Exodus 10:21

21 And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out thy hand towards heaven: and may there be darkness upon the land of Egypt so thick that it may be felt.

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 And he made a very strong wind to blow from the west, and it took the locusts and cast them into the Red Sea: there remained not so much as one in all the coasts of Egypt.

20 And the Lord hardened Pharao’s heart, neither did he let the children of Israel go.

21 And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out thy hand towards heaven: and may there be darkness upon the land of Egypt so thick that it may be felt.

22 And Moses stretched forth his hand towards heaven: and there came horrible darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

23 No man saw his brother, nor moved himself out of the place where he was: but wheresoever the children of Israel dwelt, there was light.