Exodus 11:3-10

3 forsooth the Lord shall give grace to his people before the Egyptians. And Moses was a full great man in the land of Egypt, before the servants of Pharaoh and all the people;
4 and (at once) he said (to the king), The Lord saith these things, At midnight I shall enter into Egypt;
5 and each first begotten thing in the land of Egyptians shall die, from the first begotten of Pharaoh, that sitteth in the throne of him, till to the first begotten of the handmaid, which is at [the] quern; and all the first engendered of beasts shall die; (and every first-born son in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh, who sitteth on his throne, unto the first-born of the slave-girl, who is at the hand-mill; and also all the first-born male beasts shall die;)
6 and [a] great cry shall be in all the land of Egypt, what manner cry was not before, neither shall be afterward (nor shall ever be heard again).
7 Forsooth at all the children of Israel, a dog shall not make (a) privy noise, from man till to beast; that ye know by how great miracle the Lord parteth [the] Egyptians and Israel. (And yet among all the Israelites, a dog shall not even bark at a man or a beast; so that ye know by how great a miracle the Lord separateth the Egyptians and the Israelites.)
8 And all these thy servants shall come down to me, and they shall pray (to) me, and shall say, Go out thou (Go thou out), and all the people which is subject to thee; (and) after these things we shall go out. And (then) Moses full wroth went out from Pharaoh.
9 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh shall not hear you, that many signs be made in the land of Egypt (For the Lord had said to Moses, Pharaoh shall not listen to you, so that many miracles can be done in the land of Egypt.)
10 Soothly Moses and Aaron made all the signs and wonders, that be here written, before Pharaoh; and the Lord made hard the heart of Pharaoh, neither he delivered the sons of Israel from his land. (And Moses and Aaron did all the miracles and wonders, that be written here, before Pharaoh; but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.)

Exodus 11:3-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 11

Moses having an intimation from the Lord that one plague more would be brought on Pharaoh, and then he would let Israel go, when they should borrow of their neighbours jewels of gold and silver, the people being in great favour with the Egyptians, Ex 11:1-3, he declares to Pharaoh, before he went out of his presence, the slaying of all the firstborn in Egypt, which would issue in the dismission of Israel, and then he went out from him in great anger, Ex 11:4-8, but still Pharaoh would not hearken, and his heart was hardened, and he refused again to let Israel go, Ex 10:9,10.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.