Exodus 10:8-18

8 And they again called Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, and he said to them, Go ye, and make ye sacrifice to your Lord God; which be they, that shall go? (and he said to them, Go ye, and worship the Lord your God; who be they, who shall go?)

9 Moses said, We shall go with our little children and (our) elders, and with (our) sons, and (our) daughters, (and) with (our) sheep, and (our) great beasts; for it is the solemnity of our Lord God (for it is a Feast unto the Lord our God).

10 And Pharaoh answered, So the Lord be with you ; how therefore shall I deliver you, and your little children? to whom is it doubt(ful), that ye think (not the) worst things? (And Pharaoh answered, And may the Lord be with you! but how can I let you, and your little children, go? for who doubteth, that ye think, or that ye plan, to do only the worst things against me?)

11 It shall not be done so; but go ye men only, and make ye sacrifice to the Lord; for also ye asked this. And anon they were cast out from the sight of Pharaoh. (Nay, it shall not be done so! but only the men shall go, and worship the Lord; for this is what ye asked for. And at once they were cast out from before Pharaoh.)

12 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, Hold forth thine hand on the land of Egypt, to a locust, that is, (a) multitude of locusts, that it ascend on the land, and devour all the herb which is left of the hail. (And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth thy hand over the land of Egypt, for a multitude of locusts to ascend upon the land, and devour all the herbage that be left from the hail.)

13 And Moses held forth the rod on the land of Egypt (And so Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt), and the Lord brought in a burning wind all that day and night; and when the morrowtide was made, the burning wind raised [up] (the) locusts,

14 which ascended on all the land of Egypt, and sat in all the coasts of Egyptians (and settled on all the land of Egypt); and the locusts were unnumberable, and such were not before that time, neither shall come afterward.

15 And those covered all the face of the earth, and wasted all things; therefore the herb of the earth was devoured, and whatever (thing) of apples was in (the) trees, which the hail had left, it was devoured; and utterly no green thing was left in trees, and in herbs of the earth, in all Egypt (and utterly nothing green was left on the trees, or on the plants of the land, in all of Egypt).

16 Wherefore Pharaoh hasted, and called (for) Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned against your Lord God, and against you (I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you);

17 but now forgive ye the sin to me; also in this time pray ye your Lord God, that he take away from me this death. (but now forgive ye my sin; and also at this time pray ye the Lord your God, that he take away this death from me.)

18 And Moses went out of the sight of Pharaoh, and prayed the Lord; (And Moses went out from before Pharaoh, and prayed to the Lord;)

Exodus 10:8-18 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.