Thou hast led … thy people is past tense in English, but this is not clearly indicated in the Hebrew. In fact the tense of most of the verbs in verses 13-17 must be handled according to the translator’s choice of setting. (See the discussion on tense at verse 14.) New International Version, for example, uses the future tense, “you will lead the people.” This limits the song to its original setting, when the Israelites were just beginning their journey of faith. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, on the other hand, uses the present tense, “You lead the people.” This allows for a meaningful expression of faith for future generations. Most translations (including Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version), however, place this in the past tense, and translators are encouraged to do so also. (See also the comment at verse 17.)

In thy steadfast love uses the word chesed, which means “faithful love” (Translator’s Old Testament), “constant love” (Revised English Bible), or “unfailing love” (New International Version), or even “unchanging love”; these all bring out the meaning of both love and “faithfulness.” Good News Translation expresses this as “Faithful to your promise.” (See the comment on chesed at 20.6.) The people whom thou hast redeemed refers to the Israelites whom Yahweh has “rescued” (Good News Translation) from the king of Egypt. The word for redeemed is different from that used in 13.13, where it refers to “buying back” the firstborn. The word used here refers more to “buying back” an inheritance, or a family member who had been sold as a slave. (See 21.2, 7.) Translators in certain languages will need to state from whom the Israelites were redeemed, so one may translate, for example, “the people whom you rescued from their enemies.”

Thou hast guided them (New International Version “you will guide them”) is a word often used for leading or helping along a person or an animal that is handicapped. By thy strength is the same word used in verse 2. To thy holy abode refers to Yahweh’s place of residence, but it is not clear whether this refers to the promised “land” (Good News Translation), or to the “mountain” or “sanctuary” mentioned in verse 17. Others have “habitation” (New American Standard Bible) or “dwelling-place” (Revised English Bible). It is holy, or set apart, because of Yahweh’s holiness. (See verse 11.) This should not be translated as “your tabooed place” but rather “the place that you own,” or simply “the place where you live.”

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 .