Definition: And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

Explanation: Okay, let's break down this verse from Exodus 7:16. It’s a really interesting and somewhat surprising passage about God’s plan! Here's what it means in simpler terms: Basically, God is telling Moses to tell the Israelites (the people of Israel) to let them go. Let’s unpack that a little further: “And thou shalt say unto him…” : This part says God is speaking directly to a figure – likely a leader or representative of the Canaanites (the people who lived in the land before the Israelites). “…The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee…” : This clarifies who is speaking. It’s God, but specifically calling him “the Lord of Israel” - which is a very important and unique name for God in Jewish tradition. “saying, Let my people go…” : This is the core instruction. God is telling the Israelites to allow them to leave the land they’ve been living in. “…that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.” : This is where it gets a little more symbolic. “The wilderness” refers to the barren lands between Egypt and Canaan (the land God promised to Abraham). "Thou wouldest not hear" means that before this message, the Israelites didn’t understand or listen to God's plans. So, what does this mean? It suggests a significant shift in the relationship between God and the Israelites. Initially, God was planning to completely isolate them from the land they were living in. But God is choosing to allow them to leave – to experience a new life in the wilderness. Why is this important? This verse is often seen as an early step in God’s plan for establishing Israel and shaping their destiny. It's a foreshadowing of later events, like the Exodus story where God will deliver the Israelites from slavery and lead them into a new life. --- Do you want me to: Explain another verse? Talk about the significance of this passage in Jewish history? Give you some context around this time period?