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Exodus 10

YHWH asserts his rule over Egypt through locusts and darkness as Pharaoh resists the demand to release Israel.

Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh with YHWH’s demand to release the Hebrews for worship. Pharaoh’s servants urge him to yield as Egypt faces ruin, but he keeps setting limits on who and what may leave. Locusts consume what the hail spared; then thick darkness covers Egypt for three days while Israel has light. YHWH declares that these signs will teach future generations who he is. The chapter ends with Pharaoh threatening Moses with death.

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1The 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 among them;
2and 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.”
3Moses 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.
4Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
5and 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.
6Your 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.
7Pharaoh’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?”
8Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are those who will go?”
9Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old. We will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds; for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
10He said to them, “The LORD be with you if I let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.
11Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what you desire!” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12The 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.”
13Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14The 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, nor will there ever be again.
15For 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.
16Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
17Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to the LORD your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”
18Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to the LORD.
19The LORD sent an exceedingly strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.
20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.
21The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”
22Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.
23They didn’t see one another, and nobody rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
24Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you.”
25Moses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
26Our 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.”
27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go.
28Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!”
29Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Exodus 10:3The demand to humble himself places Pharaoh’s resistance beneath the authority of YHWH, whom Israel must serve.
Exodus 10:17Pharaoh asks for forgiveness and relief, yet the removal of the locusts is followed by another refusal.
Exodus 10:21YHWH commands a darkness that halts life in Egypt, while the next verses distinguish Israel’s dwellings.
Where this chapter reaches

Psalm recounts Egypt’s locusts and darkness as acts of God, while Joel also portrays locust devastation and darkness in connection with divine judgment. Deuteronomy shares the concern that later generations hear about YHWH’s signs in Egypt and know his authority.

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After reading the whole chapter

What do Pharaoh’s changing terms reveal about his response to YHWH’s command?

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What stands out to you about God’s purpose for these signs in verses 1–2?

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Questions people ask about Exodus 10

Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus 10?

YHWH states that he has hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he may display his signs and Israel’s descendants may know that he is YHWH. The chapter also holds Pharaoh responsible for refusing to humble himself. It presents divine rule and human responsibility together without explaining their full relationship.

What does darkness that could be felt mean in Exodus 10?

The phrase describes the severity of the darkness God brings over Egypt. It lasts three days, prevents people from seeing one another, and keeps them from rising from their places. Israel has light in its dwellings. The text does not identify a physical mechanism for this darkness.

Why did Moses refuse to leave the livestock in Egypt?

Pharaoh offers to release the people while keeping their flocks and herds behind. Moses explains that the animals are needed for sacrifices and burnt offerings to YHWH. Since the people do not yet know what their worship will require, Moses insists that every animal must go.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).