Exodus 11 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Exodus 11

A Final Plague Threatened

11:1 The LORD said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4 So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.

Commentary

v1: The final plague, already ordained by God. Moses and the people had to be patient, waiting several months, while the plagues were poured out on Egypt.

v2: The new request, that the children of Israel were to ask for articles of silver and gold from their Egyptian neighbours. Note that the children of Israel lived separately from the Egyptians, but doubtless they were not far away.

v3: Moses had earned great respect amongst the people of Egypt. He was the great miracle worker who had humbled the Egyptian magicians; they thought that, like Joseph (Gen 44.5,15) Moses had learned divination.

v4-6: The Passover would be severe, and the "loud wailing" (12.30) would be worse than ever before. This plague was to be unique, just as the judgements of the flood, the tower of Babel, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

v7: Distinction between the people of Egypt and of Israel; this had already be seen in several of the plagues; see 8.22; 9.4-7,26; 10.23. Lev 20.26; the people of Israel were chosen by God to belong to God.

v8: The end result would be that the officials of Egypt would ask the Israelites to leave. We read that Moses left "hot with anger." He had endured months of frustration with Pharaoh, seeing Egypt virtually destroyed before him, yet Pharaoh maintained his refusal to let the people go.

v9-10: Summarising the previous months of plagues; Pharaoh had persistently refused to let the people go. Yet the whole episode shows God's mighty power to redeem His own people.