Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 10:21
21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.”
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
19Then 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. 20But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the Israelites go. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. 23One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- Stretch outנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- thine handיָדyâd · handH3027
- toward heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- that there may be darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
- over the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- may be feltמָשַׁשׁmâshash · to feelH4959
Cross-references for Exodus 10:21
- Exodus 9:22Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven and let there be hail throughout the land of Egypt — on people and animals and every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.”
- Psalms 35:6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
- Psalms 78:49He sent his burning anger against them: fury, indignation, and calamity — a band of deadly messengers.
- Psalms 105:28He sent darkness, and it became dark — for did they not defy his commands?
- Proverbs 4:19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don’t know what makes them stumble.
- Ecclesiastes 2:14The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.
- Ecclesiastes 6:4For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness.
- Isaiah 8:21They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.
- Matthew 27:45From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land.
- Mark 15:33When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
- Luke 23:44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three,
- 2 Peter 2:4For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell and delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;
- Revelation 16:10The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues because of their pain
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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