Exodus 10:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’" Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

NIV: They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’ " Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

NASB: Then your houses will be filled with them, together with the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.’?' And he turned and left Pharaoh.

CSB: They will fill your houses, all your officials’ houses, and the houses of all the Egyptians—something your fathers and grandfathers never saw since the time they occupied the land until today." Then he turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

NLT: They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!' And with that, Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

KJV: And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

NKJV: They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

The eighth plague looming over Egypt (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24) is an unimaginably huge swarm of locusts. Ancient people were well aware of how destructive these insects could be. Especially large groups could eat all the vegetation in a region within days, before flying off to the next meal. According to Moses and Aaron, this will be by far the worst locust storm ever seen in Egypt (Exodus 10:3–5). Everything that survived the previous hailstorm (Exodus 9:31–32) will be gone. In addition, the locusts would enter the houses of all the Egyptians. This would include Pharaoh's homes, servants' quarters, and the homes of the common people.

Moses and Aaron don't wait to get an answer from Pharaoh. He has refused every request so far (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 35) and has some time to reply. So, they deliver their message and leave. Pharaoh's advisors seem to take this threat very seriously. Locusts would be bad enough, but the nation has already suffered massive losses. They will beg Pharoah to negotiate (Exodus 10:7).

Exodus 10:1–11 sets up the eighth of ten plagues which God has sent to prove His power to all generations. Moses once again delivers the Lord's command that Egypt release the Hebrew slaves. But Pharaoh is even more stubborn than usual, as God's punishment for his constant disobedience. By now, even Pharaoh's advisors recognize the power they are facing. They encourage negotiation. Pharaoh agrees to let only the male Hebrews leave for worship—then sends Moses away when this is not accepted.

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.