The Final Word
Exodus 11:1–10 (NASB95)
1Now the LORD said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. 2“Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. 4Moses said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6‘Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7‘But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8“All these your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, ‘Go 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. 9Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.
Commentary - The Final Word
God’s plan for Israel’s deliverance reached its climax with the announcement of the tenth and final plague. Before the plague fell, God told Moses to instruct every Israelite man and woman to ask their neighbor for articles of silver and gold. The Hebrew word for neighbor here, re’a, is striking. It does not just mean a fellow Israelite. In this context, it refers to the Egyptians living alongside the Israelites. God’s command was not about plundering or deceiving. The Israelites were to ask, and the Egyptians, moved by God, would give. This act fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would leave Egypt with great possessions. It also served as a form of just compensation for generations of forced labor. The use of neighbor in this verse broadens the biblical vision of community. It anticipates the command in Leviticus to love your neighbor as yourself, showing that God’s concern for justice and relationship extends beyond ethnic or religious boundaries. The Egyptians, once oppressors, now became neighbors who honored the Israelites as they prepared to leave.
The narrative then turns to Moses’ final confrontation with Pharaoh. Some readers notice that Moses had just told Pharaoh, “I will not see your face again,” yet here he delivers the warning of the tenth plague. This is not a contradiction. The structure of the story explains it. Exodus 11:1-3 is a parenthetical flashback, giving background about God’s instructions and the favor He gave the Israelites among the Egyptians. Verses 4-8 continue the same encounter that ended chapter 10. The Hebrew can be read as “Moses had said,” meaning Moses delivered the warning about the death of the firstborn before leaving Pharaoh’s presence. The narrative is not strictly chronological but is arranged to highlight the gravity and finality of God’s judgment. Moses’ words in 11:4-8 are the last he speaks to Pharaoh face to face.
Verse 5 brings us to the heart of the tenth plague. God Himself would pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn, from Pharaoh’s own son to the firstborn of the lowest servant and even the livestock. This act raises hard questions about justice and morality. The text is clear that no Israelite was commanded to harm the Egyptians. God alone carried out this judgment. The death of the firstborn was not arbitrary cruelty. It was the culmination of a long process in which Pharaoh and Egypt had been given every chance to repent. The plague was also a direct response to Pharaoh’s earlier command to kill every Hebrew male infant. Egypt’s future had been built on the blood of Israel’s children. Now, in a terrible symmetry, Egypt’s own future would be cut off. The firstborn in Egyptian culture represented inheritance, hope, and the continuation of the family line. Pharaoh himself was seen as the firstborn of the gods, the living link between heaven and earth. The death of the firstborn shattered Egypt’s religious and social order. It exposed the impotence of Egypt’s gods and the limits of Pharaoh’s power. God’s judgment was not random. It was measured, just, and rooted in the reality of Egypt’s own actions.
The story of the tenth plague is not just ancient history. It speaks to the way God’s justice and mercy work in the world. Sometimes, those who have been wronged wait a long time for justice. Sometimes, those in power refuse to listen until the consequences are unavoidable. The command to ask one’s neighbor for silver and gold reminds us that God cares about real, tangible justice. He does not forget the suffering of His people. The distinction between admitting wrong and true repentance is also important. Pharaoh admitted his guilt when the pressure was on, but his heart never changed. Real repentance shows itself in changed actions, not just words. In our own lives, we see the difference between those who seek relief and those who seek transformation. The call to remember what God has done is vital. Without remembering, there is no gratitude, no wisdom, and no faith. The story of the Exodus is meant to be told and retold, so that each generation learns to trust and obey the Lord. When we remember God’s justice, His mercy, and His faithfulness, we find the courage to continue in our faithfulness to the Lord despite current or future circumstances.
Blessings,
Ryan Goodnight