Exodus 10:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again.

NIV: they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again.

NASB: The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very numerous. There had never been so many locusts, nor would there be so many again.

CSB: The locusts went up over the entire land of Egypt and settled on the whole territory of Egypt. Never before had there been such a large number of locusts, and there never will be again.

NLT: And the locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt, settling in dense swarms from one end of the country to the other. It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never been another one like it.

KJV: And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

NKJV: 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.

Egypt is overrun with locusts: a hungry, swarming, aggressive version of common grasshoppers. Small clouds can be a nuisance. Large groups can severely damage crops and vegetation. Especially large swarms are typically referred to as "plagues," even outside the Bible, for their destructive power. Locust swarms can consume an entire region's plant matter in days or hours before moving on to the next area. What descends on Egypt is, as promised (Exodus 10:4–6), the worst locust infestation the nation has ever seen, or will ever see.

These insects will attack everything edible which survived the plague of hail (Exodus 9:31–32). The nation is already reeling from seven catastrophes (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24). The threat of locusts, with Egypt so fragile, frightened Pharaoh's advisors into begging their king to negotiate (Exodus 10:7). But Pharoah remained stubborn, and the swarms will scour Egyptian lands of every plant and fruit (Exodus 10:15).

Because they also occurred naturally, locust swarms are mentioned in other Old Testament contexts (Deuteronomy 28:38; 2 Chronicles 6:28; 7:13; Psalm 78:46; 105:34). They also feature in prophecies related to the end times (Joel 1—2; Amos 4:9; Revelation 9:3, 7).

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.