Exodus 3:21

3:21 “I will grant this people favor with ¹  the Egyptians, so that when ²  you depart you will not leave empty-handed.

Exodus 34:20

34:20 Now the firstling ³  of a donkey you may redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then break its neck. ⁴  You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons.

“No one will appear before me empty-handed. ⁵ 

Exodus 23:15

23:15 You are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days ⁶  you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for at that time ⁷  you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before ⁸  me empty-handed.

[3:21]  ¹ tn Heb “in the eyes of.” This idiom usually means that someone will be treated well by the observer. It is unlikely that it means here that the Egyptians will like the Hebrews. Rather, it means that the Egyptians will give things to the Hebrews free – gratis (see 12:35-36). Not only will God do mighty works to make the king yield, but also he will work in the minds of the Egyptian people so that they will be favorably disposed to give Israel wealth.

[3:21]  ² tn The temporal indicator (here future) with the particle ki (וְהָיָה כִּי, vÿhaya ki) introduces a temporal clause.

[34:20]  ³ tn Heb “and the one that opens [the womb of] the donkey.”

[34:20]  ⁴ sn See G. Brin, “The Firstling of Unclean Animals,” JQR 68 (1971): 1-15.

[34:20]  ⁵ tn The form is the adverb “empty.”

[23:15]  ⁵ tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.

[23:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “in it.”

[23:15]  ⁷ tn The verb is a Niphal imperfect; the nuance of permission works well here – no one is permitted to appear before God empty (Heb “and they will not appear before me empty”).