Exo 4:18 | NET2full | STEP | So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Let me go , so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive .” Jethro said to Moses , “ Go in peace .”

‏ Exodus 4:18

The Return of Moses

18 ^{▼▼sn This last section of the chapter reports Moses’ compliance with the commission. It has four parts: the decision to return (18-20), the instruction (21-23), the confrontation with Yahweh (24-26), and the presentation with Aaron (27-31).} So Moses went back ^{▼▼tn The two verbs form a verbal hendiadys, the second verb becoming adverbial in the translation: “and he went and he returned” becomes “and he went back.”} to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Let me go, so that I may return ^{▼▼tn There is a sequence here with the two cohortative forms: אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה (ʾelekhah nnaʾ veʾashuva)—“let me go in order that I may return.”} to my relatives ^{▼▼tn Heb “brothers.”} in Egypt and see ^{▼▼tn This verb is parallel to the preceding cohortative and so also expresses purpose: “let me go that I may return…and that I may see.”} if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”