Exodus 10:10

10 And Pharaoh answered, So the Lord be with you ; how therefore shall I deliver you, and your little children? to whom is it doubt(ful), that ye think (not the) worst things? (And Pharaoh answered, And may the Lord be with you! but how can I let you, and your little children, go? for who doubteth, that ye think, or that ye plan, to do only the worst things against me?)

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 And they again called Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, and he said to them, Go ye, and make ye sacrifice to your Lord God; which be they, that shall go? (and he said to them, Go ye, and worship the Lord your God; who be they, who shall go?)
9 Moses said, We shall go with our little children and (our) elders, and with (our) sons, and (our) daughters, (and) with (our) sheep, and (our) great beasts; for it is the solemnity of our Lord God (for it is a Feast unto the Lord our God).
10 And Pharaoh answered, So the Lord be with you ; how therefore shall I deliver you, and your little children? to whom is it doubt(ful), that ye think (not the) worst things? (And Pharaoh answered, And may the Lord be with you! but how can I let you, and your little children, go? for who doubteth, that ye think, or that ye plan, to do only the worst things against me?)
11 It shall not be done so; but go ye men only, and make ye sacrifice to the Lord; for also ye asked this. And anon they were cast out from the sight of Pharaoh. (Nay, it shall not be done so! but only the men shall go, and worship the Lord; for this is what ye asked for. And at once they were cast out from before Pharaoh.)
12 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, Hold forth thine hand on the land of Egypt, to a locust, that is, (a) multitude of locusts, that it ascend on the land, and devour all the herb which is left of the hail. (And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth thy hand over the land of Egypt, for a multitude of locusts to ascend upon the land, and devour all the herbage that be left from the hail.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.