Exodus 10 is the chapter where the plagues against Egypt move from warning to devastation. It records Moses and Aaron confronting Pharaoh a final time before the plague of locusts and the plague of darkness, and it shows why God allowed the conflict to escalate. People read it to understand the chapter’s flow, its connection to the hardened heart, and what it reveals about God’s purposes for Israel and for the nations.
Exodus 10 Summary
The chapter opens with God telling Moses to go to Pharaoh. God states that he has hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the hearts of his servants so that the signs would be displayed, and that Israel would pass on these events to later generations so they would know the LORD. Moses and Aaron then deliver the message to Pharaoh: how long will he refuse to humble himself, and will he let the people go to worship? When Pharaoh refuses, they warn of locusts that will cover the land and consume what the hail left behind.
Pharaoh’s own officials plead with him to release the Israelites, noting that Egypt is already ruined. Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron back and tries to negotiate who may go, but he rejects the demand that the whole community, including children and livestock, leave together. Moses refuses to leave anyone behind, and Pharaoh drives them from his presence. God then sends an east wind that brings locusts over the whole land, stripping every green thing that remained after the hail.
Pharaoh summons Moses in a hurry, confesses his sin, and begs for the plague to be removed. After Moses prays, God sends a strong west wind that carries the locusts into the Red Sea, leaving not one in Egypt. Yet Pharaoh’s heart is hardened again and he still will not let Israel go. The chapter then closes with a three-day darkness over Egypt while the Israelite dwellings remain in light, and with Pharaoh banishing Moses from his face under threat of death.
Background and Setting
Exodus is the second book of the Torah, traditionally attributed to Moses, though many scholars regard its final form as the product of later editing drawing on older sources. The events of the book are usually dated to the late second millennium BC, and the plague narrative is set in Egypt during the period when the Israelites lived there as an enslaved people. The book tells the story of their deliverance and the making of a covenant at Sinai.
The book was written for the people of Israel, who needed to remember how the LORD rescued them from oppression and who they became as his people. Chapter 10 sits in the middle of the plague cycle, after the hail of chapter 9 and before the death of the firstborn in chapter 11. It shows the escalating cost of Pharaoh’s refusal and sets the stage for the final confrontation that will end in Israel’s departure.
Exodus 10 Section by Section
Verses 1-6: The Purpose Behind the Plagues
1 The LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs among them, 2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD.”
Exodus 10:1-2 (WEB)
God begins by explaining why the plagues are happening. The signs are not random punishments but a demonstration of who he is, and they are meant to be remembered. The Israelites are instructed to tell their children and grandchildren what the LORD did in Egypt, so that the knowledge of his faithfulness would outlast the generation that witnessed it.
Moses and Aaron then confront Pharaoh with the warning of locusts. Their message asks Pharaoh how long he will refuse to humble himself. The description of the coming swarm is vivid, showing that the plague would reach every house, including those of Pharaoh’s own servants, in a way unseen since the land was settled.
3 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country…
Exodus 10:3-4 (WEB)
Verses 7-11: Pharaoh’s Servants and the Question of Who May Go
7 Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are those who will go?”
Exodus 10:7-8 (WEB)
Pharaoh’s officials speak with a frankness that shows the damage the plagues have caused. They ask how long Moses will remain a snare to them and urge the king to let the men go. Their question reveals the growing realization that resistance is costing Egypt everything.
Pharaoh’s negotiation is narrow. He is willing to let the men worship, but he insists on controlling who goes. Moses insists that the entire community must go, because the feast belongs to all of them. Pharaoh’s sarcastic response shows that he regards the request as a trick and refuses to yield on the principle that the whole people must depart.
10 He said to them, “The LORD be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces. 11 Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what you desire!” They were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Exodus 10:10-11 (WEB)
Verses 12-20: The Locusts and Pharaoh’s Brief Repentance
13 Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, nor will there ever be again. 15 For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
Exodus 10:13-15 (WEB)
God commands Moses to stretch out his hand, and an east wind brings the locusts across the land. The insects cover the ground and strip every green thing that the hail had left. The description emphasizes the totality of the destruction, which is meant to make clear that the LORD controls even the winds that carry the judgment.
