Exodus 10:9

ESV Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord."

NIV Moses answered, "We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord."

NASB Moses said, 'We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.'

CSB Moses replied, "We will go with our young and with our old; we will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds because we must hold the Lord’s festival."

NLT Moses replied, 'We will all go — young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.'

KJV And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.

NKJV And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.”

What does Exodus 10:9 mean?

Pharaoh is attempting to bargain with Moses (Exodus 10:7–8). He hopes that by letting some Israelites leave for worship, those left behind will be an incentive for them to return. He knows that if all the Hebrews leave, they aren't coming back. After seven devastations (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24), Pharaoh hopes to avoid an eighth (Exodus 10:4–6). But he also wants Egypt to keep their slave labor (Exodus 1:11–14). He opens the negotiations by asking which group should be allowed to leave (Exodus 10:8).

Moses' answer is clear. Israel will leave with everyone and everything. This is not open for discussion. The Lord's demand is that all His people be freed (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 21; 9:1, 13, 10:3). He even cuts off the possibility of leaving all their resources behind by referring to "flocks and herds." These would have been needed for basic survival, as well as sacrifice.

Even if Pharaoh's negotiations are sincere, his motives are not noble. He is trying to partially obey God (1 Samuel 15:22). His reaction proves this as he angrily refuses to consider releasing Hebrew children (Exodus 10:10).

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