Exodus 3:19

THE MESSAGE

"I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless forced to, so I'll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts—oh, my miracles will send them reeling!—after which they'll be glad to send you off. I'll see to it that this people get a hearty send-off by the Egyptians—when you leave, you won't leave empty-handed! Each woman will ask her neighbor and any guests in her house for objects of silver and gold, for jewelry and extra clothes; you'll put them on your sons and daughters. Oh, you'll clean the Egyptians out!"

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
I know that the king of Mitzrayim won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

King James Version
And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

Lexham English Bible
But I myself know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless compelled by a strong hand.

New Century Version
"But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go. Only a great power will force him to let you go,

New English Translation
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not even under force.

Amplified Bible
"But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless [he is forced] by a strong hand.

New American Standard Bible
"But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But I know, that the King of Egypt wil not let you goe, but by strong hande.

Legacy Standard Bible
But I know that the king of Egypt will not give you permission to go, except by a strong hand.

Contemporary English Version
But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless something forces him to.

Complete Jewish Bible
I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave unless he is forced to do so.

Darby Translation
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a powerful hand.

Easy-to-Read Version
"But I know that the Pharaoh will not let you go. Only a great power will force him to let you go,

English Standard Version
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.

George Lamsa Translation
And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except by force.

Good News Translation
I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced to do so.

Christian Standard Bible®
“However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, even under force from a strong hand.

Literal Translation
And I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except by a strong hand.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But I knowe, that the kynge of Egipte wil not let you go, but thorow a mightie hade.

American Standard Version
And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

Bible in Basic English
And I am certain that the king of Egypt will not let you go without being forced.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I am sure that the king of Egypt wyl not let you go, no not in a mightie hande.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, except by a mighty hand.

King James Version (1611)
And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you goe, no not by a mightie hand.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But I know that Pharao king of Egypt will not let you go, save with a mighty hand;

English Revised Version
And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

Berean Standard Bible
But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Y woot, that the kyng of Egipt schal not delyuere you that ye go, but bi strong hond;

Young's Literal Translation
`And I -- I have known that the king of Egypt doth not permit you to go, unless by a strong hand,

Update Bible Version
And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, not even with a mighty hand [of God].

Webster's Bible Translation
And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

World English Bible
I know that the king of Egypt won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

New King James Version
But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

New Living Translation
"But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand forces him.

New Life Bible
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except by a powerful hand.

New Revised Standard
I know, however, that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, I, know, that the king of Egypt will not suffer you to go, - not even by a firm hand.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand.

Revised Standard Version
I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶"Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘ God , the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I've looked into what's being done to you in Egypt, and I've determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey."' ¹⁸ "Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: ‘ God , the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship God —our God.' ¹⁹"I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless forced to, so I'll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts—oh, my miracles will send them reeling!—after which they'll be glad to send you off. I'll see to it that this people get a hearty send-off by the Egyptians—when you leave, you won't leave empty-handed! Each woman will ask her neighbor and any guests in her house for objects of silver and gold, for jewelry and extra clothes; you'll put them on your sons and daughters. Oh, you'll clean the Egyptians out!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

will not: Exodus 5:2, Exodus 7:4

no, not by a mighty hand: or, but by a strong hand, Exodus 6:1, Exodus 7:1 - Exodus 14:31, Psalms 136:11, Psalms 136:12, Isaiah 63:12, Isaiah 63:13

Reciprocal: Exodus 11:9 - Pharaoh Exodus 12:31 - Rise up Deuteronomy 6:21 - with a mighty 1 Kings 8:42 - thy strong hand 2 Chronicles 6:32 - thy mighty Psalms 78:43 - How Psalms 89:10 - thy strong arm Romans 3:7 - if the truth 1 Peter 5:6 - the

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?"

Genesis 3:13
"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."

Genesis 3:16
He told the Woman: "I'll multiply your pains in childbirth; you'll give birth to your babies in pain. You'll want to please your husband, but he'll lord it over you."

Genesis 3:21
God made leather clothing for Adam and his wife and dressed them.

Genesis 3:22
God said, "The Man has become like one of us, capable of knowing everything, ranging from good to evil. What if he now should reach out and take fruit from the Tree-of-Life and eat, and live forever? Never—this cannot happen!"

Genesis 18:27
Abraham came back, "Do I, a mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master? What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of those missing five?" He said, "I won't destroy it if there are forty-five."

Job 1:21
Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I'll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed.

Psalms 22:29
All the power-mongers are before him —worshiping! All the poor and powerless, too —worshiping! Along with those who never got it together —worshiping!

Psalms 90:3
So don't return us to mud, saying, "Back to where you came from!" Patience! You've got all the time in the world—whether a thousand years or a day, it's all the same to you. Are we no more to you than a wispy dream, no more than a blade of grass That springs up gloriously with the rising sun and is cut down without a second thought? Your anger is far and away too much for us; we're at the end of our rope. You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed since we were children is entered in your books. All we can remember is that frown on your face. Is that all we're ever going to get? We live for seventy years or so (with luck we might make it to eighty), And what do we have to show for it? Trouble. Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard. Who can make sense of such rage, such anger against the very ones who fear you?

Proverbs 21:16
Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow ends up in a congregation of ghosts.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go,.... Or "but" c "I am sure", c. though so reasonable a request was made him, yet it would not be granted this is observed to them, that they might not be discouraged when he should refuse to dismiss them, which the omniscient God knew beforehand, and acquaints them with it, that, when it came to pass, they might be induced to believe that the mission of Moses was of God, rather than the contrary:

no, not by a mighty hand; the mighty power of God displayed once and again, even in nine plagues inflicted on him, until the tenth and last came upon him; or "unless by a mighty hand" d, even the almighty hand of God; prayers, entreaties, persuasions, and arguments, will signify nothing, unless the mighty power of God is exerted upon him.

c אני "ego autem", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "sed ego", V. L. d ולא εαν μη Sept. "nisi", V. L. Pagninus, Vatablus; so Noldius, p. 344. No. 1246.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No, not - See the marginal rendering. Others explain it to mean, Pharaoh will not let the people go even when severely smitten.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 3:19. I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand — When the facts detailed in this history have been considered in connection with the assertion as it stands in our Bibles, the most palpable contradiction has appeared. That the king of Egypt did let them go, and that by a mighty hand, the book itself amply declares. We should therefore seek for another meaning of the original word. ולא velo, which generally means and not, has sometimes the meaning of if not, unless, except, c. and in Becke's Bible, 1549, it is thus translated: I am sure that the kyng of Egypt wyl not let you go, EXCEPT wyth a mighty hand. This import of the negative particle, which is noticed by Noldius, Heb. Part., p. 328, was perfectly understood by the Vulgate, where it is translated nisi, unless; and the Septuagint in their εαν μη which is of the same import; and so also the Coptic. The meaning therefore is very plain: The king of Egypt, who now profits much by your servitude, will not let you go till he sees my hand stretched out, and he and his nation be smitten with ten plagues. Hence God immediately adds, Exodus 3:20: I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders -and after that, he will let you go.