Exodus 18:11

18:11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them.”

Exodus 18:20

18:20 warn them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

Exodus 36:5

36:5 and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than is needed for the completion of the work which the Lord commanded us to do!”

Exodus 38:7

38:7 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made the altar hollow, out of boards.


tn The end of this sentence seems not to have been finished, or it is very elliptical. In the present translation the phrase “he has destroyed them” is supplied. Others take the last prepositional phrase to be the completion and supply only a verb: “[he was] above them.” U. Cassuto (Exodus, 216) takes the word “gods” to be the subject of the verb “act proudly,” giving the sense of “precisely (כִּי, ki) in respect of these things of which the gods of Egypt boasted – He is greater than they (עֲלֵיהֶם, ‘alehem).” He suggests rendering the clause, “excelling them in the very things to which they laid claim.”

tn The perfect tense with the vav (ו) continues the sequence of instruction for Moses. He alone was to be the mediator, to guide them in the religious and moral instruction.

tn The verb and its following prepositional phrase form a relative clause, modifying “the way.” The imperfect tense should be given the nuance of obligatory imperfect – it is the way they must walk.

tn This last part is parallel to the preceding: “work” is also a direct object of the verb “make known,” and the relative clause that qualifies it also uses an obligatory imperfect.

tn The construction uses the verbal hendiadys: מַרְבִּים לְהָבִיא (marbim lÿhavi’) is the Hiphil participle followed (after the subject) by the Hiphil infinitive construct. It would read, “they multiply…to bring,” meaning, “they bring more” than is needed.

tn Heb “for the service” (so KJV, ASV).

tn The last clause is merely the infinitive with an object – “to do it.” It clearly means the skilled workers are to do it.

tn Heb “it”; the referent (the altar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.