Exodus 11:8
And all these thy seruants shall come downe vnto me, and bow downe themselues vnto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee; and after that I wil goe out: and he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. Exodus 11:8 (KJV)
Exodus 11:8 belongs to the narrative describing the final plague that preceded the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt. The verse records Moses’ prophetic warning to Pharaoh just before the tenth and most devastating plague, the death of the firstborn. In this warning Moses tells Pharaoh that his own servants will descend to him, bow themselves, and plead, “Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out.” The language conveys a desperate appeal from the Egyptian household for the Israelites to be released.
The broader context is the long period of Israelite bondage in Egypt. God had raised Moses as His chosen servant to confront Pharaoh and to deliver His people. Over the course of the Exodus narrative God sent ten plagues as a demonstration of His power and as a means to convince the hardened heart of Pharaoh to relent. Each plague intensified the pressure on Egypt, and the tenth plague was the climax of that divine judgment.
Moses’ statement in Exodus 11:8 anticipates the moment after the plague of the firstborn when the Egyptian people, including Pharaoh’s servants, will urgently implore Moses to let the Israelites go. Their humble bowing and pleading illustrate the growing desperation among the Egyptians as the plagues intensify. The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in Exodus 12:31‑33, where Pharaoh finally commands the Israelites to leave, and they depart in haste.
This passage underscores several theological themes present in the drafts. It highlights God’s faithfulness in delivering His covenant people despite Pharaoh’s stubbornness, the consequences of a hardened heart, and the patience God shows even as He brings judgment. The verse also points to the inevitability of God’s purpose: the liberation of Israel and the demonstration of His sovereign power over the nations of Egypt.
