were to do such and such, then….”

[33:5]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew text also has “from on you.”

[33:5]  ⁹⁵ tn The form is the cohortative with a vav (ו) following the imperative; it therefore expresses the purpose or result: “strip off…that I may know.” The call to remove the ornaments must have been perceived as a call to show true repentance for what had happened. If they repented, then God would know how to deal with them.

[33:5]  ⁹⁶ tn This last clause begins with the interrogative “what,” but it is used here as an indirect interrogative. It introduces a noun clause, the object of the verb “know.”