Exodus 3:19

Exodus 3:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
• New International Version (NIV)But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

Context of Exodus 3:19

17So I said, I will bring you up out of the oppression of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18Then they will pay attention to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20So I will reach out with My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.

Exodus 3:19 word by word

וַאֲנִ֣י יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יִתֵּ֥ן אֶתְכֶ֛ם מֶ֥לֶךְ מִצְרַ֖יִם לַהֲלֹ֑ךְ וְלֹ֖א בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• But I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• that the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• will not permitנָתַןnâthan · to give: allowH5414
• you to goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• exceptלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• under compulsionחָזָקchâzâq · strongH2389
• under compulsionיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027

Cross-references for Exodus 3:19

• Exodus 5:2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”
• Exodus 7:4When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments.
• Exodus 6:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.”
• Exodus 7:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.
• Exodus 8:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.
• Exodus 9:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.
• Exodus 10:1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may perform these signs of Mine among them,
• Exodus 11:1Now 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 assuredly drive you out from here completely.
• Exodus 12:1Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
• Exodus 13:1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
• Exodus 14:1Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
• Psalms 136:11And brought Israel out from their midst, For His faithfulness is everlasting,
• Isaiah 63:12Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,

Commentaries on Exodus 3:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19No, not - See the marginal rendering. Others explain it to mean, Pharaoh will not let the people go even when severely smitten.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Moses' success with the elders of Israel would be good. God, who, by his grace, inclines the heart, and opens the ear, could say beforehand, They shall hearken to thy voice; for he would make them willing in this day of power. As to Pharaoh, Moses is here told that petitions and persuasions, and humble complaints, would not prevail with him; nor a mighty hand stretched out in signs and wonders. But those will certainly be broken by the power…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19I know: See “Hardened Hearts” Theme Note.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2210-22. Come now therefore, and I will send thee--Considering the patriotic views that had formerly animated the breast of Moses, we might have anticipated that no mission could have been more welcome to his heart than to be employed in the national emancipation of Israel. But he evinced great reluctance to it and stated a variety of objections [Ex 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10] all of which were successfully met and removed--and the happy issue of his labors was…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 3:19

• God Continued...
• Israel
• Miracles
• Moses
• Religion

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Appear
• Backside
• Bush
• Jehovah
• Moses
• Sacrifice
• Sight

Commentaries on Exodus 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings