And is the usual conjunction waw, but the context here suggests “Then.” God spoke all these words introduces all that follows through verse 17. Note that God is ʾelohim, who immediately identifies himself as the LORD, Yahweh. Saying serves only as the marker for opening the quotation.

I am the LORD is the self-introductory formula first used in 6.2. (See the comment there.) This is the first “word” of the Ten Commandments, although it is not a commandment itself. It is the necessary basis for the commandments that follow. In fact, An American Translation has “Since I, the LORD, am your God, … you must have no other gods beside me.” Your God is literally “your [singular] ʾelohim.” It may be advisable to change to the plural in this verse, for the setting suggests that Yahweh is speaking to all the people, not just to Moses. (But see the introduction above.) One also may express this sentence as “I am Yahweh, your [plural] God” or “I am Yahweh, the God whom you worship.”

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt also uses the singular you, but translators may render it as plural if that is more natural style. Brought you out is literally “I caused you to go out.” Out of the house of bondage is discussed at 13.3.

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 .