Exodus 4:23

23 und ich gebiete dir, daß du meinen Sohn ziehen lassest, daß er mir diene. Wirst du dich des weigern, so will ich deinen erstgeborenen Sohn erwürgen. {~}

Exodus 4:23 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 4:23

And I say unto thee, let my son go, that he may serve me
Worship God according to his will in the place he had designed for him, and where he might be safe and free; and which service was due from him as a son, and to be performed not in a servile way, but in a filial manner, and therefore as a servant he could demand his dismission, and much more as his son; and this is required in an authoritative way, for saying is here commanding, insisting on it as a point of right to be done: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy
firstborn;
meaning, not only in a strict and literal sense Pharaoh's firstborn son, and heir to his crown, but the firstborn of all his subjects, which in a civil sense were his. This was not to be said to Pharaoh at the first opening of his commission to him, but after all methods had been tried, and the several other plagues designed were inflicted on him to no purpose, he was to be told this, which was the last plague, and succeeded; but this is told to Moses before hand, that when other messages he should be sent with to him, and all that should be done by him would prove ineffectual, this, when sent with and performed, would have the desired effect.

Exodus 4:23 In-Context

21 Und der HERR sprach zu Mose: Siehe zu, wenn du wieder nach Ägypten kommst, daß du alle Wunder tust vor Pharao, die ich dir in deine Hand gegeben habe; aber ich will sein Herz verstocken, daß er das Volk nicht lassen wird. {~}
22 Und du sollst zu ihm sagen: So sagt der HERR: Israel ist mein erstgeborener Sohn;
23 und ich gebiete dir, daß du meinen Sohn ziehen lassest, daß er mir diene. Wirst du dich des weigern, so will ich deinen erstgeborenen Sohn erwürgen. {~}
24 Und als er unterwegs in der Herberge war, kam ihm der HERR entgegen und wollte ihn töten.
25 Da nahm Zippora einen Stein und beschnitt ihrem Sohn die Vorhaut und rührte ihm seine Füße an und sprach: Du bist mir ein Blutbräutigam.
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