Bible Strands
Exodus 10:9
“We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses speaks to Pharaoh immediately after being summoned back into his court. He answers Pharaoh’s demand to specify exactly who will be departing from Egypt.
The words — נֵלֵ֑ךְ (ne.Lekh) means “we will go,” and בְּ/צֹאנֵ֤/נוּ (be./tzo.Ne./nu) translates literally to “with our flocks.” Moses pairs these terms to state that every age group and all livestock will depart together.
The thread — This comprehensive departure echoes the assembly command in Deuteronomy 31:12 and fulfills the initial demand recorded in Exodus 5:1. The collective movement also aligns with the Passover lamb imagery cited in 1 Corinthians 5:7.
Why it lands — The text states that worship requires the complete departure of the people and their possessions. It asks the reader to accept that divine instructions leave no room for partial participation.
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
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Exodus 5:1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
- Deuteronomy 31:12 Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
- Exodus 3:18 The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
- Genesis 50:8 along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.
- Exodus 5:3 “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
- Exodus 8:25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”
- Exodus 13:6 For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
- Numbers 29:12 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, you are to hold a sacred assembly; you must not do any regular work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days.
- Joshua 24:15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”