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New King James Version

Exodus 5:3

So they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Scofield Reference Index - Separation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Deserts;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Egypt;   Sacrifices;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pharaoh;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hebrew;   Moses;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Aaron;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jew;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Desert;   Moses;   Priest;   Sacrifice;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Hebrew (Descendent of Eber);   Pestilence;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Moses;   Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;   Pharaoh;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Travel (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Desert;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Weights and Measures;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Exodus, the;   On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Circumcision;   Desert;   Pestilence;   Sacrifice;   Sinai;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Elohist;   Plague;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."
King James Version
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Lexham English Bible
And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day journey into the desert, and let us sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he strike us with plague or with sword."
New Century Version
Then Aaron and Moses said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't do this, he may kill us with a disease or in war."
New English Translation
And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day journey into the desert so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword."
Amplified Bible
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go on a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, so that He does not discipline us with pestilence or with the sword."
New American Standard Bible
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they saide, We worship the God of the Ebrewes: we pray thee, let vs goe three daies iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, least he bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest He confront us with pestilence or with the sword."
Contemporary English Version
They answered, "The Lord God of the Hebrews, has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war."
Complete Jewish Bible
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the desert, so that we can sacrifice to Adonai our God. Otherwise, he may strike us with a plague or with the sword."
Darby Translation
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Aaron and Moses said, "The God of the Hebrews has talked with us. So we beg you to let us travel three days into the desert. There we will offer a sacrifice to the Lord our God. If we don't do this, he might become angry and destroy us. He might make us die from sickness or war."
English Standard Version
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."
George Lamsa Translation
And they said, The LORD God of the Hebrews has appeared to us; now let us go three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with the sword or with pestilence.
Good News Translation
Moses and Aaron replied, "The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. Allow us to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't do so, he will kill us with disease or by war."
Christian Standard Bible®
They answered, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, or else he may strike us with plague or sword.”
Literal Translation
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us go a journey of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, that He not strike us with plague or with sword.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I knowe not the LORDE, nether wil I let Israel go.They sayde: The God of the Hebrues hath called vs. Let vs go now therfore thre dayes iourney in the wildernes, & do sacrifice vnto the LORDE or God, yt there happen not vnto vs pestilece or swerde.
American Standard Version
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Bible in Basic English
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they sayde, The God of the Hebrewes is called ouer vs: let vs go we pray thee three dayes iourney into the desert, and do sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God: lest he smyte vs with pestilence or with the sworde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said: 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.'
King James Version (1611)
And they said, The God of the Hebrewes hath met with vs: let vs goe, we pray thee, three dayes iourney into the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, lest hee fall vpon vs with pestilence, or with the sword.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us to him: we will go therefore a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest at any time death or slaughter happen to us.
English Revised Version
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Berean Standard Bible
"The God of the Hebrews has met with us," they answered. "Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei seiden, God of Ebrews clepide vs, that we go the weie of thre daies in to wildirnesse, and that we make sacrifice to oure Lord God, lest perauenture pestilence, ether swerd, bifalle to vs.
Young's Literal Translation
And they say, `The God of the Hebrews hath met with us, let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest He meet us with pestilence or with sword.'
Update Bible Version
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or else he will fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
World English Bible
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."
New Living Translation
But Aaron and Moses persisted. "The God of the Hebrews has met with us," they declared. "So let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't, he will kill us with a plague or with the sword."
New Life Bible
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. We ask of you, let us travel into the desert three days, to give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord our God. Or He may send death to us by disease or by the sword."
New Revised Standard
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us; let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God, or he will fall upon us with pestilence or sword."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they said, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us, - let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and to sacrifice to the Lord our God; lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.
Revised Standard Version
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us; let us go, we pray, a three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."
THE MESSAGE
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can worship our God lest he strike us with either disease or death."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."

