Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Exodus 10 Study Notes

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General

Which description fits the ninth plague in 10:21-23?

Answer: Thick darkness over Egypt lasting three days, so people could not see one another or move from their places, while every Israelite home still had light

Without any warning to Pharaoh this time, God tells Moses to stretch his hand toward the sky, and a darkness so heavy it could be felt falls on all of Egypt (10:21-22). For three whole days people cannot see one another, and no one gets up from where he is. Yet every Israelite has light in the places where they live (10:23). God again treats His people differently from the Egyptians, as He had declared He would during the plague of flies (8:22-23). The Bible teaches that the LORD rules over light and darkness alike (Isaiah 45:7); Psalm 105 remembers that He sent this darkness (Psalm 105:28).

  • Exodus 10:21-23 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.”
    The ninth plague is a darkness so thick it can be felt, lasting three days, while Israel has light.
  • Psalm 105:28 (BSB)
    “He sent darkness, and it became dark—yet they defied His words.”
    The psalm remembers that God sent darkness on Egypt.
  • Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)
    “I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”
    The LORD declares that He forms light and creates darkness, so this plague is His doing.
  • Exodus 8:22-23 (BSB)
    “But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’””
    During the plague of flies God had declared that He would make a distinction between His people and the Egyptians.

Theological

How does 10:21-23 describe the ninth plague?

Answer: A palpable darkness over Egypt lasting three days, immobilizing the Egyptians, while every Israelite home remained lit

The ninth plague comes unannounced: at God's word Moses stretches his hand heavenward, and a darkness thick enough to be felt covers Egypt for three full days (10:21-22). The Egyptians cannot see one another or rise from their places, yet every Israelite home is lit (10:23). The plague continues the distinction between His people and Egypt that God announced at the plague of flies (8:22-23) and displays His sovereignty over light and darkness (Isaiah 45:7). Psalm 105:28 recalls the darkness as God's own sending.

  • Exodus 10:21-23 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.”
    The ninth plague is a darkness so thick it can be felt, lasting three days, while Israel has light.
  • Psalm 105:28 (BSB)
    “He sent darkness, and it became dark—yet they defied His words.”
    The psalm remembers that God sent darkness on Egypt.
  • Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)
    “I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”
    The LORD declares that He forms light and creates darkness, so this plague is His doing.
  • Exodus 8:22-23 (BSB)
    “But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’””
    During the plague of flies God had declared that He would make a distinction between His people and the Egyptians.

General

How did the locusts arrive in Egypt, according to 10:12-13?

Answer: Moses raised his staff, and the LORD made an eastern wind blow for a day and a night, bringing them by morning

God tells Moses to stretch his hand over Egypt so the locusts will come and eat every plant the hail had spared (10:12). Moses stretches out his staff, and the LORD makes a wind from the east blow over the country for a full day and night; by morning that wind has carried in the locusts (10:13). The text shows God using an ordinary part of creation, the wind, to carry out an extraordinary judgment. The wind is His servant, doing what He says (Psalm 148:8), and in the Gospels Jesus shows the same power when the wind obeys Him (Mark 4:41).

  • Exodus 10:12-13 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.” So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.”
    At God's command Moses stretches out his staff, and the LORD drives an east wind that brings the locusts by morning.
  • Psalm 148:8 (BSB)
    “lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,”
    Wind is listed among the created forces that carry out God's word, as the east wind does here.
  • Mark 4:41 (BSB)
    “Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?””
    The disciples marvel that the wind obeys Jesus, showing the same authority over wind that the LORD wields in Egypt.
  • Psalm 105:34-35 (BSB)
    “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.”
    The psalm credits the locust swarm directly to God's speaking.

Theological

By what means does 10:12-13 say the locusts were brought over Egypt?

