Keluaran 2:11

The Presumption of the Deliverer

2:11 ¹ In those days, ²  when ³  Moses had grown up, he went out to his people ⁴  and observed ⁵  their hard labor, and he saw an Egyptian man attacking ⁶  a Hebrew man, one of his own people. ⁷ 

Keluaran 6:30

6:30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Since I speak with difficulty, ⁸  why should Pharaoh listen to me?”

Keluaran 7:10

7:10 When ⁹  Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, they did so, just as the Lord had commanded them – Aaron threw ¹⁰  down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants and it became a snake. ¹¹ 

Keluaran 8:10

8:10 He said, “Tomorrow.” And Moses said, ¹²  “It will be ¹³  as you say, ¹⁴  so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

Keluaran 8:17

8:17 They did so; Aaron extended his hand with his staff, he struck the dust of the ground, and it became gnats on people ¹⁵  and on animals. All the dust of the ground became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.

Keluaran 8:22

8:22 But on that day I will mark off ¹⁶  the land of Goshen, where my people are staying, ¹⁷  so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of this land. ¹⁸ 

Keluaran 9:6

9:6 And the Lord did this ¹⁹  on the next day; ²⁰  all ²¹  the livestock of the Egyptians ²²  died, but of the Israelites’ livestock not one died.

Keluaran 10:1

The Eighth Blow: Locusts

10:1 ²³ The Lord said ²⁴  to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order to display ²⁵  these signs of mine before him, ²⁶ 

Keluaran 12:11

12:11 This is how you are to eat it – dressed to travel, ²⁷  your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. ²⁸ 

Keluaran 12:19

12:19 For seven days ²⁹  yeast must not be found in your houses, for whoever eats what is made with yeast – that person ³⁰  will be cut off from the community of Israel, whether a foreigner ³¹  or one born in the land.

Keluaran 16:7

16:7 and in the morning you will see ³²  the glory of the Lord, because he has heard ³³  your murmurings against the Lord. As for us, what are we, ³⁴  that you should murmur against us?”

Keluaran 18:18

18:18 You will surely wear out, ³⁵  both you and these people who are with you, for this is too ³⁶  heavy a burden ³⁷  for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

Keluaran 18:23

18:23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, ³⁸  then you will be able ³⁹  to endure, ⁴⁰  and all these people ⁴¹  will be able to go ⁴²  home ⁴³  satisfied.” ⁴⁴ 

Keluaran 20:7

20:7 “You shall not take ⁴⁵  the name of the Lord your God in vain, ⁴⁶  for the Lord will not hold guiltless ⁴⁷  anyone who takes his name in vain.

Keluaran 21:14

21:14 But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly, ⁴⁸  you will take him even from my altar that he may die.

Keluaran 23:27

23:27 “I will send my terror ⁴⁹  before you, and I will destroy ⁵⁰  all the people whom you encounter; I will make all your enemies turn their backs ⁵¹  to you.

Keluaran 23:29

23:29 I will not drive them out before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals ⁵²  multiply against you.

Keluaran 29:30

29:30 The priest who succeeds him ⁵³  from his sons, when he first comes ⁵⁴  to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, is to wear them for seven days. ⁵⁵ 

Keluaran 29:37

29:37 For seven days ⁵⁶  you are to make atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy. Then the altar will be most holy. ⁵⁷  Anything that touches the altar will be holy. ⁵⁸ 

Keluaran 30:13

30:13 Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered ⁵⁹  is to pay this: a half shekel ⁶⁰  according to the shekel of the sanctuary ⁶¹  (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering ⁶²  to the Lord.

Keluaran 30:20

30:20 When they enter ⁶³  the tent of meeting, they must wash with ⁶⁴  water so that they do not die. ⁶⁵  Also, when they approach ⁶⁶  the altar to minister by burning incense ⁶⁷  as an offering made by fire ⁶⁸  to the Lord,

Keluaran 32:25

32:25 Moses saw that the people were running wild, ⁶⁹  for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies. ⁷⁰ 

Keluaran 33:4

33:4 When the people heard this troubling word ⁷¹  they mourned; ⁷²  no one put on his ornaments.

