Exodus 4:24–26: A Textual Re-Examination

Abstract

Complicating the exegesis of this difficult passage are certain textual problems with which this present submission is to be concerned. With the Masoretic Text of v. 24 —wayehî badderek bammālôn wayyipgešēhû YHWH wayebaqqēš hamîtô— the Versions are in substantial agreement. The Syriac text twice inserts ‘Moses’ into this verse, as the subject of the sentence and as the object ofmût, but this is an obvious intrusion designed to clarify a difficult context, while the Targum (expectedly) and the Old Greek prefix an equivalent for Heb.mal'ākbeforeYHWH. It is probable that the double mention of a setting (i.e.badderek/bammālôn) is the preservation of two ancient variants. J. Morgenstern, who with others, has rightly noted this, draws attention to the peculiarity of the article withmlwn(i.e. bammālon), since the contextual situation is generally vague and in a journey of many days there may have been several such stops, though on the other hand the article withderekoccasions no difficulty since the journey as a whole is referred to. Morgenstern preferred to readbammālônas a nominal form from the rootmûl, translating ‘now upon the journey, at the circumcision Yahweh attacked him (i.e., the child) and sought to kill him.’