Exodus 11:8

Exo 11:8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

Ver. 8. In a great anger.] Heb., In heat of anger; wherewith in the cause of God he was blessedly blown up. Meekness here had been but mopishness.

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.

Exo 11:8. All these thy servants — Thy courtiers and great officers: The people that follow thee — That are under thy conduct and command.

When Moses had thus delivered his message, he went out from Pharaoh in great anger, though he was the meekest of all the men of the earth. Probably he expected that the very threatening of the death of the firstborn should have wrought upon Pharaoh to comply; especially he having complied so far already, and having seen how exactly all Moses’s predictions were fulfilled. But it had not that effect; his proud heart would not yield, no, not to save all the firstborn of his kingdom. Moses hereupon was provoked to a holy indignation, being grieved, as our Saviour afterward, for the hardness of his heart, Mar 3:5.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11:8 Pharaoh had lost control. Moses was no longer asking; he was now in a position to dictate the terms of the Israelites’ departure from the country.

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

That is, under thy power and government.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

all these thy servants shall . . . bow down themselves unto me--This would be the effect of the universal terror; the hearts of the proudest would be humbled and do reverential homage to God, in the person of His representative.

went out . . . in a great anger--Holy and righteous indignation at the duplicity, repeated falsehood, and hardened impenitence of the king; and this strong emotion was stirred in the bosom of Moses, not at the ill reception given to himself, but the dishonor done to God (Mat 19:8; Eph 4:26).

Next: Exodus Chapter 12

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. And all these thy servants shall come] A prediction of what actually took place. See Ex 12:31-33.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) All these thy servants—i.e., the high officers of the Court who were standing about Pharaoh. These grandees would come to Moses when the blow fell, and prostrate themselves before him as if he were their king, and beseech him to take his departure with all his nation. The details are given more fully and more graphically in this place than in the subsequent narrative (Exo_12:31).

In a great anger.—Heb., in heat of anger: i.e., burning with indignation. Moses had not shown this in his speech, which had been calm and dignified; but he here records what he had felt. For once his acquired “meekness” failed, and the hot natural temper of his youth blazed up. His life had been threatened—he had been ignominiously dismissed—he had been deprived of his right of audience for the future (Exo_10:28). Under such circumstances, he “did well to be angry.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. Then the Pharaoh’s ministers themselves will come humbly to Moses, and beg him and his people to leave Egypt; cf. Exo_12:31-33.

come down] ‘from the palace, where the writer thinks of the ministers as assembled, after hearing the tidings of the calamity, and which he pictures as elevated above the surrounding city and country (cf. 2 Samuel 9, 2Ki_6:33; 2Ki_7:17)’ (Di. from Kn.).

Get thee out, &c.] simply, Go out, thou and all, &c.

that follow thee] Heb. that are at thy feet: Deu_11:10 Heb., Jdg_4:10; Jdg_8:5 Heb. al.

in hot anger] viz. on account of what the Pharaoh had said, Exo_10:27-28. The expression, as 1Sa_20:34 al.

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.

And all these thy servants,.... Pharaoh's nobles, ministers, courtiers and counsellors, who were then in his presence, and stood about him, to whom Moses pointed:

shall come down unto me; from Pharaoh's palace, which might be built on an eminence, to the place where Moses had dwelt during the time he had been in Egypt, which might lie lower; or these should come from Zoan, or from Memphis, whichever of them was now the royal city, to the land of Goshen, which lay lower than the other part of Egypt; or it may only denote the submission of Pharaoh's, servants, that they should in the time of their distress be so humble and condescending as to come themselves to Moses, and as it follows:

and bow down themselves unto me; in the most obsequious manner, humbly entreating, and earnestly begging him:

saying, get thee out, and all the people that follow thee; or "are at thy feet" (w), that were at his beck and command, and under his power, as Aben Ezra; or that followed his counsel and advice, as Jarchi, that did as he directed them, and went after him as their leader and commander, even everyone of them; they that brought up the rear, he, and all of them, would be desired to depart, and not a man remain behind: this was fulfilled, Exo 12:31,

and after that I will go out; out of the land of Egypt, Moses, and all the children of Israel:

and he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger; as soon as he had said the above words, because he had bid him be gone from him, and had threatened him with his life, if ever he saw his face more; and because he was so rebellious against God, whose zeal inspired the heart of Moses with indignation against him, though the meekest man on earth, and for whose glory he was concerned; though some understand this of Moses going out from Pharaoh, when he and not Moses was in great anger, because of what Moses had now threatened him with, and told him what would be the issue of things, the submission of him and his nobles, and the dismission of Israel; but this sense is not favoured by the accents.

(w) "in pedibus tuis", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "sub pedibus tuis", Munster, Vatablus; "qui est ad pedes tuos", Cartwright.

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

Thy courtiers and great officers, who now are so insolent and obstinate,

shall come down unto me, both by their own inclination and necessity, and in thy name, and by thy command.

That follow thee; that are under thy conduct and command; as this or the like expression is used Jdg 4:10; 1Ki 20:10; 2Ki 3:9; Isa 41:2.

In a great anger; not so much for the affront offered to himself, as for his incurable rebellion against God. Compare Mar 3:5.

