And Moses said to his father-in-law may be reduced to “Moses answered” (Good News Translation). Because the people come to me is not a complete sentence in English, but the Hebrew word for Because sometimes simply marks the beginning of a direct quote. The implied meaning is brought out by Good News Translation: “I must do this because the people come to me.” To inquire of God is a technical term meaning to ask ʾelohim for an answer to a specific problem through a priest or prophet. Verse 16, however, suggests that Moses was simply settling disputes according to what he understood to be “God’s will” (Good News Translation). Revised English Bible has “The people come to me to seek God’s guidance.” Contemporary English Version has “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do.”

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 .