Exodus 10:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left."

NIV: And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail."

NASB: Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Reach out with your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left.'

CSB: The Lord then said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, and the locusts will come up over it and eat every plant in the land, everything that the hail left."

NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.”

Following Egypt's failed attempt to negotiate (Exodus 10:7–11), the Lord commands Moses to proceed with the plague of locusts (Exodus 10:4–6). God instructs Moses to use a gesture of reaching with his hand and staff (Exodus 10:13). Though Moses and Aaron have triggered plagues (Exodus 8:6; 9:33), the power belongs entirely to God (Exodus 3:20).

Locusts are created when grasshoppers experience certain conditions. The grasshoppers produce offspring which instinctively swarm together, breed quickly, and aggressively eat as they travel. These "locusts" even look distinct from their parents. Such insects have devastated crops for thousands of years. A large swarm can consume an entire region's worth of plants as it passes by. This plague of insects will remove everything that survived the plague of hail (Exodus 9:31–32; 10:5).

This verse specifically mentions "the land of Egypt" twice. Though not specifically stated as in other events (Exodus 8:22; 9:6, 26), Goshen likely escaped this plague as well. This was the region where Hebrew slaves lived (Genesis 47:6). Sparing them from the disasters falling on Egypt emphasized that there was a supernatural power behind them.

Exodus 10:12–20 describes the eighth plague, an unimaginable cloud of locusts. These are grasshoppers which respond to weather patterns by spawning a generation of aggressive, hungry, fertile, insects who travel in close-packed swarms. This event is beyond anything ever seen before or since. Locusts completely cover the ground and eat every leaf, stem, and fruit which survived the plague of hail (Exodus 9:31–32). Pharaoh again begs for mercy, obtains it, and then goes back on his word to release the Israelites.

Moses warns Pharaoh that an eighth plague will come if the Hebrew slaves are not set free. This will be the worst locust invasion the nation will ever see. Pharaoh's advisors beg him to negotiate. He offers to release only Israelite men, which Moses rejects. The locust plague eradicates everything that survived the earlier hailstorm. Pharaoh pleads for relief, only to break his promise once again when the danger has passed. Next come three days of intense darkness. Pharaoh once again tries to arrange a partial release. When Moses refuses, Pharaoh threatens to kill him if he ever comes back.

Seven times, God has sent supernatural judgment against the nation of Egypt (Exodus 7—9). Each time, Pharaoh has refused to obey God's command to release the Israelite slaves. As a result, God will no longer give Pharaoh the ability to repent (Proverbs 29:1). Despite an epic, devastating locust invasion and three days of darkness, Pharaoh still refuses to submit. Rather, he threatens Moses with death. This will lead Moses to predict the last and worst of the ten plagues (Exodus 11). The tragic death of Egypt's firstborn during the Passover (Exodus 12) will finally lead to Israelite freedom.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.