Shemot 10:21

21 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch out thine yad toward Shomayim, that there may be choshech over Eretz Mitzrayim, even choshech which he can feel.

Shemot 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.

Shemot 10:21 In-Context

19 And Hashem turned a west ruach chazak me’od, which took away the arbeh, and cast them into the Yam Suf; there remained not one arbeh in all the borders of Mitzrayim.

20 But Hashem hardened lev Pharaoh, so that he would not let the Bnei Yisroel go.

21 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch out thine yad toward Shomayim, that there may be choshech over Eretz Mitzrayim, even choshech which he can feel.

22 And Moshe stretched forth his yad toward Shomayim; and there was a thick choshech in kol Eretz Mitzrayim shloshet yamim;

23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for shloshet yamim; but kol Bnei Yisroel had Ohr in their dwellings.