Only here at the beginning of the journey account and at one significant point along the way (to note the death of Aaron, verses 37-39) does the formulaic record of the Israelites’ movements and campsites include a brief narrative segment, serving a theological purpose.
They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month: The pronoun They refers to the Israelites, which Good News Bible makes explicit by saying “The people of Israel.” The Hebrew verb rendered set out can also mean “move off,” “journey further,” or “march” (see 2.9, where it is translated “set out … on the march”). It comes from the same Hebrew root as the noun rendered “stages” in verses 1-2. Rameses was an Egyptian city they had built during their slavery (Exo 1.11). As mentioned at 9.1 (see the comments there), the first month in the Hebrew calendar corresponds to mid-March to mid-April.
On the day after the passover refers to the fifteenth day of the first month. For passover see 9.2.
The people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians: It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here (so Good News Bible). The Hebrew expression for triumphantly is literally “with a raised hand,” which is a gesture that can also mean “defiantly” (NET, Revised English Bible) or “boldly” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version). In some cultures, however, this meaning can be expressed with a similar gesture. Good News Bible says “Under the LORD’s protection,” which seems to lose the meaning of this gesture. The word triumphantly (or “victoriously”) conveys the miraculous nature of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. See A Handbook on Exodus at Exo 14.8, where this same expression occurs. In the sight of all the Egyptians is literally “to the eyes of all the Egyptians” (similarly Bible en français courant, PV, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling), which implies “without the Egyptians doing anything to stop them.” Chewa says “while all the Egyptians were watching.”
While the Egyptians were burying all their first-born …: This activity is not mentioned in Exo 12. In some languages it will be appropriate to start a new sentence here; for example, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling has “The Egyptians were then burying their firstborn…,” and New Living Translation has “Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn sons….” These two models show the overlap in time of verses 3-4 and the contrast between the situation of the Israelites in verse 3 and that of the Egyptians in verse 4.
Whom the LORD had struck down among them: See 3.13, where the Hebrew verb for struck is rendered “slew.” The pronoun them refers to the Egyptians. Good News Bible renders this clause simply as “that the LORD had killed.”
Upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments: Another new sentence may be needed here in some languages (so Good News Bible). The Hebrew construction here puts emphasis on their gods. New Revised Standard Version expresses this emphasis well by rendering this clause as “The LORD executed judgments even against their gods.” The ten plagues and the exodus of the Israelites were a clear demonstration of the impotence of the gods of Egypt in the face of Yahweh, the all-powerful God of Israel. Helpful models for this clause are “Thus the LORD had punished even their gods” (similarly Dutch Common Language Version) and “The LORD had defeated the gods of Egypt that night with great acts of judgment!” (New Living Translation). This sentence resonates with the LORD’s prediction in Exo 12.12. See the discussion in A Handbook on Exodus at that point.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .