Reference

Exodus 7:16

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.
14

And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

15

Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

16

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.

17

Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

18

And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Literal Fulfillment
Semantic Discovery
80% relevance

This verse was identified through meaning similarity — its content is mathematically close to known verses in this theme, even without sharing the same vocabulary.

Israel-Specific Promises
Semantic Discovery
80% relevance

This verse was identified through meaning similarity — its content is mathematically close to known verses in this theme, even without sharing the same vocabulary.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Literal Fulfillment

While the verse describes a command with a clear, physical action ("Let my people go"), the "serving in the wilderness" could be interpreted metaphorically as a period of spiritual formation or a symbolic journey rather than a strictly literal, physical act of worship in a specific desert location.

Israel-Specific Promises

While the verse mentions "my people" (referring to Israel) and their purpose to "serve me in the wilderness," the primary focus is on God's command to Pharaoh and Pharaoh's disobedience, rather than a direct promise or covenant *to* Israel.