Then you shall say to your son: Good News Translation has “Then tell them,” or more simply “Then you will answer” (Contemporary English Version).

We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt: Pharaoh is not a proper name but a title, which is why Good News Translation has “the king of Egypt.” For slaves see 5.6, and for “king” see 1.4.

The LORD brought us out of Egypt: for the verb “bring out” see 4.20.

With a mighty hand: this means by force, by means of great strength (as in 4.34). (The Septuagint has “a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,” as the Hebrew text has in 4.34.)

The final part of the verse may also be rendered as “Yahweh used his great power to bring us out of Egypt.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .