59 After the plague is inflicted on the land, then Pharaoh makes an appeal. So there is the familiar confrontation (vv. 25–29). Pharaoh’s words to Moses are an advancement on his previous words. Now he uses imperatives: “Go, sacrifice to your God.” But he restricts it to “in the [this] land.” This is a subtle attempt to keep them as a subjugated people and prevent their absolute allegiance to their God. This offered compromise would destroy the point of the exodus—to leave Egypt and find a new allegiance under the Lord.

In other versions

Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go sacrifice to your God within the country.”

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,” he said. “But do it here in this land.”

And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

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