Exodus 3:22 · Bible study
Exodus 3:22 Commentary: Asking, Not Borrowing
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of 'plunder the Egyptians' in Exodus 3:22. Is it borrowing or just compensation? A study of God's promise and ethics.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God commands the Israelites to request valuables from their Egyptian neighbors as just compensation for slavery.
- Key words: sha'al (ask/request) and natsal (plunder/rescue), neither implies borrowing.
- Main debate: Whether the request was ethical borrowing (older translations) or a divinely authorized demand for back wages.
- Theological theme: God’s faithfulness to His covenant and His justice toward the oppressed.
- Best use: Study on God’s sovereignty in turning the hearts of enemies, and the proper use of material wealth for worship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”
KJV King James Version 1769
But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall despoil the Egyptians.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and every woman hath asked from her neighbour, and from her who is sojourning in her house, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and ye have put them on your sons and on your daughters, and have spoiled the Egyptians.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is the inmate of her house, utensils of silver, and utensils of gold, and clothing; and ye shall put [them] on your sons and on your daughters, and shall spoil the Egyptians.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is in her house, vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons and daughters, and shall spoil Egypt.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Sino que demandará cada mujer á su vecina y á su huéspeda|strong="H1481, H1004" vasos de plata, vasos de oro, y vestidos: los cuales pondréis sobre vuestros hijos y vuestras hijas; y despojaréis á Egipto.
Em vez disso pedirá cada mulher à sua vizinha e à sua visitante vasos de prata, vasos de ouro, e roupas; os quais poreis sobre vossos filhos e vossas filhas, e despojareis ao Egito.
Chaque femme demandera à sa voisine et à celle qui demeure dans sa maison des vases d’ argent, des vases d’ or, et des vêtements, que vous mettrez sur vos fils et vos filles. Et vous dépouillerez les Égyptiens.
sondern ein jeglich Weib soll von ihrer Nachbarin und Hausgenossin fordern silberne und goldene Gefäße und Kleider; die sollt ihr auf eure Söhne und Töchter legen und von den Ägyptern zur Beute nehmen.
Maar elke vrouw zal van haar naburin, en van de waardin haars huizes, eisen zilveren vaten, en gouden vaten, en klederen; die zult gijlieden op uw zonen, en op uw dochteren leggen, en gij zult Egypte beroven.
ma ogni donna domanderà alla sua vicina e alla sua casigliana degli oggetti d’argento, degli oggetti d’oro e dei vestiti; voi li metterete addosso ai vostri figliuoli e alle vostre figliuole, e così spoglierete gli Egiziani”.
Ale wypożyczy niewiasta u sąsiadki swojej, i u gospodyni domu swego, naczynia srebrnego, i naczynia złotego, i szat; i włożycie je na syny wasze, i na córki wasze, i złupicie Egipt.
каждая женщина выпросит у соседки своей и у живущей в доме ее вещей серебряных и вещей золотых, и одежд, и вы нарядите ими и сыновей ваших и дочерей ваших, и оберете Египтян.
但各婦女 必向她的鄰舍，並居住 在她家裡的女人，要 金 器 銀 器 和衣裳，好給 你們的兒 女 穿戴。這樣你們就把 埃及人 的財物奪去了。」
For every woman will get from her neighbour and from the woman living in her house, ornaments of silver and gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and your daughters; you will take the best of their goods from the Egyptians.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 3:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the Hebrew verb שָׁאַל (sha'al) means to ask or request, not to borrow. Adam Clarke, Calvin, Barnes, and Gill all stress that the word carries no sense of a loan to be returned. The context confirms this: God promises to give Israel favor with the Egyptians, who will grant the request freely. The wealth is described as “spoiling” or “plundering” (from נָצַל, natsal), which implies permanent acquisition. Most scholars see this as just compensation for generations of unpaid slave labor. Barnes notes the Egyptians' compliance arose from fear and goodwill after the plagues. Keil & Delitzsch add that the request was made immediately before departure, and the goods were later used for the sanctuary. The consensus, therefore, reads the passage as a divinely authorized reclamation of wages, not a deceptive trick.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Borrowing interpretation (older tradition): Relies on KJV 'borrow' and some readings of sha'al as implying a loan; sees the goods as loaned for festival use.
