Keluaran 21:12

Personal Injuries

21:12 ¹ “Whoever strikes someone ²  so that he dies ³  must surely be put to death. ⁴ 

Keluaran 21:15

21:15 “Whoever strikes ⁵  his father or his mother must surely be put to death.

Keluaran 21:17

21:17 “Whoever treats his father or his mother disgracefully ⁶  must surely be put to death.

Keluaran 22:19

22:19 “Whoever has sexual relations ⁷  with a beast must surely be put to death.

Keluaran 9:6

9:6 And the Lord did this ⁸  on the next day; ⁹  all ¹⁰  the livestock of the Egyptians ¹¹  died, but of the Israelites’ livestock not one died.

Keluaran 21:35

21:35 If the ox of one man injures the ox of his neighbor so that it dies, then they will sell the live ox and divide its proceeds, ¹²  and they will also divide the dead ox. ¹³ 

Keluaran 4:19

4:19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back ¹⁴  to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” ¹⁵ 

Keluaran 7:18

7:18 Fish ¹⁶  in the Nile will die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable ¹⁷  to drink water from the Nile.”’”

Keluaran 12:33

12:33 The Egyptians were urging ¹⁸  the people on, in order to send them out of the land quickly, ¹⁹  for they were saying, “We are all dead!”

Keluaran 21:20

21:20 “If a man strikes his male servant or his female servant with a staff so that he or she ²⁰  dies as a result of the blow, ²¹  he will surely be punished. ²² 

Keluaran 8:13

8:13 The Lord did as Moses asked ²³  – the ²⁴  frogs died out of the houses, the villages, and the fields.

Keluaran 21:16

21:16 “Whoever kidnaps someone ²⁵  and sells him, ²⁶  or is caught still holding him, ²⁷  must surely be put to death.

Keluaran 21:28

Laws about Animals

21:28 ²⁸ “If an ox ²⁹  gores a man or a woman so that either dies, ³⁰  then the ox must surely ³¹  be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.

Keluaran 16:3

16:3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died ³²  by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by ³³  the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, ³⁴  for you have brought us out into this desert to kill ³⁵  this whole assembly with hunger!”

Keluaran 14:30

14:30 So the Lord saved ³⁶  Israel on that day from the power ³⁷  of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead ³⁸  on the shore of the sea.

Keluaran 22:2

22:2 “If a thief is caught ³⁹  breaking in ⁴⁰  and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him. ⁴¹ 

Keluaran 9:4

9:4 But the Lord will distinguish ⁴²  between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing ⁴³  will die of all that the Israelites have.”’” ⁴⁴ 

Keluaran 7:21

7:21 When the fish ⁴⁵  that were in the Nile died, the Nile began ⁴⁶  to stink, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood ⁴⁷  everywhere in the land of Egypt!

Keluaran 9:7

9:7 Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate, ⁴⁸  and indeed, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ⁴⁹  and he did not release the people.

Keluaran 10:28

10:28 Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me! ⁵⁰  Watch out for yourself! Do not appear before me again, ⁵¹  for when ⁵²  you see my face you will die!”

Keluaran 21:32

21:32 If the ox gores a male servant or a female servant, the owner ⁵³  must pay thirty shekels of silver, ⁵⁴  and the ox must be stoned. ⁵⁵ 

Keluaran 30:21

30:21 they must wash ⁵⁶  their hands and their feet so that they do not die. And this ⁵⁷  will be a perpetual ordinance for them and for their descendants ⁵⁸  throughout their generations.” ⁵⁹ 

Keluaran 19:12

19:12 You must set boundaries ⁶⁰  for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed ⁶¹  to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death!

Keluaran 20:19

20:19 They said to Moses, “You speak ⁶²  to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.”

Keluaran 21:18

21:18 “If men fight, and one strikes his neighbor with a stone or with his fist and he does not die, but must remain in bed, ⁶³ 

Keluaran 28:35

28:35 The robe ⁶⁴  is to be on Aaron as he ministers, ⁶⁵  and his sound will be heard ⁶⁶  when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he leaves, so that he does not die.

Keluaran 21:14

21:14 But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly, ⁶⁷  you will take him even from my altar that he may die.

Keluaran 21:34

21:34 the owner of the pit must repay ⁶⁸  the loss. He must give money ⁶⁹  to its owner, and the dead animal ⁷⁰  will become his.

Keluaran 21:29

21:29 But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned, ⁷¹  and he did not take the necessary precautions, ⁷²  and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.

Keluaran 12:30

12:30 Pharaoh got up ⁷³  in the night, ⁷⁴  along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house ⁷⁵  in which there was not someone dead.

Keluaran 22:10

22:10 If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is hurt ⁷⁶  or is carried away ⁷⁷  without anyone seeing it, ⁷⁸ 

Keluaran 22:14

22:14 “If a man borrows an animal ⁷⁹  from his neighbor, and it is hurt or dies when its owner was not with it, the man who borrowed it ⁸⁰  will surely pay.

Keluaran 31:14

31:14 So you must keep the Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it ⁸¹  must surely be put to death; indeed, ⁸²  if anyone does ⁸³  any ⁸⁴  work on it, then that person will be cut off from among his ⁸⁵  people.

Keluaran 30:20

30:20 When they enter ⁸⁶  the tent of meeting, they must wash with ⁸⁷  water so that they do not die. ⁸⁸  Also, when they approach ⁸⁹  the altar to minister by burning incense ⁹⁰  as an offering made by fire ⁹¹  to the Lord,

Keluaran 35:2

35:2 In six days ⁹²  work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a holy day ⁹³  for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. ⁹⁴  Anyone who does work on it will be put to death.

