Exodus 10:17

Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Pharaoh addresses Moses and Aaron immediately after the locust plague devastates Egypt, following his prior admission of guilt. He requests their intercession to halt the current devastation.

The words — The Hebrew phrase שׂא חטאתי (sa' chatta'ti) literally means "take away my sin," paired with the particle נא (na, "please") and the imperative הַעְתִּירוּ (ha'tiru, "pray/intercede").

The thread — This pattern of a ruler requesting prophetic intercession to stop a plague echoes Exodus 8:8 and Exodus 9:28, while the formal appeal for prayer mirrors the king's request in 1 Kings 13:6.

Why it lands — The text records a tactical plea to remove a threat rather than a confession of moral change. Readers must distinguish between a ruler's strategic concession and genuine covenant faithfulness.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְעַתָּ֗הve./'a.Tahand/ therefore שָׂ֣אsa'forgive נָ֤אna'please חַטָּאתִי֙cha.ta.T/isin/ my אַ֣ךְ'akhonly הַפַּ֔עַםha./Pa.'amthis/ time וְהַעְתִּ֖ירוּve./ha'.Ti.ruand/ pray לַיהוָ֣הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your וְיָסֵר֙ve./ya.Serso/ may he remove מֵֽעָלַ֔יme./'a.La/ifrom/ on <the>/ me רַ֖קrakonly אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַמָּ֥וֶתha./Ma.vetthe/ death הַזֶּֽה׃ha./Zeh<the>/ this

King James Version

Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

Cross-references

Exodus 8:8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
Exodus 9:28 Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”
1 Kings 13:6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.
1 Samuel 15:25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”
2 Kings 4:40 And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.
Isaiah 26:16 O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
Acts 8:24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
Romans 15:30 Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
2 Corinthians 1:10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,