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Exodus Chapter
Ten
New King James Version
(NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
EXODUS 10
This chapter is introduced
with giving the reasons why the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh
Exodus 10:1. 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
Exodus 10:3
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
Exodus 10:7
wherefore the locusts were brought on all the land
which made sad devastation
in it
Exodus 10:12
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
Exodus 10:16 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
Exodus 10:21.
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
Exodus 10:27.
Exodus 10:1 Now the Lord said to Moses
“Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his
servants
that I may show these signs of Mine before him
YLT 1And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Go in unto
Pharaoh
for I have declared hard his heart
and the heart of his servants
so
that I set these My signs in their midst
And the Lord
said unto Moses
go in unto Pharaoh
for I have hardened his heart
.... Or
as
some render it
"though I have hardened his heart"F21כי "quamvis"
Piscator; so Ainsworth. ; or
otherwise it would seem rather to be a reason he should not go
than why he
should; at least it would be discouraging
and he might object to what purpose
should he go
it would be in vain
no end would be answered by it; though there
was an end God had in view
and which was answered by hardening his heart:
and the heart
of his servants; whose hearts also were hardened until now; until the plague of
the locusts was threatened
and then they relent; which end was as follows:
that I might
shew these my signs before him; which had been shown already
and others
that were to be done
see Exodus 7:3 or in
the midst of himF23בקרבו "in medio
ejus"
Pagninus
Drusius; "in interioribus ejus"
Montanus.
in
the midst of his land
or in his heart
see Exodus 9:14.
Exodus 10:2 2 and
that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty
things I have done in Egypt
and My signs which I have done among them
that
you may know that I am the Lord.”
YLT 2and so that thou recountest in the ears of
thy son
and of thy son's son
that which I have done in Egypt
and My signs
which I have set among them
and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.'
And that thou
mayest tell in the ears of thy son
and of thy son's son
.... Not of
his sons and grandsons only; for Moses here
as Aben Ezra observes
was in the
stead of Israel; and the sense is
that it should be told to their posterity in
all succeeding ages:
what things I
have wrought in Egypt; the plagues that he inflicted on the Egyptians:
and my signs
which I have done amongst them; meaning the same things which were signs:
that ye may
know how that I am the Lord; that their God is the true Jehovah
and the
one only living and true God; the Lord God omnipotent
omniscient
omnipresent
infinite
and eternal.
Exodus 10:3 3 So
Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him
“Thus says the Lord God of the
Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people
go
that they may serve Me.
YLT 3And Moses cometh in -- Aaron also -- unto
Pharaoh
and they say unto him
`Thus said Jehovah
God of the Hebrews
Until
when hast thou refused to be humbled at My presence? send My people away
and
they serve Me
And Moses and
Aaron came in unto Pharaoh
.... As the Lord commanded them
for what is
before said to Moses was designed for Aaron also
his prophet and spokesman:
and said unto
him
thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews; as the ambassadors of
the God of Israel
and in his name said:
how long wilt
thou refuse to humble thyself before me? to acknowledge his
offence
lie low before God
and be subject to his will; he had humbled himself
for a moment
but then this did not continue; what God expected of him
and
complains of the want of
was such a continued humiliation before him
and such
a subjection to him
as would issue in complying with what he had so often
demanded of him
and is as follows:
let my people
go
that they may serve me; see Exodus 9:1.
Exodus 10:4 4 Or
else
if you refuse to let My people go
behold
tomorrow I will bring locusts
into your territory.
YLT 4for if thou art refusing to send My people
away
lo
I am bringing in to-morrow the locust into thy border
Else
if thou
refuse to let my people go
.... He threatens him with the following
plague
the plague of the locusts
which PlinyF24Nat. Hist. l. 11.
c. 29. calls "denrum irae pestis":
behold
tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast; according to Bishop
UsherF25Annales Vet. Test. p. 21. this was about the seventh day of
the month Abib
that this plague was threatened
and on the morrow
which was
the eighth day
it was brought; but Aben Ezra relates it as an opinion of
Japhet an Hebrew writer
that there were many days between the plague of the
hail
and the plague of the locusts
that there might be time for the grass and
plants to spring out of the field; but this seems not necessary
for these
locusts only ate of what were left of the hail
as in the following verse.
Exodus 10:5 5 And
they shall cover the face of the earth
so that no one will be able to see the
earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left
which remains to you
from the hail
and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the
field.
YLT 5and it hath covered the eye of the land
and
none is able to see the land
and it hath eaten the remnant of that which is
escaped
which is left to you from the hail
and it hath eaten every tree which
is springing for you out of the field;
And they shall
cover the face of the earth
that one cannot be able to see the earth
.... Or
"cover the eye of the earth"F26עין
הארץ "oculum terrae"
Montanus
Piscator;
so Ainsworth. ; either the appearance and colour of the earth
so as they could
not be discerned for the multitude of the locusts on it; so the word is used in
Numbers 11:7 or the
eye of man looking upon the earth
which would not be able to see it
because
the locusts would be between his eye and the earth. The Targum of Onkelos
is
"and shall cover the eye of the sun of the earth
'so that its rays
shall not reach the earth; and so Abarbinel interprets it of the sun
which is
the light of the earth
when it casts forth its rays
as the eye upon the
object that is seen; and the meaning is
that the locusts should be so thick
between the heavens and the earth
that the eye of the earth
which is the sun
could not see or cast its rays upon it
as in Exodus 10:15
and
so Pliny saysF1Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.
that locusts came
sometimes in such multitudes as to darken the sun:
and they shall
eat the residue of that which is escaped
which remaineth unto you from the
hail; particularly the wheat and the rye
or rice
which was not grown
Exodus 9:32 and the
herb or grass of the land
Exodus 10:12.
and shall eat
every tree which groweth for you out of the field; such fruit
trees as escaped the hail
and such boughs and branches of them which were not
broken off by it
Exodus 10:15 and
locusts will indeed eat trees themselves
the bark of them
and gnaw
everything
even the doors of houses
as PlinyF2Nat. Hist. l. 11. c.
29. relates.
Exodus 10:6 6 They
shall fill your houses
the houses of all your servants
and the houses of all
the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen
since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” And he turned and went
out from Pharaoh.
YLT 6and they have filled thy houses
and the
houses of all thy servants
and the houses of all the Egyptians
which neither
thy fathers nor thy father's fathers have seen
since the day of their being on
the ground unto this day
' -- and he turneth and goeth out from Pharaoh.
They shall fill
thy houses
.... The king's palace and all the offices of it:
and the houses
of thy servants; the palaces of his nobles and courtiers:
and the houses
of all the Egyptians; of all the common people
not only in the metropolis
but in all
the cities and towns in the kingdom; and so Dr. ShawF3Travels
p.
187
Edit. 2. says
the locusts he saw in Barbary
in the years 1724 and 1725
climbed as they advanced over every tree or wall that was in their way; nay
they entered into our very houses and bedchambers
he says
like so many
thieves:
which neither
thy fathers
nor thy fathers' fathers
have seen since the day they were upon
the earth unto this day; for size
for numbers
and for the mischief they should do; for
though they have sometimes appeared in great numbers
and have covered a large
spot of ground where they have settled
and devoured all green things
yet
never as to cover a whole country at once
and so large an one as Egypt
and
destroy all green things in it; at least
never such a thing had been seen or
known in Egypt before since it was a nation
though it was a country sometimes
visited by locusts; for PlinyF4Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. 11. c. 29.)
says
that in the country of Cyreniaca
which was near Egypt
see Acts 2:10 there was
a law made for the diminishing of them
and keeping them under
to be observed
three times a year
first by breaking their eggs
then destroying their young
and when they were grown up:
and he turned
himself
and went out from Pharaoh; as soon as Moses had
delivered his message
perceiving anger in Pharaoh's countenance
and
concluding from hence and some gestures of his that he should not succeed
and
perhaps might be bid to go away
though it is not recorded; or "he looked
and went out from him"F5ויפן "et
respexit"
Pagninus
"et respiciens exivit"
&c. Tigurine
version.
in honour to the king
as R. Jeshuah observes
he went backward with
his face to the king; he did not turn his back upon him
but went out with his
face to him; and which as it was and is the manner in the eastern countries
so
it is with us at this day
to go from the presence of the king
not with the
back
but with the face turned toward him
so long as he is to be seen.
Exodus 10:7 7 Then
Pharaoh’s servants said to him
“How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let
the men go
that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet
know that Egypt is destroyed?”
YLT 7And the servants of Pharaoh say unto him
`Until when doth this [one] become a snare to us? send the men away
and they
serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt hath perished?'
And Pharaoh's
servants said to him
.... His courtiers and counsellors
such of them as were not so
hardened as others
or however now began to relent
and dreaded what would be
the consequence of things
even the ruin of the whole country
the good of
which they seem to have had at heart:
how long shall
this man be a snare unto us? an occasion of ruin and destruction
as
birds by a snare; they speak in a contemptuous manner of Moses
calling him
"this man"
the rather to ingratiate themselves into the good will of
Pharaoh
and that their advice might be the better and the easier taken:
let the men go
that they may serve the Lord their God: that is
Moses and his
people
grant them their request
that the land may be preserved from ruin; for
if things go on long at this rate
utter destruction must ensue:
knowest thou
not yet that Egypt is destroyed? as good as ruined
by the plagues that
already were come upon it
especially by the last
by the murrain and boils
upon the cattle
which destroyed great quantities
and by the hail which had
smitten their flax and their barley; or
"must thou first know that Egypt
is destroyed?" before thou wilt let the people go; or dost thou first
wish
or is it thy pleasure
that it should be first declared to thee that
Egypt is destroyed
as Aben Ezra interprets it
before thou wilt grant the
dismission of this people? The Targum of Jonathan is
"dost thou not yet
know
that by his hands the land of Egypt must perish?'See Gill on Exodus 1:15. See
Gill on Exodus 2:15.
