Exodus 10:1-20

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them,

2 and ¹that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, ²that you may know that I am the LORD."

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to ³humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring ⁴locusts into your country,

5 and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall ⁵eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field,

6 and they shall fill ⁶your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.'" Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?"

8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, ⁷"Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?"

9 Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for ⁸we must hold a feast to the LORD."

10 But he said to them, "The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your ⁹little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind.^[a]

11 No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

12 Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁰"Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and ¹¹eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left."

13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts.

14 ¹²The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, ¹³such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again.

15 They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and ¹⁴they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16 Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, ¹⁵"I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and ¹⁶plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me."

18 So ¹⁷he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.

19 And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them ¹⁸into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

20 But the LORD ¹⁹hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

Exodus 10:1-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 10

This chapter is introduced with giving the reasons why the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, Ex 10:1,2. Moses and Aaron go in to him, and once more demanded in the name of the Lord the dismission of the people of Israel, and in case of refusal, threatened him with locusts being sent into his country, which should make terrible havoc in all his coasts, Ex 10:3-6, the servants of Pharaoh entreat him to let them go, upon which Moses and Aaron are brought in again, and treated with about the terms of their departure; but they, insisting upon taking all with them, men, women, and children, and flocks and herds, and Pharaoh not willing that any but men should go, they are drove from his presence in wrath, Ex 10:7-11 wherefore the locusts were brought on all the land, which made sad devastation in it, Ex 10:12-15, and this wrought on Pharaoh so far as to acknowledge his sin, pray for forgiveness, and to desire Moses and Aaron to entreat the Lord to remove the plague, which they did, and it was removed accordingly, but still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, Ex 10:16-20 then followed the plague of thick darkness over all the land for three days, which brought Pharaoh to yield that all should go with them excepting their flocks and herds; but Moses not only insisted that not a hoof should be left behind, but that Pharaoh should give them sacrifices and burnt offerings, Ex 10:21-26. Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he refused to comply, and Moses was bid to be gone, and take care never to see his face any more, and which Moses agreed to, Ex 10:27-29.

Cross References

• 1. [Exodus 13:8, 14; Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 6:20-22; Psalms 78:5-7; Joel 1:3]
• 2. Exodus 7:17
• 3. 1 Kings 21:29
• 4. Leviticus 11:22; Proverbs 30:27; Joel 1:4; Joel 2:25; Revelation 9:3
• 5. Exodus 9:32
• 6. [Exodus 8:3, 21; Joel 2:9]
• 7. ver. 24
• 8. Exodus 5:1; [Exodus 3:18]
• 9. ver. 24
• 10. See Exodus 7:19
• 11. ver. 4, 5
• 12. Psalms 78:46; Psalms 105:34
• 13. Joel 2:2
• 14. Psalms 105:35
• 15. Exodus 9:27
• 16. See Exodus 8:8
• 17. Exodus 8:30; Exodus 9:33
• 18. [Joel 2:20]
• 19. See Exodus 4:21

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew before your face