Exodus 11:7

11:7 But against any of the Israelites not even a dog will bark ¹  against either people or animals, ²  so that you may know that the Lord distinguishes ³  between Egypt and Israel.’

Exodus 35:21

35:21 Everyone ⁴  whose heart stirred him to action ⁵  and everyone whose spirit was willing ⁶  came and brought the offering for the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. ⁷ 

¹ tn Or perhaps “growl”; Heb “not a dog will sharpen his tongue.” The expression is unusual, but it must indicate that not only would no harm come to the Israelites, but that no unfriendly threat would come against them either – not even so much as a dog barking. It is possible this is to be related to the watchdog (see F. C. Fensham, “Remarks on Keret 114^b – 136^a,” JNSL 11 [1983]: 75).

² tn Heb “against man or beast.”

³ tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 9:4; 33:16.

⁴ tn Heb “man.”

⁵ tn The verb means “lift up, bear, carry.” Here the subject is “heart” or will, and so the expression describes one moved within to act.

⁶ tn Heb “his spirit made him willing.” The verb is used in Scripture for the freewill offering that people brought (Lev 7).

⁷ tn Literally “the garments of holiness,” the genitive is the attributive genitive, marking out what type of garments these were.