This verse does not follow the preceding verse smoothly, for it suggests that Moses was still undecided. Many scholars see this as a literary seam, for the two verses apparently come from different sources and have been placed together without sufficient editorial refinement. A literal translation may simply ignore this seam, but most translations try to deal with it in some other way for the sake of the reader. (See the discussion on “Sources” in “Translating Exodus,” page 2.)

And the LORD said to Moses in Midian has been interpreted by New International Version as pluperfect, reporting what “the LORD had said” before Moses asked permission from Jethro. This interpretation is not recommended, however, for it is not supported by the Hebrew verbal system. By adding the word “still,” Good News Translation‘s rendering, “While Moses was still in Midian,” suggests some delay on Moses’ part after Jethro had given permission. Other versions such as New English Bible simply introduce a major break between verses 18 and 19 so that the seam is not so apparent. For a complete removal of the seam, the two verses may be interchanged, so that Moses’ request to Jethro follows the LORD’s command rather than precedes it. If this is done, however, some restructuring will be necessary:

• Moses returned to Midian, and the LORD said to him, “Return to Egypt, for all those people who wanted to kill you are dead.” So Moses went to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please allow me to return to my relatives in Egypt to see if they are in good health or not.” Jethro agreed, saying, “Go in peace.”

The purpose of the translation and the needs of the intended readers should be considered in determining just how much of the seam should show.

Go back to Egypt should be understood as a command. For all the men who were seeking your life does not focus on the men but rather on “all those who wanted to kill you” (Good News Translation). Dead is a general word and does not specify how they died.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .