10:1 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO IN UNTO PHARAOH: FOR I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART, AND THE HEART OF HIS SERVANTS, THAT I MIGHT SHEW THESE MY SIGNS BEFORE HIM:
A.I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART: Pharaoh had willfully hardened his own heart - Ex 9:34, "And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants." But God further hardened his heart by the unfailing operation of moral laws.
B.The result was that Jehovah was glorified in all nations as the news spread of the mighty miracles.
10:2 AND THAT THOU MAYEST TELL IN THE EARS OF THY SON, AND OF THY SON'S SON, WHAT THINGS I HAVE WROUGHT IN EGYPT, AND MY SIGNS WHICH I HAVE DONE AMONG THEM; THAT YE MAY KNOW HOW THAT I [AM] THE LORD.
A.Over and over the instruction is given that parents and grand-parents tell succeeding generations of the power of God, so that His mighty works will be kept in remembrance -- For exam-ple, see Psa 78:1-7ff.
B.How easy it is to forget, and not speak as did David - cf Psa 103:1-5.
C.Not only are the creative and redemptive acts of God made permanent in a written record, but they are to be spoken to the young ones - Ex 13:14, "And it shall be when thy son asked thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage..."
D.Among many passages, see Deu 4:9, "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons..."
10:3 AND MOSES AND AARON CAME IN UNTO PHARAOH, AND SAID UNTO HIM, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF THE HEBREWS, HOW LONG WILT THOU REFUSE TO HUMBLE THYSELF BEFORE ME? LET MY PEOPLE GO, THAT THEY MAY SERVE ME.
A.HOW LONG WILT THOU REFUSE TO HUMBLE THYSELF BEFORE ME?: This question points to Pharaoh's basic problem -- Pride.
B.The king would not really HUMBLE HIMSELF until he gave permission to the Israelites to leave the land.
10:4 ELSE, IF THOU REFUSE TO LET MY PEOPLE GO, BEHOLD, TOMORROW WILL I BRING THE LOCUSTS INTO THY COAST:
**TOMORROW: Another warning is given, and another 24 hours is given in which Pharaoh can repent and submit if he chooses.
10:5 AND THEY SHALL COVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH, THAT ONE CANNOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE EARTH: AND THEY SHALL EAT THE RESIDUE OF THAT WHICH IS ESCAPED, WHICH REMAINETH UNTO YOU FROM THE HAIL, AND SHALL EAT EVERY TREE WHICH GROWETH FOR YOU OUT OF THE FIELD:
A.A storm of locusts can be one of the most terrible disasters to strike a country; They destroy every kind of foliage, and then eat the bark off the trees - Joel 2:3, "A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them; and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them."
B.Also Joel 1:7, "He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white."
10:6 AND THEY SHALL FILL THY HOUSES, AND THE HOUSES OF ALL THY SERVANTS, AND THE HOUSES OF ALL THE EGYPTIANS; WHICH NEITHER THY FATHERS, NOR THY FATHERS' FATHERS HAVE SEEN, SINCE THE DAY THAT THEY WERE UPON THE EARTH UNTO THIS DAY. AND HE TURNED HIMSELF, AND WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH.
A.THEY SHALL FILL THY HOUSES: Compare Joel 2:9, "They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief."
B.PULPIT COMMENTARY quotes a traveler named Beauplan who witnessed an invasion of locusts in June of 1646: "It was pro-digious to behold them, because they were hatched there that spring, and being as yet scarce able to fly, the ground was all covered, and the air so full of them that I could not eat in my chamber without a candle, all the houses being full of them, even the stables, barns, chambers, garrets, and cellars. ...it was a troublesome thing, when a man went (out) to be hit on the face by those creatures, on the nose, eyes, or cheeks, so that there was no opening one's mouth but some would get in. Yet all this was nothing; for when we were to eat they gave us no respite; and when we went to cut a piece of meat, we cut a locust with it, and when a man opened his mouth to put in a morsel, he was sure to chew one of them."
10:7 AND PHARAOH'S SERVANTS SAID UNTO HIM, HOW LONG SHALL THIS MAN BE A SNARE UNTO US? LET THE MEN GO, THAT THEY MAY SERVE THE LORD THEIR GOD: KNOWEST THOU NOT YET THAT EGYPT IS DESTROYED?
