10:24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord – only your flocks and herds will be detained. Even your families 4 may go with you.”
23:13 “Pay attention to do 6 everything I have told you, and do not even mention 7 the names of other gods – do not let them be heard on your lips. 8
34:19 “Every firstborn of the womb 9 belongs to me, even every firstborn 10 of your cattle that is a male, 11 whether ox or sheep.
34:21 “On six days 12 you may labor, but on the seventh day you must rest; 13 even at the time of plowing and of harvest 14 you are to rest. 15
1 tn Heb “[they] are saying to us,” the line can be rendered as a passive since there is no expressed subject for the participle.
2 tn הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the action reflected in the passive participle מֻכִּים (mukkim): “look, your servants are being beaten.”
3 tn The word rendered “fault” is the basic OT verb for “sin” – וְחָטָאת (vÿkhata’t). The problem is that it is pointed as a perfect tense, feminine singular verb. Some other form of the verb would be expected, or a noun. But the basic word-group means “to err, sin, miss the mark, way, goal.” The word in this context seems to indicate that the people of Pharaoh – the slave masters – have failed to provide the straw. Hence: “fault” or “they failed.” But, as indicated, the line has difficult grammar, for it would literally translate: “and you [fem.] sin your people.” Many commentators (so GKC 206 §74.g) wish to emend the text to read with the Greek and the Syriac, thus: “you sin against your own people” (meaning the Israelites are his loyal subjects).
4 tn Or “dependents.” The term is often translated “your little ones,” but as mentioned before (10:10), this expression in these passages takes in women and children and other dependents. Pharaoh will now let all the people go, but he intends to detain the cattle to secure their return.
5 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.
6 tn The phrase “to do” is added; in Hebrew word order the line says, “In all that I have said to you you will watch yourselves.” The verb for paying attention is a Niphal imperfect with an imperatival force.
7 tn Or “honor,” Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar). See also Exod 20:25; Josh 23:7; Isa 26:13.
8 tn Heb “mouth.”
sn See also Ps 16:4, where David affirms his loyalty to God with this expression.
9 tn Heb “everything that opens the womb.”
10 tn Here too: everything that “opens [the womb].”
11 tn The verb basically means “that drops a male.” The verb is feminine, referring to the cattle.
12 tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.
13 tn Or “cease” (i.e., from the labors).
14 sn See M. Dahood, “Vocative lamed in Exodus 2,4 and Merismus in 34,21,” Bib 62 (1981): 413-15.
15 tn The imperfect tense expresses injunction or instruction.