Exodus 3:22
but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text emphasizes that the women are to "ask" for these items, not borrow them in the sense of intending to return them. This crucial distinction highlights that what they are receiving is a form of restitution, a rightful compensation from the Egyptians for years of enslaved labor.
This command comes after God has promised Moses that He will bring the Israelites out of Egypt, detailing the plagues that will strike the nation. Before the people can leave, God instructs them to "ask" for silver and gold items and clothing from their Egyptian neighbors, not as a loan but as a just compensation for their years of unpaid labor and suffering. This act of "plundering" the Egyptians, as God calls it, is presented as a divine balancing of the scales before Israel's departure.
The word used here for what the Israelites do with the Egyptians' possessions sounds like borrowing, but is it? Let's look closer at what God intended.
The verse states that the Israelite women will 'ask' for silver and gold jewelry and clothing. However, the original Hebrew word, shaal, doesn't strictly mean 'borrow' with the intent to return. It signifies a broader sense of asking, requesting, or even demanding.
This isn't about deceit. God, who sees the true heart of the situation, instructed them to ask. This act was framed as a reclamation, a just recompense for generations of unpaid, brutal labor.
Think of it like this: after years of forced, unpaid work, you're owed wages. If your employer refused to pay, and then God intervened and said, 'Go ask for their valuables,' it's not theft; it's claiming what's rightfully yours. The Egyptians' hearts were inclined by God to give, making it a divinely orchestrated repayment, not a deceptive loan.
Why would the Egyptians, who had oppressed Israel, suddenly give them valuable possessions? God's plan is always bigger than human understanding.
This event showcases God's incredible power to change hearts and orchestrate circumstances. It wasn't just a random act; God 'gave this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians' (Exodus 11:3). This divine favor explains why the Egyptians willingly complied.
What seems like 'plundering' from a human perspective was, in God's economy, a just restitution. For over 400 years, the Israelites had endured forced labor, their lives made bitter by cruel servitude (Exodus 1:14). Their labor built Egypt's wealth, yet they received no compensation.
God's instruction to 'spoil the Egyptians' was His way of ensuring that Israel left Egypt not empty-handed, but with the resources needed for their journey and the future establishment of the tabernacle. It was a divinely appointed repayment for their suffering and a provision for their future.
Understand the original words
sha'al · Hebrew Verb
The act of requesting, demanding, or asking for something. In a biblical context, it can denote petitioning God or, as here, the legal request for restitution or wages due.
natsal · Hebrew Verb
To spoil, despoil, or take booty; it refers to the act of stripping an enemy of their wealth, often as a judgment or as restitution for past oppression, demonstrating God's sovereign justice over the oppressor's resources.
This command for the Israelites to 'plunder' the Egyptians, by asking for jewels and clothing, wasn't an act of theft but a divinely orchestrated repayment for centuries of brutal slave labor. It highlights how God can turn the tables, making oppressors compensate their victims and providing for His people's needs even in the midst of judgment.
c. 1550-1300 BC
New Kingdom Established
Following the expulsion of the Hyksos, the New Kingdom period begins, marked by strong centralized rule and imperial expansion. This era saw Egypt at the height of its power and influence.
c. 1450 BC
Reign of Thutmose III
Known as the 'Napoleon of Egypt,' Thutmose III's extensive military campaigns solidified Egypt's empire and brought immense wealth and power to the nation.
c. 1353-1336 BC
Amarna Period
Akhenaten's religious revolution, centered on the worship of the sun disk Aten, caused significant social and political upheaval in Egypt.
c. 1300 BC
Possible Period of Israelite Oppression
The biblical narrative places the Israelites in Egypt during this New Kingdom period, likely under pharaohs who sought to control Egypt's growing population, leading to their enslavement.
This passage describes the aftermath of a great battle where the Israelites gather spoils for seven months, echoing the theme of taking significant resources from defeated enemies.
Matthew 27:5This verse presents a stark contrast, showing Judas returning silver after betraying Jesus, highlighting the different ways people deal with wealth obtained through questionable means.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5Here, the Macedonian churches, despite their poverty, give generously and 'first gave themselves to the Lord,' showing a spiritual giving that goes beyond material possessions.
Exodus 12:35-36This passage is the direct precursor, explaining that the Israelites asked for silver and gold articles and clothing from the Egyptians, explicitly stating 'they plundered the Egyptians,' reinforcing the fulfillment of God's word.
Luke 6:38Jesus' teaching to 'give, and it will be given to you' speaks to a principle of sowing and reaping in generosity, which, though from a different context, touches on the idea of receiving what is given.
gillExodus 3:22: "But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians."
But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house,.... Or "shall ask" (f), desire them to give or lend, what follows; and by this it appears, that the Israelites by reason of their great increase were spread abo…
bensonExodus 3:22: "But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians."
Exodus 3:22 . Every woman shall ask, שׁאלה , shaalah, (not borrow,) jewels. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians — God sometimes makes the enemies of his people not only to be at peace with them, but to be kind to them.…
The text emphasizes that the women are to "ask" for these items, not borrow them in the sense of intending to return them. This crucial distinction highlights that what they are receiving is a form of restitution, a rightful compensation from the Egyptians for years of enslaved labor.
This command comes after God has promised Moses that He will bring the Israelites out of Egypt, detailing the plagues that will strike the nation. Before the people can leave, God instructs them to "ask" for silver and gold items and clothing from their Egyptian neighbors, not as a loan but as a just compensation for their years of unpaid labor and suffering. This act of "plundering" the Egyptians, as God calls it, is presented as a divine balancing of the scales before Israel's departure.
This command comes after God has promised Moses that He will bring the Israelites out of Egypt, detailing the plagues that will strike the nation. Before the people can leave, God instructs them to "ask" for silver and gold items and clothing from their Egyptian neighbors, not as a loan but as a just compensation for their years of unpaid labor and suffering. This act of "plundering" the Egyptians, as God calls it, is presented as a divine balancing of the scales before Israel's departure.
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c. 1250 BC— this verse
Moses Receives His Calling
God appears to Moses in the burning bush and commissions him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, initiating the final stages of their liberation.
c. 1250 BC
Ten Plagues Inflicted on Egypt
A series of devastating plagues strike Egypt, culminating in the death of the firstborn, compelling Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
c. 1250 BC
The Exodus
The Israelites, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, depart from Egypt, beginning their 40-year journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.
"but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”" — The text emphasizes that the women are to "ask" for these items, not borrow them in the sense of intending to return them. This crucial distinction highlights that what they are receiving is a form…
