Exodus 10:21

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”

Exodus 10:21 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 10:21

And the Lord said unto Moses
About the eleventh day of the month Abib: stretch out thine hand toward heaven;
where the luminaries are, and from whence light comes: that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which
may be felt;
that is, what caused it, the gross vapours and thick fogs; for otherwise darkness itself, being a privation of light, cannot be felt: Onkelos paraphrases it,

``after that the darkness of the night is removed;''

so Jonathan; that it might appear to be different from that, and be much grosser.

Exodus 10:21 In-Context

19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.

20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”

22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days.

23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.