Again here introduces another episode. It also carries the meaning of “further” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or even “Next” (New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation‘s “The LORD spoke to Moses again” is a good model. The LORD continues to speak to him, meaning “to Moses,” without any interruption, but a pause may be assumed for Moses to reflect on the miracle of the rod. Said here will be rendered as “ordered” or “commanded” in certain languages.

Put your hand into your bosom refers only to Moses’ hand, not to the entire arm. Into your bosom means “inside your robe” (Good News Translation), or “inside the fold of your cloak” (New English Bible). The cloak, or “robe” (Good News Translation), was a long cloth outer garment, or “coat,” that reached to the feet. Reference to the bosom simply locates the fold of Moses’ cloak above the waistband. In some languages it will be necessary to state this even more clearly. In such a case one may translate “Put your hand into the fold of your robe by your chest” or “Put your hand into the top part of your robe by your heart.” And he put his hand into his bosom may be condensed to “He obeyed” (Good News Translation) or “He did so.”

And when he took it out assumes either that Moses was instructed to remove his hand or that he did so from curiosity. It may be necessary to identify the it as “his hand” to avoid the idea of removing his cloak. Behold is a particle that indicates surprise. In some languages it is natural to bring out the idea of “to his surprise,” or to use an ideophone. (See the comment on ideophones at 2.6.)

His hand was leprous means that his hand was “diseased” (Good News Translation). Most translations today avoid the word leprous because it is scientifically inaccurate. Scholars are convinced that the Old Testament term is not to be identified as “Hansen’s Disease,” which is usually called “leprosy.” Rather it was any spot that would appear and spread, like a fungus, on clothing or on walls of houses, or on the skin of people.

As white as snow is literally, “like snow.” White is not in the Hebrew. Many translations have understood this to mean that the disease was white in color. However, it is more likely that it was flaky and scaly, like the disease known today as psoriasis. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh follows this interpretation but also retains the word snow: “encrusted with snowy scales.” Durham has translated it as “peeling and flaking.” The latter will be a good model for many languages.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The LORD gave another command to Moses, “Put your hand inside your robe [or, into your robe by your heart].” Moses obeyed the LORD’s command. To his surprise, when he took his hand out, it was covered with a skin disease [or, fungus], flaky and scaly [or, white] like snow.

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 .