Exodus 10:3 kjv
And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exodus 10:3 nkjv
So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
Exodus 10:3 niv
So Moses and Aaron went 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, so that they may worship me.
Exodus 10:3 esv
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exodus 10:3 nlt
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me.
Exodus 10 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 3:18 | "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us..." | God's identity, demanding recognition |
| Exod 4:21 | "...I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." | God's sovereign hardening and Pharaoh's will |
| Exod 5:1 | "...Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go...'" | Initial demand, "Let My people go" refrain |
| Exod 7:16 | "...‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go...'" | Recurring message from God through Moses |
| Exod 9:13 | "...Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’" | Identical purpose stated for freedom |
| Exod 9:34-35 | "...he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants." | Pharaoh's continued self-willed stubbornness |
| Exod 12:12 | "...I will execute judgments on all the gods of Egypt..." | Plagues as judgment against Egyptian deities |
| Deut 6:13 | "You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve Him, and shall swear by His name." | Call to serve only God |
| 1 Sam 7:3 | "...If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods...and serve Him only." | Wholehearted service to God |
| 2 Chron 7:14 | "...if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways..." | Divine principle of humbling for deliverance |
| Ps 68:30 | "...rebuke the beast of the reeds...Trample those who delight in war." | God subduing the arrogant (Egypt metaphor) |
| Ps 75:6-7 | "For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another." | God alone exalts and abases |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Consequence of Pharaoh's pride |
| Prov 29:1 | "He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." | Warning against persistent defiance |
| Isa 43:21 | "This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise." | Israel's divine purpose for God's glory |
| Jer 13:17-18 | "...Weep bitterly; let your eyes run with tears...Humble yourselves, sit down..." | Prophet's call to leaders to humble themselves |
| Dan 5:20-22 | "When his heart was lifted up...he was deposed from his kingly throne...nor did you humble yourself..." | Belshazzar's pride and fall compared to Neb. |
| John 4:23-24 | "...true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him." | God desires genuine worship/service |
| Rom 9:17-18 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up...' Therefore God has mercy on whomever He wills, and He hardens whomever He wills." | God's sovereignty over Pharaoh's hardness |
| Rom 12:1 | "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." | Service to God as worship in New Testament |
| Jas 4:6 | "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" | Divine opposition to pride |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" | New Covenant call to humility |
| Heb 12:28 | "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." | Serving God with reverence, spiritual worship |
Exodus 10 verses
Exodus 10 3 Meaning
Exodus 10:3 conveys the Lord's direct confrontation of Pharaoh's unyielding pride. Moses and Aaron, speaking on behalf of God, challenge Pharaoh's persistent refusal to humble himself before the Most High. This divine question, "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?", highlights God's authority and Pharaoh's deep-seated defiance. The verse culminates in the renewed demand for the release of God's chosen people, Israel, with the specific and paramount purpose that they might serve Him in worship and obedience.
Exodus 10 3 Context
Exodus 10:3 stands as a pivotal moment in the narrative of the plagues, specifically immediately preceding the eighth plague: the locusts. Pharaoh has already witnessed seven devastating plagues, each escalating in severity and demonstrating Yahweh's supreme power over nature and the gods of Egypt. Yet, despite immense pressure from his own servants who urged him to "let the men go," Pharaoh remained defiant, continually hardening his heart (Exod 9:34-35).
The historical and cultural context is crucial. Pharaoh was considered a living deity, the Son of Ra, the embodiment of Ma'at (cosmic order), and the ultimate authority in Egypt. To "humble himself" before any foreign deity, let alone a demand made by "Hebrew slaves," would be unthinkable and a direct affront to his divine kingship and Egyptian cosmology. Each plague was not merely a natural disaster but a direct challenge and judgment on specific Egyptian gods. The locusts would attack the grain supply, striking at the very foundation of Egypt's sustenance and, implicitly, the power of gods associated with fertility, harvest (like Renenutet), and the Nile (Hapi, Sobek). This verse marks the culmination of divine patience before yet another judgment, pressing the theological contrast between the sovereign Yahweh and the defiant human king.
Exodus 10 3 Word analysis
- So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him: This highlights the direct, unwavering courage of God's messengers. Despite Pharaoh's escalating threats, Moses and Aaron continually obey God's command to confront the world's most powerful ruler. Their repeated approach emphasizes God's patience and persistent demand.