Keluaran 33:17

33:17 The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have requested, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know ⁷³  you by name.”

Keluaran 35:24

35:24 Everyone making an offering of silver or bronze brought it as ⁷⁴  an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood ⁷⁵  for any work of the service brought it. ⁷⁶ 

Keluaran 36:2

36:2 Moses summoned ⁷⁷  Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom ⁷⁸  the Lord had put skill – everyone whose heart stirred him ⁷⁹  to volunteer ⁸⁰  to do the work,

Keluaran 38:21

The Materials of the Construction

38:21 This is the inventory ⁸¹  of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which was counted ⁸²  by the order ⁸³  of Moses, being the work ⁸⁴  of the Levites under the direction ⁸⁵  of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

[2:11]  ¹ sn Chapter 1 described how Israel was flourishing in spite of the bondage. Chapter 2 first told how God providentially provided the deliverer, but now when this deliverer attempted to deliver one of his people, it turned out badly, and he had to flee for his life. This section makes an interesting study in the presumption of the leader, what Christian expositors would rightly describe as trying to do God’s work by the flesh. The section has two parts to it: the flight from Egypt over the failed attempt to deliver (vv. 11-15), and Moses’ introduction to life as the deliverer in Midian (vv. 16-22).

[2:11]  ² sn The expression “those days” refers to the days of bondage.

[2:11]  ³ tn The preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive is here subordinated to the next and main idea of the verse. This is the second use of this verb in the chapter. In v. 10 the verb had the sense of “when he began to grow” or “when he got older,” but here it carries the nuance of “when he had grown up.”

[2:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “brothers.” This term does not require them to be literal siblings, or even close family members. It simply refers to fellow Hebrews, people with whom Moses has begun to feel close ties of kinship. They are “brothers” in a broad sense, ultimately fellow members of the covenant community.

[2:11]  ⁵ tn The verb רָאָה (ra’a, “to see”) followed by the preposition bet (ב) can indicate looking on something as an overseer, or supervising, or investigating. Here the emphasis is on Moses’ observing their labor with sympathy or grief. It means more than that he simply saw the way his fellow Hebrews were being treated (cf. 2:25).

[2:11]  sn This journey of Moses to see his people is an indication that he had become aware of his destiny to deliver them. This verse says that he looked on their oppression; the next section will say that the Lord looked on it.

[2:11]  ⁶ tn The verb מַכֶּה (makkeh) is the Hiphil participle of the root נָכָה (nakha). It may be translated “strike, smite, beat, attack.” It can be used with the sense of killing (as in the next verse, which says Moses hid the body), but it does not necessarily indicate here that the Egyptian killed the Hebrew.

[2:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “brothers.” This kinship term is used as a means of indicating the nature of Moses’ personal concern over the incident, since the appositional clause adds no new information.

[6:30]  ⁸ tn See note on Exod 6:12.

[7:10]  ⁹ tn The clause begins with the preterite and the vav (ו) consecutive; it is here subordinated to the next clause as a temporal clause.

[7:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Aaron threw.”

[7:10]  ¹¹ tn The noun used here is תַּנִּין (tannin), and not the word for “serpent” or “snake” used in chap. 4. This noun refers to a large reptile, in some texts large river or sea creatures (Gen 1:21; Ps 74:13) or land creatures (Deut 32:33). This wonder paralleled Moses’ miracle in 4:3 when he cast his staff down. But this is Aaron’s staff, and a different miracle. The noun could still be rendered “snake” here since the term could be broad enough to include it.

[8:10]  ¹² tn Heb “And he said”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:10]  ¹³ tn “It will be” has been supplied.

[8:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “according to your word” (so NASB).

[8:17]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “man,” but in the generic sense of “humans” or “people” (also in v. 18).

[8:22]  ¹⁶ tn Or “distinguish.” וְהִפְלֵיתִי (vÿhifleti) is the Hiphil perfect of פָּלָה (palah). The verb in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” God was going to keep the flies away from Goshen – he was setting that apart. The Greek text assumed that the word was from פָּלֵא (pale’), and translated it something like “I will marvelously glorify.”

