12:33 The Egyptians were urging 3 the people on, in order to send them out of the land quickly, 4 for they were saying, “We are all dead!”
1 tn The text has two imperatives, “Go, return”; if these are interpreted as a hendiadys (as in the translation), then the second is adverbial.
2 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
3 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.
4 tn The phrase uses two construct infinitives in a hendiadys, the first infinitive becoming the modifier.
5 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.
6 tn Heb “the hand,” with “hand” being a metonymy for power.
7 tn The participle “dead” is singular, agreeing in form with “Egypt.”
8 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.
9 tn Heb “silver.”
10 tn Here the term “animal” has been supplied.