Exodus 11 8

Exodus 11:8 kjv

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.

Exodus 11:8 nkjv

And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, and all the people who follow you!' After that I will go out." Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.

Exodus 11:8 niv

All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, 'Go, you and all the people who follow you!' After that I will leave." Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

Exodus 11:8 esv

And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, you and all the people who follow you.' And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.

Exodus 11:8 nlt

All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. 'Please leave!' they will beg. 'Hurry! And take all your followers with you.' Only then will I go!" Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.

Exodus 11 verses

Exodus 11 8 Meaning

Exodus 11:8 captures Moses' prophetic declaration to Pharaoh: that Pharaoh's highest officials, humbled by God's judgment, would themselves come to Moses and plead for Israel's immediate departure. Moses then asserts his own authority by stating he will depart only after their desperate plea, concluding this intense confrontation by leaving Pharaoh in a state of profound, righteous anger. This verse signifies the dramatic reversal of power, the impending final plague, and the inevitable triumph of God's will over human defiance.

Exodus 11 8 Context

Exodus chapter 11 delivers the final warning to Pharaoh and Egypt before the devastating tenth plague. This chapter serves as a pivot point: previous plagues brought suffering and revealed God's power, but Pharaoh remained defiant. This warning from Moses, communicated directly to Pharaoh, signals the irreversible nature of the coming judgment. It’s set against a backdrop of increasing divine patience and Pharaoh's escalating stubbornness. Moses' bold prophecy in verse 8 dramatically forecasts the absolute capitulation of Egyptian power, moving from general pronouncements of plague to a specific, humiliating demand for surrender from Pharaoh's own court. Culturally, Pharaoh was revered as a living deity, making the idea of his high officials bowing before a foreign leader an unthinkable and profound reversal of power dynamics and religious understanding. The verse is Moses' last recorded interaction with Pharaoh before the final plague, acting as a final pronouncement of judgment, a line in the sand drawn by God.

Exodus 11 8 Word analysis

• And (וְ – ve): A simple conjunction connecting this new detail to the preceding divine decree, emphasizing continuation and a logical sequence of events.
• all these thy servants (וְכָל-עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה – v’khol-avadaykha eileh): Avadaykha (your servants) refers to Pharaoh's senior officials and courtiers. "All these" highlights the comprehensive nature of the surrender, involving every high-ranking member of the Egyptian hierarchy, underscoring the completeness of their humiliation.
• shall come down (יֵרְדוּ – yerdu): The Hebrew verb means "to descend" physically or in status. This signifies their humiliation, moving from positions of power or physical height to a posture of deference and submission before Moses.
• unto me (אֵלַי – elai): Directly indicates Moses as the recipient of their appeal, underscoring his position as God's designated representative and the direct focus of the Egyptians' capitulation.
• and bow down themselves (וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ – v’hishtachavoo): From the root shachah (שָׁחָה), meaning "to prostrate oneself, to do homage, to worship." This act is the deepest form of respect and submission, an admission of utter inferiority and subservience, completely uncharacteristic for proud Egyptian officials before an Israelite. It signifies total capitulation.
• unto me (אֵלָי – elay): Reiterates Moses as the specific person they will bow before, further cementing the unprecedented reversal of authority.
• saying (לֵאמֹר – lemor): Introduces the exact words of their desperate plea.
• Get thee out (צֵא – tsei): An imperative command, directly addressing Moses. This shows their urgency and desperation to rid their land of the cause of the plagues. The former demand from Pharaoh that Israel stay now turns into a fervent plea for them to leave.
• and all the people that follow thee (וְכָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בְּרַגְלֶיךָ – v’khol-ha’am asher b’raglecha): Literally, "and all the people who are at your feet," a common idiom signifying followers or those who walk under someone's direction. It underscores that not just Moses, but the entire nation of Israel, is to be immediately released.
• and after that (וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן – v’akharey-khen): Specifies the precise timing: Moses' departure will occur after this profound act of supplication and begging from Pharaoh's own officials.
• I will go out (אֵצֵא – etse): Moses asserting his own will and timing, emphasizing that his departure is on his terms, dictated by God's plan, not Pharaoh's fading authority.
• And he went out (וַיֵּצֵא – vayyetzei): This clause shifts from prophecy to narrative, describing Moses' immediate action following this pronouncement. It implies the fulfillment of "I will go out" in a defiant manner.
• from Pharaoh (מֵאֵת פַּרְעֹה – me'et par'oh): Marks the decisive physical and metaphorical separation of Moses from Pharaoh, symbolizing the final break in negotiations and the complete abandonment of any hope for a peaceful resolution.
• in great anger (בָּחֳרִי-אָף גָּדוֹל – b’choriy-af gadol): Choriy-af (חֳרִי-אָף) literally "burning of anger," signifies intense, fierce wrath. Gadol (גָּדוֹל) means "great." Moses' anger is a righteous indignation, mirroring God's profound displeasure and righteous wrath against Pharaoh's persistent hard-heartedness, pride, and oppression. It marks the absolute finality of the dialogue before divine judgment is fully executed.