Exodus 10:8 8 So
Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh
and he said to them
“Go
serve
the Lord
your God. Who are the ones that are going?”
YLT 8And Moses is brought back -- Aaron also --
unto Pharaoh
and he saith unto them
`Go
serve Jehovah your God; -- who and
who [are] those going?'
And Moses and
Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh
.... Upon this motion of
his ministers
messengers were sent to bring them in again:
and he said
go
serve the Lord your God; as you have often desired:
but who are
they that shall go? or
"who and who"F6מי
ומי "qui et qui?" Pagninus
Montanus;
"quis & quis?" Vatablus. ? for Pharaoh was unwilling that they
should all go
but would have some retained as pledges of their return; for he
was jealous of a design to get out of his country
and never return again
which he could not bear the thoughts of
even of losing such a large number of
men he had under his power
and from whom he received so much profit and
advantage by their labour.
Exodus 10:9 9 And
Moses said
“We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters
with our flocks and our herds we will go
for we must hold a feast to the Lord.”
YLT 9And Moses saith
`With our young ones
and
with our aged ones
we go
with our sons
and with our daughters
with our
flock
and our herd
we go
for we have a festival to Jehovah.'
Moses said
we
will go with our young and with our old
.... The latter were
necessary to guide
direct
and instruct in the business of sacrifice
and to
perform it as heads of their respective families; and the former were to be
present
that they might be trained up and inured to such religious services:
with our sons
and with our daughters; as with persons of every age
so of every sex
who had all a
concern herein
especially as it was a solemn feast
which all were to partake
of:
with our flocks
and with our herds will we go; which were requisite for the sacrifices
not knowing which they were to sacrifice
and with which to serve God
till
they came to the place where they were to sacrifice; see Exodus 10:26
for we must
hold a feast unto the Lord; which required the presence of old and
young
men
women
and children
to join in it
and their flocks and their
herds
out of which it was to be made.
Exodus 10:10 10 Then
he said to them
“The Lord
had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware
for evil
is ahead of you.
YLT 10And he saith unto them
`Be it so
Jehovah
[be] with you when I send you and your infants away; see -- for evil [is]
before your faces;
And he said
unto them
let the Lord be so with you
as I will let you go
and your little
ones
.... Either as mocking them
let the Lord you talk of be with you
if he will
and let him deliver you if he can
as I shall let you go with your
children
which I never will; or as wishing them ill
that the Lord their God
may be with them
as he should dismiss them on their proposal
that is
not at
all; he wishes they might never have the presence of the Lord
or receive any
from him
till he should dismiss them
which he was determined never to do in
the manner they desired; and therefore the sum of his wish or imprecation is
that they might never enjoy any benefits from the Lord; the first sense seems
to be best:
look to it
for
evil is before you; which is either a charge of sin upon them
that they had an evil
design upon him
and intended to raise a mutiny
make an insurrection
and form
a rebellion against him; or a threatening to inflict the evil of punishment
upon them
if they would not comply with his terms; and it is as if he should
say
be it at your peril if you offer to go away in any other manner than it is
my pleasure.
Exodus 10:11 11 Not so! Go now
you who
are men
and serve the Lord
for that is what you
desired.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
YLT 11not so! go now
ye who [are] men
and serve
Jehovah
for that ye are seeking;' and [one] casteth them out from the presence
of Pharaoh.
Not so
.... You shall
not go with your children as you propose:
go now ye that
are men
and serve the Lord
for that you did desire; suggesting
that that was all they first required
that their men should
go three days
into the wilderness
and sacrifice unto the Lord; whereas the demand was
let
my people go
Exodus 5:1 which
were not the men only
but the women and children also
and all were concerned
in the service of God
and in keeping a feast to him:
and they were
driven out from Pharaoh's presence; by some of his officers
according to his orders.
Exodus 10:12 12 Then
the Lord
said to Moses
“Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts
that they may come upon the land of Egypt
and eat every herb of the land—all
that the hail has left.”
YLT 12And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Stretch out
thy hand against the land of Egypt for the locust
and it goeth up against the
land of Egypt
and doth eat every herb of the land -- all that the hail hath
left.'
