Bible Strands

Exodus 12:36

And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrative occurs at the conclusion of the Passover instructions as the Israelites prepare to depart Egypt. Moses relays the divine action that immediately follows the people's request for valuables.

The words — נָתַן (naTan) means "he gave," and חֵן (chen) translates to "favor." The prepositional phrase בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרַיִם (be'einai Mitzrayim) literally reads "in the eyes of Egypt."

The thread — This event fulfills the promise in Exodus 3:21 that God would grant favor so Israel would not leave empty-handed, aligning with the earlier declaration in Genesis 15:14 regarding their departure with great possessions.

Why it lands — The text states that Yahweh directly altered Egyptian dispositions to supply Israel's requests, resulting in the people taking Egyptian goods. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the exodus was sustained by divine initiative rather than human strategy.

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

וַֽיהוָ֞הva./Yah.wehand/ Yahwehנָתַ֨ןna.Tanhe gaveאֶת־'et-<obj.>חֵ֥ןchen[the] favor ofהָעָ֛םha./'Amthe/ peopleבְּעֵינֵ֥יbe./'ei.Neiin/ [the] eyes ofמִצְרַ֖יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptוַיַּשְׁאִל֑וּםva/i.yash.'i.Lu/mand/ they granted [the] request/ themוַֽיְנַצְּל֖וּva/y.na.tze.Luand/ they plunderedאֶת־'et-<obj.>מִצְרָֽיִם׃ פmitz.Ra.yimEgypt

King James Version

And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

Cross-references