Exodus 11:3

_SPEAK NOW IN THE EARS OF THE PEOPLE, AND LET EVERY MAN BORROW OF HIS NEIGHBOUR, AND EVERY WOMAN OF HER NEIGHBOUR, JEWELS OF SILVER, AND JEWELS OF GOLD._ Speak now in the ears of the people. These verses, describing the communication which had been made in private to Moses, are inserted here as a parenthesis, and will be considered, Exodus 12:35. MOREOVER THE MAN MOSES WAS VERY GREAT IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. This is added historically as a special reason of the liberality shown to the Hebrews at their departure. The first and principal was the favourable disposition toward them with which God was pleased to inspire the Egyptian people; the second and subordinate, but still powerful, because external, reason, was the veneration and awe cherished toward their leader. 'With historical faithfulness,' says Kalisch, 'Moses makes these remarks about his own person: they

3._And the Lord gave _(135) _the people favor. _Because the Israelites never could have hoped that the Egyptians, who had before rapaciously stripped them of everything, would become so kind and liberal to them, Moses declares that men’s hearts are turned this way or that by God. For, as the Psalm testifies, that the Egyptians were impelled by Him “to hate His people,” (Psalms 105:25,) that He might make way for their glorious deliverance; so He was able also to incline them in the opposite direction, that they should freely give what they had before harshly refused, and not without threats and blows. This doctrine is exceedingly useful to be known, because, when men are harsh and cruel to us, it: teaches us patience, whilst we are assured that the passions of wicked men only thus assail us, in so far as God would chastise our sins, and exerci

1-3 A secret revelation was made to Moses while in the presence of Pharaoh, that he might give warning of the last dreadful judgment, before he went out. This was the last day of the servitude of Israel; they were about to go away. Their masters, who had abused them in their work, would have sent them away empty; but God provided that the labourers should not lose their hire, and ordered them to demand it now, at their departure, and it was given to them. God will right the injured, who in humble silence commit their cause to him; and none are losers at last by patient suffering. The Lord gave them favour in the sight of the Egyptians, by making it appear how much he favoured them. He also changed the spirit of the Egyptians toward them, and made them to be pitied of their oppressors. Those that honour God, he will honour....

Verse Exodus 11:3. _THE MAN MOSES_ WAS _VERY GREAT_] The miracles which Pharaoh and his servants had already seen him work had doubtless impressed them with a high opinion of his wisdom and power. Had he not appeared in their sight as a very extraordinary person, whom it would have been very dangerous to molest, we may naturally conclude that some violence would long ere this have been offered to his person....

EXPOSITION We have here a parenthetic statement of something that had previously happened. Before Moses was summoned to appear in the presence of Pharaoh as related in Exodus 10:24, it had been expressly revealed to him by God, 1. That one more plague, and one only, was impending; 2. That this infliction would be effectual, and be followed by the departure of the Israelites; and, 3. That instead of reluctantly allowing them to withdraw from his kingdom, the monarch would be eager for their departure and would actually hasten it. He had also been told that the time was now come when the promise made to him in Mount Horeb, that his people should "spoil the Egyptians" (Exodus 3:22), would receive its accomplishment. The Israelites,

AND THE LORD GAVE THE PEOPLE FAVOUR IN THE SIGHT OF THE EGYPTIANS,.... So that they freely and willingly lent them the things they asked of them; which seems to be said by way of anticipation, for this was not done until the following plague was inflicted, see Exodus 12:35, MOREOVER, THE MAN MOSES WAS VERY GREAT IN THE LAND OF EGYPT; his name was famous throughout the whole land, because of the signs and wonders, and miracles wrought by him; they took him to be a very extraordinary person, as he was, and had him in great esteem, because at his entreaty the plagues were removed from them, when they had been wrought on them; and this made them the more willing to lend the above things to the people of Israel when they asked them of them, because of their great respect to Moses, and whom, if they did not cordially love, yet they feared, and might imagine that if

CHAPTER 11 THE TENTH PLAGUE ANNOUNCED _ 1. God's Word to Moses and to the people (Exodus 11:1)_ 2. The tenth plague announced to Pharaoh (Exodus 11:4) 3. Pharaoh's unbelief and his heart hardened (Exodus 11:9) In chapter 10:29 we hear Moses say to Pharaoh, “I will see thy face again no more.” In this chapter, however, we hear him address Pharaoh once more concerning the tenth plague judgment. The announcement made to Moses and recorded in the first verse of this chapter occurred before the inter-view of the previous chapter and Exodus 11:4 in chapter 11 is the continuation of Moses' address to Pharaoh after he had

EXODUS 7:14 TO EXODUS 12:36. THE TEN PLAGUES. How deeply this series of events imprinted itself on the mind and heart of the nation is shown by the fulness with which the three sources report them. J 1° 2° 4° 5° 7° 8° 9° 10° E 1° 7° 8° 9° 10° P 1° 2° 3° 6° 10° 1°, river turned to blood; 2°, frogs; 3°, fice (gnats); 4°, flies; 5°, murrain; 6°, boils; 7°, hail; 8°, locusts; 9°, darkness; 10°, death of firstborn. A sound historical judgment will conclude, both from this fact and from the nature of the occurrences mentioned, as well as from the need for _some_ such group of causes to account for the escape of the tribes, that the traditions have a firm foothold in real events. But since not less than four centuries intervened between the events and the earliest of our sources, it is not to b

Exodus 7:14 to Exodus 11:5 _The first nine Plagues_ The narrative of the Plagues, like that of the preceding Chapter s, is composite. The details of the analysis depend partly upon literary criteria, partly upon differences in the representation, which are not isolated, but recurrent, and which moreover _accompany_the literary differences and support the conclusions based upon them, the differences referred to often also agreeing remarkably with corresponding differences in the parts of the preceding narrative, especially in Exodus 3:1 to Exodus 7:13, which have already, upon independent grounds, been assigned to P, J, and E, respectively. N

AND THE LORD GAVE— This, perhaps, might be better rendered, _the Lord will give._ The Vulgate, Samaritan, Houbigant, &c. render it in the future. Some imagine that the clause following was mentioned as the reason why Pharaoh did not attempt any thing against the person of Moses; whom all his people now considered as the immediate messenger of GOD, and, consequently, held in most high veneration. REFLECTIONS.—They who despised Moses at first, begin to fear and honour him at last. God gives him his last directions. Israel had served for no wages long enough; God will now repay them in the jewels of Egypt. Some way or other, they who suffer for him shall obtain their reward. God has a short work to do: one stroke more, and then they shall be as earnest to thrust them out, as before to hold them prisoners. _Note;_ There is one judgment yet to come after this life against sinners, which shall...