King James Version

Exodus 4:23

And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

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Hebrew

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וָאֹמַ֣רvaomarand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֵלֶ֗יךָeleykhaamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).שַׁלַּ֤חshalachsendשָׁלַחverb, piel, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “send”, a commandH7971to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, ou…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).בְּנִי֙benisonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […וְיַֽעַבְדֵ֔נִיveyaavdeniand keep in bondageעָבַדconjunction, verb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “and keep in bondage”, a wish or indirect commandH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…וַתְּמָאֵ֖ןvatmaenand refuseמָאֵןconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and refuse”, the next action in the storyH3985to refuserefuse, [idiom] utterly.לְשַׁלְּח֑וֹleshalchvoto sendשָׁלַחpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to send”, the to-form of the verbH7971to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, ou…הִנֵּה֙hinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.אָנֹכִ֣יanokhimeאָנֹכִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “me”H595II, me, [idiom] which.הֹרֵ֔גhoregdestroyהָרַגverb, qal, participle, absolute — “destroy”, a verb used as a describing wordH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).בִּנְךָ֖binkhasonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […בְּכֹרֶֽךָbekhorekhafirstbornבְּכוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “firstborn”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1060firstborn; hence, chiefeldest (son), firstborn(-ling).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And I have said unto thee: Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and thou hast refused to let him go. Behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.' —

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.

Young’s Literal Translation

and I say unto thee, Send away My son, and he doth serve Me; and — thou dost refuse to send him away — lo, I am slaying thy son, thy first-born.'

World English Bible

and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

Darby Translation

And I say to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill thy son, thy firstborn.

Douay-Rheims

I have said to thee: Let my son go, that he may serve me, and thou wouldst not let him go: behold I will kill thy son, thy firstborn.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And I have said unto thee: Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and thou hast refused to let him go. Behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.' —

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And I said to thee, Send away my people, that they may serve me: now if thou wilt not send them away, see, I will slay thy first-born son.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπα δέ σοι, ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαόν μου, ἵνα μοι λατρεύσῃ· εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ βούλει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτούς, ὅρα οὖν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτένῶ τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν πρωτότοκον.