A new paragraph is advisable here, even though Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation do not have one. Then Moses and Aaron went is literally “And Moses went and Aaron,” with no reference to Moses’ wife and sons. They seem to disappear from the scene until chapter 18, possibly returning to Midian after the incident in verses 24-26. But it is clear that both Moses and Aaron “went to Egypt,” even though the words must be added. Because of the punctuation in the Hebrew, went and gathered together should be understood as two actions rather than as one, as in New International Version.

Gathered together all the elders means that Moses and Aaron “assembled” them in some way, perhaps by invitation to a meeting. There is no indication of either secrecy or force. The elders of the people of Israel were the “Israelite leaders,” or senior tribesmen, as explained in the comment at 3.16. The people of Israel is literally “the sons of Israel.” (See the comment on “descendants of Israel” at 1.7.) In certain languages gathered together will be rendered as “and gathered the Israelite leaders together to meet with them (Moses and Aaron).”

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 .