Exodus 7:16

16 and thou shalt say to him, The Lord God of Hebrews sent me to thee, and said, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me in desert; and till to this present time thou wouldest not hear. (and thou shalt say to him, The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee, and said, Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the wilderness; and until this time thou hast not listened to him.)

Exodus 7:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 7:16

And thou shalt say unto him
Upon meeting him:

the Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee;
still appearing in the character of the ambassador of Jehovah, the God of the children of Israel:

saying, let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness;
the demand is once more renewed, before any punishment is inflicted for refusal, that the patience and forbearance of God might be the more visible, and his judgments appear the more righteous when inflicted, as well as Pharaoh be left more inexcusable. The reason of the demand is observed,

that they may serve me;
keep a feast, and sacrifice to him, as is before expressed, and the place where is pointed at:

in the wilderness;
at Sinai, in Arabia, where were the mountains of Sinai and Horeb; but the time of their service is not here expressed, as elsewhere, namely, three days:

and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear;
and obey the voice of the Lord, upbraiding him with his disobedience, and the hardness of his heart; but signifying it was not now too late, though it was advisable to be quick, or the blow would be given, and the plagues inflicted.

Exodus 7:16 In-Context

14 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, The heart of Pharaoh is made grievous, he will not deliver the people; (And the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and he will not let the people go;)

15 go thou to him early; lo! he shall go out to the waters, and thou shalt stand in the coming of him on the brink of the flood; and thou shalt take in thine hand the rod, that was turned into a dragon, (and so go thou early to him; lo! he shall go out to the waters, and thou shalt meet him on the river bank; and thou shalt take in thy hand the staff, that was turned into a serpent,)

16 and thou shalt say to him, The Lord God of Hebrews sent me to thee, and said, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me in desert; and till to this present time thou wouldest not hear. (and thou shalt say to him, The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee, and said, Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the wilderness; and until this time thou hast not listened to him.)

17 Therefore the Lord saith these things, In this thou shalt know, that I am the Lord; lo! I shall smite with the rod, that is in mine hand, the water of the flood, and it shall be turned into blood (lo! I shall strike the water of this River with the staff, that is in my hand, and that water shall be turned into blood);

18 and the fishes that be in the flood shall die; and the waters shall wax rotten, and the Egyptians drinking the water of the flood shall be tormented. (and the fish that be in the River shall die; and the waters shall grow rotten, and the Egyptians shall not be able to drink any water from this River.)