Exodus 1:21

1:21 And because the midwives feared God, he made ¹  households ²  for them.

Exodus 9:30

9:30 But as for you ³  and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear ⁴  the Lord God.”

Exodus 15:11

15:11 Who is like you, ⁵  O Lord, among the gods? ⁶ 

Who is like you? – majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, ⁷  working wonders?

[1:21]  ¹ tn The temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) focuses attention on the causal clause and lays the foundation for the main clause, namely, “God made households for them.” This is the second time the text affirms the reason for their defiance, their fear of God.

[1:21]  ² tn Or “families”; Heb “houses.”

[9:30]  ³ tn The verse begins with the disjunctive vav to mark a strong contrastive clause to what was said before this.

[9:30]  ⁴ tn The adverb טֶרֶם (terem, “before, not yet”) occurs with the imperfect tense to give the sense of the English present tense to the verb negated by it (GKC 314-15 §107.c). Moses is saying that he knew that Pharaoh did not really stand in awe of God, so as to grant Israel’s release, i.e., fear not in the religious sense but “be afraid of” God – fear “before” him (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 76).

[15:11]  ⁵ tn The question is of course rhetorical; it is a way of affirming that no one is comparable to God. See C. J. Labuschagne, The Incomparability of Yahweh in the Old Testament, 22, 66-67, and 94-97.

[15:11]  ⁶ sn Verses 11-17 will now focus on Yahweh as the incomparable one who was able to save Israel from their foes and afterward lead them to the promised land.

[15:11]  ⁷ tn S. R. Driver suggests “praiseworthy acts” as the translation (Exodus, 137).