Exodus 18:7

18:7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; ¹  they each asked about the other’s welfare, and then they went into the tent.

Exodus 18:23

18:23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, ²  then you will be able ³  to endure, ⁴  and all these people ⁵  will be able to go ⁶  home ⁷  satisfied.” ⁸ 

[18:7]  ¹ sn This is more than polite oriental custom. Jethro was Moses’ benefactor, father-in-law, and a priest. He paid much respect to him. Now he could invite Jethro into his home (see B. Jacob, Exodus, 496).

[18:23]  ² tn The form is a Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the same nuance as the preceding imperfect in the conditional clause.

[18:23]  ³ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive now appears in the apodosis of the conditional sentence – “if you do this…then you will be able.”

[18:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “to stand.” B. Jacob (Exodus, 501) suggests that there might be a humorous side to this: “you could even do this standing up.”

[18:23]  ⁵ tn Literally “this people.”

[18:23]  ⁶ tn The verb is the simple imperfect, “will go,” but given the sense of the passage a potential nuance seems in order.

[18:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “his place.”

[18:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “in peace.”