Exodus 10:1-20
The _eighth_plague. The locusts. From J, with short passages from E.... [ Continue Reading ]
The _eighth_plague. The locusts. From J, with short passages from E.... [ Continue Reading ]
1A. _Go in unto Pharaoh_ as before in J: Exodus 8:1; Exodus 9:1. 1B, 2. Explanation to Moses of the reason of the command. In previous cases the command to go in to the Pharaoh is followed at once by the words, _and say unto him_, and the demand for the release of the people (Exodus 8:1; Exodus 8:20... [ Continue Reading ]
Exodus 7:14 to Exodus 11:5 _The first nine Plagues_ The narrative of the Plagues, like that of the preceding Chapter s, is composite. The details of the analysis depend partly upon literary criteria, partly upon differences in the representation, which are not isolated, but recurrent, and which mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou_ i.e. Moses, addressed however as the representative of Israel. Cf. the plural _ye_at the end of the verse. _in the ears of thy son_, &c. The story is to be passed on to the children. The interest in the instruction of future generations, as Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 6:7; comp. also ch. Ex... [ Continue Reading ]
2, 3A. Before the last plague comes, the Israelites are to make request of the Egyptians, as directed in Exodus 3:21-22; cf. Exodus 12:35-36. 2. _every man_ in Exodus 3:22 only the _women_are to make the request. _and jewels of gold_ LXX. Sam. add _and raiment_(as Exodus 3:22; Exodus 12:35). It mu... [ Continue Reading ]
The announcement of the plague to Pharaoh.... [ Continue Reading ]
_to-morrow_ cf. Exodus 8:23; Exodus 9:5-6; Exodus 9:18. _locusts_ A well-known plague in Palestine and neighbouring countries: see for descriptions both of their immense numbers, and of their ravages, the writer's notes on Joel (in the _Camb. Bible_), pp. 37 39, 48 53, 87 91. They do not however see... [ Continue Reading ]
(J). The sequel, and once, probably, the immediate sequel, to Exodus 10:28-29 (J): see the note there.... [ Continue Reading ]
_they shall cover_, &c. This is literally true of locusts. As Thomson says of an invasion in the Lebanon district, -Their number was astounding; the whole face of the mountain was black with them" (_Joel_, p. 89). _face_ Heb. _eye_. A peculiar usage: so _v._15, Numbers 22:5; Numbers 22:11. _they s... [ Continue Reading ]
_thy houses shall be filled_, &c. Cf. Morier, describing an invasion in Persia (_ibid._p. 89), -They entered the inmost recesses of the houses, were found in every corner, stuck to our clothes, and infested our food." _And he turned_ i.e. Moses, though Aaron also, according to _v._3, had gone in. S... [ Continue Reading ]
_a snare_ fig. for an occasion of destruction. See 1 Samuel 18:21; and cf. on ch. Exodus 23:33 Lit. a _fowling-instrument_; and probably, in fact, not a -snare" (i.e. a noose; Germ. _Schnur_, a -string") at all, but the trigger of a trap with the bait upon it 1 [127]. [127] This _must_be the meanin... [ Continue Reading ]
The Pharaoh's ministers suggest to him that Moses should no longer be permitted to ruin Egypt. He accordingly makes an attempt to come to terms with Moses; but when Moses declares that the whole people must go to hold the feast to Jehovah, he replies that he can only in the men go. The ministers she... [ Continue Reading ]
_again_ BACK, a frequent sense of -again" in Old English.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a feast unto the Lord_ more naturally, JEHOVAH'S FEAST.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Pharaoh's good wishes are of course intended ironically (cf. Amos 5:14): _Jehovah be with you_, and protect you, _as_assuredly as _I will let you go_, i.e. not at all. _for evil is before you_ i.e. is contemplated by you, is _what ye purpose_(marg.): lit. is _before your faces_. The -evil" is t... [ Continue Reading ]
_men_ Not the word used in _v._7, but one meaning more distinctly men, as opposed to women or children: cf. Deuteronomy 22:5 Heb. _for that is what ye desire_ viz. to worship Jehovah at a festival, which could be sufficiently observed by men alone (Exodus 23:17). _And they were driven_, &c. With t... [ Continue Reading ]
