Exodus 10

God gives Moseh to understand, why he hardned he heaerts of Pharao and his servants, v.1, etc. And threatens them with Grasshoppers, 4. Pharaos servants perswade him to let the Israelites goe, 7. He makes shew of yielding to it, 8. but alters his minde, 10. the light plague, to wit, the Grasshoppers, comes over Egypt, 12. Pharao confesseth his sins, 16. entreateth Moseh to pray for him, 17. which Moseh doth, 18. and the Grasshoppers are taken away, 19 Pharao remains hardned, 20. The ninth plague, to wit, darknesse comes over Egypt, 21. Pharao would let Israel goe, but without cattel, 24. Moseh would not leave a claw behinde, 25. Pharao remains hardned, 27. and chargeth Moseh on pain of death never to appear in his fight any more, 28. which also come to passe, 29.

1. After that, the LORD said unto Moseh : Go into Pharao, for I have aggravated his heart, (as) also the heart of his servants, that I might set these my tokens in the midst of him. [i.e. of his kingdome, or, of him, i.e. before them. Otherw. before him.]

2. And that he might relate before the ears of your children, and childrens children, what I have performed in Egypt, and my tokens, which I have set amongst them ; that ye may know I am the LORD.

3. So Moseh and Aaron went to Pharao, and said to him : Thus saith the LORD ; How long doest thou refuse to humble thy self before my face? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

4. For if thou refuse to let my people goe ; behold, tomorrow I shall bring Grasshoppers into thy border [i.e. into thy land, countrey, kingdome, as chap.8. Verse 2.

5. And they shall cover the sight of the land, [Heb. the eye, i.e. All the land, which at other times lies open to the view of the beholder] so that one shall not be able to see the earth : and they shall eat up the remnant of that which escaped [i.e. The wheat and spelt, as above ch.9.32.] that which was left over of the hail ; also they shall eat up all the trees [i.e. all the fruits and leaves of them.] which come forth unto you out of the field.

6. And they shall fill up thy houses , and the houses of all thy servants, and all the Egyptians houses, which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers fathers ever saw, from that day off, that they were upon the earth, unto this day ; and he turned about, and went forth from Pharao.

7. And the servants of Pharao said to him, [understand this of his Nobles, Grandees, his Counsellors, and Courtiers.]How long shall this (man) be a snare to us? [i.e. Our ruine and destruction, viz. By these many plagues, he brings upon us.] let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God : doest not thou know yet that Egypt is spoiled. (or, wasted) ? [viz. Unlesse thou dismisse them spedily.]

8. Then Moseh and Aaron wer brought again to Pharao, and he said to them. Go serve the LORD your God : Who and who are they that shall go? [Here Pharao limits his grant already, allowing not all but some onely to go, whom he would have named and specified unto him.]

9. And Moseh said ; we will go with our young and with our old (folks), with our sons and with our daughters, with our sheep, and with our oxen we shall go ; for we have a feast of the LORD. [on which we shall have occasion to slay some of our cattel.]

10. Then he said to them ; The LORD be with you so as I shall let you and your little children to go : [implying,That he would upon no terms yield to it, that they should go together with their children.] look to it ; for there is evil before your face. [as if he had said, Take hid , lest some mischief and disaster befall you, if you forbear not to be thus troublesome unto me.]

11. Not so ; Go ye now , ye men, and serve the LORD, for that is it ye sought : [This King is not ashamed to lie, or to pevert the words of Moseh and Aaron] and they drave them out from Pharao's face.

12. Then the LORD said to Moseh ; Stretch forth thy hand over the land of Egypt, for the Grasshoppers, that they may come up over the land of Egypt : and eat up all the herb of the field, all what the hail left over.

13. Then Moseh did stretch forth his hand, over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an East-wind [which bloweth very fiercely in these parts, so that great ships are often broken by it : see Exod.14.21. Num.11.31 Psalms 48:4.] into that land, that whole day, and that whole night : it happened in the morning, that the East-wind brought up the Grasshoppers.

