The LORD instructs Moses to warn Pharaoh of a locust plague, explaining He has hardened Pharaoh's heart to display His power. After the devastating locusts cover Egypt, Pharaoh briefly repents but is again hardened by the LORD. Moses then brings a thick, palpable darkness upon Egypt for three days, yet Pharaoh remains obstinate, ultimately threatening Moses's life for further demands.
The LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in their midst,
and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD.”
Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.
and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won’t be able to see the earth. 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.
Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.
Pharaoh’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 Egypt is destroyed?”
Moses 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.”
The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.”
Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, 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.
The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
The LORD turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Sea of Suf. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.
Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve the LORD our God; and we don’t know with what we must serve the LORD, until we come there.”
Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”
Study Notes for Exodus 10
Verse 1
God explicitly states the purpose of the ongoing resistance: to demonstrate divine power (signs) and ensure that future generations of Israel know who the LORD is.
Verse 2
This verse emphasizes the didactic purpose of the plagues. The events are not just about liberation, but about establishing an enduring testimony of God's sovereignty for Israel's descendants.
Verse 3
Moses challenges Pharaoh's pride. In biblical thought, humbling oneself is necessary for submission and obedience to God’s will, a concept Pharaoh repeatedly resists.
Verse 7
This shows the political and economic pressure mounting on Pharaoh. His own court recognizes that Egypt is already ruined ('destroyed') and advises him to concede before total catastrophe.
Verse 9
Moses rejects any partial compliance. The requirement to bring 'all' (young, old, flocks, herds) signifies that the devotion and service required by the LORD is comprehensive, leaving nothing behind in Egypt.
Verse 14
The description of the locust plague as unprecedented ('before them there were no such locusts... neither after them shall be such') highlights the extraordinary nature of God's judgment, surpassing natural ecological disasters.
Verse 17
Pharaoh's confession of sin (v. 16) and his plea here is motivated by fear of the immediate consequence ('this death'), not genuine spiritual repentance, making his request conditional and temporary.
Verse 20
This verse reiterates the theme of divine hardening, confirming that Pharaoh's temporary repentance was not lasting, serving God's ultimate purpose of demonstrating power through the final judgments.
Verse 21
The ninth plague, darkness that 'may be felt,' was likely a severe sandstorm (khamsin) intensified by divine power, targeting Ra, the Egyptian sun god, demonstrating the LORD's supremacy over the Egyptian pantheon.
Verse 23
The distinction between the dark land of Egypt and the light in Goshen emphasizes the selective nature of God's judgment, protecting His people even while judgment falls around them.
Verse 26
Moses insists that the livestock must go because they do not yet know the exact sacrifices required by the LORD. This ensures Israel remains fully detached from Egypt and dependent solely on God for future instruction.
Verse 28
Pharaoh’s final command marks the end of all negotiation. His threat of execution sets the stage for the final, decisive plague (the death of the firstborn) detailed in the next chapter.
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