Exodus 4:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then they convened the people of Egypt for a general gathering and announced liberation from oppression to those who had endured great suffering through their labor. A message was also directed at the tormentor himself.

Consequently, the one who has been fortified by the illuminating presence that graced him, and who has gained such a companion—a warrior and supporter—daringly guides the people in the light of truth, reminding them of their noble lineage and offering them a vision of how to be freed from harsh labor and burdensome tasks. What lesson does this narrative impart? It cautions us against presuming to speak to individuals who, through their own lives, have not prepared the words needed to address the multitude.

The people placed their faith in the possibility of salvation and celebrated, yet their belief and joy were as superficial as makeup on a corpse. (Ex. 14: 11.) They refused to heed Moses—driven by fear and burdened by their labor—when he first approached Pharaoh with a plea for their liberation, resulting in a continuation of their suffering while they stifled any hope for freedom (Ex. 6: 9). Their despair was so profound that it diminished even Moses's resolve to plead on their behalf (Ex. 6: 12).

The people assembled by the elders acknowledged and revered the Lord God, who had bestowed upon them compassion, and they humbled themselves before the appointed leaders. The phrase ‘they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel’ is significant. This likely pertains to the Egyptians, among whom whispers circulated that a liberation of Israel from their affliction was imminent.