Exodus 10:10

10 He said, "I'd sooner send you off with God's blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you're up to no good - it's written all over 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 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, "Go ahead then. Go worship your God. But just who exactly is going with you?"
9 Moses said, "We're taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds - this is our worship-celebration of God."
10 He said, "I'd sooner send you off with God's blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you're up to no good - it's written all over your faces.
11 Nothing doing. Just the men are going - go ahead and worship God. That's what you want so badly." And they were thrown out of Pharaoh's presence.
12 God said to Moses: "Stretch your hand over Egypt and signal the locusts to cover the land of Egypt, devouring every blade of grass in the country, everything that the hail didn't get."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.