Words-group Analysis

• "And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me": This phrase dramatically forecasts a complete inversion of the established power dynamic. Those who once commanded or held authority over Moses and the Israelites are now depicted humbling themselves utterly before him. It underscores the profound effectiveness of God's judgments in dismantling the proud structures of the Egyptian kingdom.
• "saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out": This declaration captures the turning point of the entire Exodus narrative. The Egyptians' previous resistance and Pharaoh's refusal transform into an urgent, desperate plea. Crucially, Moses retains control of the timing, signifying that the departure is according to God's pre-ordained schedule, not a result of Pharaoh's belated command.
• "And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger": Moses' anger here is not a loss of self-control, but a powerful reflection of God's holy indignation against unrelenting rebellion and injustice. It conveys the immense gravity of the moment, the complete breakdown of dialogue, and the swift approaching judgment. This anger acts as a visible sign of God's impending decisive action, showing that His patience has reached its limit with Pharaoh.

Exodus 11 8 Bonus section

• Polemics against Egyptian gods: The entire confrontation, culminating in this verse, acts as a profound polemic. The plagues consistently undermine specific Egyptian deities (e.g., the Nile god Hapi, the frog goddess Heqet, the sun god Ra, the bull god Apis, and finally the god-king Pharaoh himself, whose firstborn would perish). Here, Pharaoh's "servants" — who likely held various religious titles or managed cultic affairs – bowing to Moses signifies the complete triumph of Yahweh over the entire pantheon of Egyptian gods. Their desperation for Moses to leave indicates the failure of their own gods to protect them.
• Dramatic Irony: Pharaoh's earlier arrogant question, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice...?" (Ex 5:2) finds its chilling answer in this verse, as his own servants are compelled by the very power of the Lord to humbly beseech His servant Moses.
• Divine Timing and Certainty: The detailed nature of Moses' prophecy in this verse, including the specific actions of Pharaoh's servants and his own subsequent departure, emphasizes God's perfect foreknowledge and His meticulous plan of salvation for Israel. It reassures Israel of the certainty of their deliverance, despite the escalating confrontation.

Exodus 11 8 Commentary

Exodus 11:8 is a profound testament to the power of God over all earthly authorities. It reveals the apex of the struggle between Yahweh and Pharaoh, encapsulating both prophecy and immediate action. Moses foretells a scenario unthinkable just chapters prior: the most powerful men in Egypt, those closest to the deity-king Pharaoh, prostrating themselves before the shepherd of enslaved people. This deep bow, usually reserved for divinities or ultimate sovereigns, highlights the complete dismantling of Egyptian pride and Pharaoh's authority. The desperation in their plea, "Get thee out," contrasts starkly with Pharaoh's previous defiance and reinforces that their removal from Egypt is God's decree, not Pharaoh's concession. Moses’ subsequent declaration, "after that I will go out," asserts that he departs on God's terms, not as a compelled fugitive, further demonstrating God's sovereign control. Finally, Moses' departure "in great anger" signifies the holy wrath of God through His messenger against unyielding rebellion. This righteous indignation underscores the severity of the coming judgment, marking the end of all negotiation and the imminent, climactic act of deliverance. The scene foreshadows not only the immediate devastation of the tenth plague but also the future humiliation of those who resist God.