And her two sons agrees with the plural “sons” in 4.20. Note that the text uses her instead of “his,” but this should not suggest they were not Moses’ sons. (See verse 5.) Of whom the name of the one was Gershom is awkward to handle in one sentence along with the name of the other son. It is better to place a full stop after her two sons and then explain their names along with the meaning. Gershom was the older of the two. (See 2.22.) In some languages it will be helpful to begin a new sentence here; for example, “He also brought Gershom and Eliezer….”

For he said is placed in parenthesis in Revised Standard Version, since it introduces a flashback within a flashback. He refers to Moses, who had named him Gershom, literally “an alien there.” (See the discussion at 2.22.) Note that Good News Translation restructures verses 3 and 4 in order to combine the explanation of the two names in one parenthetical statement.

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 .