Keluaran 2:12

2:12 He looked this way and that ¹  and saw that no one was there, ²  and then he attacked ³  the Egyptian and concealed the body ⁴  in the sand.

Keluaran 21:16

21:16 “Whoever kidnaps someone ⁵  and sells him, ⁶  or is caught still holding him, ⁷  must surely be put to death.

Keluaran 21:20

21:20 “If a man strikes his male servant or his female servant with a staff so that he or she ⁸  dies as a result of the blow, ⁹  he will surely be punished. ¹⁰ 

Keluaran 22:23

22:23 If you afflict them ¹¹  in any way ¹²  and they cry to me, I will surely hear ¹³  their cry,

Keluaran 31:15

31:15 Six days ¹⁴  work may be done, ¹⁵  but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, ¹⁶  holy to the Lord; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

[2:12]  ¹ tn The text literally says, “and he turned thus and thus” (וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה, vayyifen koh vakhoh). It may indicate that he turned his gaze in all directions to ascertain that no one would observe what he did. Or, as B. Jacob argues, it may mean that he saw that there was no one to do justice and so he did it himself (Exodus, 37-38, citing Isa 59:15-16).

[2:12]  ² tn Heb “he saw that there was no man.”

[2:12]  ³ sn The verb וַיַּךְ (vayyakh) is from the root נָכָה (nakhah, “to smite, attack”) which is used in v. 11. This new attack is fatal. The repetition of the verb, especially in Exodus, anticipates the idea of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” The problem is, however, that Moses was not authorized to take this matter into his own hands in this way. The question the next day was appropriate: “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” The answer? No one – yet.

[2:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “him”; for stylistic reasons the referent has been specified as “the body.”

[21:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “a stealer of a man,” thus “anyone stealing a man.”

[21:16]  ⁶ sn The implication is that it would be an Israelite citizen who was kidnapped and sold to a foreign tribe or country (like Joseph). There was always a market for slaves. The crime would be in forcibly taking the individual away from his home and religion and putting him into bondage or death.

[21:16]  ⁷ tn Literally “and he is found in his hand” (KJV and ASV both similar), being not yet sold.

[21:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “so that he”; the words “or she” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “under his hand.”

[21:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “will be avenged” (how is not specified).

[22:23]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Here again and with “cry” the infinitive absolute functions with a diminished emphasis (GKC 342-43 §113.o).

[22:23]  ¹³ 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.”

[31:15]  ¹⁴ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time, indicating that work may be done for six days out of the week.

[31:15]  ¹⁵ tn The form is a Niphal imperfect; it has the nuance of permission in this sentence, for the sentence is simply saying that the six days are work days – that is when work may be done.

[31:15]  ¹⁶ tn The expression is שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן (shabbat shabbaton), “a Sabbath of entire rest,” or better, “a sabbath of complete desisting” (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 404). The second noun, the modifying genitive, is an abstract noun. The repetition provides the superlative idea that complete rest is the order of the day.