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 33:8-9

33:8 And when Moses went out ²  to the tent, all the people would get up ³  and stand at the entrance to their tents ⁴  and watch ⁵  Moses until he entered the tent. ⁶  33:9 And ⁷  whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord ⁸  would speak with Moses. ⁹ 

[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).

[33:8]  ² tn The clause is introduced again with “and it was.” The perfect tense here with the vav (ו) is used to continue the sequence of actions that were done repeatedly in the past (see GKC 331-32 §112.e). The temporal clause is then formed with the infinitive construct of יָצָא (yatsa’), with “Moses” as the subjective genitive: “and it was according to the going out of Moses.”

[33:8]  ³ tn Or “rise up.”

[33:8]  ⁴ tn The subject of this verb is specified with the individualizing use of “man”: “and all Israel would station themselves, each person (man) at the entrance to his tent.”

[33:8]  ⁵ tn The perfect tense with the vav (ו) continues the sequence of the customary imperfect. The people “would gaze” (after) Moses until he entered the tent.

[33:8]  ⁶ tn This is a temporal clause using an infinitive construct with a suffixed subject.

[33:9]  ³ tn Heb “and it was when.”

[33:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:9]  ⁵ tn Both verbs, “stand” and “speak,” are perfect tenses with vav (ו) consecutive.