And the Lord
said unto Moses
stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt
.... First one
way
and then another
towards every quarter
and every part of the land
to
signify that the following plague would come upon the whole land:
for the
locusts
that they may come up upon the land of Egypt; the
stretching out of his hand was to be the signal to them to come up and spread
themselves over the land
which was brought about by the mighty power of God;
for otherwise there was no such virtue in the hand or rod of Moses
to have
produced so strange an event:
and eat every
herb of the land
even all that the hail hath left; the wheat and
the rye
or rice
the grass
herbs
and plants
it had beat down
but not utterly
destroyed
as well as some boughs and branches of trees which were left
unbroken by it.
Exodus 10:13 13 So
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 that night. When it was
morning
the east wind brought the locusts.
YLT 13And Moses stretcheth out his rod against the
land of Egypt
and Jehovah hath led an east wind over the land all that day
and all the night; the morning hath been
and the east wind hath lifted up the
locust.
And Moses
stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt
.... His hand
with his
rod in it:
and the Lord
brought an east wind upon the land
all that day and all
that night; all that day after he had been driven from Pharaoh
and after he
had stretched out his hand with his rod in it over Egypt
which was the seventh
of the month Abib
and all the night following. This Jehovah did
who holds the
winds in his fist
and brings them out of his treasures
whose will they obey
and whose word they fulfil:
and when it was
morning; the morrow was come
Exodus 10:4 the eighth
day of the month Abib:
the east wind
brought the locusts; it was usual for these creatures to be taken up and carried with
the wind
and brought into countries
as PlinyF7Nat. Hist. l. 11. c.
29. and other writers attest. In the year 1527
a strong wind brought vast
troops of locusts out of Turkey into Poland
which did much mischief; and in
the year 1536 a wind from the Euxine Pontus brought such vast numbers of them
into Podolia
as that for twenty miles round they devoured everythingF8Frantzii
Hist. Animal. Sacr. par. 5. c. 4. p. 794. . The word here used commonly
signifies the east wind
and so the Jewish writers unanimously interpret it;
and if those locusts were brought from the Red sea
into which they were
carried
it must be by an east wind
since the Red sea was east of Egypt; but
the Septuagint version renders it the "south wind"
and which is
approved of by De Dieu on the place
and by BochartF9Hierozoic. par.
2. l. 1. c. 15. col. 101
102
& l. 4. c. 3. col. 463. Vid. Jablonski de
Terra Goshen
Dissertat. 5. sect. 5. ; and the latter supposes these locusts
were brought by a south wind out of Ethiopia
which lay to the south of Egypt
and where in the spring of the year
as it now was
were usually great numbers
of locusts
and where were a people that lived upon them
as Diodorus SiculusF11Bibliothec
l. 3. p. 162. and StraboF12Geograph. l. 16. p. 531. relate; who both
say that at the vernal equinox
or in the spring
the west and southwest winds
blowing strongly brought locusts into those parts; and the south wind being
warm might contribute to the production
cherishing
and increasing of these
creatures
and which are sometimes brought by a south wind. Dr. Shaw saysF13Travels
p. 187. Edit. 2.
the locusts he saw in Barbary
An. 1724 and 1725
were much
bigger than our common grasshoppers
and had brown spotted wings
with legs and
bodies of a bright yellow; their first appearance was toward the latter end of
March
the wind having been for some time from the south.
Exodus 10:14 14 And
the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory
of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such
locusts as they
nor shall there be such after them.
YLT 14And the locust goeth up against all the land
of Egypt
and resteth in all the border of Egypt -- very grievous: before it
there hath not been such a locust as it
and after it there is none such;
And the locusts
went up over all the land of Egypt
.... Being raised up by
the wind in the places where they were generated
they flew and spread
themselves all over the land
being in a wonderful manner produced and
multiplied by the power of God:
and rested in
all the coasts of Egypt; in every part of it where the Egyptians dwelt
and where there
were meadows
pastures
fields
gardens
orchards; here they lighted and fed
excepting the land of Goshen
where Israel dwelt
which must be thought to be
exempted from this plague
as from the rest.
Very grievous
were they; because of the mischief that they did
and because of their
multitude
for they were innumerable
as the Vulgate Latin version renders it
and as it is
Psalm 105:34
there were no
such locusts as they
neither after them shall be such; there were
none before
and there would be none afterwards like them
which Moses knew by
a spirit of prophecy. If this is to be understood of their size
they must be
very large; in the year 1556
there were locusts at Milain that were a span
long
and had six feet
and these like the feet of rats
and there was one four
times bigger than the rest
which was taken and kept by a citizen
and would
hiss like a serpent when it saw that no food was set before itF14Frantzii
Hist. Animal. Sacr. par. 5. c. 4. p. 800. ; yea
PlinyF15Ut supra.
(Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.) speaks of locusts in India three feet long; and what
Moses here says is not contradicted in Joel 2:2 because
his words may be understood of the Chaldean army
of which the locusts were an
emblem; and besides
each may be restrained to the country in which they were
as that none ever before or since were seen in Egypt as these
though they
might be in other countries; and so those in Joel's time were such as never
before or since were seen in the land of Judea
though they might be in other
places.
Exodus 10:15 15 For
they covered the face 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. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the
field throughout all the land of Egypt.
YLT 15and it covereth the eye of all the land
and
the land is darkened; and it eateth every herb of the land
and all the fruit
of the trees which the hail hath left
and there hath not been left any green
thing in the trees
or in the herb of the field
in all the land of Egypt.'
For they
covered the face of the whole earth
.... Of the whole land of
Egypt; and this seems to be the instance in which these locusts differed from
all others
that had been or would be
even in their numbers; for though there
might have been before
and have been since
such vast numbers of them together
as to darken the air and the sun
and by lighting first on one spot
and then
on another
have destroyed whole countries; yet never was such an instance
known as this
as that they should come in so large a body
and at once to
light
and spread
and settle themselves over the whole country. Leo AfricanusF16Descriptio
Africae
l. 2. p. 117. indeed speaks of a swarm of locusts
which he himself
saw at Tagtessa in Africa
A. D. 1510
which covered the whole surface of the
ground; but then that was but in one place
but this was a whole country. It is
in the original
"they covered the eye of the whole earth"; of which
See Gill on Exodus 10:5.
so that the
land was darkened; the proper colour of the earth
and the green grass on it
could
not be seen for them
they lay so thick upon it; and being perhaps of a brown
colour
as they often are
the land seemed dark with them:
and they did
eat every herb of the land
and all the fruit of the trees
which the hail had
left; for though every herb of the field is said to be smitten
and
every tree of the field to be broke with it
Exodus 9:25
yet
this
as has been observed
is to be understood either hyperbolically
or of
the greater part thereof
but not of the whole:
and there
remained not any green thing in the trees
or in the herbs of the field
through all the land of Egypt; the like is said to befall the province of
Carpitania
in the nineth year of Childibert
king of France; which was so
wasted by locusts
that not a tree
nor a vineyard
nor a forest
nor any sort
of fruit
nor any other green thing remainedF17Frantzii Hist.
Animal. Sacr. par. 5. c. 4. p. 802. . So Dr. ShawF18Ut supra.
(Travels
p. 187. Edit. 2.) says of the locusts he saw as above related
that
they let nothing escape them
eating up everything that was green and juicy
not only the lesser kinds of vegetables
but the vine likewise
the fig tree
the pomegranate
the palm
and the apple tree
even all the trees of the field.
But then such devastations are usually made gradually
by these creatures
moving from place to place
whereas this destruction in Egypt was done in one
day. Indeed we are told in history
that in one country one hundred and forty
acres of land were destroyed in one dayF19Frantz. ib. p. 800. ; but
what is this to all the land of Egypt? with this plague may be compared that of
the locusts upon the sounding of the fifth trumpet
Revelation 9:1.
Exodus 10:16 16 Then
Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste
and said
“I have sinned against
the Lord
your God and against you.
YLT 16And Pharaoh hasteth to call for Moses and for
Aaron
and saith
`I have sinned against Jehovah your God
and against you
Then Pharaoh
called for Moses and Aaron in haste
.... Or
"hastened
to call them"F20וימהר־לקרא "et
festinavit ad vocandum"
Montanus; "festinavit accersere"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; sent messengers in all haste to fetch
them
and desire them to come as soon as possible to him. Thus he who a few
hours ago drove them from his presence
in a hurry
sends for them to come to
him with all speed
which the present circumstances he was in required:
and he said to
Moses and Aaron: when they were brought into his presence:
I have sinned
against the Lord your God
and against you; against the Lord by
disobeying his command
in refusing to let Israel go
when he had so often
required it of him; and against Moses and Aaron his ambassadors
whom he had
treated with contempt
and had drove them from his presence with disgrace; and
against the people of Israel
whom they personated
by retaining them
and
using them so ill as he had. This confession did not arise from a true sense of
sin
as committed against God
nor indeed does he in it own Jehovah to be his
God
only the God of Moses and Aaron
or of the Israelites; but from the fright
he was in
and fear of punishment continued upon him
to the utter ruin of him
and his people.
Exodus 10:17 17 Now
therefore
please forgive my sin only this once
and entreat the Lord your God
that
He may take away from me this death only.”
YLT 17and now
bear with
I pray you
my sin
only
this time
and make ye supplication to Jehovah your God
that He turn aside
from off me only this death.'
Now therefore
forgive
I pray thee
my sin
only this once
.... Pretending that he
would never offend any more
and if he did
he did not desire it should be
forgiven him
but that due punishment should be inflicted on him. These words
are directed to Moses
he being the principal person that came to him with a
commission from the Lord
and who was made a god to Pharaoh; and therefore he
does not ask forgiveness of the Lord
but of Moses:
and entreat the
Lord your God
that he may take away from me this death only; this deadly
plague of the locusts
which devouring all the fruits of the earth
must in
course produce a famine
and that the death of men. Moreover
the author of the
book of Wisdom says
that the bites of the locusts killed men
"For them
the bitings of grasshoppers and flies killed
neither was there found any
remedy for their life: for they were worthy to be punished by such.' (Wisdom of Solomon 16:9)Pharaoh
was sensible that this plague came from God
and that he only could remove it;
and therefore begs the prayers of Moses and Aaron to him for the removal of it
and suggests that he would never desire such another favour; but that if he
offended again
and another plague was inflicted on him
he could not desire it
to be taken away; by which he would be understood
that he determined to offend
no more
or give them any occasion for any other judgment to come upon him
was
he once clear of this.
Exodus 10:18 18 So
he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.
YLT 18And he goeth out from Pharaoh
and maketh supplication
unto Jehovah
And he went out
from Pharaoh
.... Without the city
as he had been wont to do: and entreated
the Lord; prayed to him that he would remove the plague of the locusts from the
land.
Exodus 10:19 19 And
the Lord
turned a very strong west wind
which took the locusts away and blew them into
the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.
YLT 19and Jehovah turneth a very strong sea wind
and it lifteth up the locust
and bloweth it into the Red Sea -- there hath not
been left one locust in all the border of Egypt;
And the Lord
turned a mighty strong west wind
.... He turned the wind
the contrary way it before blew; it was an east wind that brought the locusts
but now it was changed into a west wind
or "a wind of the sea"F21רוח ים "venture maris"
Montanus
Drusius.
of the Mediterranean sea; a wind which blew from thence
which lay to the west of Egypt
as the Red sea did to the east of it
to which
the locusts were carried by the wind as follows: which took away the locusts
and cast them into the Red sea; and as it is usual for locusts to be brought by
winds
so to be carried away with them
and to be let fall into seas
lakes
and pools
and there perish. So Pliny saysF23Nat. Hist. l. 11. c.
29. of locusts
that being taken up and carried with the wind in flocks or
swarms
they fell into seas and lakes; and Jerom observesF24Comment.
in Joel
ii. 20. in his time
that they had seen swarms of locusts cover the
land of Judea
which upon the wind rising have been driven into the first and
last seas; that is
into the Dead sea
and into the Mediterranean sea; see Joel 2:20. This sea
here called the Red sea is the same which is now called the Arabian gulf; in
the original text it is the sea of Suph; that is
the sea of flags or rushes;
as the word is rendered
Exodus 2:3 from the
great numbers of these growing on the banks of it
which are full of them
as
ThevenotF25Travels into the Levant
B. 2. ch. 33. p. 175. says; or
the "sea of weeds"F26ימה סוף "in mare algosum"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "in mare carectosum"
Tigurine version.
from the multitude
of them in the bottom of it
or floating on it. So Columbus found in the
Spanish West Indies
on the coast of Paria
a sea full of herbs
or weedsF1P.
Martyr. de Angleria
Decad. 1. l. 6. Vide Decad. 3. 5.
which grew so thick
that they sometimes in a manner stopped the ships. Some render Yam Suph
the
sea of bushes; and some late travellersF2Egmont and Heyman's
Travels
vol. 2. p. 158. observe
that though
in the dreadful wilds along this
lake
one sees neither tree
shrub
nor vegetable
except a kind of bramble
yet it is remarkable that they are found in the sea growing on its bottom
where we behold with astonishment whole groves of trees blossoming and bearing
fruit
as if nature by these marine vegetables meant to compensate for the extreme
sterility reigning in all the deserts of Arabia; and with this agrees the
account that PlinyF3Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 103. l. 13. c. 25. gives of
the Red sea
that in it olives and green fruit trees grow; yea
he says that
that and all the Eastern ocean is full of woods; and adds
it is wonderful that
in the Red sea woods live
especially the laurel
and the olive bearing
berries. HillerusF4Onomastic. Sacr. p. 128. thinks this sea here has
the name of the sea of Suph from a city of the same name near unto it. It is
often called the Red sea in profane authors as here
not from the coral that
grew in it
or the red sand at the bottom of it
or red mountains near it;
though ThevenotF5Ut supra. (Travels into the Levant
B. 2. ch. 33.
p. 175.) says
there are some mountains all over red on the sides of it; nor
from the shade of those mountains upon it; nor from the appearance of it
through the rays of the sun upon it; and much less from the natural colour of
it; which
as CurtiusF6Hist. l. 8. sect. 9. observes
does not
differ from others; though a late traveller saysF7Hieronymo Lobo's
Observations
&c. in Ray's Travels
vol. 2. p. 489.
that"on several
parts of this sea (the Red sea) we observed abundance of reddish spots made by
a weed resembling "cargaco" (or Sargosso) rooted in the bottom
and
floating in some places: upon strict examination
it proved to be that which we
found the Ethiopians call Sufo (as here Suph)
used up and down for dying their
stuffs and clothes of a red colour
'but the Greeks called it so from Erythras
or Erythrus
a king that reigned in those partsF8Curtius ut supra.
(Hist. l. 8. sect. 9.). Mela de Situ Orbis
l. 3. c. 8. Strabo
l. 16. p. 535
536.
whose name signifies red; and it is highly probable the same with Esau
who is called Edom
that is
red
from the red pottage he sold his birthright
for to Jacob; and this sea washing his country
Idumea or Edom
was called the
Red sea from thence; and here the locusts were cast by the wind
or
"fixed"F9ויתקעהו "et fixit
eam"
Montanus; so Tigurine version
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius
Ainsworth.
as a tent is fixed
as the word signifies
and there
continued
and never appeared more:
there remained
not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt; so that the removal of
them was as great a miracle as the bringing them at first: this was done about
the nineth day of the month Abib.
Exodus 10:20 20 But
the Lord
hardened Pharaoh’s heart
and he did not let the children of Israel go.
YLT 20and Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of
Pharaoh
and he hath not sent the sons of Israel away.
But the Lord
hardened Pharaoh's heart
.... For as yet he had not brought all his judgments on him he
designed to bring:
so that he
would not let the children of Israel go: though he had promised
to do it
and that he would never offend more in this way.
Exodus 10:21 21 Then the Lord said to Moses
“Stretch out your hand toward heaven
that there may be darkness over the land
of Egypt
darkness which may even be felt.”
YLT 21And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Stretch out
thy hand towards the heavens
and there is darkness over the land of Egypt
and
the darkness is felt.'
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 10:22 22 So
Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven
and there was thick darkness in all
the land of Egypt three days.
YLT 22And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the
heavens
and there is darkness -- thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three
days;
And Moses
stretched forth his hand toward heaven
and there was a thick darkness over all
the land of Egypt three days. The eleventh
twelveth
and thirteenth days
of the month Abib; with this compare the fifth vial
Revelation 16:10.
Exodus 10:23 23 They
did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But
all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
YLT 23they have not seen one another
and none hath
risen from his place three days; and to all the sons of Israel there hath been
light in their dwellings.'
They saw not
one another
.... Not only the luminaries of heaven were covered and beclouded
with the darkness
so that they were of no use to them; but the fogs and
vapours which occasioned it were so damp and clammy that they put out their
fires
lamps
and candles
so that they could receive no benefit from them:
neither rose up
any from his place for three days; from the place of his
habitation
not being able to find the way to the door
or however not able to
do any business abroad; and besides were quite amazed and confounded
supposing
the course of nature was changed and all things going to a dissolution
their
consciences filled with horror and terror and black despair
strange and
terrible phantoms and apparitions presented to their minds
as the author of
the book of Wisdom suggests
"No power of the fire might give them light:
neither could the bright flames of the stars endure to lighten that horrible
night.' (Wisdom 17:5)and which is
countenanced by what the psalmist says
who instead of this plague of darkness
takes notice of evil angels being sent among them
Psalm 78:49 that
is
devils in horrible shapes represented to their minds
which dreadfully
distressed and terrified them
so that they durst not stir and move from the
place where they were:
but all the
children of Israel had light in their dwellings; not only in the land of
Goshen
but in all places where they were mixed with the Egyptians
as it is
plain they were
from Exodus 10:23 so
that they could go about their business
and perform it as at other times
and
had now a fine opportunity of packing up their goods
and getting every thing
ready for their departure
without being observed by the Egyptians. Doctor
LightfootF11Works
vol. 1. p. 707. thinks
that now they attended to
the ordinance of circumcision
which had been generally neglected
and was
necessary to their partaking of the passover
which in a few days was to be
observed
and of which no uncircumcised person might eat
Exodus 12:48 and which
he grounds upon Psalm 105:28
and
this time was wisely taken for it
when the Egyptians could have no opportunity
or advantage against them
because of their soreness by it; it may indeed be
wondered at
that they did not take the advantage of the darkness the Egyptians
were in
of getting out of the land
and going their three days' journey into
the wilderness; but it was the will of God that they should not steal away
privately
or go by flight as fugitives
but openly
and with the mighty hand
and outstretched arm of God; besides
the Lord had not as yet wrought all the
judgments he intended. In the fabulous expedition of Bacchus against the
Indians
a story is told which seems to be taken from hence
that the Indians
were covered with darkness
while those with Bacchus were in light all around
themF12Vid. Huet. Quaest. Alnetan. l. 2. c. 13. sect. 12. p. 204. .
