1 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Go H935 in unto Pharaoh: H6547 for I have hardened H3513 his heart, H3820 and the heart H3820 of his servants, H5650 that I might shew H7896 these my signs H226 before H7130 him:
2 And that thou mayest tell H5608 in the ears H241 of thy son, H1121 and of thy son's H1121 son, H1121 what things I have wrought H5953 in Egypt, H4714 and my signs H226 which I have done H7760 among them; that ye may know H3045 how that I am the LORD. H3068
3 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 came in H935 unto Pharaoh, H6547 and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of the Hebrews, H5680 How long H4970 wilt thou refuse H3985 to humble H6031 thyself before H6440 me? let my people H5971 go, H7971 that they may serve H5647 me.
4 Else, H3588 if thou refuse H3986 to let my people H5971 go, H7971 behold, to morrow H4279 will I bring H935 the locusts H697 into thy coast: H1366
5 And they shall cover H3680 the face H5869 of the earth, H776 that one cannot be able H3201 to see H7200 the earth: H776 and they shall eat H398 the residue H3499 of that which is escaped, H6413 which remaineth H7604 unto you from the hail, H1259 and shall eat H398 every tree H6086 which groweth H6779 for you out of the field: H7704
6 And they shall fill H4390 thy houses, H1004 and the houses H1004 of all thy servants, H5650 and the houses H1004 of all the Egyptians; H4714 which neither thy fathers, H1 nor thy fathers' H1 fathers H1 have seen, H7200 since the day H3117 that they were upon the earth H127 unto this day. H3117 And he turned H6437 himself, and went out H3318 from Pharaoh. H6547
7 And Pharaoh's H6547 servants H5650 said H559 unto him, How long shall this man be a snare H4170 unto us? let the men H582 go, H7971 that they may serve H5647 the LORD H3068 their God: H430 knowest H3045 thou not yet H2962 that Egypt H4714 is destroyed? H6
8 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 were brought again H7725 unto Pharaoh: H6547 and he said H559 unto them, Go, H3212 serve H5647 the LORD H3068 your God: H430 but who are they that shall go? H1980
9 And Moses H4872 said, H559 We will go H3212 with our young H5288 and with our old, H2205 with our sons H1121 and with our daughters, H1323 with our flocks H6629 and with our herds H1241 will we go; H3212 for we must hold a feast H2282 unto the LORD. H3068
10 And he said H559 unto them, Let the LORD H3068 be so with you, as I will let you go, H7971 and your little ones: H2945 look H7200 to it; for evil H7451 is before H6440 you.
11 Not so: go H3212 now ye that are men, H1397 and serve H5647 the LORD; H3068 for that ye did desire. H1245 And they were driven out H1644 from Pharaoh's H6547 presence. H6440
12 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Stretch out H5186 thine hand H3027 over the land H776 of Egypt H4714 for the locusts, H697 that they may come up H5927 upon the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and eat H398 every herb H6212 of the land, H776 even all that the hail H1259 hath left. H7604
13 And Moses H4872 stretched forth H5186 his rod H4294 over the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and the LORD H3068 brought H5090 an east H6921 wind H7307 upon the land H776 all that day, H3117 and all that night; H3915 and when it was morning, H1242 the east H6921 wind H7307 brought H5375 the locusts. H697
14 And the locusts H697 went up H5927 over all the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and rested H5117 in all the coasts H1366 of Egypt: H4714 very H3966 grievous H3515 were they; before H6440 them there were no such H3651 locusts H697 as they, neither after H310 them shall be such.
15 For they covered H3680 the face H5869 of the whole earth, H776 so that the land H776 was darkened; H2821 and they did eat H398 every herb H6212 of the land, H776 and all the fruit H6529 of the trees H6086 which the hail H1259 had left: H3498 and there remained H3498 not any green thing H3418 in the trees, H6086 or in the herbs H6212 of the field, H7704 through all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
16 Then Pharaoh H6547 called H7121 for Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 in haste; H4116 and he said, H559 I have sinned H2398 against the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and against you.
17 Now therefore forgive, H5375 I pray thee, my sin H2403 only this once, H6471 and intreat H6279 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 that he may take away H5493 from me this death H4194 only.
18 And he went out H3318 from Pharaoh, H6547 and intreated H6279 the LORD. H3068
19 And the LORD H3068 turned H2015 a mighty H3966 strong H2389 west H3220 wind, H7307 which took away H5375 the locusts, H697 and cast H8628 them into the Red H5488 sea; H3220 there remained H7604 not one H259 locust H697 in all the coasts H1366 of Egypt. H4714
20 But the LORD H3068 hardened H2388 Pharaoh's H6547 heart, H3820 so that he would not let the children H1121 of Israel H3478 go. H7971
21 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Stretch out H5186 thine hand H3027 toward heaven, H8064 that there may be darkness H2822 over the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 even darkness H2822 which may be felt. H4959
22 And Moses H4872 stretched forth H5186 his hand H3027 toward heaven; H8064 and there was a thick H653 darkness H2822 in all the land H776 of Egypt H4714 three H7969 days: H3117
23 They saw H7200 not one H376 another, H251 neither rose H6965 any H376 from his place for three H7969 days: H3117 but all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 had light H216 in their dwellings. H4186
24 And Pharaoh H6547 called H7121 unto Moses, H4872 and said, H559 Go H3212 ye, serve H5647 the LORD; H3068 only let your flocks H6629 and your herds H1241 be stayed: H3322 let your little ones H2945 also go H3212 with you.
