Exodus 8:22
New English Translation
22 But on that day I will mark off[a] the land of Goshen, where my people are staying,[b] so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of this land.[c]
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- Exodus 8:22 tn Or “distinguish.” וְהִפְלֵיתִי (vehifleti) is the Hiphil perfect of פָּלָה (palah). The verb in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” God was going to keep the flies away from Goshen—he was setting that apart. The Greek text assumed that the word was from פָּלֵא (paleʾ), and translated it something like “I will marvelously glorify.”
- Exodus 8:22 tn The relative clause modifies the land of Goshen as the place “in which my people are dwelling.” But the normal word for “dwelling” is not used here. Instead, עֹמֵד (ʿomed) is used, which literally means “standing.” The land on which Israel stood was spared the flies and the hail.
- Exodus 8:22 tn Or “of the earth” (KJV, ASV, NAB).
Exodus 8:23
New English Translation
23 I will put a division[a] between my people and your people. This sign will take place[b] tomorrow.”’”
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- Exodus 8:23 tn The word in the text is פְדֻת (fedut, “redemption”). This would give the sense of making a distinction by redeeming Israel. The editors wish to read פְלֻת (felut) instead—“a separation, distinction” to match the verb in the preceding verse. For another view, see G. I. Davies, “The Hebrew Text of Exodus VIII 19 [English 23]: An Emendation,” VT 24 (1974): 489-92.
- Exodus 8:23 tn Heb “this sign will be tomorrow.”
Exodus 9:4-6
New English Translation
4 But the Lord will distinguish[a] between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing[b] will die of all that the Israelites have.”’”[c]
5 The Lord set[d] an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this[e] in the land.” 6 And the Lord did this[f] on the next day;[g] all[h] the livestock of the Egyptians[i] died, but of the Israelites’ livestock not one died.
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- Exodus 9:4 tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 11:7; 33:16.
- Exodus 9:4 tn There is a wordplay in this section. A pestilence—דֶּבֶר (dever)—will fall on Egypt’s cattle, but no thing—דָּבָר (davar)—belonging to Israel would die. It was perhaps for this reason that the verb was changed in v. 1 from “say” to “speak” (דִּבֶּר, dibber). See U. Cassuto, Exodus, 111.
- Exodus 9:4 tn The ל (lamed) preposition indicates possession: “all that was to the Israelites” means “all that the Israelites had.”
- Exodus 9:5 tn Heb “and Yahweh set.”
- Exodus 9:5 tn Heb “this thing.”
- Exodus 9:6 tn Heb “this thing.”
- Exodus 9:6 tn Heb “on the morrow.”
- Exodus 9:6 tn The word “all” clearly does not mean “all” in the exclusive sense, because subsequent plagues involve cattle. The word must denote such a large number that whatever was left was insignificant for the economy. It could also be taken to mean “all [kinds of] livestock died.”
- Exodus 9:6 tn Heb “of Egypt.” The place is put by metonymy for the inhabitants.
Exodus 9:26
New English Translation
26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.
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Exodus 10:23
New English Translation
23 No one[a] could see[b] another person, and no one could rise from his place for three days. But the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
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- Exodus 10:23 tn Heb “a man…his brother.”
- Exodus 10:23 tn The perfect tense in this context requires the somewhat rare classification of a potential perfect.
Exodus 11:7
New English Translation
7 But against any of the Israelites not even a dog will bark[a] against either people or animals,[b] so that you may know that the Lord distinguishes[c] between Egypt and Israel.’
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- Exodus 11:7 tn Or perhaps “growl”; Heb “not a dog will sharpen his tongue.” The expression is unusual, but it must indicate that not only would no harm come to the Israelites, but that no unfriendly threat would come against them either—not even so much as a dog barking. It is possible this is to be related to the watchdog (see F. C. Fensham, “Remarks on Keret 114b—136a,” JNSL 11 [1983]: 75).
- Exodus 11:7 tn Heb “against man or beast.”
- Exodus 11:7 tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 9:4; 33:16.
Exodus 12:13
New English Translation
13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, so that when I see[a] the blood I will pass over you,[b] and this plague[c] will not fall on you to destroy you[d] when I attack[e] the land of Egypt.[f]
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- Exodus 12:13 tn Both of the verbs for seeing and passing over are perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutives: וּפָסַחְתִּי…וְרָאִיתִי (veraʾiti…ufasakhti); the first of these parallel verb forms is subordinated to the second as a temporal clause. See Gesenius’s description of perfect consecutives in the protasis and apodosis (GKC 494 §159.g).
- Exodus 12:13 tn The meaning of the verb is supplied in part from the near context of seeing the sign and omitting to destroy, as well as the verb at the start of verse 12 “pass through, by, over.” Isa 31:5 says, “Just as birds hover over a nest, so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; as he passes over he will rescue it.” The word does not occur enough times to enable one to delineate a clear meaning. It is probably not the same word as “to limp” found in 1 Kgs 18:21, 26, unless there is a highly developed category of meaning there.
- Exodus 12:13 tn The word “plague” (נֶגֶף, negef) is literally “a blow” or “a striking.” It usually describes a calamity or affliction given to those who have aroused God’s anger, as in Exod 30:12; Num 8:19; 16:46, 47; Josh 22:17 (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 92-93).
- Exodus 12:13 tn Heb “for destruction.” The form מַשְׁחִית (mashkhit) is the Hiphil participle of שָׁחַת (shakhat). The word itself is a harsh term; it was used to describe Yahweh’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 13:10).
- Exodus 12:13 tn בְּהַכֹּתִי (behakkoti) is the Hiphil infinitive construct from נָכָה (nakhah), with a preposition prefixed and a pronominal suffix added to serve as the subjective genitive—the subject of this temporal clause. It is also used in 12:12.
- Exodus 12:13 sn For additional discussions, see W. H. Elder, “The Passover,” RevExp 74 (1977): 511-22; E. Nutz, “The Passover,” BV 12 (1978): 23-28; H. M. Kamsler, “The Blood Covenant in the Bible,” Dor le Dor 6 (1977): 94-98; A. Rodriguez, Substitution in the Hebrew Cultus; B. Ramm, “The Theology of the Book of Exodus: A Reflection on Exodus 12:12, ” SwJT 20 (1977): 59-68; and M. Gilula, “The Smiting of the First-Born: An Egyptian Myth?” TA 4 (1977): 94-85.
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