Discovery BoxExodus 3:16 
Context3:16 “Go and bring together 1 the elders of Israel and tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, 2 appeared 3 to me – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – saying, “I have attended carefully 4 to you and to what has been done 5 to you in Egypt,
Exodus 9:19
Context9:19 So now, send instructions 6 to gather 7 your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person 8 or animal caught 9 in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”’”
Exodus 10:2
Context10:2 and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell 10 how I made fools 11 of the Egyptians 12 and about 13 my signs that I displayed 14 among them, so that you may know 15 that I am the Lord.”
Exodus 10:15
Context10:15 They covered 16 the surface 17 of all the ground, so that the ground became dark with them, 18 and they ate all the vegetation of the ground and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on the trees or on anything that grew in the fields throughout the whole land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:16
Context12:16 On the first day there will be a holy convocation, 19 and on the seventh day there will be a holy convocation for you. You must do no work of any kind 20 on them, only what every person will eat – that alone may be prepared for you.
Exodus 14:4
Context14:4 I will harden 21 Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them. I will gain honor 22 because of Pharaoh and because of all his army, and the Egyptians will know 23 that I am the Lord.” So this is what they did. 24
Exodus 16:3-4
Context16:3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died 25 by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by 26 the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, 27 for you have brought us out into this desert to kill 28 this whole assembly with hunger!”
16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain 29 bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out 30 and gather the amount for each day, so that I may test them. 31 Will they will walk in my law 32 or not?
Exodus 16:23
Context16:23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a time of cessation from work, 33 a holy Sabbath 34 to the Lord. Whatever you want to 35 bake, bake today; 36 whatever you want to boil, boil today; whatever is left put aside for yourselves to be kept until morning.’”
Exodus 20:11
Context20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Exodus 22:9
Context22:9 In all cases of illegal possessions, 37 whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’ 38 the matter of the two of them will come before the judges, 39 and the one whom 40 the judges declare guilty 41 must repay double to his neighbor.
Exodus 23:31
Context23:31 I will set 42 your boundaries from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River, 43 for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
Exodus 29:22
Context29:22 “You are to take from the ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe 44 of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh – for it is the ram for consecration 45 –
Exodus 32:8
Context32:8 They have quickly turned aside 46 from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”
Exodus 32:13
Context32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants 47 like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about 48 I will give to your descendants, 49 and they will inherit it forever.’”
Exodus 32:27
Context32:27 and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Each man fasten 50 his sword on his side, and go back and forth 51 from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” 52
Exodus 35:35
Context35:35 He has filled them with skill 53 to do all kinds of work 54 as craftsmen, as designers, as embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and in fine linen, and as weavers. They are 55 craftsmen in all the work 56 and artistic designers. 57
1 tn The form is the perfect tense with the sequential vav (ו) linking the nuance to the imperative that precedes it. Since the imperative calls for immediate action, this form either carries the same emphasis, or instructs action that immediately follows it. This applies likewise to “say,” which follows.
2 sn “The God of your fathers” is in simple apposition to the name “the
3 tn The form is the Niphal perfect of the verb “to see.” See the note on “appeared” in 3:2.
4 tn The verb פָּקַד (paqad) has traditionally been rendered “to visit.” This only partially communicates the point of the word. When God “visited” someone, it meant that he intervened in their lives to change their circumstances or their destiny. When he visited the Amalekites, he destroyed them (1 Sam 15:2). When he visited Sarah, he provided the long awaited child (Gen 21:1). It refers to God’s active involvement in human affairs for blessing or for cursing. Here it would mean that God had begun to act to deliver the Israelites from bondage and give them the blessings of the covenant. The form is joined here with the infinitive absolute to underscore the certainty – “I have indeed visited you.” Some translate it “remember”; others say “watch over.” These do not capture the idea of intervention to bless, and often with the idea of vengeance or judgment on the oppressors. If God were to visit what the Egyptians did, he would stop the oppression and also bring retribution for it. The nuance of the perfect tense could be a perfect of resolve (“I have decided to visit”), or an instantaneous perfect ( “I hereby visit”), or a prophetic perfect (“I have visited” = “I will visit”). The infinitive absolute reinforces the statement (so “carefully”), the rendering “attended to” attempts to convey the ideas of personal presence, mental awareness, and action, as when a nurse or physician “attends” a patient.
