Exodus 12:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What became of the Egyptians? Did they fail to notice their rulers being slain, and the lamentation that filled every household? Could they truly find solace and be relieved from their grief upon witnessing such tragedy? Clearly not, as their subsequent actions reveal. Like those tormented by a consuming fire, they gathered before the king, demanding his permission for the Israelites to depart. How challenging it is to view it as a consolation to endure punishment alongside everyone else, and to express, "As all suffer, so do I!"

The Egyptians pressed him to depart, not out of remorse, but out of dread that they would meet the same fate as their firstborn had met.

The book of Yashar recounts that the Egyptians demanded the Israelites depart under the cover of night. However, in accordance with God's command, the Israelites refused to leave their homes until dawn. They declared, "We are not thieves, that we should go away secretly by night." It is important to note that although the apocryphal text of Yashar became familiar only after the 10th century, it certainly preserved some of the oldest traditions of the Snagog. These traditions are characterized by their use of pure Hebrew, a language that fell into disuse following the Babylonian exile. Therefore, the insights provided in this text hold no significant historical value.