The Meaning of Exodus 11:2 Explained

Exodus 11:2

KJV: Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

YLT: speak, I pray thee, in the ears of the people, and they ask -- each man from his neighbour, and each woman from her neighbour, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold.'

Darby: Speak now in the ears of the people, that they ask every man of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, utensils of silver and utensils of gold.

ASV: Speak now in the ears of the people, and let them ask every man of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Speak  now in the ears  of the people,  and let every man  borrow  of his neighbour,  and every woman  of her neighbour,  jewels  of silver,  and jewels  of gold. 

What does Exodus 11:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 11:1-10 - The Death Of The First-Born Threatened
"One plague more." These are ominous words! This final act of judgment would smite the fetters from Israel's neck forever. It is vain for man to enter into conflict with God. God does not crush him at once, because He is long-suffering and forgiving. See 2 Peter 3:9. But if man persists, the inevitable blow falls. See Psalms 7:12. The word borrow is better rendered ask, Exodus 11:2, r.v. The Hebrew phrase has no suggestion of a return being expected. This was befitting payment for their long and unrewarded labor.
The great cry, Exodus 11:6, recalls the piercing wail that rings through an eastern home when death takes place. The world shall hear one other such cry, as we learn from Revelation 1:7. There is no difference between God's people and others when sin is concerned. All have come short of God's glory. Nor is there difference in His redeeming grace. But there is all the difference between those who shelter under the blood of the Lamb and those who refuse. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 11

1  God's message to the Israelites to borrow jewels of their neighbors
4  Moses threatens Pharaoh with the death the firstborn

What do the individual words in Exodus 11:2 mean?

Speak now in the hearing of the people and let ask every man from his neighbor and every woman her neighbor articles of silver and articles of gold
דַּבֶּר־ נָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְיִשְׁאֲל֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ ׀ מֵאֵ֣ת רֵעֵ֗הוּ וְאִשָּׁה֙ רְעוּתָ֔הּ כְּלֵי־ כֶ֖סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָֽב

דַּבֶּר־  Speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
נָ֖א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
בְּאָזְנֵ֣י  in  the  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
הָעָ֑ם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְיִשְׁאֲל֞וּ  and  let  ask 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
אִ֣ישׁ ׀  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רֵעֵ֗הוּ  his  neighbor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וְאִשָּׁה֙  and  every  woman 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
רְעוּתָ֔הּ  her  neighbor 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רְעוּת  
Sense: female companion, mate, neighbour woman.
כְּלֵי־  articles 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
כֶ֖סֶף  of  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וּכְלֵ֥י  and  articles 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
זָהָֽב  of  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.