Keluaran 11:5

11:5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh ⁹⁵  who sits on his throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle.

Keluaran 14:11-12

14:11 and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? ⁹⁶  What in the world ⁹⁷  have you done to us by bringing ⁹⁸  us out of Egypt? 14:12 Isn’t this what we told you ⁹⁹  in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, ¹⁰⁰  because it is better for us to serve ¹⁰¹  the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’” ¹⁰² 

Keluaran 21:36

21:36 Or if it is known that the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner did not take the necessary precautions, he must surely pay ¹⁰³  ox for ox, and the dead animal will become his. ¹⁰⁴ 

Keluaran 28:43

28:43 These must be on Aaron and his sons when they enter ¹⁰⁵  to the tent of meeting, or when they approach ¹⁰⁶  the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no iniquity and die. ¹⁰⁷  It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants ¹⁰⁸  after him. ¹⁰⁹ 

Keluaran 31:15

31:15 Six days ¹¹⁰  work may be done, ¹¹¹  but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, ¹¹²  holy to the Lord; anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

Keluaran 17:3

17:3 But the people were very thirsty ¹¹³  there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world ¹¹⁴  did you bring us up out of Egypt – to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” ¹¹⁵ 

Keluaran 22:31

22:31 “You will be holy ¹¹⁶  people to me; you must not eat any meat torn by animals in the field. ¹¹⁷  You must throw it to the dogs.

Keluaran 1:6

1:6 and in time ¹¹⁸  Joseph ¹¹⁹  and his brothers and all that generation died.

Keluaran 32:28

32:28 The Levites did what Moses ordered, ¹²⁰  and that day about three thousand men of the people died. ¹²¹ 

Keluaran 22:18

22:18 “You must not allow a sorceress to live. ¹²² 

Keluaran 21:23

21:23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life,

Keluaran 22:20

22:20 “Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the Lord ¹²³  alone must be utterly destroyed. ¹²⁴ 

Keluaran 9:19

9:19 So now, send instructions ¹²⁵  to gather ¹²⁶  your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person ¹²⁷  or animal caught ¹²⁸  in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”’”

Keluaran 19:13

19:13 No hand will touch him ¹²⁹  – but he will surely be stoned or shot through, whether a beast or a human being; ¹³⁰  he must not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast they may ¹³¹  go up on the mountain.”

Keluaran 23:7

23:7 Keep your distance ¹³²  from a false charge ¹³³  – do not kill the innocent and the righteous, ¹³⁴  for I will not justify the wicked. ¹³⁵ 

Keluaran 14:28

14:28 The water returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh that was coming after the Israelites into the sea ¹³⁶  – not so much as one of them survived! ¹³⁷ 

Keluaran 19:21

19:21 The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and solemnly warn ¹³⁸  the people, lest they force their way through to the Lord to look, and many of them perish. ¹³⁹ 

Keluaran 21:13

21:13 But if he does not do it with premeditation, ¹⁴⁰  but it happens by accident, ¹⁴¹  then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

Keluaran 15:24

15:24 So the people murmured ¹⁴²  against Moses, saying, “What can ¹⁴³  we drink?”

Keluaran 21:30

21:30 If a ransom is set for him, ¹⁴⁴  then he must pay the redemption for his life according to whatever amount was set for him.

Keluaran 8:15

8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, ¹⁴⁵  he hardened ¹⁴⁶  his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted. ¹⁴⁷ 

Keluaran 11:6

11:6 There will be a great cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as there has never been, ¹⁴⁸  nor ever will be again. ¹⁴⁹ 

Keluaran 15:4

15:4 The chariots of Pharaoh ¹⁵⁰  and his army he has thrown into the sea,

and his chosen ¹⁵¹  officers were drowned ¹⁵²  in the Red Sea.

Keluaran 21:21

21:21 However, if the injured servant ¹⁵³  survives one or two days, the owner ¹⁵⁴  will not be punished, for he has suffered the loss. ¹⁵⁵ 

Keluaran 2:23

The Call of the Deliverer

2:23 ¹⁵⁶ During ¹⁵⁷  that long period of time ¹⁵⁸  the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites ¹⁵⁹  groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry ¹⁶⁰  because of their slave labor went up to God.

Keluaran 9:3

9:3 then the hand of the Lord will surely bring ¹⁶¹  a very terrible plague ¹⁶²  on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, ¹⁶³  the herds, and the flocks.

Keluaran 10:17

10:17 So now, forgive my sin this time only, and pray to the Lord your God that he would only ¹⁶⁴  take this death ¹⁶⁵  away from me.”

Keluaran 11:7

11:7 But against any of the Israelites not even a dog will bark ¹⁶⁶  against either people or animals, ¹⁶⁷  so that you may know that the Lord distinguishes ¹⁶⁸  between Egypt and Israel.’

Keluaran 2:15

2:15 When Pharaoh heard ¹⁶⁹  about this event, ¹⁷⁰  he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled ¹⁷¹  from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, ¹⁷²  and he settled ¹⁷³  by a certain well. ¹⁷⁴ 

Keluaran 8:9

8:9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me ¹⁷⁵  – when shall I pray for you, your servants, and your people, for the frogs to be removed ¹⁷⁶  from you and your houses, so that ¹⁷⁷  they will be left ¹⁷⁸  only in the Nile?”