[8:22]  ¹⁷ tn The relative clause modifies the land of Goshen as the place “in which my people are dwelling.” But the normal word for “dwelling” is not used here. Instead, עֹמֵד (’omed) is used, which literally means “standing.” The land on which Israel stood was spared the flies and the hail.

[8:22]  ¹⁸ tn Or “of the earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB).

[9:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “this thing.”

[9:6]  ²⁰ tn Heb “on the morrow.”

[9:6]  ²¹ tn The word “all” clearly does not mean “all” in the exclusive sense, because subsequent plagues involve cattle. The word must denote such a large number that whatever was left was insignificant for the economy. It could also be taken to mean “all [kinds of] livestock died.”

[9:6]  ²² tn Heb “of Egypt.” The place is put by metonymy for the inhabitants.

[10:1]  ²³ sn The Egyptians dreaded locusts like every other ancient civilization. They had particular gods to whom they looked for help in such catastrophes. The locust-scaring deities of Greece and Asia were probably looked to in Egypt as well (especially in view of the origins in Egypt of so many of those religious ideas). The announcement of the plague falls into the now-familiar pattern. God tells Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh but reminds Moses that he has hardened his heart. Yahweh explains that he has done this so that he might show his power, so that in turn they might declare his name from generation to generation. This point is stressed so often that it must not be minimized. God was laying the foundation of the faith for Israel – the sovereignty of Yahweh.

[10:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and Yahweh said.”

[10:1]  ²⁵ tn The verb is שִׁתִי (shiti, “I have put”); it is used here as a synonym for the verb שִׂים (sim). Yahweh placed the signs in his midst, where they will be obvious.

[10:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in his midst.”

[12:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “your loins girded.”

[12:11]  ²⁸ tn The meaning of פֶּסַח (pesakh) is debated. (1) Some have tried to connect it to the Hebrew verb with the same radicals that means “to halt, leap, limp, stumble.” See 1 Kgs 18:26 where the word describes the priests of Baal hopping around the altar; also the crippled child in 2 Sam 4:4. (2) Others connect it to the Akkadian passahu, which means “to appease, make soft, placate”; or (3) an Egyptian word to commemorate the harvest (see J. B. Segal, The Hebrew Passover, 95-100). The verb occurs in Isa 31:5 with the connotation of “to protect”; B. S. Childs suggests that this was already influenced by the exodus tradition (Exodus [OTL], 183, n. 11). Whatever links there may or may not have been that show an etymology, in Exod 12 it is describing Yahweh’s passing over or through.

[12:19]  ²⁹ tn “Seven days” is an adverbial accusative of time (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 12, §56).

[12:19]  ³⁰ tn The term is נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), often translated “soul.” It refers to the whole person, the soul within the body. The noun is feminine, agreeing with the feminine verb “be cut off.”

[12:19]  ³¹ tn Or “alien”; or “stranger.”

[16:7]  ³² tn Heb “morning, and you will see.”

[16:7]  ³³ tn The form is a Qal infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffix. It forms an adverbial clause, usually of time, but here a causal clause.

[16:7]  ³⁴ tn The words “as for us” attempt to convey the force of the Hebrew word order, which puts emphasis on the pronoun: “and we – what?” The implied answer to the question is that Moses and Aaron are nothing, merely the messengers. The next verse repeats the question to further press the seriousness of what the Israelites are doing.

[18:18]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn Here “a burden” has been supplied.

[18:23]  ³⁸ tn The form is a Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the same nuance as the preceding imperfect in the conditional clause.

[18:23]  ³⁹ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive now appears in the apodosis of the conditional sentence – “if you do this…then you will be able.”

[18:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “to stand.” B. Jacob (Exodus, 501) suggests that there might be a humorous side to this: “you could even do this standing up.”

[18:23]  ⁴¹ tn Literally “this people.”

[18:23]  ⁴² tn The verb is the simple imperfect, “will go,” but given the sense of the passage a potential nuance seems in order.

[18:23]  ⁴³ tn Heb “his place.”

