Exodus 10:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

NIV: And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.

NASB: So the Lord shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.

CSB: Then the Lord changed the wind to a strong west wind, and it carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.

NLT: The Lord responded by shifting the wind, and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt.

KJV: And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

NKJV: And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.

Because Egypt's king refused to release Hebrew slaves (Exodus 1:11–14; 10:3), the nation suffered the predicted (Exodus 10:4–6) plague of locusts (Exodus 10:15–17). In a panic, the king—the pharaoh—begged Moses for relief (Exodus 10:16–17). Moses prayed on Egypt's behalf, so God dissipates the insects by reversing the wind which brought them there. The language here is specific, indicating that literally every locust, without exception, was driven away. This further proves that the event is supernatural, as this had been the densest, largest swarm that would ever be seen in that nation (Exodus 10:14).

This is the first time the Red Sea is mentioned in the book of Exodus. Later, the recently-freed Israelites will cross the sea while God makes a path of dry land through the water (Exodus 14:21–22). When the Egyptian army pursues, God closes the water over them and they are all drowned (Exodus 14:27–28). The Red Sea later becomes the southern border of the Promised Land which God gave to the people (Exodus 23:31).

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.