Exodus 11:8

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.

Exodus 11:8 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 11:8

And all these thy servants
Pharaoh's nobles, ministers, courtiers and counsellors, who were then in his presence, and stood about him, to whom Moses pointed: shall come down unto me;
from Pharaoh's palace, which might be built on an eminence, to the place where Moses had dwelt during the time he had been in Egypt, which might lie lower; or these should come from Zoan, or from Memphis, whichever of them was now the royal city, to the land of Goshen, which lay lower than the other part of Egypt; or it may only denote the submission of Pharaoh's, servants, that they should in the time of their distress be so humble and condescending as to come themselves to Moses, and as it follows: and bow down themselves unto me;
in the most obsequious manner, humbly entreating, and earnestly begging him: saying, get thee out, and all the people that follow thee;
or "are at thy feet" F23, that were at his beck and command, and under his power, as Aben Ezra; or that followed his counsel and advice, as Jarchi, that did as he directed them, and went after him as their leader and commander, even everyone of them; they that brought up the rear, he, and all of them, would be desired to depart, and not a man remain behind: this was fulfilled, ( Exodus 12:31 ) : and after that I will go out;
out of the land of Egypt, Moses, and all the children of Israel: and he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger;
as soon as he had said the above words, because he had bid him be gone from him, and had threatened him with his life, if ever he saw his face more; and because he was so rebellious against God, whose zeal inspired the heart of Moses with indignation against him, though the meekest man on earth, and for whose glory he was concerned; though some understand this of Moses going out from Pharaoh, when he and not Moses was in great anger, because of what Moses had now threatened him with, and told him what would be the issue of things, the submission of him and his nobles, and the dismission of Israel; but this sense is not favoured by the accents.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (Kylgrb) "in pedibus tuis", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "sub pedibus tuis", Munster, Vatablus; "qui est ad pedes tuos", Cartwright.

Exodus 11:8 In-Context

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