Exodus 10:24
And Pharaoh called vnto Moses, and said, Goe ye, serue the Lord: onely let your flockes and your herds be stayed: let your litle ones also goe with you. Exodus 10:24 (KJV)
This verse occurs right after the ninth plague, the plague of darkness (Exodus 10:22‑23). In Exodus 10:24 Pharaoh tells Moses that he will permit the Israelites to leave Egypt to worship the LORD, but he demands that their livestock remain in Egypt. The demand reflects Pharaoh’s attempt to retain a valuable portion of the Israelites’ property even as he grants a partial concession. The text records no objection from Moses at this point; his response is not recorded in this verse.
Pharaoh’s wording in the narrative can be rendered in two complementary ways. The KJV wording emphasizes that Pharaoh says, “Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.” A parallel rendering records Pharaoh’s own words as, “I will let you go, that ye may worship the LORD your God: only give up the herd, and the flock, that I may keep them.” Both renderings convey the same essential idea: a reluctant permission to depart, coupled with a demand that the herd and flock stay behind.
The significance of this partial allowance lies in Pharaoh’s continued resistance. By allowing the people to go while retaining their animals, he seeks to diminish the Israelites’ ability to sustain themselves in the wilderness, thereby attempting to undermine their freedom of worship. The narrative notes that there is no recorded objection from Moses, suggesting either acceptance of the concession or a strategic silence. Soon after, Pharaoh’s heart hardens again (Exodus 10:27‑28), and the subsequent plagues continue, culminating in the final plague—the death of the firstborn—which finally compels Pharaoh to release the Israelites completely. This pattern of a fleeting concession followed by renewed hardness underscores the relentless nature of God’s judgment against Pharaoh’s obstinacy and highlights the ultimate triumph of divine deliverance over human oppression.
