And Israel saw repeats the word saw for emphasis and again uses Israel collectively. But what they saw in this verse was the great work which the LORD did, literally “the great hand which Yahweh made.” This refers to Yahweh’s power. Against the Egyptians identifies the object of his power, so Good News Translation has “the great power with which the LORD had defeated the Egyptians,” or one may say “the great power that the LORD had used to defeat the Egyptians.”

And the people feared the LORD is really the result of their having seen Yahweh’s power, so Good News Translation and others begin the previous clause with “When.” Then they make this the main clause, “[then] they stood in awe of the LORD” (Good News Translation). New Revised Standard Version simply has “So the people feared the LORD.” Feared is the same word as in verse 13, but when the LORD is the direct object, the meaning is more the feeling of “awe.” This is made clear in the following clause. A possible rendering, then, is “they had great respect for the LORD.”

And they believed in the LORD, literally “and they believed him,” may be expressed as “they had faith in the LORD” (Good News Translation) or they “put their trust in him” (New International Version). The word “Amen” comes from this word. And in his servant Moses means that they trusted Moses as well. The word for servant is the same word used for “slave,” but here it becomes a title of respect, recognizing Moses as the one appointed by God to be their leader.

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 .