Exodus 10:4-14

4 Yf thou wilt not let my people goo: beholde, tomorow will I brynge greshoppers in to thy lande,

5 and they shall couer the face of the erth that it can not be sene, ad they shall eate the residue which remayneth vnto you and escaped the hayle and they shall eate all youre grene trees vpon the felde,

6 and they shall fill thy housses and all thy servauntes housses, and the housses of all the Egiptias after soch a maner: as nether thy fathers nor thy fathers fathers haue sene, sence the tyme they were apon the erthe vnto thys daye. And he turned him silfe aboute, ad went out from Pharao.

7 And Pharaos servauntes sayde vnto hym: Howe longe shall this felowe thus plage vs? Let the men goo that they maye serue the Lorde their God, or els wilt thou see Egipte first destroyed?

8 And than Moses and Aaron were broughte agayn vnto Pharao, and he sayde vnto them: Goo and serue the Lorde youre God but who are they that shall goo?

9 And Moses answered: we must goo with yonge and olde: ye and with oure sonnes and with oure doughters, ad with oure shepe and oxe must we goo For we must holde a feast vnto the Lorde.

10 And he sayde vnto them: shall it be soo? The Lorde be with you, shulde I lett you goo, and youre childern also? Take heede, for ye haue some myschefe in honde.

11 Nay not so: but goo ye that are men and serue the Lorde, for that was youre desyre. And they thrust the out of Pharaos presence.

12 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: Stretch out thine hande ouer the lande of Egipte for greshoppers, that they come apon the lande of Egipte and eate all the herbes of the londe, ad all that the hayle left vntouched.

13 And Moses stretched forth his rodd ouer the londe off Egipte, ad the Lorde brought an east wynde vppo the lande, all that daye and all nyghte. And in the mornynge the east wynde broughte the greshoppers,

14 ad the greshoppers wet vp ouer all the lande of Egipte and lighted in all quarters off Egipte verye greuously: so that before them were there no soch greshoppers, nether after them shal be.

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.