And he said to Moses is not the best way to begin a new section. It is better to say, as in Good News Translation, “The LORD said to Moses” or “Then Yahweh said to Moses.” Since this is the beginning of a new section of narrative, translators may make the first sentence less abrupt by saying, for example, “After the LORD gave the laws to the Israelites, he said to Moses.” Come up to the LORD uses the second person singular, since only Moses is being addressed. And since Yahweh is the speaker, it is more natural for him to say “Come up the mountain to me” (Good News Translation). The word for Come up is literally “you ascend” and does not suggest the location of the speaker, but the context suggests that God is on top of the mountain. So Contemporary English Version has “Come up to me on this mountain.”

You and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu places Aaron and two of his sons in a special category with Moses. (See 6.23.) It will be helpful to make it explicit that these are Aaron’s sons: “Bring along Aaron, as well as his two sons Nadab and Abihu” (Contemporary English Version). And seventy of the elders of Israel is literally “and seventy from the elders of Israel.” This implies that there were other elders who were not invited. (See the comment on elders at 3.16.)

And worship afar off seems to contradict the first command, but the meaning of afar off is relative, so New Revised Standard Version now has “at a distance.” Durham has “at a respectful distance.” The same word is used in 2.6. Good News Translation makes it even clearer: “and while you are some distance away, bow down in worship.” The word for worship literally means to bow down low, even to kneel with the head touching the ground. The same word is used in 18.7. Many languages will have an expression for such a posture that shows extreme respect or even fear before someone with power and authority. In such cases it may be necessary to be more explicit and say, for example, “and prostrate themselves before me.”

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 .