Exodus 10:4-14

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

5 and they shall cover the surface of the eretz, so that one won't be able to see the eretz. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.

6 Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Mitzrim; as neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the eretz to this day.'" He turned, and went out from Par`oh.

7 Par`oh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD, their God. Don't you yet know that Mitzrayim is destroyed?

8 Moshe and Aharon were brought again to Par`oh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are those who will go?"

9 Moshe 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 to the LORD."

10 He said to them, "The LORD be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

11 Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what you desire!" They were driven out from Par`oh's presence.

12 The LORD said to Moshe, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Mitzrayim for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Mitzrayim, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left."

13 Moshe stretched forth his rod over the land of Mitzrayim, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14 The locusts went up over all the land of Mitzrayim, and rested in all the borders of Mitzrayim. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

Exodus 10:4-14 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.