Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes. Moses gives no formal statement of idolatries practiced by Israel in Egypt. But it is implied in their readiness to worship the golden calf, resembling the Egyptian ox, Apis (Exodus 32:1-35), which makes it likely they had worshipped such idols in Egypt. Also, in Leviticus 17:7, "They shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils (literally, las`iyrim (H8163), 'unto he-goats,' the symbol of the false god Pan) after whom they have gone awhoring." The call of God by Moses was as much to them that they should separate from idols and follow Yahweh, as it was to Pharaoh to let them go forth. Exodus 6:6-7; Joshua 24:14, expressly mentions their idolatry "in Egypt." Hence, the need of their being removed out of the contagion of Egyptian idolatries by the exodus.
Every man - so universal was the evil.
The abominations of his eyes. It was not fear of their Egyptian masters, but their own lust of the eye that drew them to idols (Ezekiel 6:9; Ezekiel 18:6).