And you shall not is the same prohibitive form used in the Ten Commandments. Go up is the general word for ascend. By steps is a word derived from the word for go up. It refers to a way or a means of ascending, such as steps. To my altar may refer to either the “altar of earth” in verse 24 or the “altar of stone” in verse 25. Yahweh considers either one to be his altar. Other ways to render this are “Do not build an altar to worship me that has steps” or “When you build an altar to worship me, don’t make any steps leading up to it.”

That your nakedness be not exposed on it is literally “where you [singular] shall not uncover your genital area upon it.” This suggests two things: that the priests wore loose clothing that exposed their private parts to the ground, and that they were never supposed to stand at such a level that would expose this nakedness to any part of the altar. The background for this law may have been an early prohibition against high altars used for worshiping a “high god.” But this is only one of several theories, so the translator should not force the text to say more than it clearly implies. In languages that must avoid explicit mention of the genitals, one may use a euphemism; for example, “you will expose yourselves” (Good News Translation, and similarly Contemporary English Version), or “your private [or, hidden] parts will be seen.”

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 .

And the people stood afar off repeats the words in verse 18. (See the comment there.) While Moses drew near is literally “and Moses approached.” To the thick darkness is literally “unto the cloud,” referring to a very dense cloud. So Good News Translation and others have “the dark cloud” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, and Translator’s Old Testament). But the word also means darkness or gloom, and New Revised Standard Version retains this meaning (similarly New International Version, American Standard Version, and Moffatt). Where God was is literally “where there [was] the ʾelohim.” This means that God was concealing himself from the people by means of “the dark cloud.” It is possible to put this final sentence first and say “But when Moses went near the dark cloud where God was, the people stayed at a distance.”

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 .

You shall not make uses the same form as the Ten Commandments, but here the you is plural and more emphatic. Durham has “You must not make.” Gods of silver to be with me is literally “with me; gods [ʾelohim] of silver.” This reveals a problem in the text, in that the Hebrew actually places to be with me after the verb and then marks it as a complete clause, literally “You [plural] shall not make with me.” This is difficult to understand, for it does not indicate what should not be made. The probable meaning is “You shall not make anything to rank with me” (so New American Bible) or “to be alongside me” (New International Version). American Standard Version and New American Standard Bible add the words “other gods,” using italics to show they are added. Durham has “You must not make rivals with me.”

This means that gods of silver really goes with gods of gold in the second clause, which has its own verb. New Revised Standard Version follows Revised Standard Version in advancing gods of silver to the first clause: “You shall not make gods of silver alongside me.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New Jerusalem Bible also retain two clauses and advance gods of silver to the first clause. But Good News Translation combines the two clauses by considering gods of silver and gods of gold to be the intended objects of both verbs: “Do not make for yourselves gods of silver and gold in addition to me.” Contemporary English Version has “So you must never make idols of silver or gold to worship in place of me.” (See the comment on gods at 12.12.)

Nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold is literally “and gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.” It should be noted, however, that silver and gold usually go together as an idiom, and the Hebrew punctuation keeps gods of silver … gods of gold as one clause. In some languages this verse will be rendered in a way similar to the following: “You must not make likenesses [or, images] of gods out of silver or gold to worship in place of me.”

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 .

An altar of earth means an elevated place made out of soil for offering sacrifices, and this is how it will be expressed in a number of languages; for example, “Build up an elevated place with earth.” (See the comments at 17.15 and 27.1.) You shall make for me may be understood as “to me,” or better, “for worshiping me.” You now switches back to singular. New Revised Standard Version brings out the idea that Yahweh will be satisfied with a simple altar: “You need make for me only an altar of earth.” This is suggested by the alternative mentioned in verse 25.

And sacrifice on it is literally “and you [singular] will slaughter upon it,” or “Offer on it animals which you have slaughtered.” Your burnt offerings refers to the offering of animals that were burned completely on the altar, with the exception of the hide, which went to the priest (Lev 7.8). And your peace offerings refers to the offering of animals that were not burned. The meat was divided among the priests and the worshipers. The purpose of this offering was to restore shalom or fellowship with someone else. So one may translate “and your offerings to restore fellowship with other people.” (This offering is described in Leviticus 3.) Good News Translation has “your fellowship offerings,” and New Revised Standard Version calls them “offerings of well-being.” (See the discussion of these two kinds of offerings at 29.18, 28.)

The animals used for these offerings were sheep and oxen. But the Hebrew word for sheep is a general term that included both “sheep and goats” (New International Version). Oxen means “cattle,” both male and female. (See the comment at 9.2-3.) In every place where I cause my name to be remembered is a literal translation. It means, as Good News Translation expresses it, “in every place that I set aside for you to worship me,” “Wherever I choose to be worshiped” (Contemporary English Version), or “wherever I direct you to invoke my name” (Translator’s Old Testament). Childs has “in every place where I reveal my name.” However, “worship” (Good News Translation) seems to be the most likely meaning here. I will come to you and bless you uses the singular you. Come probably means “come down.” The word for bless implies that Yahweh will give power for fertility, prosperity, and success. Bless has many meanings depending upon the context. Since here it refers to conferring prosperity upon the people, one may express it as “I will come down to you and cause you to be prosperous” or “and make you prosper.”

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 .

You shall not covet uses a word that means to crave something that belongs to someone else. It is a strong word suggesting an attitude or emotion that often leads to an attempt to acquire what is coveted. (The same word is used in Deut 5.21 in reference to the neighbor’s wife, but a different word, meaning simply to desire, is used there in reference to the other things owned by one’s neighbor.) The various objects of coveting are listed, beginning with your neighbor’s house. This refers to another man’s “household” (Revised English Bible), or all of his possessions.

It is not clear why you shall not covet is repeated in this verse, but what follows the second statement lists in detail what is probably implied in the word house. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans, however, understand this to be a separate commandment. (See the introduction above.) Wife is literally “woman.” Manservant and maidservant are two separate words that distinguish between a male and a female slave. Good News Translation combines them into “slaves,” which is possible if it is clear that both sexes are included.

The word for ox means a full-grown bull or steer, but here it would certainly include the female as well, so Good News Translation has “cattle.” The ass was the same as the “donkey.” (See the comment at 9.3.) Or anything that is your neighbor’s is literally “and all that is to your neighbor.” This makes clear that the prohibition includes “anything else” that belongs to him.

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 .

And said to Moses continues the sentence from verse 18, so it is the people who are going to speak. You speak to us uses an emphatic You (singular), so New Jerusalem Bible has “Speak to us yourself” (also Revised English Bible, New International Version, Translator’s Old Testament). But it is also possible to have a conditional construction as in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version, “If you speak to us….” And we will hear may be understood as “we will listen,” but the word also implies “we will obey” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible). However, in some languages it will be necessary to state whom the people will obey or listen to. In this case it is probably Moses. So one may translate “If you speak to us, we will obey what you tell us to do.”

But let not God speak to us is literally “and God will not speak to us,” but it uses the negative marker for a command or a request. Therefore the people are requesting Moses to do something that will discourage God from speaking to them directly. It does not suggest that Moses had the power to prevent God from speaking to them. Contemporary English Version has “But don’t let God speak to us.” Lest we die expresses what the people fear will happen if God does continue speaking to them. As mere humans they will not be able to survive such an overwhelming experience of having a deity speak to them. The entire statement may be understood as in Good News Translation, “If God speaks to us, we will die,” or as Contemporary English Version says, “But don’t let God speak to us, or we will die!”

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 .

And Moses said may be changed to “But Moses replied” (Durham). Do not fear is exactly what he said to them in 14.13 (“Fear not”), when they were at the Red Sea. It is more natural to say “Do not be afraid” (New Revised Standard Version) or “Don’t be afraid” (Good News Translation). For God has come to prove you is literally “for on account of testing you [plural] God came,” so Good News Translation has “God has only come to test you” (so also Contemporary English Version). The idea is that the people needed to be tested to see how they would respond to God’s powerful presence. The word to prove may also mean to train, in the sense of gaining practical experience. So Durham has “for it is with the purpose of giving you the experience that God has come.” An alternative model is “God has come in order to let you experience his powerful presence” or “in order to see how you respond to his presence.” This clause, of course, must be joined to the following clause.

And that the fear of him may be before your eyes is literally “and in order that his fear will be on your faces.” This explains further the reason why God has come. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “and in order that the fear of Him may be ever before you,” and New Revised Standard Version has “and to put the fear of him upon you.” Moses seems to contradict himself, for he has just said Do not fear. But the word for fear also means reverence and awe. So Translator’s Old Testament interprets this as “to fill your mind with reverence for him,” and Durham has “so that reverence for him might grip you.” Good News Translation‘s “and make you keep on obeying him” brings out the meaning but loses the play on the word fear.

That you may not sin, literally “lest you [plural] miss the mark,” gives the real reason why God has come. The Hebrew word for sin (chataʾ) appears frequently in the Old Testament both as a verb and as a noun. As explained at 10.16, it most often refers to moral wrongdoing. Its root meaning of “missing the mark” thus gives the idea of missing the goal or standard set by divine law, or failure to observe what God requires. The Israelites must experience enough fear of God that they will “not go astray” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). New International Version has “to keep you from sinning,” Translator’s Old Testament has “This will prevent you from sinning,” and Good News Translation has “so that you will not sin.”

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 .