25 And Moses H4872 said, H559 Thou must give H5414 us H3027 also sacrifices H2077 and burnt offerings, H5930 that we may sacrifice H6213 unto the LORD H3068 our God. H430
26 Our cattle H4735 also shall go H3212 with us; there shall not an hoof H6541 be left behind; H7604 for thereof must we take H3947 to serve H5647 the LORD H3068 our God; H430 and we know H3045 not with what we must serve H5647 the LORD, H3068 until we come H935 thither.
27 But the LORD H3068 hardened H2388 Pharaoh's H6547 heart, H3820 and he would H14 not let them go. H7971
28 And Pharaoh H6547 said H559 unto him, Get H3212 thee from me, take heed H8104 to thyself, see H7200 my face H6440 no more; H3254 for in that day H3117 thou seest H7200 my face H6440 thou shalt die. H4191
29 And Moses H4872 said, H559 Thou hast spoken H1696 well, H3651 I will see H7200 thy face H6440 again H3254 no more.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 10
Commentary on Exodus 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Ex 10:1-20. Plague of Locusts.
1. show these my signs, &c.—Sinners even of the worst description are to be admonished even though there may be little hope of amendment, and hence those striking miracles that carried so clear and conclusive demonstration of the being and character of the true God were performed in lengthened series before Pharaoh to leave him without excuse when judgment should be finally executed.
2. And that thou mayest tell … of thy son, and of thy son's son, &c.—There was a further and higher reason for the infliction of those awful judgments, namely, that the knowledge of them there, and the permanent record of them still, might furnish a salutary and impressive lesson to the Church down to the latest ages. Worldly historians might have described them as extraordinary occurrences that marked this era of Moses in ancient Egypt. But we are taught to trace them to their cause: the judgments of divine wrath on a grossly idolatrous king and nation.
4. to-morrow will I bring the locusts—Moses was commissioned to renew the request, so often made and denied, with an assurance that an unfavorable answer would be followed on the morrow by an invasion of locusts. This species of insect resembles a large, spotted, red and black, double-winged grasshopper, about three inches or less in length, with the two hind legs working like hinged springs of immense strength and elasticity. Perhaps no more terrible scourge was ever brought on a land than those voracious insects, which fly in such countless numbers as to darken the land which they infest; and on whatever place they alight, they convert it into a waste and barren desert, stripping the ground of its verdure, the trees of their leaves and bark, and producing in a few hours a degree of desolation which it requires the lapse of years to repair.
7-11. Pharaoh's servants said—Many of his courtiers must have suffered serious losses from the late visitations, and the prospect of such a calamity as that which was threatened and the magnitude of which former experience enabled them to realize, led them to make a strong remonstrance with the king. Finding himself not seconded by his counsellors in his continued resistance, he recalled Moses and Aaron, and having expressed his consent to their departure, inquired who were to go. The prompt and decisive reply, "all," neither man nor beast shall remain, raised a storm of indignant fury in the breast of the proud king. He would permit the grown-up men to go away; but no other terms would be listened to.
11. they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence—In the East, when a person of authority and rank feels annoyed by a petition which he is unwilling to grant, he makes a signal to his attendants, who rush forward and, seizing the obnoxious suppliant by the neck, drag him out of the chamber with violent haste. Of such a character was the impassioned scene in the court of Egypt when the king had wrought himself into such a fit of uncontrollable fury as to treat ignominiously the two venerable representatives of the Hebrew people.
13-19. the Lord brought an east wind—The rod of Moses was again raised, and the locusts came. They are natives of the desert and are only brought by an east wind into Egypt, where they sometimes come in sun-obscuring clouds, destroying in a few days every green blade in the track they traverse. Man, with all his contrivances, can do nothing to protect himself from the overwhelming invasion. Egypt has often suffered from locusts. But the plague that followed the wave of the miraculous rod was altogether unexampled. Pharaoh, fearing irretrievable ruin to his country, sent in haste for Moses, and confessing his sin, implored the intercession of Moses, who entreated the Lord, and a "mighty strong west wind took away the locusts."
Ex 10:21-29. Plague of Darkness.
21-23. Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness—Whatever secondary means were employed in producing it, whether thick clammy fogs and vapors, according to some; a sandstorm, or the chamsin, according to others; it was such that it could be almost perceived by the organs of touch, and so protracted as to continue for three days, which the chamsin does [Hengstenberg]. The appalling character of this calamity consisted in this, that the sun was an object of Egyptian idolatry; that the pure and serene sky of that country was never marred by the appearance of a cloud. And here, too, the Lord made a marked difference between Goshen and the rest of Egypt.
24-26. Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord—Terrified by the preternatural darkness, the stubborn king relents, and proposes another compromise—the flocks and herds to be left as hostages for their return. But the crisis is approaching, and Moses insists on every iota of his demand. The cattle would be needed for sacrifice—how many or how few could not be known till their arrival at the scene of religious observance. But the emancipation of Israel from Egyptian bondage was to be complete.
28. Pharaoh said, … Get thee from me—The calm firmness of Moses provoked the tyrant. Frantic with disappointment and rage, with offended and desperate malice, he ordered him from his presence and forbade him ever to return.
29. Moses said, Thou hast spoken well.