Answer: Moses raised his staff and the LORD drove a wind from the east all day and night, which brought them by morning

Moses extends his staff at God's command (10:12), and the LORD directs an east wind over the land through the whole day and night, so that by morning the swarm has arrived (10:13). The text attributes the wind, and so the plague, to the LORD Himself. God's providence here works through a created means without making the judgment any less His own act: the wind fulfills His word (Psalm 148:8), and the swarm arrived because He spoke (Psalm 105:34-35). Christ's command over the wind (Mark 4:41) displays the same divine authority.

  • Exodus 10:12-13 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.” So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.”
    At God's command Moses stretches out his staff, and the LORD drives an east wind that brings the locusts by morning.
  • Psalm 148:8 (BSB)
    “lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,”
    Wind is listed among the created forces that carry out God's word, as the east wind does here.
  • Mark 4:41 (BSB)
    “Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?””
    The disciples marvel that the wind obeys Jesus, showing the same authority over wind that the LORD wields in Egypt.
  • Psalm 105:34-35 (BSB)
    “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.”
    The psalm credits the locust swarm directly to God's speaking.

General

At the start of Exodus 10, whom does the LORD say He has hardened?

Answer: Pharaoh and his officials

In 10:1 the LORD tells Moses to go to Pharaoh again and explains that He Himself has made both Pharaoh and the members of his court stubborn. To harden a heart means to make it stubborn and unwilling to yield. Only a few verses earlier, though, Pharaoh and his officials had also hardened their own hearts after the hail stopped (9:34-35). The Bible holds both truths together: God is in control even of a king's stubbornness, and Pharaoh is fully to blame for his own proud refusal. Paul uses Pharaoh as his example that God shows mercy to some and hardens others as He wills (Romans 9:17-18), yet God never pushes anyone toward evil (James 1:13).

  • Exodus 10:1 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”
    Before the eighth plague, the LORD tells Moses that He Himself has hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his court.
  • Exodus 9:34-35 (BSB)
    “When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.”
    Just before this, after the hail, Pharaoh sinned again and hardened his own heart along with his officials, so both sides of the hardening are in view.
  • Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)
    “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”
    Paul cites God's word to Pharaoh to show that God hardens whom He wills for the display of His power and name.
  • James 1:13 (BSB)
    “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”
    God never tempts anyone to evil, so His hardening never makes Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.

Theological

According to 10:1, whom has the LORD hardened ahead of the locust plague?

Answer: Pharaoh and his officials

In 10:1 the LORD announces that He has hardened the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants, extending the divine hardening already recorded in 9:12 to the whole court. The immediately preceding verses, however, record that Pharaoh sinned once more and stiffened his own heart together with his officials (9:34-35). Scripture thus presents concurrence: God sovereignly hardens whom He wills for the display of His power and name (Romans 9:17-18), while Pharaoh's obstinacy remains his own culpable sin. God is not the author of sin and tempts no one (James 1:13); the hardening is a righteous judicial act upon a heart already set against Him.

  • Exodus 10:1 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”
    Before the eighth plague, the LORD tells Moses that He Himself has hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his court.
  • Exodus 9:34-35 (BSB)
    “When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.”
    Just before this, after the hail, Pharaoh sinned again and hardened his own heart along with his officials, so both sides of the hardening are in view.
  • Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)
    “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”
    Paul cites God's word to Pharaoh to show that God hardens whom He wills for the display of His power and name.
  • James 1:13 (BSB)
    “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”
    God never tempts anyone to evil, so His hardening never makes Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.

General

What does Moses warn will happen if Pharaoh refuses again (10:4-6)?

Answer: Locusts will cover the ground and eat whatever the hail had spared, filling every house

Moses warns that if Pharaoh still refuses, locusts will arrive the next day (10:4). They will blanket the land so thickly that the ground cannot be seen, eat up whatever survived the hail, strip the trees, and swarm into the houses of Pharaoh, his officials, and all Egypt (10:5-6). Moses adds that nothing like it had been seen by any earlier generation in Egypt. After the hail had already destroyed much of Egypt's crops, this threat meant the loss of what little food remained. Psalm 105 remembers that the locusts came when God spoke and consumed the land's produce (Psalm 105:34-35).

