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Exodus 10 · a question people ask

Why wouldn't Moses take Pharaoh's offer?

In the text

Pharaoh offered to let the men go (10:11), and later everyone except the flocks and herds (10:24). Moses gives his reasons. Everyone had to go because "we must hold a feast to the LORD" (10:9). The animals had to go because they needed "sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God" (10:25), and "we don’t know with what we must serve the LORD, until we come there" (10:26). The request from the start had been, "Let my people go" (10:3), and God had told Moses, "when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain" (3:12).

The verses

“Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
Exodus 10:3 · World English Bible
“Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old. We will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds; for we must hold a feast to the LORD.””
Exodus 10:9 · World English Bible
“Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what you desire!” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.”
Exodus 10:11 · World English Bible
“Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you.” Moses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve the LORD our God; and we don’t know with what we must serve the LORD, until we come there.””
Exodus 10:24-26 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Exodus 10

Exodus 10: Light in their dwellings

The signs were for Israel's grandchildren as well as for Pharaoh: "that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son" (10:2). Pharaoh bargained over who could go; Moses said, "Not a hoof shall be left behind." And while Egypt sat in a darkness that could be felt, "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions