· Translation: KJV

Exodus 10:17Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death."

The setting

Memphis, Egypt, ~1446 BC. Pharaoh's palace throne room. Locusts have devoured everything green in Egypt. Modern-day Cairo, Egypt.

The emotion here: desperate and humiliated but still calculating

The original word

salach (סְלַח) — to forgive completely, lift away the burden of guilt

Why it matters

This is Pharaoh's third public admission of sin to Moses in the plague cycle

Read with care

What most readers miss in Exodus 10:17

Pharaoh uses 'again' - he's asking forgiveness for the SAME pattern he keeps repeating

Common misconceptionPeople think Pharaoh was genuinely repentant here, but he's strategically begging to stop the plague while planning to harden his heart again immediately after.

Bible Genome reading

Exodus 10:17 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPharaoh
Eraexodus
Primary emotionseeking
Literary typeprayer
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability70%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone60%
Themes:forgivenessintercession

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Exodus 10

Exodus 10:17 comes from the book of Exodus, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to Pharaoh. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include forgiveness, intercession. Notable phrases: please forgive my sin; take away from me this death. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

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