  • Exodus 10:4-6 (BSB)
    “But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields. They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.”
    Moses announces the locust plague and describes how it will surpass anything Egypt had ever experienced.
  • Psalm 105:34-35 (BSB)
    “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.”
    The psalm recalls that the locusts came at God's word and devoured the produce of Egypt's land.
  • Exodus 9:16 (BSB)
    “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
    God's stated aim in the plagues is to display His power, which the unmatched scale of this plague serves.

Theological

What judgment does Moses announce in 10:4-6 if Pharaoh persists in refusing?

Answer: Locusts that would cover the land, consume everything the hail had spared, and fill every house

The locust threat (10:4-6) targets what remained of Egypt's food supply after the hail: the swarm would blanket the land, devour every surviving plant and tree, and invade the houses of Pharaoh, his servants, and all Egypt, a devastation unparalleled in Egypt's history. The escalation serves God's announced purpose of displaying His power (9:16). Psalm 105:34-35 recounts the plague as the effect of God's word: the swarm arrived at His command and stripped the land's produce.

  • Exodus 10:4-6 (BSB)
    “But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields. They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.”
    Moses announces the locust plague and describes how it will surpass anything Egypt had ever experienced.
  • Psalm 105:34-35 (BSB)
    “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.”
    The psalm recalls that the locusts came at God's word and devoured the produce of Egypt's land.
  • Exodus 9:16 (BSB)
    “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
    God's stated aim in the plagues is to display His power, which the unmatched scale of this plague serves.

General

How does the last face-to-face meeting in chapter 10 end (10:27-29)?

Answer: The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh warns Moses that he will die if he sees Pharaoh's face again, and Moses agrees he never will

The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart again, and Pharaoh refuses to let Israel go (10:27), just as God had foretold before the plagues began (7:3-4). Pharaoh orders Moses out and warns him that the day he sees Pharaoh's face again, he will die (10:28). Moses agrees that he will never see Pharaoh's face again (10:29). Before he actually walks out, Moses gives one last message about the death of the firstborn, and then leaves hot with anger (11:4-8). Moses shows no fear of the king's threat. Hebrews says that it was by faith that Moses departed from Egypt unafraid of the king's fury (Hebrews 11:27).

  • Exodus 10:27-29 (BSB)
    “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.” “As you say,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.””
    The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh threatens Moses with death if he appears again, and Moses agrees he will not.
  • Exodus 11:8 (BSB)
    “And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence.”
    Moses finishes his last announcement and then leaves Pharaoh's presence hot with anger.
  • Hebrews 11:27 (BSB)
    “By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
    By faith Moses left Egypt without fearing the king's anger, the same courage he shows in the face of Pharaoh's death threat.
  • Exodus 7:3-4 (BSB)
    “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.”
    God had foretold that He would harden Pharaoh's heart and multiply His signs before bringing Israel out.

Theological

How does the final interview of chapter 10 conclude (10:27-29)?

Answer: The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh threatens Moses with death should he see Pharaoh's face again, and Moses affirms he never will

Again the LORD is the subject of the hardening (10:27), in fulfillment of His announcement in 7:3-4. Pharaoh dismisses Moses under threat of death if he sees the king's face again (10:28), and Moses takes him at his word (10:29). The narrative then records Moses' closing announcement of the death of the firstborn before he departs in hot anger (11:4-8), so the exchange ends with the final judgment declared. Moses' fearlessness before the king's wrath fits what Hebrews 11:27 says of his departure from Egypt: by faith he did not fear the king's anger, for he saw the invisible God.

