The bones of Joseph may actually have been the embalmed corpse, or the “body” (Good News Translation), on the basis of Gen 50.26. But the word is clear and should probably be translated as bones. And Moses took does not indicate how these bones were carried. So in many languages this will be expressed as “Moses had them take along the bones of Joseph” (Contemporary English Version).

For Joseph had solemnly sworn the people of Israel means that the Israelites swore, not Joseph. New American Bible is clear: “Joseph had made the Israelites swear solemnly.” It does not make sense in English “to swear somebody,” but in Hebrew it does. It must be clear that “Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly promise” (Good News Translation). New Revised Standard Version says that Joseph “had required a solemn oath of the Israelites.” The Hebrew form is emphatic, so “oath” in English is better than “promise.” However, in a number of languages “make an oath” or “solemnly swear” will be expressed, for example, as “make a strong promise.” The pluperfect “had made” (Good News Translation) is clear from the context, since Joseph had died two or three hundred years earlier.

Saying introduces the direct quotation of Joseph’s words. God will visit you is also emphatic, so New Revised Standard Version has “God will surely take notice of you.” The word for visit means to attend to, or take care of, so Good News Translation interprets this to mean “When God rescues you” (Good News Translation). This will be a natural translation in many languages. God is ʾelohim, and you is plural. Then you must carry is literally “and you will cause to go up,” referring to my bones without specifying how they will be carried.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .