Comentario sobre Exodo 10:6

AND HE TURNED AND WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH. Due to the fact that the Egyptians were in a state of trepidation during the plague of hail, Moses thought that now too they would fear lest they die from famine if they lose the residue of that which is escaped,¹⁸Verse 5. which remained to them. Therefore he went out without the king’s permission before they accepted or rejected his request, so that they might take counsel on the matter. This was indeed correct, for so the servants did and said to Pharaoh, Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?²⁴Verse 7. In the words of our Rabbis:²⁵Shemoth Rabbah 13:5. “Moses saw the servants turning to each other, believing in his words, so he went out from there in order that they may take counsel to do repentance.”
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Moses did so every time he came to Pharaoh’s palace; he warned him and went out. Scripture found it necessary to mention it only here because of the sequel: And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh.²⁶Verse 8.

ויפן ויצא מעם פרעה, He turned and left Pharaoh's presence. By not asking permission to leave Moses demonstrated his lack of regard for this king who had once again reneged on his promise even after he had proclaimed: "G'd is righteous and I and my people are sinners." Actually, the wicked Pharaoh repaid Moses for this slight when he had him brought back to the palace unceremoniously in verse 8. After that Pharaoh expelled Moses from the palace in verse 11. He was aware of his lack of deference when he begged Moses to pray for him again in verse 16 adding: "I have sinned against the Lord your G'd and against you." He had never previously apologised to Moses, only to G'd.

ויפן ויצא מעם פרעה, “he turned (without taking leave) and left the presence of Pharaoh.” Some commentators think that Moses turned to face the King and to retreat walking backwards, all the while facing the King. Other scholars, on the contrary, interpret our verse to mean that Moses turned his back on Pharaoh and marched out of the room. He indicated that he was angry and did not request permission to withdraw. The reason why Moses acted in this fashion was that he assumed that just as Pharaoh had once before demonstrated real fear during the plague of the hail, he would do so again now, and he would finally humble himself to prevent wholesale deaths from hunger of his subjects due to the locusts. By leaving at this moment, Moses wanted to afford Pharaoh and his advisors an opportunity to consult and agree on a course of action. Nachmanides writes that the correct interpretation of what the Torah narrates here is that this was Moses’ standard procedure after he had delivered a warning. The only reason why the Torah dwells on this detail here is that for the first time Moses and Aaron were recalled after they had left.

ויפן ויצא מעם פרעה, “he turned around and left the presence of Pharaoh.” Moses left immediately after having warned Pharaoh of the forthcoming plague without taking his leave. This was a well calculated move by Moses who wanted to give Pharaoh and his advisors an opportunity to consult amongst themselves and to release the Children of Israel prior to the onset of that plague. During the previous plague of hail the Egyptians had already viewed themselves as if they were about to die so that now that Moses had warned that every remaining tree and food producing plant would die they had every reason to become scared. In fact, Moses had anticipated their reaction correctly as we know from verse eight where we are told that Moses and Aaron were recalled to the palace. This is the meaning of ויושב משה ואהרן, “Moses and Aaron were brought back.”

V. 6. Es ist nicht unmöglich, daß bis dahin überhaupt kein Heuschreckenschwarm in Ägypten gesehen worden, ihre eigentliche Heimat ist Asien, woher sie ja auch der Ostwind brachte.