What Does Exodus 3:22 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The women’s “borrowing” is an asking that ends in the stripping of Mitzrayim, so release here carries actual wealth out of constriction.
THE MEANING
The verse speaks now of release reaching the household: women ask, children wear silver, gold, and garments, and Egypt is stripped. Freedom here includes material provision, while the taking itself remains stark.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that people can be released and still be left materially empty.
THE ROOT
מִצְרַיִם
Mitzrayim
GROWS FROM
צ־ר־ר
ts-r-r
To press in, bind, or make narrow.
“Egyptians” in this verse is Mitzrayim. Mitzrayim carries the image of constriction. The verse’s wealth transfer makes departure from that narrowness tangible: the people leave carrying goods, and Egypt is stripped.
ALSO GROWS
tsar: Narrow, tight, constricted.
צַר
This is the narrowness carried in the name Mitzrayim.
metsar: A narrow place or strait; by extension, distress.
מֵצַר
It gives constriction a lived shape: a place with too little room, from which the people depart.
וְשָׁאֲלָה
ve-sha'alah
GROWS FROM
ש־א־ל
sh-ʾ-l
To ask or request.
“borrow” in this verse is ve-sha'alah. The Hebrew centers the women’s asking: they actively request silver, gold, and garments. The movement from request to possession is part of how the verse portrays release.
ALSO GROWS
she'elah: A request or petition.
שְׁאֵלָה
It makes explicit the asking held inside the KJV’s “borrow.”
Sha'ul: “Asked for”; a name formed from this root.
שָׁאוּל
The same root can describe something sought through asking, echoing the women’s active request.
וְנִצַּלְתֶּם
ve-nitsaltem
GROWS FROM
נ־צ־ל
n-ts-l
To snatch away, rescue, or strip away.
“spoil” in this verse is ve-nitsaltem. This root can describe rescue and stripping away. Here the text keeps the material transfer visible: the people leave with Egypt’s silver, gold, and garments, while Egypt is plundered.
ALSO GROWS
hitsil: He rescued or delivered.
הִצִּיל
The rescue sense shows how the root can name removal from danger or constraint.
nitsal: He escaped or was delivered.
נִצַּל
This branch holds release as something taken out of a constricting situation.
THE PATTERN
Release from deprivation is made visible when material goods move toward those leaving empty-handed.
And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.THE THREAD
And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.The Hebrew repeats both roots: the people ask for what they require, and the Egyptians are stripped of what they give. This verse makes explicit how the asking becomes a transfer of wealth.
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