- 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews,': This opening declaration (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים – koh amar Yahweh, Elohei ha-Ivrim) is a formal divine pronouncement.
- The Lord (Yahweh): God's covenant name, signifying His eternal, self-existent, and active presence. It underscores His personal relationship with Israel and His unique sovereignty over all creation, in direct opposition to any pagan deity.
- the God of the Hebrews (Elohei ha-Ivrim): This title specifically identifies Yahweh with Israel, distinguishing Him from the numerous Egyptian gods. It subtly emphasizes Israel's distinct heritage and ownership by this unique, powerful God, challenging Egypt's claims over them.
- 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?:' (עַד מָתַי מֵאֵנְתָּ לֵעָנֹת מִפָּנָי – ‘ad matay me’anta le’anot mippanay). This is a rhetorical question signifying exasperation, a direct rebuke, and a final warning.
- How long (עַד מָתַי – ‘ad matay): Expresses God's prolonged patience reaching its limit, coupled with His ongoing judgment. It highlights Pharaoh's persistent, conscious, and willful rebellion despite clear demonstrations of divine power.
- refuse (מֵאֵנְתָּ – me’anta): From the root מָאַן (ma'an), meaning "to refuse, reject, decline." It denotes active, deliberate, and unyielding resistance, not merely passive ignorance. Pharaoh is consciously choosing defiance.
- to humble yourself (לֵעָנֹת – le’anot): Hithpael infinitive of עָנָה ('anah), meaning "to humble oneself," "to afflict oneself," "to be submissive." It signifies an inner submission of will and acknowledging one's inferior position before a higher authority. For Pharaoh, this would be an unthinkable surrender of his divine status. God is demanding not just an action, but a fundamental change in his proud disposition.
- before Me (מִפָּנָי – mippanay): Literally "from My face" or "from My presence." It implies a direct, personal encounter and accountability to Yahweh, not to Moses or Aaron, reinforcing God's supreme authority.
- 'Let My people go,': (שַׁלַּח עַמִּי – shallaḥ ‘ammi). The fundamental command, repeated throughout the narrative. It emphasizes Israel's divine ownership ("My people"), not Pharaoh's.
- 'that they may serve Me.': (וְיַעַבְדֻנִי – v’ya’avduni). This defines the ultimate purpose of Israel's freedom.
- serve (יַעַבְדֻנִי – ya’avduni): From the root עָבַד ('avad), meaning "to serve," "to work," but especially in a religious context, "to worship," "to obey," "to render homage." Israel's freedom is not for their own leisure or mere political independence, but for exclusive devotion and worship to their redeemer God. This transforms them from slaves of Pharaoh to servants of Yahweh.
Exodus 10 3 Bonus section
The confrontation between Pharaoh and Yahweh over the issue of humility foreshadows a major biblical theme: God's opposition to the proud and His grace to the humble. Pharaoh, representing worldly power and self-exaltation, serves as a quintessential example of how spiritual blindness and a hardened heart lead to escalating divine judgment and ultimate downfall. His inability to bow before God contrasts sharply with the humility and obedience required of God's people. This serves as an object lesson for all generations about the danger of rejecting God's clear word and the ultimate futility of defying His divine will. The constant repetition of "Let My people go, that they may serve Me" throughout the plagues saga reiterates that the Exodus was primarily a redemptive act not merely to gain political freedom, but to re-establish a lost relationship where the redeemed would worship their Redeemer.
Exodus 10 3 Commentary
Exodus 10:3 encapsulates the central conflict of the Exodus narrative: the clash between divine sovereignty and human pride. Pharaoh's continued refusal to humble himself highlights not merely political obstinacy but a profound spiritual rebellion against the true God. The divine "How long?" is a testament to God's patient yet resolute demand for acknowledgement and submission. Pharaoh's inability or unwillingness to humble himself underscores the fundamental difference between human kingship (even deified, like Pharaoh's) and the supreme Lordship of Yahweh. Freedom for Israel is not an end in itself but a means to fulfill their divine purpose: to serve and worship God alone, setting the foundational covenant for their existence as a holy nation dedicated to Him. This passage establishes a timeless spiritual truth: true liberation always leads to consecrated service to God.