[18:23]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in peace.”

[18:23]  sn See further T. D. Weinshall, “The Organizational Structure Proposed by Jethro to Moses (Ex. 18:17),” Public Administration in Israel and Abroad 12 (1972): 9-13; and H. Reviv, “The Traditions Concerning the Inception of the Legal System in Israel: Significance and Dating,” ZAW 94 (1982): 566-75.

[20:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “use” (NCV, TEV); NIV, CEV, NLT “misuse”; NRSV “make wrongful use of.”

[20:7]  ⁴⁶ tn שָׁוְא (shav’, “vain”) describes “unreality.” The command prohibits use of the name for any idle, frivolous, or insincere purpose (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 196). This would include perjury, pagan incantations, or idle talk. The name is to be treated with reverence and respect because it is the name of the holy God.

[20:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “leave unpunished.”

[21:14]  ⁴⁸ tn The word עָרְמָה (’ormah) is problematic. It could mean with prior intent, which would be connected with the word in Prov 8:5, 12 which means “understanding” (or “prudence” – fully aware of the way things are). It could be connected also to an Arabic word for “enemy” which would indicate this was done with malice or evil intentions (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 270). The use here seems parallel to the one in Josh 9:4, an instance involving intentionality and clever deception.

[23:27]  ⁴⁹ tn The word for “terror” is אֵימָתִי (’emati); the word has the thought of “panic” or “dread.” God would make the nations panic as they heard of the exploits and knew the Israelites were drawing near. U. Cassuto thinks the reference to “hornets” in v. 28 may be a reference to this fear, an unreasoning dread, rather than to another insect invasion (Exodus, 308). Others suggest it is symbolic of an invading army or a country like Egypt or literal insects (see E. Neufeld, “Insects as Warfare Agents in the Ancient Near East,” Or 49 [1980]: 30-57).

[23:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “kill.”

[23:27]  ⁵¹ tn The text has “and I will give all your enemies to you [as] a back.” The verb of making takes two accusatives, the second being the adverbial accusative of product (see GKC 371-72 §117.ii, n. 1).

[23:29]  ⁵² tn Heb “the beast of the field.”

[29:30]  ⁵³ tn Heb “after him”; NCV, NLT “after Aaron.”

[29:30]  ⁵⁴ tn The text just has the relative pronoun and the imperfect tense. It could be translated “who comes/enters.” But the context seems to indicate that this would be when he first comes to the tent to begin his tenure as High Priest, and so a temporal clause makes this clear. “First” has been supplied.

[29:30]  ⁵⁵ tn “Seven days” is an adverbial accusative of time. The ritual of ordination is to be repeated for seven days, and so they are to remain there in the court in full dress.

[29:37]  ⁵⁶ tn Once again this is an adverbial accusative of time. Each day for seven days the ritual at the altar is to be followed.

[29:37]  ⁵⁷ tn The construction is the superlative genitive: “holy of holies,” or “most holy.”

[29:37]  ⁵⁸ sn This line states an unusual principle, meant to preserve the sanctity of the altar. S. R. Driver explains it this way (Exodus, 325): If anything comes in contact with the altar, it becomes holy and must remain in the sanctuary for Yahweh’s use. If a person touches the altar, he likewise becomes holy and cannot return to the profane regions. He will be given over to God to be dealt with as God pleases. Anyone who was not qualified to touch the altar did not dare approach it, for contact would have meant that he was no longer free to leave but was God’s holy possession – and might pay for it with his life (see Exod 30:29; Lev 6:18b, 27; and Ezek 46:20).

[30:13]  ⁵⁹ sn Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side.

[30:13]  ⁶⁰ sn The half shekel weight of silver would be about one-fifth of an ounce (6 grams).

[30:13]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² tn Or “contribution” (תְּרוּמָה, tÿrumah).

[30:20]  ⁶³ tn The form is an infinitive construct with the temporal preposition bet (ב), and a suffixed subjective genitive: “in their going in,” or, whenever they enter.