sn The same word was used in the same kind of construction at the end of Genesis (50:24) when Joseph promised, “God will surely visit you” (but there the imperfect tense with the infinitive absolute). Here is another link to the patriarchal narratives. This work of Moses would be interpreted as a fulfillment of Joseph’s prophecy.
5 tn The second object for the verb is the passive participle הֶעָשׂוּי (he’asuy). To say that God has visited the oppression (or “attended to” it) affirms that God has decided to judge the oppressing people as he blesses Israel.
6 tn The object “instructions” is implied in the context.
7 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.”
8 tn Heb “man, human.”
9 tn Heb “[who] may be found.” The verb can be the imperfect of possibility.
10 tn The expression is unusual: תְּסַפֵּר בְּאָזְנֵי (tÿsapper bÿ’ozne, “[that] you may declare in the ears of”). The clause explains an additional reason for God’s hardening the heart of Pharaoh, namely, so that the Israelites can tell their children of God’s great wonders. The expression is highly poetic and intense – like Ps 44:1, which says, “we have heard with our ears.” The emphasis would be on the clear teaching, orally, from one generation to another.
11 tn The verb הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי (hit’allalti) is a bold anthropomorphism. The word means to occupy oneself at another’s expense, to toy with someone, which may be paraphrased with “mock.” The whole point is that God is shaming and disgracing Egypt, making them look foolish in their arrogance and stubbornness (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:366-67). Some prefer to translate it as “I have dealt ruthlessly” with Egypt (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 123).
12 tn Heb “of Egypt.” The place is put by metonymy for the inhabitants.
13 tn The word “about” is supplied to clarify this as another object of the verb “declare.”
14 tn Heb “put” or “placed.”
15 tn The form is the perfect tense with vav consecutive, וִידַעְתֶּם (vida’tem, “and that you might know”). This provides another purpose for God’s dealings with Egypt in the way that he was doing. The form is equal to the imperfect tense with vav (ו) prefixed; it thus parallels the imperfect that began v. 2 – “that you might tell.”
16 tn Heb “and they covered.”
17 tn Heb “eye,” an unusual expression (see v. 5; Num 22:5, 11).
18 tn The verb is וַתֶּחְשַׁךְ (vattekhshakh, “and it became dark”). The idea is that the ground had the color of the swarms of locusts that covered it.
19 sn This refers to an assembly of the people at the sanctuary for religious purposes. The word “convocation” implies that the people were called together, and Num 10:2 indicates they were called together by trumpets.
20 tn Heb “all/every work will not be done.” The word refers primarily to the work of one’s occupation. B. Jacob (Exodus, 322) explains that since this comes prior to the fuller description of laws for Sabbaths and festivals, the passage simply restricts all work except for the preparation of food. Once the laws are added, this qualification is no longer needed. Gesenius translates this as “no manner of work shall be done” (GKC 478-79 §152.b).
21 tn In this place the verb חָזַק (hazaq) is used; it indicates that God would make Pharaoh’s will strong or firm.
22 tn The form is וְאִכָּבְדָה (vÿ’ikkavÿda), the Niphal cohortative; coming after the perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives expressing the future, this cohortative indicates the purpose of the hardening and chasing. Yahweh intended to gain glory by this final and great victory over the strength of Pharaoh. There is irony in this expression since a different form of the word was used frequently to describe Pharaoh’s hard heart. So judgment will not only destroy the wicked – it will reveal the glory and majesty of the sovereignty of God.
23 tn This is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. But it announces the fulfillment of an long standing purpose – that they might know.
24 tn Heb “and they did so.”
25 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.
26 tn The form is a Qal infinitive construct used in a temporal clause, and the verb “when we ate” has the same structure.
27 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.
28 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.
29 tn The particle הִנְנִי (hinni) before the active participle indicates the imminent future action: “I am about to rain.”
30 tn This verb and the next are the Qal perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives; they follow the sequence of the participle, and so are future in orientation. The force here is instruction – “they will go out” or “they are to go out.”
31 tn The verb in the purpose/result clause is the Piel imperfect of נָסָה (nasah), אֲנַסֶּנוּ (’anassenu) – “in order that I may prove them [him].” The giving of the manna will be a test of their obedience to the detailed instructions of God as well as being a test of their faith in him (if they believe him they will not gather too much). In chap. 17 the people will test God, showing that they do not trust him.
32 sn The word “law” here properly means “direction” at this point (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 146), but their obedience here would indicate also whether or not they would be willing to obey when the Law was given at Sinai.
33 tn The noun שַׁבָּתוֹן (shabbaton) has the abstract ending on it: “resting, ceasing.” The root word means “cease” from something, more than “to rest.” The Law would make it clear that they were to cease from their normal occupations and do no common work.
34 tn The technical expression is now used: שַׁבַּת־קֹדֶשׁ (shabbat-qodesh, “a holy Sabbath”) meaning a “cessation of/for holiness” for Yahweh. The rest was to be characterized by holiness.
35 tn The two verbs in these objective noun clauses are desiderative imperfects – “bake whatever you want to bake.”
36 tn The word “today” is implied from the context.
37 tn Heb “concerning every kind [thing] of trespass.”
38 tn The text simply has “this is it” (הוּא זֶה, hu’ zeh).
39 tn Again, or “God.”
40 tn This kind of clause Gesenius calls an independent relative clause – it does not depend on a governing substantive but itself expresses a substantival idea (GKC 445-46 §138.e).
41 tn The verb means “to be guilty” in Qal; in Hiphil it would have a declarative sense, because a causative sense would not possibly fit.
42 tn The form is a perfect tense with vav consecutive.
43 tn In the Hebrew Bible “the River” usually refers to the Euphrates (cf. NASB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT). There is some thought that it refers to a river Nahr el Kebir between Lebanon and Syria. See further W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:447; and G. W. Buchanan, The Consequences of the Covenant (NovTSup), 91-100.
44 tn S. R. Driver suggests that this is the appendix or an appendix, both here and in v. 13 (Exodus, 320). “The surplus, the appendage of liver, found with cow, sheep, or goat, but not with humans: Lobus caudatus” (HALOT 453 s.v. יֹתֶרֶת).
45 tn Heb “filling.”
46 tn The verb is a perfect tense, reflecting the present perfect nuance: “they have turned aside” and are still disobedient. But the verb is modified with the adverb “quickly” (actually a Piel infinitive absolute). It has been only a matter of weeks since they heard the voice of God prohibiting this.
47 tn Heb “your seed.”
48 tn “about” has been supplied.
49 tn Heb “seed.”
50 tn Heb “put.”
51 tn The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys: “pass over and return,” meaning, “go back and forth” throughout the camp.
52 tn The phrases have “and kill a man his brother, and a man his companion, and a man his neighbor.” The instructions were probably intended to mean that they should kill leaders they knew to be guilty because they had been seen or because they failed the water test – whoever they were.
53 tn The expression “wisdom of heart,” or “wisdom in heart,” means artistic skill. The decisions and plans they make are skilled. The expression forms a second accusative after the verb of filling.
54 tn The expression “all the work” means “all kinds of work.”
55 tn Here “They are” has been supplied.
56 tn Heb “doers of all work.”
57 tn Heb “designers of designs.”
