Exodus 10: Locusts, Darkness, and Hardened Hearts

Short answer: Exodus 10 recounts the eighth and ninth plagues: a devastating swarm of locusts and three days of thick darkness. Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to release Israel, and God hardens his heart, setting the stage for the final confrontation.

What Exodus 10 says

The chapter opens with Yahweh instructing Moses to go to Pharaoh, explaining that He has hardened Pharaoh's heart and the hearts of his servants so that His signs may be shown and recounted to future generations. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, demanding that he humble himself and let the people go to serve Yahweh. They warn that refusal will bring locusts that will cover the land, consume every remaining plant and tree left after the hail, and fill the houses of Egyptians in a way never seen before. Moses then leaves Pharaoh's presence. This opening sets the stage for the eighth plague and highlights the purpose of these judgments: that Israel may know Yahweh.

Pharaoh's servants, witnessing the ruin of Egypt, urge him to release the Israelites before they are completely destroyed. Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron back and asks who will go. Moses answers that everyone must go, young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds, because they must hold a feast to Yahweh. Pharaoh refuses, accusing them of evil intent, and insists that only the men may go. He drives them out. Then Yahweh commands Moses to stretch out his hand over Egypt for the locusts. Moses obeys, and an east wind brings locusts that cover the land, darken it, and eat every green thing left by the hail. Nothing green remains in all Egypt.

Pharaoh quickly calls for Moses and Aaron, confessing that he has sinned against Yahweh and against them. He begs for forgiveness and asks Moses to pray that this death be removed. Moses leaves and prays, and Yahweh sends a strong west wind that carries the locusts into the Red Sea, leaving none in Egypt. But Yahweh hardens Pharaoh's heart, and he does not let Israel go. Then Yahweh instructs Moses to stretch out his hand toward the sky to bring darkness over Egypt, a darkness that can be felt. Moses does so, and thick darkness covers the land for three days. People cannot see one another or move from their places, yet the children of Israel have light in their dwellings.

Pharaoh calls Moses and offers a compromise: the people may go, but the flocks and herds must stay behind. Moses refuses, insisting that not a hoof will be left behind because they must take sacrifices and burnt offerings to Yahweh, and they do not yet know what they will need to serve Him until they arrive. Yahweh hardens Pharaoh's heart, and he refuses to let them go. In a final exchange, Pharaoh warns Moses never to see his face again on pain of death. Moses agrees that he will not see Pharaoh's face again. The chapter ends with the relationship between Pharaoh and Moses irrevocably broken, and the stage set for the final plague.

Verses that carry the chapter

• “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 Yahweh.”” (Exodus 10:2) — This verse reveals God's purpose in the plagues: that Israel may tell future generations what He did in Egypt and know that He is Yahweh. It ties the events to remembrance and covenant identity.
• “Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” (Exodus 10:7)” (Exodus 10:7) — Pharaoh's own servants acknowledge that Egypt is destroyed and urge him to let the people go. Their words show that even those around Pharaoh recognize the futility of resistance.
• “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.” (Exodus 10:16) — Pharaoh confesses sin against Yahweh and against Moses and Aaron. This moment of apparent repentance is short-lived, illustrating the difference between remorse and true turning.
• “Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve Yahweh our God; and we don’t know with what we must serve Yahweh, until we come there.”” (Exodus 10:26) — Moses insists that not a hoof will be left behind because they must take sacrifices to Yahweh and do not yet know what will be required. This verse underscores total obedience and trust in God's provision.

Gospel connection

Exodus 10 continues the great contest between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt, showing that salvation belongs to God alone. The plagues are judgments that also serve to reveal God's power and to distinguish His people. Pharaoh's hardened heart and empty confessions point to the need for a greater deliverance than Moses could provide. The darkness that covered Egypt while Israel had light anticipates the ultimate separation between those who are in Christ and those who are not. The insistence that not a hoof be left behind foreshadows the complete redemption Christ accomplishes, leaving nothing of His people in bondage. The chapter drives us to see that God alone can soften hearts and bring His people out to worship Him.

Application

This chapter asks us to examine where we resist God's clear command. Pharaoh tried to negotiate partial obedience, keeping the flocks and herds as leverage. We may be tempted to follow God with reservations, holding back parts of our lives. Moses models wholehearted obedience, refusing to leave anything behind because God's service requires everything. The darkness also reminds us that those who reject God's light remain in blindness, while His people enjoy His presence. We are called to humble ourselves, to listen to wise counsel like Pharaoh's servants, and to trust that God will provide what we need for worship. Ultimately, we must rely on God to soften our hearts, for apart from His grace we too would harden.

Biblical fidelity check

The chapter does not tell us the exact time of day when Moses stretched out his hand for the locusts, nor does it describe the internal thoughts of Pharaoh beyond what he says. It does not claim that all Egyptians were equally hardened, only that Pharaoh and his servants were. The text does not explain how the darkness was felt, nor does it specify whether the three days of darkness were continuous or had intervals. It does not state that Pharaoh genuinely repented, only that he confessed sin and asked for prayer. The chapter does not record any response from the Israelites to the plagues, nor does it mention Moses' age or the date. It also does not say that Pharaoh's warning was carried out, only that Moses agreed not to see his face again.

Questions for study

1. Why does God tell Moses that He has hardened Pharaoh's heart and the hearts of his servants? What purpose does this serve according to verse 2?
2. How do Pharaoh's servants respond to the plague of locusts, and what does their advice reveal about the state of Egypt?
3. What compromise does Pharaoh offer in verses 10 and 11, and why does Moses reject it? What does this teach about partial obedience?
4. In verses 16 and 17, Pharaoh confesses sin and asks for prayer. How does his subsequent behavior in verses 20 and 27 help us understand the nature of his repentance?
5. What is the significance of the darkness that covered Egypt for three days while Israel had light? How does this contrast shape the story?

Keep reading

Related studies: Exodus 1 Bible Study, Exodus 11 Bible Study, Exodus 12 Bible Study, Exodus 13 Bible Study.

Subscribe for new Bible studies or support this work.

FAQ

Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?

The text says God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that His signs would be shown and recounted to future generations, and so that Israel would know that He is Yahweh. It also serves as judgment on Pharaoh's prior refusal to humble himself.

What were the eighth and ninth plagues?

The eighth plague was a swarm of locusts that covered the land and ate every green plant left after the hail. The ninth plague was thick darkness over Egypt for three days, while the Israelites had light in their dwellings.

Why did Moses insist that all the livestock go with them?

Moses said they must take sacrifices and burnt offerings to Yahweh, and they did not know what they would need to serve Him until they arrived. Therefore, not a hoof could be left behind.