- Just demand / compensation view: Based on the consistent lexical meaning of sha'al as 'ask,' the context of slavery, and the parallel in Exodus 12:35–36 where the goods are not returned.
- Divine judgment and plunder view: Emphasizes the verb natsal (plunder/rescue) and connects the passage to God’s judgment on Egypt’s iniquity; the wealth is spoil of war.
What is clear: God commanded the Israelites to request valuables from the Egyptians, and the Egyptians freely gave them, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:14.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of sha'al (ask vs. borrow) | The Hebrew verb means ask/request, not borrow; no return is implied. | Some older translations (KJV) render it 'borrow,' leading to readings that assume the goods would be returned. Modern translations consistently use 'ask.' |
| Moral justification of the plunder | God commanded it, and it is part of His judgment on Egypt for oppression. | Some traditions see it as a model for reparations for historic injustice; others restrict it to a unique salvation-historical event with no direct ethical application today. |
| Purpose of the wealth taken | The items were used for the tabernacle (Exodus 35:22) and for provisions during the wilderness journey. | Whether the primary purpose was immediate festival attire (Hosea 2:13 references) or long-term construction and supplies. |
| Fulfillment of Genesis 15:14 | This event directly fulfills God's promise to Abraham that Israel would come out with great wealth. | Whether 'great wealth' refers primarily to material possessions or includes spiritual blessings and nationhood. |
Historical & Cultural Context
By Exodus 3, Israel had spent over four hundred years in Egypt, the last portion under brutal slavery (Exodus 1:13, 14). God appeared to Moses in the burning bush with a promise: He would deliver His people and bring them out with great wealth, fulfilling the covenant made to Abraham (Genesis 15:14). The context of Exodus 3:22 is God’s commissioning of Moses. He has just declared the plagues that will force Pharaoh to release Israel. Now He reveals that the Egyptians themselves will voluntarily give valuables to the Israelites.
The instructions target women specifically: they are to ask their neighbors and any Egyptian women living in their households. This reflects the close quarters of the two peoples after centuries in Goshen (Exodus 12:38 notes a “mixed multitude” that left with Israel). The request for “jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing” matches the wedding and festival attire of the ancient Near East. These items were not luxury alone; they would become the raw materials for the tabernacle (Exodus 35:22). The verb “put them on your sons and daughters” indicates immediate use as adornment for the journey and the sacrificial feast. The “plunder” language (Hebrew natsal) echoes the divine judgment on Egypt’s oppression. God sovereignly turned the hearts of the oppressors into benefactors, so that the exodus began with a tangible sign of God’s justice and provision.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 3:22. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition, and the Septuagint aligns closely (kai aitesei gynē, “and the woman shall ask”). The primary interpretive variation lies in English translation choices (borrow vs. ask), not in the underlying manuscript witnesses.
Reception History
Early Jewish tradition, reflected in Josephus (Antiquities 2.14.6), presents the request as a repayment for long service. Christian fathers such as Augustine read the spoiling of Egypt as a type of the Church taking the best of pagan culture for God’s service. During the Reformation, Calvin emphasized that God’s sovereignty over all property justifies the transfer, and he rejected the “borrowing” translation as misleading. In the 19th century, the verse was cited in debates about slavery reparations; more recently, liberation theologians have used it as a biblical basis for economic justice. Evangelical interpreters generally stress the unique redemptive context while affirming God’s care for the oppressed.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s command is not theft. The Hebrew word sha'al means to ask, not to borrow. The Israelites, freed from slavery, requested wages they had earned.
- God prepares the way. He gave Israel favor in Egyptian eyes and softened hearts through the plagues. Divine sovereignty works through human willingness.
- God provides for worship. The gold, silver, and clothing later built the tabernacle. What looks like spoils of war becomes material for holiness.
Five-point outline
- God remembers His covenant: the exodus fulfills Genesis 15:14.
- Justice for the oppressed: the request compensates for generations of forced labor.
