Exodus 10:9 Kommentar

The eighth and ninth of the plagues of Egypt, that of locusts and that of darkness, are recorded in this chapter. I. Concerning the plague of locusts, 1. God instructs Moses in the meaning of these amazing dispensations of his providence (Exo 10:1, Exo 10:2). 2. He threatens the locusts (Exo 10:3-6). 3. Pharaoh, at the persuasion of his servants, is willing to treat again with Moses (Exo 10:7-9), but they cannot agree (Exo 10:10, Exo 10:11). 4. The locusts come (Exo 10:12-15). 5. Pharaoh cries Peccavi - I have offended (Exo 10:16, Exo 10:17), whereupon Moses prays for the removal of the plague, and it is done; but Pharaoh's heart is still hardened (Exo 10:18-20). II. Concerning the plague of darkness, 1. It is inflicted (Exo 10:21-23). 2. Pharaoh again treats with Moses about a surrender, but the treaty breaks off in a heat (Exo 10:26, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 10 This chapter is introduced with giving the reasons why the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 10:7 wherefore the locusts were brought on all the land, which made sad devastation in it, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 10:27.

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 Exo 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.

Moses is again sent to Pharaoh, and expostulates with him on his refusal to let the Hebrews go, Exo 10:1-3. The eighth plague, viz., of locusts, is threatened, Exo 10:4. The extent and oppressive nature of this plague, Exo 10:5, Exo 10:6. Pharaoh's servants counsel him to dismiss the Hebrews, Exo 10:7. He calls for Moses and Aaron, and inquires who they are of the Hebrews who wish to go, Exo 10:8. Moses having answered that the whole people, with their flocks and herds must go and hold a feast to the Lord, Exo 10:9, Pharaoh is enraged, and having granted permission only to the men, drives Moses and Aaron from his presence, Exo 10:10, Exo 10:11. Moses is commanded to stretch out his hand and bring the locusts, Exo 10:12. He does so, and an east wind is sent, which, blowing all that day and night, brings the locusts the next morning, Exo 10:13. The devastation occasioned by these insects, Exo 10:14, Exo 10:15. Pharaoh is humbled, acknowledges his sin, and begs Moses to intercede with Jehovah for him, Exo 10:16, Exo 10:17. Moses does so, and at his request a strong west wind is sent, which carries all the locusts to the Red Sea, Exo 10:18, Exo 10:19. Pharaoh's heart is again hardened, Exo 10:20. Moses is commanded to bring the ninth plague of extraordinary darkness over all the land of Egypt, Exo 10:21. The nature, duration, and effects of this, Exo 10:22, Exo 10:23. Pharaoh, again humbled, consents to let the people go, provided they leave their cattle behind, Exo 10:24. Moses insists on having all their cattle, because of the sacrifices which they must make to the Lord, Exo 10:25, Exo 10:26. Pharaoh, again hardened, refuses, Exo 10:27. Orders Moses from his presence, and threatens him with death should he ever return, Exo 10:28. Moses departs with the promise of returning no more, Exo 10:29.

We will go with our young and with our old, etc. - As a feast was to be celebrated to the honor of Jehovah, all who were partakers of his bounty and providential kindness must go and perform their part in the solemnity. The men and the women must make the feast, the children must witness it, and the cattle must be taken along with them to furnish the sacrifices necessary on this occasion. This must have appeared reasonable to the Egyptians, because it was their own custom in their religious assemblies. Men, women, and children attended them, often to the amount of several hundred thousand. Herodotus informs us, in speaking of the six annual feasts celebrated by the Egyptians in honor of their deities, that they hold their chief one at the city of Bubastis in honor of Neith or Diana; that they go thither by water in boats-men, women, and children; that during their voyage some of the women play on castanets, and some of the men upon flutes, while the rest are employed in singing and clapping their hands; and that, when they arrive at Bubastis, they sacrifice a vast number of victims, and drink much wine; and that at one such festival, the inhabitants assured him, that there were not assembled fewer than 700,000 men and women, without reckoning the children - Euterpe, chap. lix., lx. I find that the ancient Egyptians called Diana Neith; this comes as near as possible to the Gaile of the Isle of Man. The moon is called yn neith or neath; and also ke-sollus, from ke, smooth or even, and sollus, light, the Smooth Light; perhaps to distinguish her from the sun, grian, from gri-tien or cri-tien, i.e., Trembling Fire; yn neith-easya, as Macpherson has it, signifies wan complexion. I should rather incline to think it may come from aise. The Celtic nations thought that the heavenly luminaries were the residences of spirits which they distinguished by the name of aise, thus grian-ais signifies the spirit of the sun. Moses and Aaron, requesting liberty for the Hebrews to go three days' journey into the wilderness, and with them all their wives, little ones, and cattle, in order to hold a feast unto Jehovah their God, must have at least appeared as reasonable to the Egyptians as their going to the city of Bubastis with their wives, little ones, and cattle, to hold a feast to Neith or Diana, who was there worshipped. The parallel in these two cases is too striking to pass unnoticed.

PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS. (Exo. 10:1-20) show these my signs, &c.--Sinners even of the worst description are to be admonished even though there may be little hope of amendment, and hence those striking miracles that carried so clear and conclusive demonstration of the being and character of the true God were performed in lengthened series before Pharaoh to leave him without excuse when judgment should be finally executed.

The eighth plague; the Locusts. - Exo 10:1-6. As Pharaoh's pride still refused to bend to the will of God, Moses was directed to announce another, and in some respects a more fearful, plague. At the same time God strengthened Moses' faith, by telling him that the hardening of Pharaoh and his servants was decreed by Him, that these signs might be done among them, and that Israel might perceive by this to all generations that He was Jehovah (cf. Exo 7:3-5). We may learn from Ps 78 and 105 in what manner the Israelites narrated these signs to their children and children's children. אתת שׁית, to set or prepare signs (Exo 10:1), is interchanged with שׂוּם (Exo 10:2) in the same sense (vid., Exo 8:12). The suffix in בּקרבּו (Exo 10:1) refers to Egypt as a country; and that in בּם (Exo 10:2) to the Egyptians. In the expression, "thou mayest tell," Moses is addressed as the representative of the nation. התעלּל: to have to do with a person, generally in a bad sense, to do him harm (Sa1 31:4). "How I have put forth My might" (De Wette).