Pharaoh’s response is urgent. He calls for Moses and Aaron in haste, confesses that he has sinned against the LORD and against them, and asks for forgiveness. When the plague is lifted by a west wind that drives the locusts into the sea, the reader sees both God’s power and the fragility of Pharaoh’s repentance, which evaporates as soon as the threat is gone.
19 The LORD turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.
Exodus 10:19-20 (WEB)
Verses 21-29: Darkness and the Final Break
21 The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.” 22 Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They didn’t see one another, and nobody rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Exodus 10:21-23 (WEB)
The plague of darkness is described as a darkness that can be felt, lasting three days. Egypt is cut off from sight and movement, while the Israelite dwellings remain in light. The contrast underlines that the LORD distinguishes between his people and those who oppose him.
The chapter closes with Pharaoh offering a compromise that again keeps the livestock behind, and Moses refusing. Pharaoh then orders Moses from his presence and threatens his life. Moses responds calmly that he will not see Pharaoh’s face again, which sets up the decisive events of the following chapter.
28 Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!” 29 Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”
Exodus 10:28-29 (WEB)
Key Themes in Exodus 10
- Divine sovereignty: God controls the winds, the insects, the darkness, and even the hearts of rulers, showing that no power in Egypt stands outside his authority.
- Remembrance across generations: The LORD intends that the events be told to children and grandchildren so that his faithfulness becomes part of the community’s identity.
- Human pride and hardness: Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to humble himself, and the chapter shows how persistent resistance hardens the heart even when the cost is plain.
- Covenant community: Moses insists that the whole people, including children and livestock, must go, because worship belongs to the entire family of God.
- Distinction and protection: The light in Israel’s dwellings during the darkness signals that God sees and protects those who belong to him.
Lessons From Exodus 10 for Today
Many people today face a pattern similar to Pharaoh’s. A person may admit a wrong under pressure, asking for relief from a consequence, and then return to the same behavior once the pressure eases. Exodus 10 invites honest reflection on whether repentance is aimed at escaping pain or at turning toward God, and it encourages prayerful self-examination rather than a quick apology.
The chapter also speaks to families and congregations that feel tempted to leave some members behind in the name of convenience. Moses’s insistence that everyone must go reminds believers that faith is shared and that the young, the old, and the vulnerable belong in the community of worship. A parent planning a family devotion or a church planning a retreat can learn from this commitment to including all.
Questions for Reflection
- What does Pharaoh’s cycle of confession and renewed refusal reveal about the difference between regret and repentance?
- How can your family or small group pass on the stories of God’s faithfulness to the next generation?
- Where in your life do you see the temptation to bargain with God over who or what must be given up?
- What does the light in Israel’s dwellings during the darkness suggest about God’s care for his people in hard seasons?
A Prayer From Exodus 10
Lord, you are the one who rules over winds, weather, and the hearts of kings. Help me to hear your word and to take seriously the signs you give me. When I am tempted to bargain with you, to keep back some part of my life or my family from your purposes, speak to me and soften what has become hard. Teach me to tell the next generation what you have done, so that your faithfulness is remembered. Keep me in your light when the darkness around me feels heavy. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does God say he hardened Pharaoh’s heart?
The text presents the hardening as part of God’s purpose to display his power and to make his name known in Egypt and to Israel. Scholars and readers debate how divine and human agency interact here, but the chapter also shows Pharaoh choosing repeatedly to resist before the hardening is described.
What is the main point of the locust plague in Exodus 10?
The locust plague shows that God can strip away what remains after earlier judgments, leaving the land with nothing green. It also demonstrates that the LORD commands even the winds to carry out his will. The plague forces Pharaoh to confront the total loss his refusal is bringing upon Egypt.
Why does Moses insist that the whole community must go?
Moses explains that the feast to the LORD belongs to all the people, including the young, the old, and their animals. Leaving any part behind would mean an incomplete act of worship and would reflect Pharaoh’s attempt to control the terms of Israel’s freedom.
