Exodus 6:1

6:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, ¹  for compelled by my strong hand ²  he will release them, and by my strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” ³ 

Exodus 13:9

13:9 ⁴  It ⁵  will be a sign ⁶  for you on your hand and a memorial ⁷  on your forehead, ⁸  so that the law of the Lord may be ⁹  in your mouth, ¹⁰  for ¹¹  with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.

Exodus 13:16

13:16 It will be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets ¹²  on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” ¹³ 

Exodus 13:18

13:18 So God brought the people around by the way of the desert to the Red Sea, ¹⁴  and the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle. ¹⁵ 

Numbers 33:3

33:3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day ¹⁶  after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly ¹⁷  in plain sight ¹⁸  of all the Egyptians.

Deuteronomy 26:8

26:8 Therefore the Lord brought us out of Egypt with tremendous strength and power, ¹⁹  as well as with great awe-inspiring signs and wonders.

Deuteronomy 32:27

32:27 But I fear the reaction ²⁰  of their enemies,

for ²¹  their adversaries would misunderstand

and say, “Our power is great, ²² 

and the Lord has not done all this!”’

Psalms 86:13

86:13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me, ²³ 

and will deliver my life ²⁴  from the depths of Sheol. ²⁵ 

Acts 13:17

13:17 The God of this people Israel ²⁶  chose our ancestors ²⁷  and made the people great ²⁸  during their stay as foreigners ²⁹  in the country ³⁰  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ³¹  he led them out of it.

[6:1]  ¹ sn The expression “I will do to Pharaoh” always refers to the plagues. God would first show his sovereignty over Pharaoh before defeating him.

[6:1]  ² tn The expression “with a strong hand” (וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה, uvÿyad khazaqah) could refer (1) to God’s powerful intervention (“compelled by my strong hand”) or (2) to Pharaoh’s forceful pursuit (“he will forcefully drive them out”). In Exod 3:20 God has summarized what his hand would do in Egypt, and that is probably what is intended here, as he promises that Moses will see what God will do. All Egypt ultimately desired that Israel be released (12:33), and when they were released Pharaoh pursued them to the sea, and so in a sense drove them out – whether that was his intention or not. But ultimately it was God’s power that was the real force behind it all. U. Cassuto (Exodus, 74) considers that it is unlikely that the phrase would be used in the same verse twice with the same meaning. So he thinks that the first “strong hand” is God’s, and the second “strong hand” is Pharaoh’s. It is true that if Pharaoh acted forcefully in any way that contributed to Israel leaving Egypt it was because God was acting forcefully in his life. So in an understated way, God is saying that when forced by God’s strong hand, Pharaoh will indeed release God’s people.”

[6:1]  ³ tn Or “and he will forcefully drive them out of his land,” if the second occurrence of “strong hand” refers to Pharaoh’s rather than God’s (see the previous note).

[13:9]  ⁴ sn This passage has, of course, been taken literally by many devout Jews, and portions of the text have been encased in phylacteries and bound on the arm and forehead. B. Jacob (Exodus, 368), weighing the pros and cons of the literal or the figurative meaning, says that those who took it literally should not be looked down on for their symbolic work. In many cases, he continues, it is the spirit that kills and the letter makes alive – because people who argue against a literal usage do so to excuse lack of action. This is a rather interesting twist in the discussion. The point of the teaching was obviously meant to keep the Law of Yahweh in the minds of the people, to remind them of their duties.

[13:9]  ⁵ tn That is, this ceremony.

[13:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “for a sign.”

[13:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “for a memorial.”

[13:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “between your eyes” (KJV and ASV both similar); the same expression occurs in v. 16.

[13:9]  ⁹ tn The purpose of using this ceremony as a sign and a memorial is that the Law might be in their mouth. The imperfect tense, then, receives the classification of final imperfect in the purpose clause.

[13:9]  ¹⁰ sn “Mouth” is a metonymy of cause; the point is that they should be ever talking about the Law as their guide as they go about their duties (see Deut 6:7; 11:19; Josh 1:8).

[13:9]  ¹¹ tn This causal clause gives the reason for what has just been instructed. Because Yahweh delivered them from bondage, he has the strongest claims on their life.

[13:16]  ¹² tn The word is טוֹטָפֹת (totafot, “frontlets”). The etymology is uncertain, but the word denotes a sign or an object placed on the forehead (see m. Shabbat 6:1). The Gemara interprets it as a band that goes from ear to ear. In the Targum to 2 Sam 1:10 it is an armlet worn by Saul (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 110). These bands may have resembled the Egyptian practice of wearing as amulets “forms of words written on folds of papyrus tightly rolled up and sewn in linen” (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:384).

[13:16]  ¹³ sn The pattern of the passage now emerges more clearly; it concerns the grateful debt of the redeemed. In the first part eating the unleavened bread recalls the night of deliverance in Egypt, and it calls for purity. In the second part the dedication of the firstborn was an acknowledgment of the deliverance of the firstborn from bondage. They were to remember the deliverance and choose purity; they were to remember the deliverance and choose dedication. The NT will also say, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price, therefore, glorify God” (1 Cor 6:20). Here too the truths of God’s great redemption must be learned well and retained well from generation to generation.

[13:18]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew term יַם־סוּף (Yam Suf) cannot be a genitive (“wilderness of the Red Sea”) because it follows a noun that is not in construct; instead, it must be an adverbial accusative, unless it is simply joined by apposition to “the wilderness” – the way to the wilderness [and] to the Red Sea (B. S. Childs, Exodus [OTL], 217).

[13:18]  ¹⁵ tn The term חֲמֻשִׁים (khamushim) is placed first for emphasis; it forms a circumstantial clause, explaining how they went up. Unfortunately, it is a rare word with uncertain meaning. Most translations have something to do with “in battle array” or “prepared to fight” if need be (cf. Josh 1:14; 4:12). The Targum took it as “armed with weapons.” The LXX had “in the fifth generation.” Some have opted for “in five divisions.”

[33:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “morrow.”

[33:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “with a high hand”; the expression means “defiantly; boldly” or “with confidence.” The phrase is usually used for arrogant sin and pride, the defiant fist, as it were. The image of the high hand can also mean the hand raised to deliver the blow (Job 38:15).

[33:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes.”

[26:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “by a powerful hand and an extended arm.” These are anthropomorphisms designed to convey God’s tremendously great power in rescuing Israel from their Egyptian bondage. They are preserved literally in many English versions (cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[32:27]  ²⁰ tn Heb “anger.”

[32:27]  ²¹ tn Heb “lest.”

[32:27]  ²² tn Heb “Our hand is high.” Cf. NAB “Our own hand won the victory.”

[86:13]  ²³ tn Heb “for your loyal love [is] great over me.”

[86:13]  ²⁴ tn Or “for he will have delivered my life.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here.

[86:13]  ²⁵ tn Or “lower Sheol.”

[13:17]  ²⁶ tn Or “people of Israel.”

[13:17]  ²⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[13:17]  ²⁸ tn That is, in both numbers and in power. The implication of greatness in both numbers and in power is found in BDAG 1046 s.v. ὑψόω 2.

[13:17]  ²⁹ tn Or “as resident aliens.”

[13:17]  ³⁰ tn Or “land.”

[13:17]  ³¹ sn Here uplifted arm is a metaphor for God’s power by which he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. See Exod 6:1, 6; 32:11; Deut 3:24; 4:34; Ps 136:11-12.