The father’s response reflects the typical hospitality of the ancient Near East. He reproaches his daughters for not observing their accepted custom. Some translations interpret the And as “then,” as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, “Where is he then?” In many languages it will be better style to omit the conjunction, as Good News Translation has done. The word said may also be expressed as “asked” (see Good News Translation). In some languages the question Why have you left the man? will be more clearly expressed as “Why did you leave the man by [or, at] the well?”

Call him implies two actions, “Go and invite him.” That he may eat bread means simply “to eat with us”; it does not specify the menu. Although bread was commonly eaten, it is often used figuratively for food in general. Translators should use a general term for “food,” unless bread is the staple food in their own culture as it was in the Midianite culture.

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 .