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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Exodus 10:21 - 10:29
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The Plague of Darkness
v. 21. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. Without previous announcement or warning this plague came upon Egypt as another sign of God's almighty power. It was a supernatural, miraculous darkness, so heavy that all light from whatever source was cut off completely and all men were reduced to the necessity of feeling their way.
v. 22. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;
v. 23. they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days. This was another sign of God's great anger and one of those that point forward to the last Judgment, a heavy, continuous darkness, which was not illumined by a single ray of light for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings; the land of Goshen, where they dwelt, was not included in the plague.
v. 24. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, he summoned him in great fear, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed; let your little ones also go with you. The cattle and sheep of the Israelites were to be a pledge of their return, for they were to be kept in certain designated places in charge of Egyptians.
v. 25. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord, our God; for that was the reason substantiating their request to depart from Egypt.
v. 26. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind. It was a bold utterance, such as behooved the ambassador of the most high God. And the explanation should have satisfied the king; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord, our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come thither. They would know what offerings the Lord desired only when they had arrived at the place where the Lord would reveal Himself to them.
v. 27. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. God's punishment upon Pharaoh was going forward without abatement, to the bitter end.
v. 28. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. Thus the tyrant flew into a rage; having lost, he gave way to his temper. That is the final state of obduracy, if sinners repudiate the messengers of God entirely and will not hear another word of God's truth.
v. 29. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. He accepted the dismissal by answering: Just as thou hast said, let it be even so. It was the calmness of spiritual and moral superiority, the consciousness of having the Lord on his side, which gave Moses the courage to speak so at this time. If the believers have God's assurance of help, they will fear no evil.