John Calvin Commentary Exodus 10:25

"And Moses said, Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto Jehovah our God." — Exodus 10:25 (ASV)

And Moses said. Moses repudiates all exceptions just as severely as if he were authoritatively demanding from the king what God had commanded. And certainly, by this austere¹²⁸ and abrupt manner of speaking, he demonstrated his courage, by which he might humble the arrogance and audacity of the wicked king.

His pretext indeed was that they needed victims, and in this way he avoids the tyrant’s greater displeasure; but, at the same time, by directly excluding all conditions and by not leaving even a hair in the power of the king, he asserts the indivisible right of God alone, so that Pharaoh might know that all his evasions will gain him nothing.

The expression there shall not a hoof be left behind, contains a severe rebuke, accompanied by anger and contempt, as if he would purposely pique¹²⁹ the virulent mind of the tyrant.

But we have already said that there was no deceit in these words, for although the holy man knew that God's plan had a further purpose, he still thought it sufficient to deliver the commands which were given to him; nor should one suppose that God is under an obligation always to inform the wicked of all His purposes.

¹²⁸ Magistrale. — Fr..

¹²⁹ The Fr. thus resolves the metaphor: — “Comme s’il picquoit de propos delibere le courage envenime du tyran, pour en faire crever l’aposthume;” as if he purposely lanced the envenomed audacity of the tyrant, to let out its . thus resolves the metaphor: — “Comme s’il picquoit de propos delibere le courage envenime du tyran, pour en faire crever l’aposthume;” as if he purposely lanced the envenomed audacity of the tyrant, to let out its matter..