Exodus 10:24 24 Then
Pharaoh called to Moses and said
“Go
serve the Lord; only let your
flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.”
YLT 24And Pharaoh calleth unto Moses and saith
`Go
ye
serve Jehovah
only your flock and your herd are stayed
your infants also
go with you;'
And Pharaoh
called unto Moses
.... After the three days
as the Targum of Jonathan
when the
darkness was over
or at least much diminished
fearing that still worse evils
would befall him:
and said
go
ye
serve the Lord
only let your flocks and your herds be stayed; stopped or
remained behind
as a pledge and security of their return; and these the rather
he was desirous of retaining
because of the great loss of cattle he had
sustained by the murrain and boils upon them
and by the hail: let your little
ones also go with you; this he had refused before
but now consents to it
which he thought was doing them a great favour
and that upon such terms they
might be content to go.
Exodus 10:25 25 But
Moses said
“You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings
that we may
sacrifice to the Lord
our God.
YLT 25and Moses saith
`Thou also dost give in our
hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings
and we have prepared for Jehovah our God;
And Moses said
thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings
.... Sheep
rams
and goats for sacrifices
and oxen for burnt offerings; and that of his
own
as Jarchi interprets it; but rather the meaning is
that besides having
their little ones with them
they must be allowed also to take their cattle for
sacrifices and burnt offerings:
that we may
sacrifice unto the Lord our God; might have wherewith to offer up in
sacrifice to him as he shall require.
Exodus 10:26 26 Our
livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must
take some of them to serve the Lord our God
and even we do
not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”
YLT 26and also our cattle doth go with us
there is
not left a hoof
for from it we do take to serve Jehovah our God; and we -- we
know not how we do serve Jehovah till our going thither.'
Our cattle also
shall go with us
.... Of every kind
of the flocks and of the herds:
there shall not
an hoof be left behind; not a single creature that has an hoof: it is a proverbial
expression
signifying that they should carry all that belonged to them with
them:
for thereof
must we take to serve the Lord our God; something of every kind
and sort
all they had being devoted to his service
and to be yielded to him upon
demand:
and we know not
with what we must serve the Lord
until we come thither; into the
wilderness; they knew not exactly and precisely what kind of creatures or how
many of them
as Aben Ezra observes
they were to offer at a time; for though
before this there was a known distinction between clean and unclean creatures
and the various offerings and sacrifices of the patriarchs might in a good
measure direct them in the use of them; yet the special and peculiar laws about
sacrifices were not given until after their deliverance
and they were got into
the wilderness; so that this was not a bare pretence to get their cattle along
with them
but was the true case and real matter of fact.
Exodus 10:27 27 But
the Lord
hardened Pharaoh’s heart
and he would not let them go.
YLT 27And Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of
Pharaoh
and he hath not been willing to send them away;
But the Lord
hardened Pharaoh's heart
.... Yet more and more:
and he would
not let them go; his heart was set against it
his will was resolute
and he was
determined never to let them go.
Exodus 10:28 28 Then
Pharaoh said to him
“Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face
no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!”
YLT 28and Pharaoh saith to him
`Go from me
take
heed to thyself
add not to see my face
for in the day thou seest my face thou
diest;'
And Pharaoh
said unto him
.... To Moses:
get thee from
me; be gone from my presence
I have nothing more to say to thee
or
do with thee:
take heed to
thyself; lest mischief befall thee from me
or those about me:
see my face no
more; neither here nor elsewhere:
for in that day
thou seest my face thou shalt die; this was a foolish as
well as a wicked speech
when he lay at the mercy of Moses
rather than Moses
at his; he being made a god unto him
and had such power to inflict plagues
upon him
of which he had had repeated instances.
Exodus 10:29 29 So
Moses said
“You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.”
YLT 29and Moses saith
`Rightly hast thou spoken
I
add not any more to see thy face.'
And Moses said
thou hast spoken well
.... Not that which was good
in a moral sense
for it was very
wicked
but what would eventually prove true:
I will see thy
face again no more; which may be understood either conditionally
except he was sent
for
and he desired to see him
he would not come of himself; or absolutely
knowing by a spirit of prophecy that he should be no more sent unto him
and
that Pharaoh should in a little time be drowned in the Red sea
when he would
be seen no more by him nor any other; for as for what is said in the following
chapter
it is thought by many to have been said at this time
as it might even
before he went out of the presence of Pharaoh
which in Exodus 11:8 he is
said to do in anger: and as for Pharaoh's calling for him at midnight
and
bidding him rise and begone
Exodus 12:31 it
might be delivered by messengers
and so he be not seen by Moses and Aaron. By
this speech of Moses
it appears he was not afraid of Pharaoh and his menaces
but rather taunts at him
and it is to this fearless disposition of Moses at
this time that the apostle refers in Hebrews 11:27.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》