A.This is the first time the officers of Pharaoh tried to change his mind.
B.And Pharaoh was moved enough that he would have let the Isra-elites go, IF they had left their little ones - Verses 8-11.
10:8 AND MOSES AND AARON WERE BROUGHT AGAIN UNTO PHARAOH: AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, GO, SERVE THE LORD YOUR GOD: [BUT] WHO [ARE] THEY THAT SHALL GO?
A.He first seemed to give permission to go, and then immedi-ately, with a question, indicated there was a provision and that he was again going to try to secure a compromise.
B.WHO ARE THEY THAT SHALL GO?: It seems strange that he would ask such a question when the demand had often been made that he let the Israelites go; "All of them" would be understood.
10:9 AND 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 UNTO THE LORD.
A.If it could be made clearer, these words of Moses make it so, as he gives a decisive answer.
B.WE MUST HOLD A FEAST UNTO THE LORD: They were the people of Jehovah -- ALL of the nation was to participate in the feast.
10:10 AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, LET THE LORD BE SO WITH YOU, AS I WILL LET YOU GO, AND YOUR LITTLE ONES: LOOK [TO IT]; FOR EVIL [IS] BEFORE YOU.
A.He seems to be saying, "How could you make such an outrageous demand? Of course I will not do this ridiculous thing."
B.It sounds as though he is challenging Jehovah to do what He will, but He cannot break Pharaoh's hold on the Israelites.
C.EVIL IS BEFORE YOU: "You have something bad in mind for me and my nation -- you are trying to rob me of my slaves."
10:11 NOT SO: GO NOW YE [THAT ARE] MEN, AND SERVE THE LORD; FOR THAT YE DID DESIRE. AND THEY WERE DRIVEN OUT FROM PHARAOH'S PRESENCE.
A.He argues that the original demand included no more than the men; Therefore permission is granted only to them.
B.THEY WERE DRIVEN OUT: Previously they were insulted, but not to this extent. Pharaoh was getting into such a rage that he had lost all dignity.
10:12 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, STRETCH OUT THINE HAND OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT FOR THE LOCUSTS, THAT THEY MAY COME UP UPON THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND EAT EVERY HERB OF THE LAND, [EVEN] ALL THAT THE HAIL HATH LEFT.
10:13 AND MOSES STRETCHED FORTH HIS ROD OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND THE LORD BROUGHT AN EAST WIND UPON THE LAND ALL THAT DAY, AND ALL [THAT] NIGHT; [AND] WHEN IT WAS MORNING, THE EAST WIND BROUGHT THE LOCUSTS.
A.THE LORD BROUGHT AN EAST WIND: Locusts cannot fly very far without a wind to carry them along.
B.ALL THAT DAY, AND ALL THAT NIGHT: Plenty of time and plenty of wind to bring in the hordes of locusts.
10:14 AND THE LOCUSTS WENT UP OVER ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND RESTED IN ALL THE COASTS OF EGYPT: VERY GRIEVOUS [WERE THEY]; BEFORE THEM THERE WERE NO SUCH LOCUSTS AS THEY, NEITHER AFTER THEM SHALL BE SUCH.
10:15 FOR THEY COVERED THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH, SO THAT THE LAND WAS DARKENED; AND THEY DID EAT EVERY HERB OF THE LAND, AND ALL THE FRUIT OF THE TREES WHICH THE HAIL HAD LEFT: AND THERE REMAINED NOT ANY GREEN THING IN THE TREES, OR IN THE HERBS OF THE FIELD, THROUGH ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT.
A.THE LAND WAS DARKENED: Either they were so thick in flight that the sun was darkened by the dense cloud of locusts, or they completely covered the ground -- Perhaps both. Compare Joel 2:10, "The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining..."
B.WHICH THE HAIL HAD LEFT...THROUGH ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT: What the hail did not destroy, the locusts did, and so Egypt was destroyed, as Pharaoh's servants said it would be in Verse 7.
10:16 THEN PHARAOH CALLED FOR MOSES AND AARON IN HASTE; AND HE SAID, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND AGAINST YOU.
A.IN HASTE: This plague was so terrible that he felt great urgency in getting it stopped.
