Exodus 11:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What do you think? It was the will of God for you to depart from Egypt, from the furnace of affliction (cf. Deuteronomy 4:20), escape the idolatry of that land, and be guided by Moses along his teachings and wisdom. I will express a thought that is not purely my own, yet if examined spiritually, resonates deeply with me. Take the gold and silver items entrusted to you by the Egyptians, and journey forth with them; enrich your path with both strangers and your own kin. You are entitled to recompense for your servitude and toil - seek to reclaim it in some manner, whether by cunning or with integrity. You have faced poverty here, grappling with a disheartened and impure form, laboring to construct foreign and fragile cities, the memory of which has vanished amidst turmoil (cf. Psalms 9:7).

Abba Isaiah reiterated the interpretation provided by the ancient revered elders of the Skete concerning the following passage from Holy Scripture: ‘The Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, and after this I will let you go from here. And thou shalt say in the ears of the people, that every man shall ask his neighbour, and every woman her neighbour for silver vessels, and gold vessels, and garments.”’ By the design of divine Providence, the Egyptians experienced great abundance; the Israelites took from them (Ex. 12:36) and subsequently utilized the gold and silver acquired for the construction of the Tabernacle. Abba stated, ‘Gold and silver vessels, along with garments, represent the emotions ensnared by the adversaries—demons.

What you propose, as you have articulated, comes from one who has collaborated with you and conveys a profound truth. The Egyptians, having long denied the Hebrews their rightful wages for their labor, were compelled by the Source of justice to compensate them, albeit reluctantly. Thus, it was declared, "Let every man ask of his neighbor and of her who resides with him for silver and gold vessels." Had this been commanded of those who had not toiled, it might have seemed inequitable. However, if the directive was given to those who were oppressed to reclaim what was theirs, I stand firm in confirming that not only was no injustice perpetrated against the Egyptians, but even the recompense they received was not commensurate with their actions.

O. Gerlach asserts that the resources were not simply borrowed, but rather requested. We recall that the region of Gessen was shielded from numerous disasters due to the presence of the Hebrews, and as Pharaoh himself acknowledged (9:27), ‘the Lord is righteous, but I and my people are guilty.’ This realization had already permeated the populace even before Pharaoh articulated it. The offerings taken from the Egyptians by the departing Hebrews can be seen as atonement for sins committed against Israel, likely accompanied by a plea for the Hebrews to ‘pray for the Egyptians’ (cf. 9:28, Pharaoh's plea).