The Mekhilta, the tannaitic midrash on Exodus, records a teaching from Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov about how the Israelites knew exactly what to ask from the Egyptians — and how the Egyptians were compelled to comply. His explanation involves the Holy Spirit (ruach hakodesh) resting upon the people of Israel at the moment of the Exodus.
According to Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov, when an Israelite approached an Egyptian to request possessions, the Israelite would say with uncanny precision: "Lend me your vessel which is found in this and this place." The Israelite could describe exactly where the Egyptian's valuables were hidden — in which room, in which corner, in which container. The Egyptian would check and find the item exactly where the Israelite had said. Astonished, the Egyptian would hand it over.
How did the Israelites possess this knowledge? Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov identifies it as the work of the Holy Spirit. The Hebrew word "chen" (favor) in the verse "And the Lord gave the people chen in the eyes of Egypt" (Exodus 12:36) is itself a marker of Divine inspiration. He cites (Zechariah 12:10): "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the dwellers of Jerusalem a spirit of chen." The word "chen" signals prophetic endowment.
The Israelites did not beg, barter, or deceive. They spoke with the authority of revelation. They knew what the Egyptians owned because God showed them. The Exodus was not merely a physical departure. It was a moment when an entire nation operated under prophetic power.