B.I HAVE SINNED: After the hail he said, "I have sinned" - Ex 9:27; but this time he adds, "against the LORD your God, and against you." So he admits that he has disobeyed Jehovah, and that he has lied to Moses and Aaron by promising to let the people go, and then breaking his promise.
10:17 NOW THEREFORE FORGIVE, I PRAY THEE, MY SIN ONLY THIS ONCE, AND ENTREAT THE LORD YOUR GOD, THAT HE MAY TAKE AWAY FROM ME THIS DEATH ONLY.
A.FORGIVE...ONLY THIS ONCE: Now Pharaoh will be true to his word in that he will not again ask for the removal of a plague.
B.THIS DEATH ONLY: Where he before had been unwilling to admit to the extent of harm done, he now shows that he understands that death was upon his nation.
10:18 AND HE WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH, AND ENTREATED THE LORD.
A.There is no record that Pharaoh here promised to release the people, but Moses quickly responded to his request.
B.Both Jehovah and Moses showed great gentleness and compassion to this evil man. There is no rebuke, and no conditions; Just a simple granting of his request without question.
10:19 AND THE LORD TURNED A MIGHTY STRONG WEST WIND, WHICH TOOK AWAY THE LOCUSTS, AND CAST THEM INTO THE RED SEA; THERE REMAINED NOT ONE LOCUST IN ALL THE COASTS OF EGYPT.
A.Immediately the request of Pharaoh and the prayer of Moses was honored by the God of Heaven.
B.THERE REMAINED NOT ONE LOCUST: The sudden and total removal of the locusts was as miraculous as was their coming.
10:20 BUT THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART, SO THAT HE WOULD NOT LET THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GO.
A.THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART: The immutable moral law was causing him to become more and more stubborn -- The longer and harder one rebels, the more rebellious he becomes.
B.HE WOULD NOT LET THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GO: And so the same old refrain is repeated time after time -- As soon as a plague was removed, Pharaoh turned back to pride and arrogance, broke his promise, and showed himself as stiff-necked as before.
C.Instead of improving, he was growing worse and worse.
D.God had stated in Ex 9:16 that His Name would be DECLARED THROUGHOUT ALL THE EARTH by the disobedience of Pharaoh; That was being accomplished through this prolonged battle of wills.
10:21 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.
10:22 AND MOSES STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND TOWARD HEAVEN; AND THERE WAS A THICK DARKNESS IN ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT THREE DAYS:
A.EVEN DARKNESS WHICH MAY BE FELT: This is a common figure of speech (lights out in Carlsbad Caverns produces darkness "you can feel").
B.Egypt was being surrounded by the wrath of God because only darkness was in their king's heart, and where darkness is, God cannot be - 1Jn 1:5, "GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL."
C.The final stroke of that wrath was going to be the death of the firstborn of all Egypt.
D.THREE DAYS: A brief black-out could be tolerated, but long before the end of three days it would be maddening -- All work was paralyzed, nothing could be done.
E.This was not the same as the situation where a person is blind, but can be self-sufficient, or at least can be led about by a dog or another person. EVERYONE was blind -- No business could be conducted, all was at a complete standstill.
10:23 THEY SAW NOT ONE ANOTHER, NEITHER ROSE ANY FROM HIS PLACE FOR THREE DAYS: BUT ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD LIGHT IN THEIR DWELLINGS.
A.THEY SAW NOT ONE ANOTHER: This shows the darkness to have been absolute pitch blackness.
B.This three day total darkness had to be a wonder performed by Jehovah -- He caused light to lose its radiating and illumi-nating power when it touched the atmosphere of Egypt.
C.NEITHER ROSE ANY FROM HIS PLACE: This may be saying that no one left his house. Presumably they could feel their way through their houses.
D.THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: Again the division is made; God's people could use lamps and torches, and so were not in total darkness as were the Egyptians.
E.But what about lamps in the Egyptians' homes?
10:24 AND PHARAOH CALLED UNTO MOSES, AND SAID, GO YE, SERVE THE LORD; ONLY LET YOUR FLOCKS AND YOUR HERDS BE STAYED: LET YOUR LITTLE ONES ALSO GO WITH YOU.
A.PHARAOH CALLED UNTO MOSES: Does this suggest that the darkness is now over and everyone can see again?
