שמות, פרק ז׳, פסוק ד׳

The divine plan for the redemption from Egypt is a carefully orchestrated process where even the stubbornness of the Egyptian king plays a vital role. The ultimate goal is not merely to extract the Israelites, but to compel them to leave. Without the harsh realities of slavery and the disruptive plagues, the people might have preferred to remain in the fertile lands of Egypt [צרור המור, קאסוטו]. God forewarns that Pharaoh will refuse to listen. This initial defiance applies to the early stages of the redemption and the first nine plagues, as he is eventually forced to comply during the Plague of the Firstborn [חזקוני, מלבי״ם]. His early resistance is partly because the initial wonders do not inflict severe physical pain [ביאור יש״ר]. Over time, this refusal evolves into a total emotional and mental blockage, reaching a point where Pharaoh will not even agree to hear the messengers' words or look at their faces [אור החיים, העמק דבר]. Conversely, another perspective suggests that Pharaoh's defiance actually stems from God's initial approach. Because God first reaches out with appeasement and humility, Pharaoh misinterprets this gentleness as weakness and a lack of capability [הכתב והקבלה].

In response to this stubbornness, God promises to strike with His hand. Using human terms, this represents a severe blow or punishment [אבן עזרא, הטור הארוך, רלב״ג]. Some commentators emphasize that a hand is chosen specifically to show a full, sweeping expression of power, contrasting with earlier, lesser plagues that are described merely as a divine finger [רש״י, גור אריה, משכיל לדוד]. This full display of power points to the severe, supernatural plagues that will strike Egypt [ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ], reaching their absolute peak with the Plague of the Firstborn, which represents the height of direct divine intervention [ספורנו, אור החיים, העמק דבר, מלבי״ם, הכתב והקבלה].

Through these devastating plagues, God ensures the release of His people, referring to them as His armies. The primary approach among commentators is that these armies refer directly to the Israelites. They serve as God's army on earth, mirroring the angels in heaven, and are likened to the stars, with the twelve tribes corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac [רבנו בחיי, תולדות יצחק]. Referring to them as multiple armies highlights their unique spiritual greatness [אור החיים, מלבי״ם] and reflects how the nation is composed of diverse groups, all uniting under God's leadership [רש״ר הירש]. Another approach suggests that two entirely distinct groups are leaving Egypt together. The people refers to the physical Israelites departing the land, while the armies refers to the angels and the Divine Presence that descended into exile alongside the nation and are now being redeemed and ascending with them [העמק דבר, רבנו בחיי, אבן עזרא הקצר, מלבי״ם].

This historic departure is accompanied by great judgments. These are not standard punishments, but rather miraculous, supernatural events [ביאור יש״ר]. Specifically, this points to the Plague of the Firstborn and the splitting of the Red Sea. While the earlier plagues serve primarily as warning signs and educational tools, these final events function as strict, measure-for-measure justice for the enslavement of the Israelites. Furthermore, they serve as a direct judgment executed against the Egyptian idols themselves [ספורנו, העמק דבר, מלבי״ם].