12, 13A (E). The locusts are brought at the signal given by Moses with his rod. Cf. Exodus 9:22-23 a, with the note. 12. (even) _all that_, &c. LXX. Sam. read, _and all the fruit of the trees that_, &c., perhaps rightly: cf. _v._15, and Exodus 9:25 _end_. 13B (J). The sequel of _v._11 in J: cf. Ex... [ Continue Reading ]
_went up_ CAME _up_(_v._12). _borders_(Heb. _border_)] i.e. _territory_, as Exodus 8:2; Exodus 10:4; Exodus 10:19 (cf. p. 56). _grievous_ Exodus 8:24; Exodus 9:3; Exodus 9:18; Exodus 9:24. _before them_, &c. cf. _v._6b, Exodus 9:18 b,... [ Continue Reading ]
_was darkened_ i.e. hidden (cf. _v._5) by the multitude of locusts resting upon it. Cf. the description of Thomson, cited on _v._5, -the whole face of the mountain was black with them"; and of the Jaffa invasion in 1865 (_Joel_, p. 90), -in parts they covered the ground for miles to a height of seve... [ Continue Reading ]
Such terrible ravages move the Pharaoh to confess his sin, in stronger terms than before (Exodus 9:27); he prays for forgiveness, and for a fourth time intreats for the removal of the plague (cf. Exodus 8:8; Exodus 8:28 Exodus 9:28).... [ Continue Reading ]
_only this once_ Genesis 18:32. _this death only_ only this terribly destructive pest. The term -death" depicts vividly the consternation which the Pharaoh feels at it.... [ Continue Reading ]
At Moses" entreaty, the locusts are removed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_turned_, &c. i.e. caused by a change a west wind to blow. _west wind_ Heb. a _sea-wind_. The -west" is regularly in Heb. the _sea_(Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:14, &c.). The idiom must have formed itself in Palestine, where the -sea" was on the west. It is a common fate of locust swarms to be driven a... [ Continue Reading ]
But again, after the removal of the plague, the result was the same as before, and the Pharaoh would not let the people go. The expression, as elsewhere in E (Exodus 4:21 b, Exodus 9:35, Exo Exodus 10:27).... [ Continue Reading ]
_Stretch out_, &c. addressed to _Moses_, as Exodus 9:22, Exo Exodus 10:12 (both E). _even darkness which may be felt_ lit. _so that one may feel darkness_. (LXX. ψηλαφητὸν σκότος; Vulg. _tam densae ut palpari queant_). The marg. -feel (or grope) _in_darkness" is not favoured by the Heb.... [ Continue Reading ]
The _ninth_plague. The darkness. From E and J.... [ Continue Reading ]
_but_, &c. What is here described is evidently miraculous: but it is said that the sand-clouds of the _Ḥamsîn_(see below) sometimes travel in streaks, so that parts of the country may escape them. The darkness was no doubt occasioned really by a _sand-storm_, produced by the hot electrical wind cal... [ Continue Reading ]
The Pharaoh now summons Moses again, and offers a greater concession than before (_vv._8 11): the entire people may go; only their flocks and herds must be left behind (as a security for their return). But Moses will not listen to such a compromise. The passage must belong to the same source as _vv.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ALSO _must_, &c. The pron. is emphatic. Pharaoh, besides letting the Israelites" cattle go, must also himself contribute to the sacrifices which will be offered. By -sacrifices" (lit. _slaughterings_) are meant the most common kind of sacrifice, called elsewhere for distinction -peace-offering... [ Continue Reading ]
The Israelites" own cattle must go as well: because until they reach their destination they do not know how many sacrifices will be required. _and_ WE _know not_ The pron. is emphatic.... [ Continue Reading ]
The result is the same as in _v._20. 28, 29 (J). The original sequel of _v._26 (J). The Pharaoh is greatly angered at Moses" persistency; and declares peremptorily that he will never admit him to his presence again. In the existing text of Exodus, Moses is admitted to the Pharaoh's presence again, v... [ Continue Reading ]
_from me_ Heb. _from upon me_, i.e. from being a trouble to me; cf. Genesis 13:11; Numbers 20:21; 2 Samuel 13:17 (_Lex._p. 759 a). Not the -from" [Heb. _from with_= παρὰ with a gen.] of Exodus 8:12; Exodus 8:29-30; Exodus 9:33; Exodus 10:6; Exodus 10:18;... [ Continue Reading ]