09-00
God Calls Moses
This title can also be translated as: “About how God called Moses to work for him” or “How did God call Moses to work for him?”
09-01
After Joseph died
This begins a new event. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/writing-newevent/01.md]])
his relatives
This refers to a social relationship—all the people who were related to him by birth or marriage. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-possession/01.md]])
They were called the Israelites
The people group that descended from Jacob was called Israel, which is the name that God gave to Jacob. The people from that group were called Israelites.
09-02
After hundreds of years
This begins a new event. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/writing-newevent/01.md]])
Israelites
Israelite people or people of Israel (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-names/01.md]])
Egyptians
Egyptian people or people of Egypt (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-names/01.md]])
because there were so many of them
The connecting word because connects the action (the Egyptians being afraid) with the reason (there were so many Isrealites). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md]])
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is an Egyptian word that refers to their king. This Pharaoh was probably the son of a former Pharaoh who had died, who may have been a descendant of the Pharaoh that Joseph knew.
who was ruling Egypt at that time
This is background information about the ruler who was Pharaoh at that time. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/writing-background/01.md]])
made the Israelites slaves
This could mean forced the Israelites to do hard labor against their will and treated them very harshly.
09-03
made their lives miserable
This means that they suffered terribly because of how harshly they were treated and how hard they were forced to work. They also felt very discouraged.
God blessed them
God took care of them, helping them endure the severe treatment and even caused them to become more numerous by giving them many children.
09-04
saw
Other ways to say this are: “realized” or “knew.”
so he ordered his people to kill
The connecting word so connects the result (Pharaoh ordered the people to kill all the Israelite boys), with the reason. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md]])
09-05
as long as she could
She hid the baby from the Egyptians until it became too difficult to keep him safely hidden in her home.
09-06
reeds
A reed is a type of tall grass that grew in flat, wet areas. Use a similar word in your language. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])
09-07
took him as her own son
She was a princess. When she made him her son, he became a prince of Egypt.
to nurse him
Another way to say this would be: “to breastfeed him.”
09-08
had grown up
Another way to say this would be: “had grown into a man.”
his fellow Israelite
This phrase refers to the Israelite slave. The word fellow here indicates that Moses was also an Israelite. Although the daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh raised Moses, Moses remembered that he was really an Israelite.
09-10
but Moses fled from Egypt
The connecting word But contrasts Pharaoh trying to kill Moses with Moses escaping into the wilderness. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast/01.md]])
the wilderness
The wilderness was a large area that was rocky and dry. The land there was not good for growing food and few people lived there.
09-11
the wilderness
See how you translated this in 09:10.
09-12
taking care of his father-in-law’s flock of sheep
This means he was doing the work of a shepherd to guide the sheep to grass and water, and to protect them. It could be translated as: “tending the sheep that belonged to his father-in-law.”
flock of sheep
A flock of sheep is a large group of sheep that are owned by someone. Use a similar word in your language. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])
a bush on fire, burning without being destroyed
God made the bush full of fire, but the fire did not damage the bush.
God spoke to him
This could be translated as: “God said out loud.” Moses heard God speak, but he did not see God.
God spoke to him and said, “Moses, take off your shoes. You are standing on holy ground.”
This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “God told Moses to take off his shoes, because he was standing on holy ground.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])
take off your shoes
God wanted him to take off his shoes to show that he greatly respected God. To make clear the reason for this, you could say: “take off your shoes, because you are on holy ground.”
holy ground
It was holy in the sense that God set it apart from the ordinary land and made it to be a special place where He would reveal Himself.
09-13
the suffering of my people
This could be translated as: “the very harsh treatment that my people are experiencing.” Some languages might translate this as: “how the Egyptians are giving my people terrible pain.”
my people
This refers to the Israelites. God had made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants that he would bless them and make them into a great nation. Through this covenant, the Israelites became God’s own people.
so that you can bring the Israelites
The connecting words so that connect the result (Moses bringing the Israelites out of their slavery), and the reason (God has seen their suffering). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md]])
can bring the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt
This can be translated as: “can set the Israelites free from being slaves in Egypt” or “can bring the Israelites out of Egypt where they are now slaves.”
09-14
the people
See my people in 09:13.
I AM WHO I AM
This description shows that God can only be defined by himself, not by anything else that we know of, and he cannot be compared to anyone else.
Tell them, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’
This is a quotation within a quotation. The entire quotation can be restated so that this portion is an indirect quotation: “Tell them that I AM has sent you to them.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotesinquotes/01.md]])
I AM
This name emphasizes that God is the only one who has always lived and always will live. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])
Also tell them, ‘I am Yahweh, the God of your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’
This is a quotation within a quotation. The entire quotation can be restated so that this portion is an indirect quotation: “Also tell them that I am Yahweh, the God of your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotesinquotes/01.md]])
Yahweh
The name Yahweh means HE IS and expresses that God exists by his own power—no one created him. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])
my name
The name that God told Moses and all of Israel to use for him is Yahweh, which is related to I AM and appears to mean HE IS.
09-15
was afraid and did not want to go
Moses knew that Pharaoh wanted to kill him, and he did not believe that he could do what God wanted him to do.
so God sent Moses’ brother
The connecting word so connects the result (God sent Aaron to help Moses), and the reason (Moses thought he could not speak well). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md]])
Moses’ brother, Aaron
Aaron was Moses’ actual brother from his Israelite mother and father. Aaron would have been at least several years older than Moses.
A Bible story from
These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.