Contextual Overview

3 So they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." 4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor." 5 And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!" 6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, "Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The God: Exodus 3:18

lest he: Deuteronomy 28:21, 2 Kings 17:25, 2 Chronicles 30:8, Ezra 7:23, Ezekiel 6:11, Zechariah 14:16-19

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:4 - third Exodus 7:16 - The Lord Exodus 9:3 - murrain Exodus 10:9 - a feast Numbers 14:12 - smite 1 Kings 13:8 - If Job 15:25 - strengtheneth 2 Corinthians 11:22 - Hebrews

Cross-References

Genesis 4:25
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."
Genesis 5:2
He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.
Genesis 5:3
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Genesis 5:14
So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
Genesis 5:16
After he begot Jared, Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years, and had sons and daughters.
Job 14:4
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
Job 25:4
How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?
Psalms 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Luke 1:35
And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
John 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said, the God of the Hebrews hath met with us,.... Perceiving that the name Jehovah was unknown to him, and treated by him in a scornful manner, they leave it out, and only say, "the God of the Hebrews": a people that dwelt in his country, he well knew by this name, and could not be ignorant that their God was different from his; and it was he that had met Moses and Aaron; they did not seek to him to be sent on this errand, but he appeared to them as he did to Moses at Horeb, and to Aaron in Egypt. Some render it, "the God of the Hebrews is called upon us" f; his name was called upon them, or they were called by his name; they were his servants and worshippers, and therefore under obligation to attend to what he enjoined them:

let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert: a request which was made in a very humble and modest manner, and not at all extravagant, nor anything dangerous and disadvantageous to him; for now they speak as of themselves, and therefore humbly entreat him; they do not ask to be wholly and for ever set free, only to go for three days; they do not propose to meet and have their rendezvous in any part of his country, much less in his metropolis, where he night fear they would rise in a body, and seize upon his person and treasure, only to go into the wilderness, to Mount Sinai there. And hence it appears, that the distance between Egypt and Mount Sinai was three days' journey, to go the straightest way, as Aben Ezra observes:

and sacrifice unto the Lord our God: which is what was meant by keeping a feast; some sacrifices the people, as well as the priests, feasted on; this was not a civil, but a religious concern:

lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword: this they urge as a reason to have their request granted, taken from the danger they should be exposed unto, should they not be allowed to go and offer sacrifice to God; though by this they might suggest both loss and danger to Pharaoh, in order to stir him up the more to listen to their request; for should they be smitten with pestilence, or the sword, he would lose the benefit of their bond service, which would be a considerable decline in his revenues; and besides, if God would be so displeased with the Israelites for not going, and not sacrificing, when they were detained, how much more displeased would he be with Pharaoh and the Egyptians for hindering them?

f נקרא עלינו "est invocatus super nos", Montanus. So some in Vatablus, Drusius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Three days’ journey - See the Exodus 3:18 note.

With pestilence, or with the sword - This shows that the plague was well known to the ancient Egyptians. The reference to the sword is equally natural, since the Israelites occupied the eastern district, which was frequently disturbed by the neighboring Shasous.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 5:3. Three days' journey — The distance from Goshen to Sinai; see Exodus 3:18.

And sacrifice unto the Lord — Great stress is laid on this circumstance. God required sacrifice; no religious acts which they performed could be acceptable to him without this. He had now showed them that it was their indispensable duty thus to worship him, and that if they did not they might expect him to send the pestilence - some plague or death proceeding immediately from himself, or the sword - extermination by the hands of an enemy. The original word דבר deber, from בדר dabar, to drive off, draw under, c., which we translate pestilence from the Latin pestis, the plague, signifies any kind of disease by which an extraordinary mortality is occasioned, and which appears from the circumstances of the case to come immediately from God. The Israelites could not sacrifice in the land of Egypt, because the animals they were to offer to God were held sacred by the Egyptians and they could not omit this duty, because it was essential to religion even before the giving of the law. Thus we find that Divine justice required the life of the animal for the life of the transgressor, and the people were conscious, if this were not done, that God would consume them with the pestilence or the sword. From the foundation of the world the true religion required sacrifice. Before, under, and after the law, this was deemed essential to salvation. Under the Christian dispensation Jesus is the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world; and being still the Lamb newly slain before the throne, no man cometh unto the Father but by him.

"In this first application to Pharaoh, we observe," says Dr. Dodd, "that proper respectful submission which is due from subjects to their sovereign. They represent to him the danger they should be in by disobeying their God, but do not so much as hint at any punishment that would follow to Pharaoh."


 
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