The climax of the plagues arrives in the dead of night, bringing the ultimate shattering of the Egyptian king's pride. Gripped by terrible fear, his speech becomes short and fragmented, reflecting the panic of a broken ruler [קאסוטו]. Forced into action, he personally wanders the city streets in the dark, shouting and searching for the whereabouts of Moses and Aaron [רש"י, מלבי"ם, גור אריה]. Seeking them out at night serves a dual purpose. First, it allows him to bypass his own previous decree threatening death if they ever saw his face again; under the cover of darkness, his face remains hidden [אור החיים, שפתי כהן]. Second, the Israelite leaders are unable to come to him, having been explicitly commanded by God not to leave their homes until morning [רמב"ן, אור החיים].
The primary approach among commentators is that while the physical departure from Egypt takes place the following morning, the actual redemption, the release from bondage, and the granting of freedom occur on this very night [רמב"ן, פענח רזא, טור הארוך]. The king's urgent command to rise up and leave constitutes an official release from slavery. In this moment, the Israelites transition from being subjects of the Egyptian throne to becoming servants of God [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף]. The instruction to rise symbolizes assuming the upright posture of free individuals [אור החיים]. Furthermore, this is not a simple dismissal. The demand to leave is delivered as a terrifying, forceful shout, functioning as an aggressive expulsion [העמק דבר, קיצור בעל הטורים]. The instruction to depart from among the local population emphasizes a complete and final separation from the Egyptian people [רש"ר הירש, העמק דבר]. To finalize this, Moses demands that the king loudly proclaim their absolute freedom, and God amplifies the ruler's voice so it echoes throughout the entire land [הדר זקנים].
When addressing those who are leaving, the king specifies both the leaders and the broader nation. Some commentators explain that this divides the population into men, alongside the women and children [רש"י, משכיל לדוד]. Conversely, others suggest he is speaking directly to Moses and Aaron, declaring that even they, the elite leaders who were never subjected to hard labor, are now being expelled along with the rest of the nation [רמב"ן, ברכת אשר]. The specific title used for the nation marks a dramatic turning point. Previously, the king would mockingly refer to them merely as an anonymous mob. Now, he recognizes them as a chosen nation, addressing them by their honorable title and conceding that they are God's rightful possession [הכתב והקבלה, ביאור יש"ר].
Finally, the ruler surrenders completely, telling them to go and serve God exactly as they had requested. This sweeping concession instantly cancels all the conditions and limitations he had attempted to impose during the earlier plagues [רש"י, קאסוטו, מלבי"ם]. However, some commentators detect a lingering diplomatic strategy in his words. By telling them to leave exactly as they had spoken, he desperately hopes they will only embark on the three-day journey for sacrifices they originally requested, rather than leaving forever [שפתי כהן, ברכת אשר, אבן עזרא]. Ultimately, his plea for them to serve God is a desperate attempt at appeasement, hoping that their prayers and offerings will finally lift the plague of death from upon him [רש"ר הירש, מלבי"ם].