14. And the Grasshoppers came up over all the land of Egypt, and let them down in all the borders of the Egyptians [i.e. all the land over, in all the parts and quarters thereof] very grievous, [in regard of the vast maltitude covering all the ground, and the excessive dammage which they did] there were never such Grasshoppers before, as these, nor shall there ever be such after these.

15. for they covered the sight [See above verse 5.] of the whole land, so that the land was darkned, and they did eat up all the herb of the land, and all the friuts of the Trees, which the hail had left over : and there remained no green (thing) on trees, nor on the herbs of the fields, in all the land of Egypt.

16. Then Pharao hastned, for to call Moseh and Aaron : and said I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. [viz.Against the LORD by my disobedience ; and against you, by my last uncivil dismissing and expelling of you.]

17. And now (I pray) forgive me my sin, onely this time, [As if he should say, if ever I trespass again in this kind, pry no more for me.] and pray fervently to the LORD your God, that he take but this death from me. [this death, i.e. This deadly plague, which consumes and destroys all, and will make us to farnish and perish utterly. So it is said, 2 Kings 4:40. Death is in the pot, i.edeadly herbs.]

18. And he went forth from Pharao, and pray'd fervently unto the LORD.

19. Then the LORD turned a very strong West-wind, which took up the Grasshoppers, and cast them into the Red Sea. [Or, apprehended, comprehended, concluded them : i.e. God did so cast and confine them there, that there they must perish, and were not able to return, or get out again. This same sea Pharao himself was drown'd in afterwards, Exod.14.] there was not one Grasshopper left over in all the borders of Egypt.

20. Yet the LORD stupified Pharaos heart, that he did not let the children of Israel go.

21. Then the LORD said to Moseh ; Stretch forth thy hand towards heaven, and there shall darknesse come over the land of Egypt, that one shall feel the darknesse. [i.e. the air, which shall be so thick, that it will exclude all light whatsoever.]

22. When Moseh stretched forth his hand towards heaven, there was a thick darknesse [Heb. Obscurity of darknesse] in all the land of Egypt, (for) three days. [Moseh could not well tell how long this darkness lasted, in regard that the day-light held its ordinary course still among the Israelites, as follows.]

23. They saw not the one the other, [Heb. the man his brother : there was no Sun , nor Moon, nor Star-light.] also there stood none up from his place, in three dayes ; but with all the children of Israel it was light , [to wit, in the day-time, when it used otherwise to be light.] in their dwellings. [Understand this only of the land of Gosen : or likewise, as some conjecture, of all the places where Israelites dwelt.]

24. then [viz.when the three days darkness was past] Pharao called Moseh, and said ; go (your ways) serve the LORD ; only your sheep and your oxen shall abide fast : your little ones also shall go with you. [understand hereby the women also, whose help and tendance the little ones could not be without.]

25. Yet Moseh said ; Thou shalt likewise give into our hands [i.e. give way to take along with us] slay offerings (or, sacrifices) and burnt- offerings, that we may do them to the LORD our God.

26. And our cattel shall likewise go with us, there shall not a claw remain behinde : for of that we shall take, for to serve the LORD our God : for we know not wherewith we shall serve the LORD our God, [i.e. What sort and number of cattel we shall be ordered to sacrifice to our God] till we come there.

27. Yet the LORD hardned Pharao's heart, and he would not let them go.

28. But Pharao said unto him ; Get thee from mee ; Take heed thou see my face no more : for on that day, in which thou shalt see my face, thou shalt die. [i.e. I will be thy death, or cause thee to be put to death.]

29. Then Moseh said , Thou hast spoken aright ; [This is no testimony that Pharao spake well and righteously, but Moseh gives him to understand hereby, that it should come to pass thus, as Pharao had spoken, as touching his return, and seeing Pharao's face, Moseh knowing before, what God had determined over him] I shall see thy face no more.