CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Exodus 10
Chapter 10 of 40
Chapter Overview
What happens in Exodus 10
God sends two more devastating plagues on Egypt. A massive swarm of locusts devours everything that survived the hail, and then a thick darkness covers the land for three days. Pharaoh's own officials beg him to let Israel go, but his heart remains stubborn.
Scripture
Exodus 10
The Eighth Plague: Locusts
Study note
Before sending the locusts, God told Moses that He was hardening Pharaoh's heart so that future generations of Israelites would tell the story of what God did in Egypt. Pharaoh's own officials urged him to let the Israelites go, saying Egypt was already ruined. Pharaoh tried to negotiate, saying only the men could go, but Moses insisted everyone must leave. God sent an east wind that brought a swarm of locusts so thick they covered the ground and ate everything green that the hail had left. Pharaoh quickly confessed his sin, Moses prayed, and God sent a west wind that blew every locust into the Red Sea. But again Pharaoh refused to let Israel go.
1 The Lord told Moses, "Go see Pharaoh. I have deliberately made him and his officials stubborn so that I can perform these amazing signs before them." And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
2 "There is another reason too. I want you to tell your children and grandchildren the amazing things I did in Egypt. Tell them about the miracles I showed. Then every generation will know that I am the Lord." And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
3 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and declared, "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, asks you: 'How much longer will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Release my people so they can worship me.'" And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
4 "If you still refuse, then tomorrow I am going to bring a swarm of locusts into your country." Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
5 "There will be so many locusts that you will not be able to see the ground underneath them. They will devour whatever the hail left behind. They will strip bare every last tree growing in your fields." And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
6 "They will pack your palace, your officials' homes, and every Egyptian house. It will be something your parents and grandparents have never witnessed — the worst thing since people first settled in this land." With that, Moses turned and walked out. And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
7 Pharaoh's own officials confronted him: "How long are you going to let this man hold us hostage? Let the people go worship the Lord their God! Can you not see that Egypt is falling apart?" And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
8 Moses and Aaron were called back to Pharaoh. He said, "All right, go ahead and worship the Lord your God. But tell me — who exactly is planning to go?" And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?
9 Moses answered. "Everyone is going. Our young and our old. Our sons and our daughters. Our flocks and our herds. This feast is for the Lord. It includes all of us." And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
10 Pharaoh sneered, "The Lord had better be on your side if I ever let your women and children go! You are obviously scheming something." And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
11 "Certainly not! Only the men can go worship the Lord — since that is what you originally asked for." And Moses and Aaron were thrown out of Pharaoh's court. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
12 The Lord told Moses, "Hold out your hand over the land of Egypt and call the locusts. They will swarm across the country and eat every green thing the hail did not destroy." And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
13 Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the Lord sent a powerful east wind. It blew all day long and all night. By sunrise, the wind had carried in the locusts. And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14 The locusts descended on every corner of Egypt and blanketed the land. No one had ever seen a locust swarm this massive, and nothing like it would ever come again. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
15 The locusts covered the ground so thickly that the earth turned dark beneath them. They consumed every plant and all the fruit still on the trees — everything the hail had missed. When they finished, there was not a speck of green left on any tree or plant in all of Egypt. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
16 Pharaoh frantically called for Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you," he confessed. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
17 "Please, forgive me this one time. Pray to the Lord your God — make him take this deadly plague away from me." Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
18 Moses left the palace and prayed to the Lord. And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.
19 The Lord shifted the wind to a powerful gale from the west. It scooped up every locust and dumped them all into the Red Sea. Not one locust remained anywhere in Egypt. And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
20 But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart hard again, and he would not release the Israelites. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
Study note
God told Moses to stretch his hand toward the sky, and a darkness so thick it could be felt covered Egypt for three days. People could not see each other or leave their homes. But the Israelites had light where they lived. This plague directly attacked Ra, the Egyptian sun god, who was considered the most powerful of all Egyptian gods. Pharaoh offered another deal: the people could go, but their livestock had to stay. Moses refused, saying they needed every animal for sacrifices. Pharaoh became furious and told Moses to leave and never come back, threatening death. Moses agreed that he would not return.
21 The Lord then told Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky. Darkness will blanket Egypt — a darkness so heavy and thick that people can feel it." And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
22 Moses stretched his hand toward the sky. A thick darkness covered the whole land of Egypt for three full days. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
23 People could not see each other at all. Nobody could move from where they were for three days. But in the areas where the Israelites lived, there was plenty of light. They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
24 Pharaoh summoned Moses and made an offer: "Go worship the Lord. Take your women and children along too. Leave your flocks and herds here." And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
25 Moses refused. "You must also give us animals. We need them for burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God." And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
26 "Every last one of our animals is going with us. We will not leave a single hoof behind. We need animals to worship the Lord our God, and we will not know which specific ones he requires until we arrive there." Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
27 But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart hard, and he would not agree to let them leave. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
28 Pharaoh threatened Moses, "Get out! And never come before me again! Because the day you show your face here, you die." And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
29 "You said it yourself," Moses replied. "You will never see my face again." And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
Key Themes
Themes in Exodus 10
God's judgments as testimony for future generationsDarkness as a symbol of spiritual blindnessThe hardening consequences of repeated rebellionNegotiation versus complete surrender to God
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Exodus 21-23 Matthew 27:45
The supernatural darkness over Egypt foreshadows the three hours of darkness that covered the land when Jesus hung on the cross.
Apply This Today
Living Exodus 10
Pharaoh kept trying to negotiate partial obedience — leave the animals, leave the children. But God demanded full surrender. We sometimes try the same thing, offering God part of our lives while holding back the rest. God invites us to trust Him with everything, not just the parts that are convenient.
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