Keluaran 8:26

8:26 But Moses said, “That would not be the right thing to do, ¹⁷⁹  for the sacrifices we make ¹⁸⁰  to the Lord our God would be an abomination ¹⁸¹  to the Egyptians. ¹⁸²  If we make sacrifices that are an abomination to the Egyptians right before their eyes, ¹⁸³  will they not stone us? ¹⁸⁴ 

Keluaran 21:22

21:22 “If men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, ¹⁸⁵  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. ¹⁸⁶ 

[21:12]  ¹ sn The underlying point of this section remains vital today: The people of God must treat all human life as sacred.

[21:12]  ² tn The construction uses a Hiphil participle in construct with the noun for “man” (or person as is understood in a law for the nation): “the one striking [of] a man.” This is a casus pendens (independent nominative absolute); it indicates the condition or action that involves further consequence (GKC 361 §116.w).

[21:12]  ³ tn The Hebrew word וָמֵת (vamet) is a Qal perfect with vav consecutive; it means “and he dies” and not “and killed him” (which require another stem). Gesenius notes that this form after a participle is the equivalent of a sentence representing a contingent action (GKC 333 §112.n). The word shows the result of the action in the opening participle. It is therefore a case of murder or manslaughter.

[21:12]  ⁴ sn See A. Phillips, “Another Look at Murder,” JJS 28 (1977): 105-26.

[21:15]  ⁵ sn This is the same construction that was used in v. 12, but here there is no mention of the parents’ death. This attack, then, does not lead to their death – if he killed one of them then v. 12 would be the law. S. R. Driver says that the severity of the penalty was in accord with the high view of parents (Exodus, 216).

[21:17]  ⁶ tn The form is a Piel participle from קָלַל (qalal), meaning in Qal “be light,” in Piel “treat lightly, curse, revile, declare contemptible, treat shamefully.” (See its use in Lev 19:14; Josh 24:9; Judg 9:26-28; 1 Sam 3:13; 17:43; 2 Sam 16:5-13; Prov 30:10-11; Eccl 7:21-22; 10:20.) It is opposite of “honor” (כָּבֵד, kaved; Qal “be heavy”; Piel “honor,” as in 20:12) and of “bless.” This verse then could refer to any act contrary to the commandment to honor the parents. B. Jacob (Exodus, 640) cites parallels in Sumerian where people were severely punished for publicly disowning their parents. “21:15, 17 taken together evoke the picture of parents who, physically and verbally, are forcibly turned out of the house (cf. Prov. 19:26)” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:148).

[22:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “lies with.”

[9:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “this thing.”

[9:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “on the morrow.”

[9:6]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Heb “of Egypt.” The place is put by metonymy for the inhabitants.

[21:35]  ¹² tn Literally “its silver” or “silver for it.”

[21:35]  ¹³ tn Heb “divide the dead.” The noun “ox” has been supplied.

[4:19]  ¹⁴ tn The text has two imperatives, “Go, return”; if these are interpreted as a hendiadys (as in the translation), then the second is adverbial.

[4:19]  ¹⁵ sn The text clearly stated that Pharaoh sought to kill Moses; so this seems to be a reference to Pharaoh’s death shortly before Moses’ return. Moses was forty years in Midian. In the 18th dynasty, only Pharaoh Thutmose III had a reign of the right length (1504-1450 b.c.) to fit this period of Moses’ life. This would place Moses’ returning to Egypt near 1450 b.c., in the beginning of the reign of Amenhotep II, whom most conservatives identify as the pharaoh of the exodus. Rameses II, of course, had a very long reign (1304-1236). But if he were the one from whom Moses fled, then he could not be the pharaoh of the exodus, but his son would be – and that puts the date of the exodus after 1236, a date too late for anyone. See E. H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, 62.

[7:18]  ¹⁶ tn The definite article here has the generic use, indicating the class – “fish” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §92).

[7:18]  ¹⁷ tn The verb לָאָה (la’a), here in the Niphal perfect with a vav consecutive, means “be weary, impatient.” The Niphal meaning is “make oneself weary” in doing something, or “weary (strenuously exert) oneself.” It seems always to indicate exhausted patience (see BDB 521 s.v.). The term seems to imply that the Egyptians were not able to drink the red, contaminated water, and so would expend all their energy looking for water to drink – in frustration of course.

[12:33]  ¹⁸ tn The verb used here (חָזַק, khazaq) is the same verb used for Pharaoh’s heart being hardened. It conveys the idea of their being resolved or insistent in this – they were not going to change.

[12:33]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase uses two construct infinitives in a hendiadys, the first infinitive becoming the modifier.

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

[21:20]  ²¹ tn Heb “under his hand.”

[21:20]  ²² tn Heb “will be avenged” (how is not specified).

[8:13]  ²³ tn Heb “according to the word of Moses” (so KJV, NASB). Just as Moses had told Pharaoh “according to your word” (v. 10), now the Lord does “according to the word” of Moses.

[8:13]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and the frogs died.”

[21:16]  ²⁵ tn Heb “a stealer of a man,” thus “anyone stealing a man.”

[21:16]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Literally “and he is found in his hand” (KJV and ASV both similar), being not yet sold.

[21:28]  ²⁸ sn The point that this section of the laws makes is that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling the circumstances.

[21:28]  ²⁹ tn Traditionally “ox,” but “bull” would also be suitable. The term may refer to one of any variety of large cattle.

[21:28]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and he dies”; KJV “that they die”; NAB, NASB “to death.”

[21:28]  ³¹ tn The text uses סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל (saqol yissaqel), a Qal infinitive absolute with a Niphal imperfect. The infinitive intensifies the imperfect, which here has an obligatory nuance or is a future of instruction.

