Exodus 10:2
and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals a profound purpose behind God's mighty acts: they are meant to be generational stories, passed down so descendants can know God's true character and power firsthand, not just hear about it. It emphasizes that God's interventions aren't just for the immediate moment, but are designed to establish a lasting, intimate knowledge of Himself within families for all time.
Just before this, God tells Moses He's hardened Pharaoh's heart so He can display His power through more signs, with the eighth plague, locusts, about to descend. This verse isn't just about the present suffering of the Egyptians; it's a divine instruction to Moses to ensure the story of God's mighty acts and judgments is passed down through generations. The purpose is that the Israelites, and their children's children, will remember and know for sure that Yahweh is the LORD.
Why would God orchestrate such dramatic events if not just for the people experiencing them? This verse reveals a deeper purpose: passing down the story.
God's actions in history aren't just for the moment; they are designed to be remembered and recounted.
A Living Testimony
In Exodus 10:2, God instructs Moses to ensure the Israelites tell their children and grandchildren about the mighty deeds and signs He performed in Egypt. This isn't a one-time lesson; it's a command for ongoing transmission of His faithfulness.
The Purpose of Remembrance
The ultimate goal is for each generation to know that the LORD is God. The dramatic interventions—the plagues, the signs—serve as powerful evidence of God's sovereignty and power, meant to establish faith across the ages. This act of telling becomes a vital act of worship and discipleship.
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The plagues weren't just punishments; they were 'signs.' What does that tell us about how God works and what He wants us to see?
God's 'signs' in the Exodus narrative are deliberate demonstrations intended to reveal His identity and power.
More Than Just Plagues
Exodus 10:2 calls the events 'signs.' This means they were more than mere calamities inflicted on Egypt. They were symbolic acts, carefully orchestrated to teach profound truths about who God is.
Revealing the LORD
These signs served a dual purpose: to humble and judge the Egyptians, and crucially, to make Himself known to the Israelites. Each plague chipped away at Egyptian false gods and demonstrated Yahweh's supreme authority. The purpose, as stated in the verse, is 'that you may know that I am the LORD.' This knowledge is not just intellectual assent but a deep, abiding understanding of His covenant faithfulness and power.
Understand the original words
alal · Hebrew Verb
To act or work in a specific manner toward someone, often involving judgment, providence, or divine intervention. It encompasses the entirety of God's actions in history in relation to His people and the nations.
This verse highlights God's intentionality in His powerful acts. The plagues weren't just punishments for Egypt, but also powerful teaching moments, designed to create lasting testimonies of God's might and identity for future generations of Israelites.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
After generations in Egypt, the Israelites' population grew, leading to their enslavement and harsh treatment by the Egyptian rulers.
c. 1446 BC
Moses' Confrontation with Pharaoh Begins
God calls Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. This marks the start of the ten plagues.
c. 1446 BC
The First Seven Plagues Inflicted
A series of devastating plagues—water turned to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, and hail—strike Egypt, demonstrating God's power.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Eighth Plague: Locusts Descend
Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to let the Israelites go. God sends a plague of locusts to consume the remaining crops, a devastating blow to Egypt.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Depart Egypt (The Exodus)
Following the tenth plague (death of the firstborn), Pharaoh finally allows the Israelites to leave Egypt after 430 years of bondage.
c. 1446 BC
Journey Through the Wilderness
The Israelites begin their journey toward the Promised Land, marked by God's continued provision and guidance, but also their frequent grumbling.
This Psalm is a masterful retelling of Israel's history, emphasizing the importance of passing down God's mighty deeds to the next generation so they might trust in Him. It echoes the purpose of Exodus 10:2 by showing how recounting God's faithfulness inspires future faith.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7These verses directly command parents to teach their children about God's words and commands diligently, emphasizing that this instruction should be a constant part of life. This parallels Exodus 10:2's focus on making the powerful acts of God a topic of conversation across generations.
Joshua 4:21-24After crossing the Jordan River, Joshua instructs the Israelites to set up memorial stones so that their children would ask about them. This directly aligns with the desire in Exodus 10:2 for the extraordinary acts of God to become a teachable moment for future generations.
Psalm 105:1-5This Psalm is a call to remember and recount God's wonderful works, especially His covenant promises and His deliverance of Israel. It functions as a song of remembrance, similar to how the events in Exodus are meant to be remembered and told, reinforcing the theme of perpetual testimony.
gillExodus 10:2: "And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD."
And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son,.... Not of his sons and grandsons only; for Moses here, as Aben Ezra observes, was in the stead of Israel; and the sense is, that it should be told to their posterity in all succeeding ages: what things I have wrought i…
calvinExodus 10:1-6: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:"
And they shall cover the face of the earth, that. one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.
Et operiet superficiem terrae, ut non possit videri terra: et comedet…
This verse reveals a profound purpose behind God's mighty acts: they are meant to be generational stories, passed down so descendants can know God's true character and power firsthand, not just hear about it. It emphasizes that God's interventions aren't just for the immediate moment, but are designed to establish a lasting, intimate knowledge of Himself within families for all time.
Just before this, God tells Moses He's hardened Pharaoh's heart so He can display His power through more signs, with the eighth plague, locusts, about to descend. This verse isn't just about the present suffering of the Egyptians; it's a divine instruction to Moses to ensure the story of God's mighty acts and judgments is passed down through generations. The purpose is that the Israelites, and their children's children, will remember and know for sure that Yahweh is the LORD.
Just before this, God tells Moses He's hardened Pharaoh's heart so He can display His power through more signs, with the eighth plague, locusts, about to descend. This verse isn't just about the present suffering of the Egyptians; it's a divine instruction to Moses to ensure the story of God's mighty acts and judgments is passed down through generations. The purpose is that the Israelites, and their children's children, will remember and know for sure that Yahweh is the LORD.
"and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”" — This verse reveals a profound purpose behind God's mighty acts: they are meant to be generational stories, passed down so descendants can know God's true character and power firsthand, not just hea…
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