Berean Standard Bible
Exodus 10:21
21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”
Exodus 10:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”
Context of Exodus 10:21
19And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt. 20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. 23No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
Read all of Exodus 10Exodus 10:21 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃Read the interlinear
- Then the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- Stretch outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- your handיָדyâd · handH3027
- towardעַל‛al · uponH5921
- heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- so that darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
- may spreadהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- a palpableמָשַׁשׁmâshash · to feelH4959
Cross-references for Exodus 10:21
- Exodus 9:22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.”
- Psalms 35:6May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
- Psalms 78:49He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity— a band of destroying angels.
- Psalms 105:28He sent darkness, and it became dark— yet they defied His words.
- Proverbs 4:19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
- Ecclesiastes 2:14The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.
- Ecclesiastes 6:4For a stillborn child enters in futility and departs in darkness, and his name is shrouded in obscurity.
- Isaiah 8:21They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.
- Matthew 27:45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
- Mark 15:33From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.
- Luke 23:44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.
- 2 Peter 2:4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- Revelation 16:10And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
Commentaries on Exodus 10:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Darkness which may be felt - Probably this was occasioned by a superabundance of aqueous vapors floating in the atmosphere, which were so thick as to prevent the rays of the sun from penetrating through them; an extraordinarily thick mist supernaturally, i.e., miraculously, brought on. An awful emblem of the darkened state of the Egyptians and their king.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Darkness - This infliction was specially calculated to affect the spirits of the Egyptians, whose chief object of worship was the Sun-god; and its suddenness and severity in connection with the act of Moses mark it as a preternatural withdrawal of light. Yet, it has an analogy in physical phenomena. After the vernal equinox the southwest wind from the desert blows some 50 days, not however, continuously but at intervals, lasting generally some two or…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-29Verses 21-29 The plague of darkness brought upon Egypt was a dreadful plague. It was darkness which might be felt, so thick were the fogs. It astonished and terrified. It continued three days; six nights in one; so long the most lightsome palaces were dungeons. Now Pharaoh had time to consider, if he would have improved it. Spiritual darkness is spiritual bondage; while Satan blinds men's eyes that they see not, he binds their hands and feet, that they…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-29The ninth plague was the plague of darkness (10:21). The chief god of Egypt through the centuries, who appeared under several different names, was the sun. At this time, he was known as Amon-Re. He was supreme over all the other gods and was considered to be the ultimate source of life. The Lord showed that the sun’s light is completely under his control. God could shut it off from Egypt proper, while leaving it to shine in Goshen in the northeast part of…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2921-23. Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness--Whatever secondary means were employed in producing it, whether thick clammy fogs and vapors, according to some; a sandstorm, or the chamsin, according to others; it was such that it could be almost perceived by the organs of touch, and so protracted as to continue for three days, which the chamsin does [Hengstenberg]. The appalling character of this calamity consisted in this, that…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 10:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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