[16:3]  ³² tn The text reads: מִי־יִתֵּן מוּתֵנוּ (mi-yitten mutenu, “who will give our dying”) meaning “If only we had died.” מוּתֵנוּ is the Qal infinitive construct with the suffix. This is one way that Hebrew expresses the optative with an infinitive construct. See R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 91-92, §547.

[16:3]  ³³ tn The form is a Qal infinitive construct used in a temporal clause, and the verb “when we ate” has the same structure.

[16:3]  ³⁴ sn That the complaint leading up to the manna is unjustified can be seen from the record itself. They left Egypt with flocks and herds and very much cattle, and about 45 days later they are complaining that they are without food. Moses reminded them later that they lacked nothing (Deut 3:7; for the whole sermon on this passage, see 8:1-20). Moreover, the complaint is absurd because the food of work gangs was far more meager than they recall. The complaint was really against Moses. They crave the eating of meat and of bread and so God will meet that need; he will send bread from heaven and quail as well.

[16:3]  ³⁵ tn לְהָמִית (lÿhamit) is the Hiphil infinitive construct showing purpose. The people do not trust the intentions or the plan of their leaders and charge Moses with bringing everyone out to kill them.

[14:30]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew term וַיּוֹשַׁע (vayyosha’) is the key summation of the chapter, and this part of the book: “So Yahweh saved Israel.” This is the culmination of all the powerful works of God through these chapters.

[14:30]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the hand,” with “hand” being a metonymy for power.

[14:30]  ³⁸ tn The participle “dead” is singular, agreeing in form with “Egypt.”

[22:2]  ³⁹ tn Heb “found” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

[22:2]  ⁴⁰ tn The word בַּמַּחְתֶּרֶת (bammakhteret) means “digging through” the walls of a house (usually made of mud bricks). The verb is used only a few times and has the meaning of dig in (as into houses) or row hard (as in Jonah 1:13).

[22:2]  ⁴¹ tn The text has “there is not to him bloods.” When the word “blood” is put in the plural, it refers to bloodshed, or the price of blood that is shed, i.e., blood guiltiness.

[22:2]  sn This law focuses on what is reasonable defense against burglary. If someone killed a thief who was breaking in during the night, he was not charged because he would not have known it was just a thief, but if it happened during the day, he was guilty of a crime, on the assumption that in daylight the thief posed no threat to the homeowner’s life and could be stopped and made to pay restitution.

[9:4]  ⁴² tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 11:7; 33:16.

[9:4]  ⁴³ tn There is a wordplay in this section. A pestilence – דֶּבֶר (dever) – will fall on Egypt’s cattle, but no thing – דָּבָר (davar) – belonging to Israel would die. It was perhaps for this reason that the verb was changed in v. 1 from “say” to “speak” (דִּבֶּר, dibber). See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 111.

[9:4]  ⁴⁴ tn The lamed preposition indicates possession: “all that was to the Israelites” means “all that the Israelites had.”

[7:21]  ⁴⁵ tn The first clause in this verse begins with a vav disjunctive, introducing a circumstantial clause to the statement that the water stank. The vav (ו) consecutive on the next verb shows that the smell was the result of the dead fish in the contaminated water. The result is then expressed with the vav beginning the clause that states that they could not drink it.

[7:21]  ⁴⁶ tn The preterite could be given a simple definite past translation, but an ingressive past would be more likely, as the smell would get worse and worse with the dead fish.

[7:21]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and there was blood.”

[9:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “Pharaoh sent.” The phrase “representatives to investigate” is implied in the context.

[9:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and the heart of Pharaoh was hardened.” This phrase translates the Hebrew word כָּבֵד (kaved; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53). In context this represents the continuation of a prior condition.

[10:28]  ⁵⁰ tn The expression is לֵךְ מֵעָלָי (lekh me’alay, “go from on me”) with the adversative use of the preposition, meaning from being a trouble or a burden to me (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 84; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 51, §288).

[10:28]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “add to see my face.” The construction uses a verbal hendiadys: “do not add to see” (אַל־תֹּסֶף רְאוֹת, ’al-toseph rÿ’ot), meaning “do not see again.” The phrase “see my face” means “come before me” or “appear before me.”

[10:28]  ⁵² tn The construction is בְּיוֹם רְאֹתְךָ (bÿyom rÿ’otÿkha), an adverbial clause of time made up of the prepositional phrase, the infinitive construct, and the suffixed subjective genitive. “In the day of your seeing” is “when you see.”

[21:32]  ⁵³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:32]  ⁵⁴ sn A shekel was a unit for measure by means of a scale. Both the weight and the value of a shekel of silver are hard to determine. “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181). Over four hundred years earlier, Joseph was sold into Egypt for 20 shekels. The free Israelite citizen was worth about 50 shekels (Lev 27:3f.).

[21:32]  ⁵⁵ sn See further B. S. Jackson, “The Goring Ox Again [Ex. 21,28-36],” JJP 18 (1974): 55-94.

[30:21]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and [then] they will wash.”

[30:21]  ⁵⁷ tn The verb is “it will be.”

[30:21]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “for his seed.”

[30:21]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “for generations to come”; it literally is “to their generations.”

[30:21]  sn The symbolic meaning of washing has been taught throughout the ages. This was a practical matter of cleaning hands and feet, but it was also symbolic of purification before Yahweh. It was an outward sign of inner spiritual cleansing, or forgiveness. Jesus washed the disciples feet (Jn 13) to show this same teaching; he asked the disciples if they knew what he had done (so it was more than washing feet). In this passage the theological points for the outline would be these: I. God provides the means of cleansing; II. Cleansing is a prerequisite for participating in the worship, and III. (Believers) priests must regularly appropriate God’s provision of cleansing.

