Exodus 1:22

1:22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sons that are born you must throw into the river, but all daughters you may let live.”

Exodus 13:8

13:8 You are to tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’


tn The substantive כֹּל (kol) followed by the article stresses the entirety – “all sons” or “all daughters” – even though the nouns are singular in Hebrew (see GKC 411 §127.b).

tn The form includes a pronominal suffix that reiterates the object of the verb: “every son…you will throw it.”

tn The first imperfect has the force of a definite order, but the second, concerning the girls, could also have the nuance of permission, which may fit better. Pharaoh is simply allowing the girls to live.

tn The form is the Hiphil perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the sequence forward: “and you will declare to your son.”

tn Heb “day, saying.” “Tell…saying” is redundant, so “saying” has not been included in the translation here.

tn “it is” has been supplied.

tn The text uses זֶה (zeh), which Gesenius classifies as the use of the pronoun to introduce a relative clause after the preposition (GKC 447 §138.h) – but he thinks the form is corrupt. B. S. Childs, however, sees no reason to posit a corruption in this form (Exodus [OTL], 184).