Three days' journey into the desert And that on a good errand, and unexceptionable: we will sacrifice to the Lord our God As other people do to theirs; lest if we quite cast off his worship, he fall upon us With one judgment or other, and then Pharaoh will lose his vassals.
Though it was the intention of the Israelites quite to leave Egypt; yet the request was made only to go three days' journey into the desert to sacrifice, probably to set the tyranny of the king in a stronger light, who would not indulge them in this small liberty even for the performance of religious rites. And as this demand was made by the express order of God, who knew that Pharaoh would not grant it, all appearance of there being any artful design in it to deceive Pharaoh is taken away.