God’s Word Translation
Exodus 10:22
22Moses lifted his hand toward the sky, and throughout Egypt there was total darkness for three days.
Exodus 10:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
- New International Version (NIV)So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
Context of Exodus 10:22
20But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he did not let the Israelites go. 21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness ⌞so thick⌟ that it can be felt will come over Egypt.” Moses lifted his hand toward the sky, and throughout Egypt there was total darkness for three days. 23People couldn’t see each other, and no one went anywhere for three days. But all the Israelites had light where they were living. 24Then Pharaoh called for Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord! Even your women and children may go with you, but your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
Read all of Exodus 10Exodus 10:22 word by word
וַיֵּ֥ט מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָד֖וֹ עַל־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיְהִ֧י חֹֽשֶׁךְ־אֲפֵלָ֛ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- stretched forthנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- toward heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and there was a thickאֲפֵלָה'ăphêlâh · darknessH653
- darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
- in all the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
Cross-references for Exodus 10:22
- Exodus 20:21The people kept their distance while Moses went closer to the dark cloud where God was.
- Deuteronomy 4:11So you came and stood at the foot of the mountain, which was on fire with flames shooting into the sky. It was dark, cloudy, and gloomy.
- Deuteronomy 5:22These are the commandments the Lord spoke to your whole assembly on the mountain. He spoke in a loud voice from the fire, the cloud, and the gloomy darkness. Then he stopped speaking. He wrote the commandments on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
- Psalms 105:28He sent darkness and made ⌞their land⌟ dark. They did not rebel against his orders.
- Joel 2:2It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and overcast skies. A large and mighty army will spread over the mountains like the dawn. Nothing like this has ever happened. Nothing like this will ever happen again.
- Amos 4:13God forms the mountains and creates the wind. He reveals his thoughts to humans. He makes dawn and dusk ⌞appear⌟. He walks on the high places of the earth. His name is the Lord God of Armies.
- Revelation 16:10The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom turned dark. People gnawed on their tongues in anguish
Commentaries on Exodus 10:22
- 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 10:22
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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