Exodus 3:21 (KJV)

What does Exodus 3:21 mean?

Exodus 3:21 describes God’s promise that the Israelites will leave Egypt with goods, rather than depart with nothing. God says the Egyptians will look on the Israelites with favour, making their departure different from the desperate flight the people might have expected.

God is speaking to Moses about the people Moses is to lead out of Egypt. The promise follows God’s warning in verse 20 that Egypt’s king will resist letting them go. The words “in the sight of the Egyptians” focus on how the Egyptians will regard the departing people.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 3:21

• “favour” — חֵן (ḥen): This word often carries the sense of being viewed kindly or received favourably. Here, the kindness comes from the Egyptians toward the Israelites.
• “empty” — רֵיקָם (reqam): This word means empty-handed or without goods. In this verse, it pictures the Israelites leaving with something to carry away.

Why Exodus 3:21 matters

• The promise includes more than permission to leave. The words “ye shall not go empty” point to what the people will take with them.
• The favour has a practical result in the next verse. Israelite women are to ask Egyptian women for silver, gold, and clothing, connecting the Egyptians’ favourable response with the goods carried away (Exodus 3:22).
• The goods also mark a change in the relationship between the two peoples. Exodus has already described the Egyptians’ harsh treatment of the Israelites (Exodus 1:13–14); now Egyptians will give them valuable things.