For by now is literally, “because now.” The idea of by now is suggested by the interpretation of the following verb phrase, which literally says “I stretched out my hand.” (The Hebrew perfect is used.) I could have put forth my hand gives the verb phrase the meaning of something contrary to fact. So Good News Translation has “If I had raised my hand.” Most translations accept this interpretation, especially since the rest of the verse speaks of what has not yet happened. King James Version, however, following the Septuagint, translates the verb as future (“For now I will stretch out my hand”), and a few modern scholars accept this interpretation. Durham, for example, translates “Indeed, now I will let loose my power.” But the translator should bear in mind that this represents a minority opinion. If translators follow the majority interpretation, then verse 14 and the first part of verse 15 may be expressed as follows:

• This time I will punish you more severely than before. I am going to punish not only your officials and your people, but I will punish you as well… In fact, I could have already caused a terrible disease to strike you and your people….

And struck you and your people continues the sense of could have, using the word that literally means to strike, hit, or beat. (See 2.12, 14; 7.17, 20; and others.) Here, of course, the figurative meaning is intended, in the sense of afflicting with pestilence, or “disease.” (See “will fall … upon” in 9.3.) In a number of languages this will be rendered with a causative expression such as “caused a terrible disease to strike,” or even “let you [plural] become sick with a terrible disease.” And you would have been continues the “contrary to fact” meaning, with the result being cut off from the earth. The Hebrew word here means to be hidden, destroyed, or effaced. So Good News Translation has “you would have been completely destroyed.” Many languages will have a descriptive phrase like the Hebrew; for example, “wiped from the earth.”

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 .