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

8. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down — Pharaoh and all his courtiers would be utterly paralyzed with terror, and humbly entreat the people whom they had crushed so long to depart in peace.

In a great anger — As Jehovah’s messenger, representing his judicial wrath.

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

All these thy servantsi.e. , all these courtiers here present. Shall come. Literally, "shall descend." Kalisch observes that by the Hebrew idiom "going from a nobler place to one of less distinction is called descending" (Comment. p. 133). And bow down. Make obeisance to me, as if I were a king. The last of the plagues would cause the courtiers to look on Moses as the real king of the land, and pay him royal honours. All the people that follow thee. Literally, as in the margin, "that is at thy feet;" i.e. , that follows and obeys thee." The Egyptians looked on Moses as king, or at any rate prince of his nation. In a great anger. Literally, "in heat of anger." The abrupt dismissal, (Exo_10:28) the threat against his life (ibid.) and the announcement that no more interviews would be granted him moved the indignation of Moses, who was not conscious to himself of having done anything to deserve such treatment. He had answered the king calmly and temperately; (Exo_10:29 Exo_11:4-8) but knew what his feelings had been, and here records them.

Righteous anger.

It seems to be supposed by some that the true Christian ought never to be angry. St. Paul certainly says in one place, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour be put away from you"; (Eph_4:31) and in another, "Put ye off all these, anger, wrath, malice". (Col_3:8) But he guards himself from being misunderstood by giving a command in one of these very chapters, (Eph_4:26) "Be ye angry, and sin not." He was himself angry when he said to the High Priest, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall", (Act_23:3) and to the jailer at Philippi, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? Nay, verily: but let them come themselves and fetch us out". (Act_16:37) There is such a thing as "righteous anger;" and it was righteous anger which Moses felt at this time. He was indignant

I BECAUSE GOD WAS SPURNED AND HIS COMMANDMENTS MADE OF NO ACCOUNT. Pharaoh, after temporising, and professing contrition, and suggesting a variety of compromises, had declared himself finally against God cast his words behind his back and resolved on following out his own will, and defying the Almighty. Bold, unblushing wickedness may well make the minister of God angry. It is an insult to God"s majesty. It is a contradiction of man"s moral nature, it is an open enlisting in the service of Satan.

II BECAUSE HIS COUNTRYMEN WERE WRONGED, BY BEING DISAPPOINTED OF THEIR JUST HOPES. Pharaoh"s professions, his promises, his attempts at compromise had given the Israelites a right to expect that he would yield in the end. His sudden stiffness was an injury to them, with which Moses did well to sympathise. How should he not be indignant, when the just rights of his nation were wholly ignored, their patience despised, and their legitimate expectations baulked? His anger, so far as it arose out of sympathy for them, was justified

(a) by the bitterness of their feelings;

(b) by the heartiness in which he had thrown himself into their cause;

(c) by the apparent hopelessness of their case, if the king now drew back.

III BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN HIMSELF INSULTED AND ILLUSED. The anger which springs from a sense of wrong done to oneself is less noble than that which arises from a sense of wrong done to our fellows, and still less noble than that which has its origin in zeal for the honour of God; but still it is not illegitimate. Wrong done to oneself is nevertheless wrong, and, as wrong, properly stirs up anger within us. Moses had been ill-used by Pharaoh from first to last, derided, (Exo_5:4) trifled with, (Exo_8:26-32 Exo_10:16-20) driven from his presence; (Exo_10:11) and now at last had been deprived of his right to make personal representations to the monarch, and even threatened with death (ib. ver. 28). And why? What evil had he done? He had simply delivered God"s messages to Pharaoh, and inflicted the plagues at God"s command. Of his own mere notion he had done nothing but shorten the duration of the plagues by entreating God from time to time at Pharaoh"s request.

Even, therefore, if his "heat of anger" had been caused solely by the wrong done to himself, it would have been justified.

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

All these thy servants - Thy courtiers and great officers: The people that follow thee - That are under thy conduct: and command. When Moses had thus delivered his message, he went out from Pharaoh in great anger, though he was the meekest of all the men of the earth. Probably he expected that the very threatening of the death of the first-born should have wrought upon Pharaoh to comply; especially he having complied so far already, and having seen how exactly all Moses's predictions were fulfilled. But it had not that effect; his proud heart would not yield, no not to save all the first-born of his kingdom. Moses hereupon was provoked to a holy indignation, being grieved, as our saviour afterwards, for the hardness of his heart, Mark iii, 5.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

וירדו כל עבדיך AND ALL THY SERVENTS SHALL COME DOWN [UNTO ME] — He showed respect to the king, for as a matter of fact ultimately Pharaoh himself came down to him at night, (Exodus 12:31) “And he said, Arise, go out from the midst of my people”; but Moses did not at the outset say to him, “And thou shalt come down to me and shalt prostrate thyself”, out of respect for the king, (Exodus Rabbah 7:3)

אשר ברגליך (lit., who are at thy feet) — who go after (follow) thy counsel and ways.

ואחרי כן אצא AND AFTER THAT I WILL GO OUT, with all my people, from thy land.

ויצא מעם פרעה AND HE WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH — After he had concluded his words he went forth from his presence.

בחרי אף IN FIERCENESS OF WRATH because he (Pharaoh) had said to him, (Exodus 10:28) “Do not again see my face.

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.