New International VersionIf you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back,
New Living TranslationIf you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go,
English Standard VersionFor if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,
Berean Standard BibleBut if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
King James BibleFor if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
New King James VersionFor if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them,
New American Standard BibleFor if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,
NASB 1995“For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,
NASB 1977“For if you refuse to let them go, and continue to hold them,
Legacy Standard BibleFor if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,
Amplified BibleBut if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,
Christian Standard BibleBut if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them,
Holman Christian Standard BibleBut if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them,
American Standard VersionFor if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
Contemporary English VersionIf you keep refusing,
English Revised VersionFor if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
GOD'S WORD® TranslationIf you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them [in slavery],
Good News TranslationIf you again refuse to let them go,
International Standard VersionBut if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,
NET BibleFor if you refuse to release them and continue holding them,
New Heart English BibleFor if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,
Webster's Bible TranslationFor if thou shalt refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleBut if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
World English BibleFor if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still, Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionfor if you are refusing to send [them] away, and are still keeping hold on them,
Young's Literal Translation for, if thou art refusing to send away, and art still keeping hold upon them,
Smith's Literal TranslationFor if thou refusest to send forth, but yet thou holdest fast upon them, Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBut if thou refuse, and withhold them still:
Catholic Public Domain VersionBut if you still refuse, and you retain them,
New American BibleFor if you refuse to let them go and persist in holding them,
New Revised Standard VersionFor if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor if you refuse to let them go (and until now you have withheld them),
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd if you choose not to send away, and until now you are holding onto them, OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
Brenton Septuagint TranslationIf however thou wilt not send my people away, but yet detainest them:
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context The Fifth Plague: Livestock1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2Butifyoucontinueto restrainthemand refuseto let them go,3then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.…
Cross References Exodus 5:1-2After 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.’” / But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
Exodus 7:16Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.
Exodus 8:1-2Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. / But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
Exodus 10:3-4So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. / But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
Exodus 11:9-10The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” / Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
Exodus 14:17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen.
Deuteronomy 6:22Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household.
Deuteronomy 7:19the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
Deuteronomy 11:3-4the signs and works He did in Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land; / what He did to the Egyptian army and horses and chariots when He made the waters of the Red Sea engulf them as they pursued you, and how He destroyed them completely, even to this day;
Psalm 78:43-51when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan. / He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink. / He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. ...
Psalm 105:27-36They performed His miraculous signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. / He sent darkness, and it became dark—yet they defied His words. / He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die. ...
Psalm 135:8-9He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast. / He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
Psalm 136:10-12He struck down the firstborn of Egypt His loving devotion endures forever. / and brought Israel out from among them His loving devotion endures forever. / with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. His loving devotion endures forever.
Acts 7:36He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.
Romans 9:17-18For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” / Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
Treasury of Scripture For if you refuse to let them go, and will hold them still, Exodus 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son,even thy firstborn. Exodus 8:2 And if thou refuse to letthem go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: Exodus 10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: Jump to Previous ContinueHoldKeepingPowerRefuseRefusingRetainWiltJump to Next ContinueHoldKeepingPowerRefuseRefusingRetainWiltExodus 9 1.The plague on livestock8.The plague of boils13.The message of Moses about the hail,22.The plague of hail27.Pharaoh pleads with Moses, but yet is hardenedBut if you continue to restrain themThis phrase addresses Pharaoh's persistent refusal to release the Israelites from bondage. The Hebrew word for "restrain" implies a deliberate act of holding back or preventing freedom. This reflects Pharaoh's hardened heart, a recurring theme in Exodus, where God allows Pharaoh's heart to harden to demonstrate His power and glory ( Exodus 4:21). The act of restraining the Israelites is symbolic of sin's grip on humanity, which only divine intervention can break. This also foreshadows the spiritual bondage from which Christ delivers believers, as seen in John 8:36, where Jesus declares that the Son sets people free indeed. and refuse to let them go,
Pharaoh's refusal is not just a political decision but a spiritual defiance against God's command. The phrase "let them go" is central to the narrative of Exodus, emphasizing God's demand for His people's liberation. This refusal sets the stage for the subsequent plagues, which serve as judgments against Egypt's gods and demonstrate Yahweh's supremacy (Exodus 12:12). Theologically, this reflects the struggle between divine will and human obstinacy. It also prefigures the ultimate liberation from sin through Christ, as seen inRomans 6:18, where believers are set free from sin and become servants of righteousness. Persons / Places / Events 1. PharaohThe ruler of Egypt who is obstinately refusing to release the Israelites from slavery, despite the plagues that God has sent as a warning. 2. MosesThe prophet and leader chosen by God to demand the release of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and to lead them to the Promised Land. 3. AaronMoses' brother, who assists him in communicating God's demands to Pharaoh. 4. EgyptThe land where the Israelites are enslaved, and where God is demonstrating His power through the plagues. 5. The IsraelitesGod's chosen people, who are suffering under Egyptian slavery and are the focus of God's deliverance plan. Teaching Points The Danger of a Hardened HeartPharaoh's refusal to heed God's command is a classic example of a hardened heart. Believers are warned to remain open and responsive to God's voice, avoiding the pitfalls of pride and stubbornness. God's Sovereignty and PatienceDespite Pharaoh's repeated refusals, God continues to send warnings through the plagues. This demonstrates God's patience and His desire for repentance, even in the face of persistent rebellion. The Power of ObedienceMoses and Aaron's obedience to God's command, despite Pharaoh's resistance, highlights the importance of faithfulness in the face of opposition. Believers are encouraged to trust and obey God, regardless of external circumstances. Deliverance and FreedomThe demand for the Israelites' release is a powerful reminder of God's desire for His people to live in freedom. This points to the ultimate deliverance found in Christ, who frees us from the bondage of sin. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Exodus 9
Why did God kill Egypt's firstborn children?
What are examples of miracles in the Bible?
What events occur in the biblical book of Exodus?
How does 2 Kings 10:1-11 reconcile mass slaughter with the broader biblical prohibition against murder?
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew Butכִּ֛י(kî)Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunctionifאִם־(’im-)Conjunction
Strong's 518:Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, notyouאַתָּ֖ה(’at·tāh)Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859:Thou and thee, ye and yourefuseמָאֵ֥ן(mā·’ên)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3986:Unwillingto let them goלְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ(lə·šal·lê·aḥ)Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7971:To send away, for, outand continueוְעוֹדְךָ֖(wə·‘ō·wḏ·ḵā)Conjunctive waw | Adverb | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5750:Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, moreto restrainמַחֲזִ֥יק(ma·ḥă·zîq)Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2388:To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquerthem,בָּֽם׃(bām)Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew
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OT Law: Exodus 9:2 For if you refuse to let them (Exo. Ex) |
