Discovery BoxExodus 4:18 
Context4:18 1 So Moses went back 2 to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Let me go, so that I may return 3 to my relatives 4 in Egypt and see 5 if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
Exodus 16:23
Context16:23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a time of cessation from work, 6 a holy Sabbath 7 to the Lord. Whatever you want to 8 bake, bake today; 9 whatever you want to boil, boil today; whatever is left put aside for yourselves to be kept until morning.’”
Exodus 33:12
Context33:12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ 10 but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, 11 and also you have found favor in my sight.’
1 sn This last section of the chapter reports Moses’ compliance with the commission. It has four parts: the decision to return (18-20), the instruction (21-23), the confrontation with Yahweh (24-26), and the presentation with Aaron (27-31).
2 tn The two verbs form a verbal hendiadys, the second verb becoming adverbial in the translation: “and he went and he returned” becomes “and he went back.”
3 tn There is a sequence here with the two cohortative forms: אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה (’elÿkhah nna’ vÿ’ashuva) – “let me go in order that I may return.”
4 tn Heb “brothers.”
5 tn This verb is parallel to the preceding cohortative and so also expresses purpose: “let me go that I may return…and that I may see.”
6 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.
7 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.
8 tn The two verbs in these objective noun clauses are desiderative imperfects – “bake whatever you want to bake.”
9 tn The word “today” is implied from the context.
10 tn The Hiphil imperative is from the same verb that has been used before for bringing the people up from Egypt and leading them to Canaan.
11 tn That is, “chosen you.”
