Exodus 10:25

Exo 10:25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.

Ver. 25. Thou must give us also sacrifices.] God gave Noah of every clean beast seven, for sacrifice likely, but of every unclean two only. {Gen 7:2}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:25-26 Moses was unrelenting. He knew that the Israelites, far from leaving any of their possessions behind, would be receiving gifts from the Egyptians, who would hurry them away (3:21-22). He also kept the focus on the worship of God. This continual refrain about the purpose for leaving Egypt (see study note on 8:26-27) reflects the key purpose of their exodus, to become the people of God.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

25. Thou also must, &c.] The pron. is emphatic. Pharaoh, besides letting the Israelites’ cattle go, must also himself contribute to the sacrifices which will be offered. By ‘sacrifices’ (lit. slaughterings) are meant the most common kind of sacrifice, called elsewhere for distinction ‘peace-offerings’ (see on Exo_20:24): they are often, esp. in the historical books, mentioned together with burnt-offerings (see ibid.).

sacrifice] Heb. do,—used in a sacrificial sense, like ῥέζειν and facere, and the Ass. epêshu. So Exo_29:36; Exo_29:38, Deu_12:27, 1Ki_3:15, and frequently (the instances in the OT. have been collected by the writer in DB. s.v. Offer, Offering, No. 7, iii. 588b).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart,.... Yet more and more:

and he would not let them go; his heart was set against it, his will was resolute, and he was determined never to let them go.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Thou must give us, i.e. suffer us to take of our own stock

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25, 26. Thou must give us also sacrifices — That is, Thou must allow our flocks and herds to go for sacrifice. Even up to this moment only a three days’ journey into the wilderness was demanded; and a frank, fair compliance with Jehovah’s will would have saved Pharaoh from destruction and Egypt from disgrace. Pharaoh’s sin was no necessary link in the chain of God’s providences; but the sin being in his heart, God used it for his glory.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 25, 26. Moses absolutely refuses the suggested compromise. He had already declared on a former occasion, "With our young and with our old we will go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we will go" (ver. 9). He is not inclined to retract now, after two additional plagues, what he had demanded before them. He does not refuse, however, to set forth his reasons. The cattle must go because the feast which they are about to keep requires sacrifices they must all go, because the Israelites do not as yet know what animals, or how many of each, will be required of them. The feast was a new thing, without precedent; its ritual was not yet laid down. No exact directions were to be expected, until the place was reached where God intended that it should be celebrated.

Bad men, when unable to overcome good men"s scruples, throw off the mask of friendliness, and show themselves in their true colours.

The circumstances of human life are continually bringing good men and bad men into contact and intercourse. Three results may follow:

1. The bad may corrupt the good. This is the result too often. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Few can touch pitch and not be defiled.

2. The good may convert the bad. The first Christians converted a world that lay in wickedness. Esther softened the heart of Ahasuerus. St. Ambrose, by long withstanding his will, converted Theodosius.

3. Neither may make any impression upon the other. In this case, while the good man merely regrets his inability to turn the bad man to righteousness, the bad man, baffled in his attempts to overcome the scruples of the good man and lead him astray, is apt to be greatly provoked, and to threaten, or even proceed to violence. "Take heed to thyself in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die." What a spring of bitterness wells up from the evil heart of the sinner who feels himself opposed successfully, thwarted in his schemes, and baffled! While he still hopes to succeed all is smooth speaking. "I have sinned." "Forgive my sin this once only." "Go ye, serve the Lord." When he finds that he cannot prevail, there is a sudden and complete change. Benefits are forgotten; friendliness is a thing of the past; even the prescribed forms of politeness are set aside. The wild beast that lies hid in each unregenerate man shows itself, and the friendly acquaintance of months or years is ready to tear his opposer to pieces.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

גם אתה תתן THOU MUST GIVE ALSO — It will not be enough for you that our cattle will go with us but you will give also of yours.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

THOU MUST ALSO GIVE INTO OUR HAND SACRIFICES AND BURNT-OFFERINGS. Moses did not make this a condition, neither did Pharaoh. Rather, these are words to impress Pharaoh. In effect Moses was saying to him that G-d’s power will be so heavy upon him and his people that even sacrifices and burnt — offerings and all that he hath will he give for his life. Indeed, when Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron [at the time that he gave the people permission to go], And bless me also, he would willingly have given all his cattle in atonement for his sin [of rebelling against G-d’s command till then]. Moses however had no intention to do so, for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, as it pleased the Eternal to crush him, not to forgive him but instead to punish him and to overthrow him with all his host in the midst of the sea.Now our Rabbis have said that Pharaoh’s expression [to Moses and Aaron], Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, refers to their saying to him, Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Perhaps the Rabbis intended to say that Pharaoh hinted to Moses and Aaron that he is ready to give them whatever they say, but not at all that they took anything from him. It may be that he supplied them with sacrifices and burnt-offerings for their use so that the Israelites would fulfill their own obligation [in the observance of G-d’s feast]. But this also is not correct. ] — it could not be correct to say that they later took sacrifices for themselves from Pharaoh. We must therefore conclude that Pharaoh only hinted to them that he was ready to give them whatever they demand, but actually they took no animals from him for sacrifice.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.