[19:12]  ⁶⁰ tn The verb is a Hiphil perfect (“make borders”) with vav (ו) consecutive, following the sequence of instructions.

[19:12]  ⁶¹ 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.

[20:19]  ⁶² tn The verb is a Piel imperative. In this context it has more of the sense of a request than a command. The independent personal pronoun “you” emphasizes the subject and forms the contrast with God’s speaking.

[21:18]  ⁶³ tn Heb “falls to bed.”

[28:35]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the robe) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:35]  ⁶⁵ tn The form is a Piel infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition: “to minister” or “to serve.” It may be taken epexegetically here, “while serving,” although S. R. Driver takes it as a purpose, “in order that he may minister” (Exodus, 308). The point then would be that he dare not enter into the Holy Place without wearing it.

[28:35]  ⁶⁶ sn God would hear the bells and be reminded that this priest was in his presence representing the nation and that the priest had followed the rules of the sanctuary by wearing the appropriate robes with their attachments.

[21:14]  ⁶⁷ 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.

[21:34]  ⁶⁸ tn The verb is a Piel imperfect from שָׁלַם (shalam); it has the idea of making payment in full, making recompense, repaying. These imperfects could be given a future tense translation as imperfects of instruction, but in the property cases an obligatory imperfect fits better – this is what he is bound or obliged to do – what he must do.

[21:34]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “silver.”

[21:34]  ⁷⁰ tn Here the term “animal” has been supplied.

[21:29]  ⁷¹ tn The Hophal perfect has the idea of “attested, testified against.”

[21:29]  ⁷² tn Heb “he was not keeping it” or perhaps guarding or watching it (referring to the ox).

[12:30]  ⁷³ tn Heb “arose,” the verb קוּם (qum) in this context certainly must describe a less ceremonial act. The entire country woke up in terror because of the deaths.

[12:30]  ⁷⁴ tn The noun is an adverbial accusative of time – “in the night” or “at night.”

[12:30]  ⁷⁵ sn Or so it seemed. One need not push this description to complete literalness. The reference would be limited to houses that actually had firstborn people or animals. In a society in which households might include more than one generation of humans and animals, however, the presence of a firstborn human or animal would be the rule rather than the exception.

[22:10]  ⁷⁶ tn The form is a Niphal participle from the verb “to break” – “is broken,” which means harmed, maimed, or hurt in any way.

[22:10]  ⁷⁷ tn This verb is frequently used with the meaning “to take captive.” The idea here then is that raiders or robbers have carried off the animal.

[22:10]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “there is no one seeing.”

[22:14]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “if a man asks [an animal] from his neighbor” (see also Exod 12:36). The ruling here implies an animal is borrowed, and if harm comes to it when the owner is not with it, the borrower is liable. The word “animal” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[22:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man who borrowed the animal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:14]  ⁸¹ tn This clause is all from one word, a Piel plural participle with a third, feminine suffix: מְחַלְלֶיהָ (mÿkhalleha, “defilers of it”). This form serves as the subject of the sentence. The word חָלַל (khalal) is the antonym of קָדַשׁ (qadash, “to be holy”). It means “common, profane,” and in the Piel stem “make common, profane” or “defile.” Treating the Sabbath like an ordinary day would profane it, make it common.

[31:14]  ⁸² tn This is the asseverative use of כִּי (ki) meaning “surely, indeed,” for it restates the point just made (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449).

[31:14]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the one who does.”

[31:14]  ⁸⁴ tn “any” has been supplied.

[31:14]  ⁸⁵ tn Literally “her” (a feminine pronoun agreeing with “soul/life,” which is grammatically feminine).

[30:20]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ 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]  ⁸⁸ 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]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹ 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).

[35:2]  ⁹² tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[35:2]  ⁹³ tn The word is קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness”). S. R. Driver suggests that the word was transposed, and the line should read: “a sabbath of entire rest, holy to Jehovah” (Exodus, 379). But the word may simply be taken as a substitution for “holy day.”

[35:2]  ⁹⁴ sn See on this H. Routtenberg, “The Laws of the Sabbath: Biblical Sources,” Dor le Dor 6 (1977): 41-43, 99-101, 153-55, 204-6; G. Robinson, “The Idea of Rest in the Old Testament and the Search for the Basic Character of Sabbath,” ZAW 92 (1980): 32-43.

[11:5]  ⁹⁵ sn The firstborn in Egyptian and Israelite cultures was significant, but the firstborn of Pharaoh was most important. Pharaoh was considered a god, the son of Re, the sun god, for the specific purpose of ruling over Re’s chief concern, the land of Egypt. For the purpose of re-creation, the supreme god assumed the form of the living king and gave seed which was to become the next king and the next “son of Re.” Moreover, the Pharaoh was the incarnation of the god Horus, a falcon god whose province was the heavens. Horus represented the living king who succeeded the dead king Osiris. Every living king was Horus, every dead king Osiris (see J. A. Wilson, “Egypt,” Before Philosophy, 83-84). To strike any firstborn was to destroy the heir, who embodied the hopes and aspirations of the Egyptians, but to strike the firstborn son of Pharaoh was to destroy this cardinal doctrine of the divine kingship of Egypt. Such a blow would be enough for Pharaoh, for then he would drive the Israelites out.

[14:11]  ⁹⁶ sn B. Jacob (Exodus, 396-97) notes how the speech is overly dramatic and came from a people given to using such exaggerations (Num 16:14), even using a double negative. The challenge to Moses brings a double irony. To die in the desert would be without proper burial, but in Egypt there were graves – it was a land of tombs and graves! Gesenius notes that two negatives in the sentence do not nullify each other but make the sentence all the more emphatic: “Is it because there were no graves…?” (GKC 483 §152.y).

[14:11]  ⁹⁷ tn The demonstrative pronoun has the enclitic use again, giving a special emphasis to the question (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[14:11]  ⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew term לְהוֹצִּיאָנוּ (lÿhotsi’anu) is the Hiphil infinitive construct with a suffix, “to bring us out.” It is used epexegetically here, explaining the previous question.

[14:12]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Is not this the word that we spoke to you.”

[14:12]  ¹⁰⁰ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 164) explains this statement by the people as follows: “The question appears surprising at first, for we have not read previously that such words were spoken to Moses. Nor is the purport of the protest of the Israelite foremen (v 21 [5:21]) identical with that of the words uttered now. However, from a psychological standpoint the matter can be easily explained. In the hour of peril the children of Israel remember that remonstrance, and now it seems to them that it was of a sharper character and flowed from their foresight, and that the present situation justifies it, for death awaits them at this moment in the desert.” This declaration that “we told you so,” born of fright, need not have been strictly accurate or logical.

[14:12]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “better for us to serve.”

[14:12]  ¹⁰² tn Since Hebrew does not use quotation marks to indicate the boundaries of quotations, there is uncertainty about whether the Israelites’ statement in Egypt includes the end of v. 12 or consists solely of “leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians.” In either case, the command to Moses to leave them alone rested on the assumption, spoken or unspoken, that serving Egypt would be less risky than what Moses was proposing. Now with the Egyptian army on the horizon, the Israelites are sure that their worst predictions are about to take place.

[21:36]  ¹⁰³ tn The construction now uses the same Piel imperfect (v. 34) but adds the infinitive absolute to it for emphasis.

[21:36]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The point of this section (21:28-36) seems to be that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling one’s property and possessions. This section pertained to neglect with animals, but the message would have applied to similar situations. The people of God were to take heed to ensure the well-being of others, and if there was a problem, it had to be made right.

[28:43]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The construction for this temporal clause is the infinitive construct with the temporal preposition bet (ב) and the suffixed subjective genitive.

[28:43]  ¹⁰⁶ tn This construction is also the temporal clause with the infinitive construct and the temporal preposition bet (ב) and the suffixed subjective genitive.

[28:43]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The text has וְלאֹ־יִשְׂאוּ עָוֹן וָמֵתוּ (vÿlo’-yis’u ’avon vametu). The imperfect tense here introduces a final clause, yielding a purpose or result translation (“in order that” or “so that”). The last verb is the perfect tense with the vav consecutive, and so it too is equal to a final imperfect – but it would show the result of bearing the iniquity. The idea is that if they approached the holy things with a lack of modesty, perhaps like the pagans who have nakedness and sexuality as part of the religious ritual, they would pollute the holy things, and it would be reckoned to them for iniquity and they would die.

[28:43]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “seed.”

[28:43]  ¹⁰⁹ sn So the priests were to make intercession for the people, give decisions from God’s revealed will, enter his presence in purity, and represent holiness to Yahweh. The clothing of the priests provided for these functions, but in a way that brought honor and dignity. A priest was, therefore, to serve in purity, holiness, and fear (Malachi). There is much that can be derived from this chapter to form principles of spiritual leadership, but the overall point can be worded this way: Those whom God selects to minister to the congregation through intercessory prayer, divine counsel, and sacrificial worship, must always represent the holiness of Yahweh in their activities and demeanor.

[31:15]  ¹¹⁰ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time, indicating that work may be done for six days out of the week.

[31:15]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² 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.

[17:3]  ¹¹³ tn The verbs and the pronouns in this verse are in the singular because “the people” is singular in form.

[17:3]  ¹¹⁴ tn The demonstrative pronoun is used as the enclitic form for special emphasis in the question; it literally says, “why is this you have brought us up?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[17:3]  ¹¹⁵ sn Their words deny God the credit for bringing them out of Egypt, impugn the integrity of Moses and God by accusing them of bringing the people out here to die, and show a lack of faith in God’s ability to provide for them.

[22:31]  ¹¹⁶ sn The use of this word here has to do with the laws of the sanctuary and not some advanced view of holiness. The ritual holiness at the sanctuary would prohibit eating anything torn to pieces.

[22:31]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “by wild animals.”

[1:6]  ¹¹⁸ tn The text simply uses the vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite, “and Joseph died.” While this construction shows sequence with the preceding verse, it does not require that the death follow directly the report of that verse. In fact, readers know from the record in Genesis that the death of Joseph occurred after a good number of years. The statement assumes the passage of time in the natural course of events.

[1:6]  ¹¹⁹ tn The verse has a singular verb, “and Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.” Typical of Hebrew style the verb need only agree with the first of a compound subject.

[1:6]  sn Since the deaths of “Joseph and his brothers and all that generation” were common knowledge, their mention must serve some rhetorical purpose. In contrast to the flourishing of Israel, there is death. This theme will appear again: In spite of death in Egypt, the nation flourishes.

[32:28]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “did according to the word of Moses.”

[32:28]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “fell.”

[22:18]  ¹²² sn There still were many who wished to follow pagan beliefs and consort with the dead (see Deut 18:10-11). The sorceress was someone who dealt with drugs or herbs for occult purposes.

[22:20]  ¹²³ tn Heb “not to Yahweh.”

