Exodus 10:21
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.
Original Language Analysis
יְהוָ֜ה
And the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֜ה
And the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 15
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
נְטֵ֤ה
Stretch out
H5186
נְטֵ֤ה
Stretch out
Strong's:
H5186
Word #:
5 of 15
to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
יָֽדְךָ֙
thine hand
H3027
יָֽדְךָ֙
thine hand
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
6 of 15
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
7 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
toward heaven
H8064
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
toward heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
8 of 15
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
וִ֥יהִי
H1961
וִ֥יהִי
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
9 of 15
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
even darkness
H2822
חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
even darkness
Strong's:
H2822
Word #:
10 of 15
the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
11 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
2 Peter 2:4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;2 Peter 2:17These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.Luke 23:44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.Jude 1:6And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.Psalms 105:28He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.Proverbs 4:19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.Mark 15:33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.Exodus 9:22And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.Matthew 27:45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.Deuteronomy 28:29And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
Historical Context
Ra, the sun god, was Pharaoh's divine father and Egypt's supreme deity. His daily journey across sky sustained cosmic order (ma'at). Three days of darkness demonstrated Ra's impotence and YHWH's absolute supremacy over Egypt's highest god.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this plague reveal the ultimate showdown between YHWH and Egypt's gods?
- What does the light in Goshen symbolize about God's people?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Verse 21 introduces the plague of darkness, directly targeting Ra, Egypt's supreme sun god. Darkness covered Egypt for three days—'darkness which may be felt' (v.21)—while Israel had light in Goshen. This penultimate plague strikes at Egypt's chief deity.