Exodus 10:17 Meaning: The Limits of Pharaoh’s Repentance
Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”
Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat Jehovah your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
and now, bear with, I pray you, my sin, only this time, and make ye supplication to Jehovah your God, that He turn aside from off me only this death.'
And now, forgive, I pray you, my sin only this time, and intreat Jehovah your God that he may take away from me this death only!
Meaning in one sentence
Pharaoh asks Moses to pray for relief from the locusts, calling them 'this death.' But his confession is shallow: he wants the plague gone, not a changed heart.
Context
The locusts have devastated Egypt, eating every green thing. Pharaoh, terrified, calls for Moses and Aaron. He confesses his sin and begs for forgiveness, asking Moses to pray that God remove "this death", the plague of locusts that brings starvation and death.
But this is the fourth time Pharaoh has acted this way: confess when under judgment, then harden his heart when the crisis passes. His words sound humble, but the surrounding story shows his repentance is shallow. He wants the consequences gone, not his heart transformed. This verse sits in a pattern that reveals the difference between sorrow for sin and sorrow for its effects.
Key Words
The word for forgive here (the Hebrew nasa) means "to lift up" or "take away." It is the same word used when God forgives sin, He lifts the burden off. But Pharaoh does not ask God to lift his sin. He asks Moses. He turns to a human, not to the One who truly forgives.
He calls the locusts this death (Hebrew mavet). The word is stark. He feels the plague as lethal. But he names the consequence, not the cause. He wants the death removed, not the sin that brought it.
The word only appears twice (the Hebrew words akh and rak). They are limiting words. "Only this once," he says, as if repentance can be a one-time transaction. But real repentance is not a bargain with God. It is a turn of the whole heart.
How Christians Read This Verse
Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, calls Pharaoh's pattern "a strange case of softening and hardening." He notes that the love of gain and self-will finally prevail again. The Baptist scholar Gill points out that Pharaoh does not ask forgiveness of the Lord but of Moses, his appeal is misdirected. Wesley, also Methodist, observes that Pharaoh "deprecates the plague of locusts, not the plague of a hard heart." Matthew Henry, writing from a Reformed tradition, shows the repeated cycle of confession and hardening. These readings agree that Pharaoh's confession lacks the turning of the heart that marks true repentance.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read Pharaoh's words as genuine repentance. They sound like a proper confession: he admits his sin, asks forgiveness, and requests prayer. In fact, the surrounding narrative shows that he repeats this pattern whenever a plague strikes, then hardens his heart again as soon as the danger passes. His plea is for relief from the consequence, not for a changed relationship with God.
Living This Out
When you face a crisis, what do you ask for? It is natural to beg God to remove the hard thing. Pharaoh did that. But this verse invites you to go deeper. This week, listen to your own prayers. Are you asking God only to take away the pain, or are you asking Him to show you what needs to change in you? Real repentance does not just want the plague gone. It wants the heart remade.
Main takeaway: Repentance that only wants relief from suffering but not a changed heart will not last.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Pharaoh said he was sorry, but he only wanted God to stop the bugs. He did not really want to obey God. When we say sorry, we should mean it and try to do better.
For ages 9, 12
Pharaoh spoke words of repentance, but his heart stayed hard. He asked Moses to pray so the locusts would go away, but he did not ask God to change his heart. This shows us that true repentance is not just saying sorry to get out of trouble. It is turning from our sin and wanting to follow God. Pharaoh’s confession sounds good, but his actions later prove it was fake.
Questions People Ask
Why does Pharaoh ask Moses to forgive his sin instead of asking God directly?
In the ancient Near East, asking a prophet to intercede was common. But Gill notes that Pharaoh does not ask forgiveness from God; he asks Moses. This shows he sees the issue as between him and Moses, not between him and God. His confession is directed at the wrong person.
What does 'this death' mean in Exodus 10:17?
Pharaoh calls the locusts 'this death' because they bring destruction. Locusts strip the land of food, leading to famine and death. The word 'death' emphasizes the severity of the plague. Wesley notes that Pharaoh deprecates the plague but not the hard heart, he wants the deadly consequence removed, not his sin.
Was Pharaoh's repentance genuine?
The narrative shows a pattern: Pharaoh confesses under pressure, then hardens his heart when the plague lifts. Here, he uses words of repentance but his heart does not change. Adam Clarke calls it 'a strange case of softening and hardening.' Pharaoh's repentance is not genuine because it focuses on removal of judgment, not on turning to God.
What is the significance of the word 'only' in Pharaoh's plea?
The Hebrew words 'akh' and 'rak' both mean 'only' or 'surely.' Pharaoh says 'only this once', he is bargaining with God, as if he will never sin again. But this is a limitation he places on his repentance. True repentance does not limit itself; it is a full turning.
How is Pharaoh's plea different from true repentance?
True repentance involves sorrow for sin, turning from it, and seeking God's face. Pharaoh's plea is for relief from consequences. He does not seek a relationship with God; he just wants the plague gone. His confession is self-serving, as shown by his later hardening.
For pastors & researchers
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