Exodus 10:25
But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just about taking livestock; Moses is insisting they need their animals to worship God according to His precise commands. Pharaoh offered a compromise, but Moses rejected it because they didn't yet know which animals or how many God would require for this new, unprecedented feast.
Following the terrifying plague of darkness, Pharaoh attempts to negotiate, suggesting the Israelites can leave but must leave their livestock behind. Moses, however, firmly insists that the animals are essential for the sacrifices and burnt offerings they must present to the LORD their God, refusing any compromise that would prevent their worship. This is not a new demand; Moses had previously stated that all their possessions, including flocks and herds, must accompany them, as they don't yet know the full requirements for the upcoming feast.
Pharaoh offers a compromise, but Moses stands firm. What makes certain elements of worship non-negotiable?
After the plague of darkness, Pharaoh tries to bargain. He says the adults can go worship, but the children and livestock must stay behind.
But Moses refuses. He knows that their worship isn't just about them going; it's about what they take with them.
Why was leaving the children behind such a deal-breaker for Moses? It goes beyond just a family reunion.
Pharaoh's offer to let the adults go but keep the children and livestock is a common tactic of control and spiritual manipulation.
Understand the original words
zebach · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, a cultic act of slaughtering an animal to atone for sin, express gratitude, or establish/renew covenant fellowship with God. It signifies the substitutionary death required to approach a holy God.
olah · Hebrew Noun
A specific type of offering where the entire animal is consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication, total surrender, and the surrender of the offerer's life to God.
This verse highlights the crucial moment when Moses demands that Pharaoh allow the Israelites to take their livestock for sacrifice. It underscores that their departure wasn't just about freedom from slavery, but a divine mandate to worship God, a worship that required their very possessions.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus of Israelites from Egypt
Following the ten devastating plagues, God leads the Israelites out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Plague of Darkness
The ninth plague, a thick, palpable darkness, covers the land of Egypt for three days, except for the region where the Israelites lived. This plague terrifies the Egyptians and further breaks Pharaoh's resistance.
c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's Compromise and Moses's Refusal
Pharaoh attempts to negotiate, allowing the Israelites to take their young but leaving their livestock. Moses insists that all their possessions, including the animals needed for sacrifice, must go with them.
c. 1446 BC
Demand for Sacrificial Animals
Moses reiterates that the Israelites must take their flocks and herds to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD their God, emphasizing their need to worship God fully.
This passage shows God reassuring Jacob that his whole family, including livestock, would go down to Egypt, echoing the divine promise that would later inform Moses' insistence on taking the flocks and herds for worship.
Leviticus 1:1-13These verses detail the requirements for burnt offerings, illustrating the kind of sacrifices Moses needed the people to be able to perform, which is why he pressed Pharaoh to allow their livestock to go.
Psalm 50:10-12This psalm speaks to God's ownership of all creation, including the animals, reinforcing the idea that the livestock belonged to God and were intended for His worship, not merely for Pharaoh's control.
John 8:36Jesus declares that if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. This speaks to the ultimate freedom Moses sought for Israel from Egyptian bondage, a freedom that included the liberty to worship God fully.
gillExodus 10:25: "And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God."
And Moses said, thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings,.... Sheep, rams, and goats for sacrifices, and oxen for burnt offerings; and that of his own, as Jarchi interprets it; but rather the meaning is, that besides having their little ones with them, they must be allowed also to take their cattle for sacrifices and burnt offerings: that we may sacrif…
henryExodus 10:21-29: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."
10:21-29 The plague of darkness brought upon Egypt was a dreadful plague. It was darkness which might be felt, so thick were the fogs. It astonished and terrified. It continued three days; six nights in one; so long the most lightsome palaces were dungeons. Now Pharaoh had time to consider, if he would have improved it. Spirit…
This isn't just about taking livestock; Moses is insisting they need their animals to worship God according to His precise commands. Pharaoh offered a compromise, but Moses rejected it because they didn't yet know which animals or how many God would require for this new, unprecedented feast.
Following the terrifying plague of darkness, Pharaoh attempts to negotiate, suggesting the Israelites can leave but must leave their livestock behind. Moses, however, firmly insists that the animals are essential for the sacrifices and burnt offerings they must present to the LORD their God, refusing any compromise that would prevent their worship. This is not a new demand; Moses had previously stated that all their possessions, including flocks and herds, must accompany them, as they don't yet know the full requirements for the upcoming feast.
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c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's Final Rejection
Enraged by Moses's unwavering demands and hardened by the plagues, Pharaoh dismisses him, threatening him with death if he ever appears before him again.
c. 1446 BC
Announcement of the Final Plague
Following Pharaoh's defiant rejection, God declares that one more plague will strike Egypt—the death of every firstborn son—after which Pharaoh will finally let the Israelites go.
Following the terrifying plague of darkness, Pharaoh attempts to negotiate, suggesting the Israelites can leave but must leave their livestock behind. Moses, however, firmly insists that the animals are essential for the sacrifices and burnt offerings they must present to the LORD their God, refusing any compromise that would prevent their worship. This is not a new demand; Moses had previously stated that all their possessions, including flocks and herds, must accompany them, as they don't yet know the full requirements for the upcoming feast.
"But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God." — This isn't just about taking livestock; Moses is insisting they need their animals to worship God according to His precise commands. Pharaoh offered a compromise, but Moses rejected it because they…