[22:20]  ¹²⁴ tn The verb חָרַם (kharam) means “to be devoted” to God or “to be banned.” The idea is that it would be God’s to do with as he liked. What was put under the ban was for God alone, either for his service or for his judgment. But it was out of human control. Here the verb is saying that the person will be utterly destroyed.

[9:19]  ¹²⁵ tn The object “instructions” is implied in the context.

[9:19]  ¹²⁶ tn הָעֵז (ha’ez) is the Hiphil imperative from עוּז (’uz, “to bring into safety” or “to secure”). Although there is no vav (ו) linking the two imperatives, the second could be subordinated by virtue of the meanings. “Send to bring to safety.”

[9:19]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “man, human.”

[9:19]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “[who] may be found.” The verb can be the imperfect of possibility.

[19:13]  ¹²⁹ sn There is some ambiguity here. The clause either means that no man will touch the mountain, so that if there is someone who is to be put to death he must be stoned or shot since they could not go into the mountain region to get him, or, it may mean no one is to touch the culprit who went in to the region of the mountain.

[19:13]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “a man.”

[19:13]  ¹³¹ tn The nuance here is permissive imperfect, “they may go up.” The ram’s horn would sound the blast to announce that the revelation period was over and it was permitted then to ascend the mountain.

[23:7]  ¹³² tn Or “stay away from,” or “have nothing to do with.”

[23:7]  ¹³³ tn Heb “a false matter,” this expression in this context would have to be a case in law that was false or that could only be won by falsehood.

[23:7]  ¹³⁴ tn The two clauses probably should be related: the getting involved in the false charge could lead to the death of an innocent person (so, e.g., Naboth in 1 Kgs 21:10-13).

[23:7]  ¹³⁵ sn God will not declare right the one who is in the wrong. Society should also be consistent, but it cannot see the intents and motives, as God can.

[14:28]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “that was coming after them into the sea.” The referent of “them” (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:28]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “not was left among them as much as one.”

[19:21]  ¹³⁸ 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]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “and fall”; NAB “be struck down.”

[21:13]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “if he does not lie in wait” (NASB similar).

[21:13]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and God brought into his hand.” The death is unintended, its circumstances outside human control.

[15:24]  ¹⁴² tn The verb וַיִּלֹנוּ (vayyillonu) from לוּן (lun) is a much stronger word than “to grumble” or “to complain.” It is used almost exclusively in the wilderness wandering stories, to describe the rebellion of the Israelites against God (see also Ps 59:14-15). They were not merely complaining – they were questioning God’s abilities and motives. The action is something like a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

[15:24]  ¹⁴³ tn The imperfect tense here should be given a potential nuance: “What can we drink?” since the previous verse reports that they were not able to drink the water.

[15:24]  sn It is likely that Moses used words very much like this when he prayed. The difference seems to lie in the prepositions – he cried “to” Yahweh, but the people murmured “against” Moses.

[21:30]  ¹⁴⁴ sn The family of the victim would set the amount for the ransom of the man guilty of criminal neglect. This practice was common in the ancient world, rare in Israel. If the family allowed the substitute price, then the man would be able to redeem his life.

[8:15]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The word רְוָחָה (rÿvakhah) means “respite, relief.” BDB 926 relates it to the verb רָוַח (ravakh, “to be wide, spacious”). There would be relief when there was freedom to move about.

[8:15]  ¹⁴⁶ tn וְהַכְבֵּד (vÿhakhbed) is a Hiphil infinitive absolute, functioning as a finite verb. The meaning of the word is “to make heavy,” and so stubborn, sluggish, indifferent. It summarizes his attitude and the outcome, that he refused to keep his promises.

[8:15]  ¹⁴⁷ sn The end of the plague revealed clearly God’s absolute control over Egypt’s life and deities – all at the power of the man who prayed to God. Yahweh had made life unpleasant for the people by sending the plague, but he was also the one who could remove it. The only recourse anyone has in such trouble is to pray to the sovereign Lord God. Everyone should know that there is no one like Yahweh.

[11:6]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “which like it there has never been.”

[11:6]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and like it it will not add.”

[15:4]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Gesenius notes that the sign of the accusative, often omitted in poetry, is not found in this entire song (GKC 363 §117.b).

[15:4]  ¹⁵¹ tn The word is a substantive, “choice, selection”; it is here used in the construct state to convey an attribute before a partitive genitive – “the choice of his officers” means his “choice officers” (see GKC 417 §128.r).

[15:4]  ¹⁵² tn The form is a Qal passive rather than a Pual, for there is not Piel form or meaning.

[21:21]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “if he”; the referent (the servant struck and injured in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:21]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the owner of the injured servant) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[21:21]  ¹⁵⁵ tn This last clause is a free paraphrase of the Hebrew, “for he is his money” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “his property.” It seems that if the slave survives a couple of days, it is probable that the master was punishing him and not intending to kill him. If he then dies, there is no penalty other than that the owner loses the slave who is his property – he suffers the loss.

[2:23]  ¹⁵⁶ sn The next section of the book is often referred to as the “Call of Moses,” and that is certainly true. But it is much more than that. It is the divine preparation of the servant of God, a servant who already knew what his destiny was. In this section Moses is shown how his destiny will be accomplished. It will be accomplished because the divine presence will guarantee the power, and the promise of that presence comes with the important “I AM” revelation. The message that comes through in this, and other “I will be with you” passages, is that when the promise of God’s presence is correctly appropriated by faith, the servant of God can begin to build confidence for the task that lies ahead. It will no longer be, “Who am I that I should go?” but “I AM with you” that matters. The first little section, 2:23-25, serves as a transition and introduction, for it records the Lord’s response to Israel in her affliction. The second part is the revelation to Moses at the burning bush (3:1-10), which is one of the most significant theological sections in the Torah. Finally, the record of Moses’ response to the call with his objections (3:11-22), makes up the third part, and in a way, is a transition to the next section, where God supplies proof of his power.

