The woman conceived and bore a son clearly identifies two actions, but of course conceived is understood when only bore is mentioned. Thus Good News Translation omits the first action, conceived, and connects the clause with “married” in the preceding verse by simply adding that “she bore him a son.” However, in many languages it will be more natural style to translate in a way similar to Revised Standard Version. Other details in the story indicate that Moses was not the firstborn child (2.4) nor even the first son (7.7).

He was a goodly child should be understood as a natural description of a handsome, healthy baby boy. Hence “she saw what a fine baby he was” (Good News Translation), or “He was a healthy child.” She hid him three months does not indicate how or where she hid him, but only that she kept him secretly for a period of three months. It will be helpful in some languages to say whom she hid Moses from; for example, “She hid him from the Egyptians for three months.”

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 .