B.The darkness had shaken Pharaoh's heart to its foundations, so he is compelled to yield more (LET YOU LITTLE ONES ALSO GO).
C.But he makes one last attempt to compromise, as he must have felt that their possessions would be a security for their return (LET YOUR FLOCKS AND YOUR HERDS BE STAYED).
D.This would not do -- It would still be short of God's order, as compromise always is - cf Gal 2:5.
E.The king simply refuses to see that there is no bargaining with Jehovah -- We either obey Him, or disobey Him; There is no "middle of the road" - Mt 12:30.
10:25 AND MOSES SAID, THOU MUST GIVE US ALSO SACRIFICES AND BURNT OFFERINGS, THAT WE MAY SACRIFICE UNTO THE LORD OUR GOD.
10:26 OUR CATTLE ALSO SHALL GO WITH US; THERE SHALL NOT AN HOOF BE LEFT BEHIND; FOR THEREOF MUST WE TAKE TO SERVE THE LORD OUR GOD; AND WE KNOW NOT WITH WHAT WE MUST SERVE THE LORD, UNTIL WE COME THITHER.
A.They did not know what sacrifices or how many would be re-quired, so they had to take everything.
B.Moses had already made this definite (Verse 9, "AND 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 UNTO THE LORD."
C.Remember that this feast was a new thing to them, and the specifics had not yet been given, and would not be given until they came to the place for the celebration.
10:27 BUT THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART, AND HE WOULD NOT LET THEM GO.
A.This seems to be the conclusion of the total hardening of Pharaoh's heart -- There is no confession of sin, he will not grant all the request, and he ended his part of the meeting with violent words as he ordered Moses never to appear before him again, under penalty of death.
B."God's work with this great, bad man was ended, save as the judgment for which he had prepared himself was now to be inflicted upon him. Be had not been given up till every con-ceivable means had been exhausted to bring him to repentance. He had been tried with reason and with threatening; with gen-tleness and with severity; with mercy and with judgments. He had been reproved, expostulated with, warned, and frequently chastised. His prayers for respite had in every case been heard. He had been trusted in his promises to let Israel go, and when he had broken them was still forborne with and trusted again. Plagues of every kind had been sent upon him. He had suffered incalculable loss, had endured sore bodily pain, had been shaken in his soul with supernatural terrors.
His first plea, of ignorance, and his second, of want of evi-dence, had been completely shattered. He had been made to confess that he had sinned, and that Jehovah was righteous. Yet under all and through all he had gone on hardening himself, till, finally, even God could wring no confession of sin from him, and his mind had become utterly fatuous, and regardless of consequences. What more was to be done with Pharaoh? Even that which must be done with ourselves under like circumstances -- he was rejected, reprobated, given over to destruction." Edited from J.O., in PULPIT COMMENTARY, THE BOOK OF EXODUS, page 242.
10:28 AND PHARAOH SAID UNTO HIM, GET THEE FROM ME, TAKE HEED TO THYSELF, SEE MY FACE NO MORE; FOR IN [THAT] DAY THOU SEEST MY FACE THOU SHALT DIE.
A.Violent anger is written all over these words. Pharaoh is beside himself with rage as Moses moves closer to taking away the hundreds of thousands of slaves.
B.GET THEE FROM ME: He rudely told Moses to get out of his presence, and stay out.
C.SEE MY FACE NO MORE: As far as he was concerned, all inter-views were over.
D.Those last words are underscored as being a threat that if he sees Moses again he will kill him.
10:29 AND MOSES SAID, THOU HAST SPOKEN WELL, I WILL SEE THY FACE AGAIN NO MORE.
A.Contrast the simple politeness and dignity of Moses with the violent and angry unreasonableness of Pharaoh.
B.THOU HAST SPOKEN WELL: He agreed that Pharaoh's decision was right -- Any further discussion between them would be a waste of time, so he as much as says, "Have it your way."
C.I WILL SEE THY FACE NO MORE: "You won't ever see me again." This does not seem to be the end of Moses' words, for in Verses 4-8 of Chapter 11 he told Pharaoh of the judgment to come (death of the firstborn), and then it says "HE WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH IN A GREAT ANGER."
Return to Exodus