שמות, פרק ט׳, פסוק ב׳

As the next plague approaches, the warning directed at Pharaoh outlines a twofold condition that highlights the depth of his stubbornness. His resistance is firmly rooted in both his words and his actions. The warning specifically addresses two forms of opposition: an outright refusal to release the people [ביאור שטיינזלץ] and the act of actively holding onto them [רש״י].

The nature of how Pharaoh holds onto the Israelites is understood in several ways. On one hand, this grip might not be a display of physical force, but simply a refusal to grant them official permission to leave [מזרחי]. Conversely, it is viewed as a forceful, aggressive grasp that completely ignores God's declaration that the Israelites are His people [ביאור יש״ר]. Furthermore, this tight hold is deeply connected to the reality of their ongoing oppression. Even if Pharaoh occasionally lightens the crushing burden of their labor, he still maintains his grip and keeps them firmly enslaved [העמק דבר].

Addressing both the refusal and the holding highlights two distinct stages of Pharaoh's defiance. Refusal represents the negative response spoken aloud, while holding onto the people reflects the practical reality of his actions. Past experience, particularly during the plague of frogs, proved that Pharaoh is capable of making verbal promises to release the Israelites without actually following through. He might not refuse in speech, yet he continues to trap them in practice. Therefore, both verbal refusal and practical detention are addressed to cover every aspect of his defiance [מלבי״ם].

Ultimately, this relentless grip leads to a direct, measure-for-measure consequence. Because Pharaoh stubbornly insists on holding onto the Israelites, the hand of God will in turn hold onto and strike all the property that belongs to him [קאסוטו].