Exodus 10:21

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness [which] may be felt.

Complete Jewish Bible:

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Reach out your hand toward the sky, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness so thick it can be felt!"

Berean Standard Bible:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”

American Standard Version:

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And the LORD^{H3068} said^{H559} unto Moses^{H4872}, Stretch out^{H5186} thine hand^{H3027} toward heaven^{H8064}, that there may be darkness^{H2822} over the land^{H776} of Egypt^{H4714}, even darkness^{H2822} which may be felt^{H4959}.

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Commentary for Exodus 10:21

Exodus 10:21 is part of the narrative describing the plagues that God brought upon Egypt through Moses to persuade Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. The verse specifically addresses the ninth plague—a supernatural darkness that enveloped the land of Egypt. This darkness was not merely the absence of light but was so intense that it could be "felt," indicating a tangible, palpable presence. This detail underscores the miraculous and distressing nature of the plague, emphasizing the divine power at work against the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh's stubbornness.

The theme of this verse is the sovereignty of God over the natural world and the gods of Egypt. The Egyptians worshipped Ra, the sun god, and this plague directly challenged the Egyptians' belief system by obliterating sunlight for three days, demonstrating God's superiority over Ra. The historical context is set within the broader narrative of the Israelites' oppression in Egypt and God's intervention to secure their liberation. This verse also highlights the escalating intensity of the plagues, as the darkness precedes the final and most devastating plague, the death of the firstborn. The darkness symbolizes divine judgment and the impending doom that would lead to Pharaoh's ultimate capitulation and the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
2. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
3. Strong's Number: H4872
   There are 704 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֹשֶׁה
   Transliteration: Môsheh
   Pronunciation: mo-sheh'
   Description: from מָשָׁה; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver; Moses.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5186
   There are 207 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָטָה
   Transliteration: nâṭâh
   Pronunciation: naw-taw'
   Description: a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application; [phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.
   
5. Strong's Number: H3027
   There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָד
   Transliteration: yâd
   Pronunciation: yawd
   Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
   
6. Strong's Number: H8064
   There are 395 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁמַיִם
   Transliteration: shâmayim
   Pronunciation: shaw-mah'-yim
   Description: dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve); air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).
   
7. Strong's Number: H2822
   There are 77 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חֹשֶׁךְ
   Transliteration: chôshek
   Pronunciation: kho-shek'
   Description: from חָשַׁךְ; the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness; dark(-ness), night, obscurity.
   
8. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
   
9. Strong's Number: H4714
   There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִצְרַיִם
   Transliteration: Mitsrayim
   Pronunciation: mits-rah'-yim
   Description: dual of מָצוֹר; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt; Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.
   
10. Strong's Number: H4959
    There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מָשַׁשׁ
    Transliteration: mâshash
    Pronunciation: maw-shash'
    Description: a primitive root; to feel of; by implication, to grope; feel, grope, search.