[30:20]  ⁶⁴ tn “Water” is an adverbial accusative of means, and so is translated “with water.” Gesenius classifies this with verbs of “covering with something.” But he prefers to emend the text with a preposition (see GKC 369 §117.y, n. 1).

[30:20]  ⁶⁵ tn The verb is a Qal imperfect with a nuance of final imperfect. The purpose/result clause here is indicated only with the conjunction: “and they do not die.” But clearly from the context this is the intended result of their washing – it is in order that they not die.

[30:20]  ⁶⁶ tn Here, too, the infinitive is used in a temporal clause construction. The verb נָגַשׁ (nagash) is the common verb used for drawing near to the altar to make offerings – the official duties of the priest.

[30:20]  ⁶⁷ tn The text uses two infinitives construct: “to minister to burn incense”; the first is the general term and expresses the purpose of the drawing near, and the second infinitive is epexegetical, explaining the first infinitive.

[30:20]  ⁶⁸ tn The translation “as an offering made by fire” is a standard rendering of the one word in the text that appears to refer to “fire.” Milgrom and others contend that it simply means a “gift” (Leviticus 1-16, 161).

[32:25]  ⁶⁹ tn The word is difficult to interpret. There does not seem to be enough evidence to justify the KJV’s translation “naked.” It appears to mean something like “let loose” or “lack restraint” (Prov 29:18). The idea seems to be that the people had broken loose, were undisciplined, and were completely given over to their desires.

[32:25]  ⁷⁰ tn The last two words of the verse read literally “for a whispering among those who rose up against them.” The foes would have mocked and derided them when they heard that they had abandoned the God who had led them out of Egypt (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 354).

[33:4]  ⁷¹ tn Or “bad news” (NAB, NCV).

[33:4]  ⁷² 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.

[33:17]  ⁷³ tn The verb in this place is a preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive, judging from the pointing. It then follows in sequence the verb “you have found favor,” meaning you stand in that favor, and so it means “I have known you” and still do (equal to the present perfect). The emphasis, however, is on the results of the action, and so “I know you.”

[35:24]  ⁷⁴ tn This translation takes “offering” as an adverbial accusative explaining the form or purpose of their bringing things. It could also be rendered as the direct object, but that would seem to repeat without much difference what had just been said.

[35:24]  ⁷⁵ sn U. Cassuto notes that the expression “with whom was found” does not rule out the idea that these folks went out and cut down acacia trees (Exodus, 458). It is unlikely that they had much wood in their tents.

[35:24]  ⁷⁶ tn Here “it” has been supplied.

[36:2]  ⁷⁷ tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) plus the preposition “to” – “to call to” someone means “to summon” that person.

[36:2]  ⁷⁸ tn Here there is a slight change: “in whose heart Yahweh had put skill.”

[36:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “whose heart was willing.”

[36:2]  ⁸⁰ sn The verb means more than “approach” or “draw near”; קָרַב (qarav) is the word used for drawing near the altar as in bringing an offering. Here they offer themselves, their talents and their time.

[38:21]  ⁸¹ tn The Hebrew word is פְּקוּדֵי (pÿqude), which in a slavishly literal way would be “visitations of” the tabernacle. But the word often has the idea of “numbering” or “appointing” as well. Here it is an accounting or enumeration of the materials that people brought, so the contemporary term “inventory” is a close approximation. By using this Hebrew word there is also the indication that whatever was given, i.e., appointed for the tabernacle, was changed forever in its use. This is consistent with this Hebrew root, which does have a sense of changing the destiny of someone (“God will surely visit you”). The list in this section will also be tied to the numbering of the people.

[38:21]  ⁸² tn The same verb is used here, but now in the Pual perfect tense, third masculine singular. A translation “was numbered” or “was counted” works. The verb is singular because it refers to the tabernacle as a unit. This section will list what made up the tabernacle.

[38:21]  ⁸³ tn Heb “at/by the mouth of.”

[38:21]  ⁸⁴ tn The noun is “work” or “service.” S. R. Driver explains that the reckonings were not made for the Levites, but that they were the work of the Levites, done by them under the direction of Ithamar (Exodus, 393).

[38:21]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “by the hand of.”