And he said to the people does not necessarily suggest that Moses waited until the people had washed their clothes before he told them to get ready. But some translations have “Then” instead of “And.” (Durham even has “Next.”) Note that Good News Translation avoids this problem in verse 14 by translating “consecrated the people” as “told the people to get ready.” (But see the comment at verse 10.)

Be ready by the third day is almost identical with verse 11. The Hebrew makes no distinction here between on and “by” (Good News Translation). Do not go near a woman is a euphemism, that is, it speaks about “sexual intercourse” (Good News Translation) in a more polite and indirect way. It does not mean that the men were to separate themselves entirely from the women. Translators should find an appropriate euphemism in their own languages, if speaking explicitly about sexual intercourse is inappropriate. Good News Translation adds “in the meantime,” since this is implied; it is a command only for these days of consecration.

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 .