Exodus 10:21

21 God said to Moses: "Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt - a darkness so dark you can touch it."

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 God reversed the wind - a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.

20 But God made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn't release the Israelites. Strike Nine: Darkness

21 God said to Moses: "Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt - a darkness so dark you can touch it."

22 Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days.

23 Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.