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Exodus 3:22

in Exodus 3

Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall despoil the Egyptians.

KJV

But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

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This verse in Exodus 3

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Tertullian

AGAINST MARCION 2.20.2 · Written before 220.

The Egyptians put in a claim on the Hebrews for these gold and silver vessels. The Hebrews assert a counterclaim, alleging that by the bond of their respective fathers, attested by the written engagement of both parties, there were due to them the arrears of that laborious slavery of theirs for the bricks they had so painfully made and the cities and palaces which they had built.

This site's exposition

I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt

on Exodus 3:20-22

The word wonders occurs here for the first time in Scripture, and the stretched out hand returns at 6:6 and 7:5 as the way God describes what he is about to do. The spoiling of Egypt in verse 22 discharges Genesis 15:14, where Abram was told his seed would come out with great substance, and it happens at 12:35 and 12:36. Adam Clarke argues that the verb rendered borrow is the ordinary Hebrew word for asking, and the transfer is described from Egypt's own side as a thing given. The same gold builds the calf in chapter 32 and the tabernacle in chapter 35.

This site's exposition

Every woman shall ask her neighbor

Each Israelite woman is to ask her Egyptian neighbor for silver, gold and clothing, and Israel will carry off the wealth of Egypt as spoil. Adam Clarke argues that the Hebrew verb means simply to ask or to demand, the sense it has again in 12:35. Tertullian reads the goods as the arrears owed to the Hebrews for their forced labor on Egypt's bricks and cities.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

ON EIGHTY-THREE VARIED QUESTIONS 53.2 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Accordingly on the one hand the Egyptians deserved being deceived, and on the other the people of Israel were then situated at such a level of morality, because of the age of the human race, that it would not be unworthy of them to deceive an enemy. It therefore came about that God commanded them (or, rather, permitted them because of their desire) to ask of the Egyptians gold and silver implements which these seekers of a kingdom as yet earthly were gazing upon longingly, even though they were not going to return them, and to take them as if they were going to return them. God did not want to be unjust in the matter of the reward for such lengthy hardship and labor—a reward adapted to the level of such souls; nor did he want to be unjust in the matter of the punishments of the Egyptians, whom appropriately enough he caused to lose what they were under obligation to pay. And so God is not a deceiver.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

AGAINST FAUSTUS, A MANICHAEAN 22.71 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Whether then the reason was what I have said, or whether in the secret appointment of God there was some unknown reason for his telling the people by Moses to borrow things from the Egyptians and to take them away with them, this remains certain. This was said for some good reason and Moses could not lawfully have done otherwise than God told him, leaving to God the reason of the command, while the servant's duty is to obey.

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

QUESTIONS ON EXODUS 6 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

The Lord commanded the Hebrews through Moses to take gold and silver vessels and garments from the Egyptians, and he added, "And you will despoil them." The judgment implied in this command cannot be unjust. For it is a commandment of God. It was not to be judged but obeyed. For God knew how just his command was. It pertains to the servant obediently to do what was commanded.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Every woman shall borrow - This is certainly not a very correct translation: the original word שאל shaal signifies simply to ask, request, demand, require, inquire, etc.; but it does not signify to borrow in the proper sense of that word, though in a very few places of Scripture it is thus used. In this and the parallel place, Exo 12:35, the word signifies to ask or demand, and not to borrow, which is a gross mistake into which scarcely any of the versions, ancient or modern, have fallen, except our own.
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

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 minutely described.
Shall borrow - shall ask. The Egyptians had made the people serve “with rigor,” and the Israelites when about to leave the country for ever were to ask or claim the jewels as a just, though very inadequate, remuneration for services which had made “their lives bitter.” The Egyptians would doubtless have refused had not their feelings toward Moses (see Exo 11:3) and the people been changed, under God’s influence, by calamities in which they recognized a divine interposition, which also they rightly attributed to the obstinacy of their own king (see Exo 10:7). The Hebrew women were to make the demand, and were to make it of women, who would of course be especially moved to compliance by the loss of their children, the fear of a recurrence of calamity, perhaps also by a sense of the fitness of the request in connection with a religious festival. Jewels - Chiefly, trinkets. These ornaments were actually applied to the purpose for which they were probably demanded, being employed in making the vessels of the sanctuary (compare Exo 35:22). Sojourneth in her house - This indicates a degree of friendly and neighborly contact, in accordance with several indirect notices, and was a natural result of long and peaceable sojourn in the district. The Egyptians did not all necessarily share the feelings of their new king.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְשָׁאֲלָ֨הand she will ask

    veshaalahH7592 →171 times

  • אִשָּׁ֤ה[each] woman

    ʾishahH802 →781 times

  • מִשְּׁכֶנְתָּהּ֙from [female] neighbor her

    mishekhentahH7934 →

  • וּמִגָּרַ֣תand from [the] [female] sojourner of

    umigaratH1481 →97 times

  • בֵּיתָ֔הּhouse her

    beitahH1004 →2046 times

  • כְּלֵי־articles of

    kelei-H3627 →325 times

  • כֶ֛סֶףsilver

    khesefH3701 →403 times

  • וּכְלֵ֥יand articles of

    ukheleiH3627 →325 times

  • זָהָ֖בgold

    zahavH2091 →389 times

  • וּשְׂמָלֹ֑תand clothes

    usemalotH8071 →29 times

  • וְשַׂמְתֶּ֗םand you will put [them]

    vesamtemH7760 →584 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • בְּנֵיכֶם֙sons your

    beneikhemH1121 →4930 times

  • וְעַל־and on

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • בְּנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םdaughters your

    benoteikhemH1323 →588 times

  • וְנִצַּלְתֶּ֖םand you will plunder

    venitzaltemH5337 →212 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt

    mitzrayimH4713 →70 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Psalms 105:37He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.10 worksEzekiel 39:10They will not gather wood from the countryside or cut it from the forests, for they will use the weapons for fuel. They will loot those who looted them and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord GOD.6 worksExodus 11:2Now announce to the people that men and women alike should ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”6 worksExodus 12:35–36Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.5 worksGenesis 15:14But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.5 worksJob 27:16–17Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,4 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Isaiah 33:1Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.3 worksProverbs 13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.3 worksGenesis 24:53Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.2 worksEzekiel 16:7I made you thrive like a plant of the field. You grew up and matured and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.2 works2 Chronicles 20:25Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables—more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.2 works1 Peter 3:3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes,-2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Psalms 105:37

    He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.

    it leads to

    • Exodus 12:35–36

      Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Acts 13:17

      The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.

    • Genesis 15:14

      But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

  • Through

    Genesis 15:14

    But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

    it leads to

    • Nehemiah 9:9–11

      You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.

    • Exodus 6:5–6

      Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.

    • Exodus 12:32–38

      Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.”

    • Joshua 24:4–7

      and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

  • Through

    Ezekiel 39:10

    They will not gather wood from the countryside or cut it from the forests, for they will use the weapons for fuel. They will loot those who looted them and plunder those who plundered…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 33:1

      Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.

Where this verse is studied

About Exodus

The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Exodus: the study guide →Read Exodus 3 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, ON EIGHTY-THREE VARIED QUESTIONS 53.2; Augustine of Hippo, AGAINST FAUSTUS, A MANICHAEAN 22.71; Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS ON EXODUS 6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Tertullian, AGAINST MARCION 2.20.2 and Tertullian, Against Marcion 2.20.2.

Read on in Exodus 3 →