OET interlinear EXO 4:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

וְ⁠אֶת־בָּנָ֗י⁠ו

and=DOM (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM his/its=wife/woman and=DOM sons_of,his and,he,made_them_ride on/upon the,donkey and,he_returned towards=land Miʦrayim/(Egypt) and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM staff_of the=ʼElohīm in=his/its=hand )

Moses’ second son is not introduced until 18:4 but had already been born before they left Midian. It is not necessary to make this explicit here, if it would confuse your readers you could add a footnote.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

וַ⁠יָּ֖שָׁב אַ֣רְצָ⁠ה מִצְרָ֑יִם

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM his/its=wife/woman and=DOM sons_of,his and,he,made_them_ride on/upon the,donkey and,he_returned towards=land Miʦrayim/(Egypt) and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM staff_of the=ʼElohīm in=his/its=hand )

It is clear from 4:24 and 25 that Moses’ family went with him. If this is confusing in your language, you may need to change from he to “they” returned.

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-time-sequential

וַ⁠יָּ֖שָׁב אַ֣רְצָ⁠ה מִצְרָ֑יִם

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM his/its=wife/woman and=DOM sons_of,his and,he,made_them_ride on/upon the,donkey and,he_returned towards=land Miʦrayim/(Egypt) and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM staff_of the=ʼElohīm in=his/its=hand )

After the incident on the road in verses 24–26. Moses’ family is not mentioned again until 18:2, which says that Moses sent them back, so it may be better to make a translation similar to the UST, which only commits to the family starting on the way to Egypt. This option has the further benefit of allowing for the several events that happen before Moses gets to Egypt. The ULT’s toward is another way of giving space in the translation for the next several events.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֶת־מַטֵּ֥ה הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֖ים

DOM DOM (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM his/its=wife/woman and=DOM sons_of,his and,he,made_them_ride on/upon the,donkey and,he_returned towards=land Miʦrayim/(Egypt) and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM staff_of the=ʼElohīm in=his/its=hand )

The phrase the staff of God refers to the staff that God told Moses to take with him in 4:17. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express that explicitly.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֶת־מַטֵּ֥ה הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֖ים

DOM DOM (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM his/its=wife/woman and=DOM sons_of,his and,he,made_them_ride on/upon the,donkey and,he_returned towards=land Miʦrayim/(Egypt) and=he/it_took Mosheh DOM staff_of the=ʼElohīm in=his/its=hand )

The book describes this staff as the staff of God because God appointed it as his instrument so that Moses could do miraculous works through it. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Make sure your translation does not lead people to think the staff was a magic wand or shaman’s staff that had its own power or power from Moses or that the staff gave Moses the ability to command God. In every instance where miracles happened, first God told Moses to do something with the staff, then Moses obeyed, and then God caused a miracle. Alternate translation: [the staff that God had told him to bring because God intended to work powerfully through it when Moses stretched it out.]