[2:23]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator “And it was” (cf. KJV, ASV “And it came to pass”). This has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[2:23]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “in those many days.”

[2:23]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”

[2:23]  ¹⁶⁰ tn “They cried out” is from זָעַק (za’aq), and “desperate cry” is from שַׁוְעָה (shava’h).

[9:3]  ¹⁶¹ tn The form used here is הוֹיָה (hoyah), the Qal active participle, feminine singular, from the verb “to be.” This is the only place in the OT that this form occurs. Ogden shows that this form is appropriate with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) to stress impending divine action, and that it conforms to the pattern in these narratives where five times the participle is used in the threat to Pharaoh (7:17; 8:2; 9:3, 14; 10:4). See G. S. Ogden, “Notes on the Use of הויה in Exodus IX. 3,” VT 17 (1967): 483-84.

[9:3]  ¹⁶² tn The word דֶּבֶר (dever) is usually translated “pestilence” when it applies to diseases for humans. It is used only here and in Ps 78:50 for animals.

[9:3]  ¹⁶³ sn The older view that camels were not domesticated at this time (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 70; W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, 96; et. al.) has been corrected by more recently uncovered information (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 160-61).

[10:17]  ¹⁶⁴ sn Pharaoh’s double emphasis on “only” uses two different words and was meant to deceive. He was trying to give Moses the impression that he had finally come to his senses, and that he would let the people go. But he had no intention of letting them out.

[10:17]  ¹⁶⁵ sn “Death” is a metonymy that names the effect for the cause. If the locusts are left in the land it will be death to everything that grows.

[11:7]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or perhaps “growl”; Heb “not a dog will sharpen his tongue.” The expression is unusual, but it must indicate that not only would no harm come to the Israelites, but that no unfriendly threat would come against them either – not even so much as a dog barking. It is possible this is to be related to the watchdog (see F. C. Fensham, “Remarks on Keret 114^b – 136^a,” JNSL 11 [1983]: 75).

[11:7]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “against man or beast.”

[11:7]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 9:4; 33:16.

[2:15]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The form with the vav consecutive is here subordinated to the main idea that Pharaoh sought to punish Moses.

[2:15]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb הַדָּבָר (haddavar, “the word [thing, matter, incident]”) functions here like a pronoun to refer in brief to what Moses had done.

[2:15]  ¹⁷¹ tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite shows result – as a result of Pharaoh’s search for him, he fled.

[2:15]  ¹⁷² sn The location of Midyan or Midian is uncertain, but it had to have been beyond the Egyptian borders on the east, either in the Sinai or beyond in the Arabah (south of the Dead Sea) or even on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Midianites seem to have traveled extensively in the desert regions. R. A. Cole (Exodus [TOTC], 60) reasons that since they later were enemies of Israel, it is unlikely that these traditions would have been made up about Israel’s great lawgiver; further, he explains that “Ishmaelite” and “Kenite” might have been clan names within the region of Midian. But see, from a different point of view, G. W. Coats, “Moses and Midian,” JBL 92 (1973): 3-10.

[2:15]  ¹⁷³ tn The verb reads “and he sat” or “and he lived.” To translate it “he sat by a well” would seem anticlimactic and unconnected. It probably has the same sense as in the last clause, namely, that he lived in Midian, and he lived near a well, which detail prepares for what follows.

[2:15]  ¹⁷⁴ tn The word has the definite article, “the well.” Gesenius lists this use of the article as that which denotes a thing that is yet unknown to the reader but present in the mind under the circumstances (GKC 407-8 §126.q-r). Where there was a well, people would settle, and as R. A. Cole says it, for people who settled there it was “the well” (Exodus [TOTC], 60).

[8:9]  ¹⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Or “destroyed”; Heb “to cut off the frogs.”

[8:9]  ¹⁷⁷ tn The phrase “so that” is implied.

[8:9]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Or “survive, remain.”

[8:26]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The clause is a little unusual in its formation. The form נָכוֹן (nakhon) is the Niphal participle from כּוּן (kun), which usually means “firm, fixed, steadfast,” but here it has a rare meaning of “right, fitting, appropriate.” It functions in the sentence as the predicate adjective, because the infinitive לַעֲשּׂוֹת (la’asot) is the subject – “to do so is not right.”

[8:26]  ¹⁸⁰ tn This translation has been smoothed out to capture the sense. The text literally says, “for the abomination of Egypt we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God.” In other words, the animals that Israel would sacrifice were sacred to Egypt, and sacrificing them would have been abhorrent to the Egyptians.

[8:26]  ¹⁸¹ tn An “abomination” is something that is off-limits, something that is tabu. It could be translated “detestable” or “loathsome.”

[8:26]  ¹⁸² sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 109) says there are two ways to understand “the abomination of the Egyptians.” One is that the sacrifice of the sacred animals would appear an abominable thing in the eyes of the Egyptians, and the other is that the word “abomination” could be a derogatory term for idols – we sacrifice what is an Egyptian idol. So that is why he says if they did this the Egyptians would stone them.

[8:26]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians [or “of Egypt”] before their eyes.”

[8:26]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The interrogative clause has no particle to indicate it is a question, but it is connected with the conjunction to the preceding clause, and the meaning of these clauses indicate it is a question (GKC 473 §150.a).

[21:22]  ¹⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁶ 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.