Exodus 10:10

10 He said to them, "The LORD be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

Exodus 10:10 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 10:10

And he said unto them, let the Lord be so with you, as I will
let you go, and your little ones
Either as mocking them, let the Lord you talk of be with you if he will, and let him deliver you if he can, as I shall let you go with your children, which I never will; or as wishing them ill, that the Lord their God may be with them, as he should dismiss them on their proposal, that is, not at all; he wishes they might never have the presence of the Lord, or receive any from him, till he should dismiss them, which he was determined never to do in the manner they desired; and therefore the sum of his wish or imprecation is, that they might never enjoy any benefits from the Lord; the first sense seems to be best:

look to it, for evil is before you;
which is either a charge of sin upon them, that they had an evil design upon him, and intended to raise a mutiny, make an insurrection, and form a rebellion against him; or a threatening to inflict the evil of punishment upon them, if they would not comply with his terms; and it is as if he should say, be it at your peril if you offer to go away in any other manner than it is my pleasure.

Exodus 10:10 In-Context

8 Moshe and Aharon were brought again to Par`oh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are those who will go?"

9 Moshe said, "We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to the LORD."

10 He said to them, "The LORD be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

11 Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what you desire!" They were driven out from Par`oh's presence.

12 The LORD said to Moshe, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Mitzrayim for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Mitzrayim, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left."