And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:36)
As the word “borrowed” is a mistranslation, so is the word “lent.” The Hebrew word in question is a passive form of the same verb sha’al, which means in its active form “to ask.” The passive form conveys the meaning not only of being asked but also of granting a request. The thought of the text is this: “The Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked” (RSV).