Discovery BoxExodus 1:10 
Context1:10 Come, let’s deal wisely 1 with them. Otherwise 2 they will continue to multiply, 3 and if 4 a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with 5 our enemies and fight against us and leave 6 the country.”
Exodus 12:3
Context12:3 Tell the whole community of Israel, ‘In the tenth day of this month they each 7 must take a lamb 8 for themselves according to their families 9 – a lamb for each household. 10
Exodus 34:15
Context34:15 Be careful 11 not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when 12 they prostitute themselves 13 to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you, 14 you will eat from his sacrifice;
1 tn The verb is the Hitpael cohortative of חָכַם (khakam, “to be wise”). This verb has the idea of acting shrewdly, dealing wisely. The basic idea in the word group is that of skill. So a skillful decision is required to prevent the Israelites from multiplying any more.
sn Pharaoh’s speech invites evaluation. How wise did his plans prove to be?
2 tn The word פֶּן (pen) expresses fear or precaution and can also be translated “lest” or “else” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 75-76, §461).
3 tn The verb can be translated simply “will multiply,” but since Pharaoh has already indicated that he is aware they were doing that, the nuance here must mean to multiply all the more, or to continue to multiply. Cf. NIV “will become even more numerous.”
4 tn The words וְהָיָה כִּי (vÿhayah ki) introduce a conditional clause – “if” (see GKC 335 §112.y).
5 tn Heb “and [lest] he [Israel] also be joined to.”
6 tn Heb “and go up from.” All the verbs coming after the particle פֶּן (pen, “otherwise, lest” in v. 10) have the same force and are therefore parallel. These are the fears of the Egyptians. This explains why a shrewd policy of population control was required. They wanted to keep Israel enslaved; they did not want them to become too numerous and escape.
7 tn Heb “and they will take for them a man a lamb.” This is clearly a distributive, or individualizing, use of “man.”
8 tn The שֶּׂה (seh) is a single head from the flock, or smaller cattle, which would include both sheep and goats.
9 tn Heb “according to the house of their fathers.” The expression “house of the father” is a common expression for a family.
sn The Passover was to be a domestic institution. Each lamb was to be shared by family members.
10 tn Heb “house” (also at the beginning of the following verse).
11 tn The sentence begins simply “lest you make a covenant”; it is undoubtedly a continuation of the imperative introduced earlier, and so that is supplied here.
12 tn The verb is a perfect with a vav consecutive. In the literal form of the sentence, this clause tells what might happen if the people made a covenant with the inhabitants of the land: “Take heed…lest you make a covenant…and then they prostitute themselves…and sacrifice…and invite…and you eat.” The sequence lays out an entire scenario.
13 tn The verb זָנָה (zanah) means “to play the prostitute; to commit whoredom; to be a harlot” or something similar. It is used here and elsewhere in the Bible for departing from pure religion and engaging in pagan religion. The use of the word in this figurative sense is fitting, because the relationship between God and his people is pictured as a marriage, and to be unfaithful to it was a sin. This is also why God is described as a “jealous” or “impassioned” God. The figure may not be merely a metaphorical use, but perhaps a metonymy, since there actually was sexual immorality at the Canaanite altars and poles.
14 tn There is no subject for the verb. It could be rendered “and one invites you,” or it could be made a passive.