- Divine influence on human hearts: the Egyptians gave freely because God tilted their favor.
- Proper use of wealth: the valuables were not hoarded but dedicated to God’s house.
- A pattern for faith: God’s people can trust that He will supply what they need, even from unlikely sources.
Illustration hooks
- Back pay: A worker who endured years of underpayment finally receives the full amount owed, not as charity but as justice.
- Unexpected generosity: A neighbor who once opposed a family now gives them gifts after a crisis changes their perspective.
- From burden to offering: The same jewelry once worn at pagan feasts now adorns the worship of the true God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Isn’t this just stealing, even if God commanded it?
- Does this passage justify Christians taking from non-believers today?
- How can I trust God to provide when my oppressors hold the resources?
Leading a Discussion
This verse often raises hard questions about ethics and divine commands. Look closely at the Hebrew words and the story’s context. God is not sanctioning theft; He is fulfilling His promise to Abraham to bring the people out “with great wealth.” Consider how the exodus reverses the pattern of oppression: the enslaved receive compensation, the abusers are drained of their treasures.
Discussion questions
- What does the Hebrew verb sha'al tell us about whether this was a loan or a permanent gift?
- Why do you think God specified that the women should make the request of their Egyptian neighbors?
- How do the plagues (Exodus 7, 11) create the conditions for the Egyptians to give willingly?
- Read Exodus 12:35, 36. What role did God’s gift of “favor” play in the transaction?
- How does this passage connect to God’s promise in Genesis 15:14?
- In what ways does this event prefigure the Christian belief that Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15)?
- How can we apply the principle of divine justice for the oppressed without misusing the passage to justify personal gain?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 15:14 | I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth; |
| Exodus 11:2 | Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man ask of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.” |
| Exodus 12:35 | The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing. |
| Exodus 12:36 | Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They plundered the Egyptians. |
| Job 27:16 | Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay; |
| Job 27:17 | he may prepare it, but the just will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver. |
| Psalms 105:37 | He brought them out with silver and gold. There was not one feeble person among his tribes. |
| Proverbs 13:22 | A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke corrects a common mistranslation: the word shaal in Exodus 3:22 means to ask or demand, not to borrow. He argues that the Israelites were requesting a rightful recomp
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the Israelites were not borrowing but claiming fair, if insufficient, payment for their harsh servitude. The Egyptians complied because God's judgments changed their feelings and made them recognize divine intervention. Hebrew women asked Egyptian women directly, who were especially willing to give due to grief over their lost children and fear of further calamity.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists the verb is "ask" or "request," not "borrow," since no return was expected. He then defends the justice of the transaction: God owns all property and may transfer it as He wills, and the Hebrews were also simply claiming rightful wages for their forced labor.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary identifies the incident of the Israelites asking for Egyptian valuables as belonging to the Elohist source, which pictures them living among the Egyptians, not separately in Goshen. It interprets the wealth as God's providence enriching the oppressed people with a prize of victory as compensation for their long servitude.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
For euery woman shall aske of her neighbour, and of her that soiourneth in her house, iewels of siluer and iewels of gold and raiment, and ye shall put them on your sonnes, and on your daughters, and shall spoyle the Egyptians.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the Israelites were to ask their Egyptian neighbors for valuables, not truly borrow them. This command shows that the Israelites already lived among the Egyptians, explaining the mixed multitude that left Egypt. Gill considers these items just wages for their hard labor, later used for the tabernacle.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insist the Israelites did not borrow or deceive the Egyptians. The Hebrew verbs mean simply to ask and to grant a request, with no intent to return. God disposed the Egyptians to give freely, so the "spoiling" was righteous plunder, a foretaste of God's people triumphing over worldly power.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that Moses, as God's messenger, must faithfully repeat to the elders exactly what God told him, holding nothing back. This sets a pattern for all ministers: their duty is to pass on what they have received from the Lord, not to add or omit.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
John Wesley stresses that the Israelites were told to "ask" for the Egyptian valuables, not borrow them, because God would give the Israelites favor. He notes that God can make enemies act kindly and has ways to ensure the oppressed receive what is due to them, even forcing wrongdoers to pay restitution.