  • Exodus 10:27-29 (BSB)
    “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.” “As you say,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.””
    The LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh threatens Moses with death if he appears again, and Moses agrees he will not.
  • Exodus 11:8 (BSB)
    “And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence.”
    Moses finishes his last announcement and then leaves Pharaoh's presence hot with anger.
  • Hebrews 11:27 (BSB)
    “By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
    By faith Moses left Egypt without fearing the king's anger, the same courage he shows in the face of Pharaoh's death threat.
  • Exodus 7:3-4 (BSB)
    “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.”
    God had foretold that He would harden Pharaoh's heart and multiply His signs before bringing Israel out.

General

True or False: Exodus 10:20 says that after the locusts were removed, it was the LORD who made Pharaoh's heart hard, so that he refused to release Israel.

Answer: True

This is true. Once the locusts are gone, the text says it was the LORD who made Pharaoh's heart hard, and so Pharaoh would not release the Israelites (10:20). Earlier chapters also say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, for example after the flies were removed (8:32). Both are true at the same time: God rules even over a stubborn king's heart, and Pharaoh freely and guiltily chose his stubbornness. Paul points to Pharaoh to show that God shows mercy to some and hardens others as He chooses (Romans 9:17-18). Yet God never tempts anyone to do evil (James 1:13), so Pharaoh cannot blame God for his sin.

  • Exodus 10:20 (BSB)
    “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”
    After the locusts are removed, the text says the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart.
  • Exodus 8:32 (BSB)
    “But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.”
    Earlier, after the flies, the text says Pharaoh hardened his own heart, showing his own responsibility.
  • Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)
    “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”
    Paul teaches from Pharaoh's case that God hardens whom He wills.
  • James 1:13 (BSB)
    “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”
    God tempts no one to evil, so His hardening does not make Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.

Theological

True or False: In 10:20 the hardening of Pharaoh's heart after the locust plague is attributed to the LORD.

Answer: True

This is true. In 10:20 the LORD is the explicit subject of the hardening, with the result that Pharaoh would not release Israel. Earlier the text makes Pharaoh the subject, as after the flies (8:32). The two statements are not rival explanations but concurrent truths: God sovereignly hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:17-18), and Pharaoh's hardness is his own culpable rebellion. God's hardening is judicial, not a solicitation to evil, for He tempts no one (James 1:13).

  • Exodus 10:20 (BSB)
    “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”
    After the locusts are removed, the text says the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart.
  • Exodus 8:32 (BSB)
    “But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.”
    Earlier, after the flies, the text says Pharaoh hardened his own heart, showing his own responsibility.
  • Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)
    “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”
    Paul teaches from Pharaoh's case that God hardens whom He wills.
  • James 1:13 (BSB)
    “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”
    God tempts no one to evil, so His hardening does not make Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.

General

Why does Moses refuse to leave the livestock behind (10:25-26)?

Answer: Because they would need animals to sacrifice, and they would not know what worship God required until they arrived

Moses answers that Pharaoh himself must even give them animals for sacrifice and whole burnt offerings for the LORD (10:25). All the livestock must come; not even one animal will stay, because some of them will be used to worship God, and Israel will not know exactly what the LORD requires until they reach the place of worship (10:26). Moses will not let Pharaoh decide how God is to be worshiped. God Himself sets the terms of worship, as the death of Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire later shows (Leviticus 10:1-3), and Jesus taught that the Father seeks worshipers who worship Him in truth (John 4:23-24).

  • Exodus 10:25-26 (BSB)
    “But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.””
    Moses insists every animal must go, since Israel will not know what the LORD requires for worship until they arrive.
  • Leviticus 10:1-3 (BSB)
    “Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.”
    Nadab and Abihu die for offering fire God had not commanded, showing that God Himself sets the terms of worship.
  • John 4:23-24 (BSB)
    “But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.””
    Jesus teaches that the Father seeks worshipers who worship Him as He is, in spirit and truth.

Theological

What reason does Moses give in 10:25-26 for taking every animal?

Answer: Some would be sacrificed, and the required offerings would be known only on arrival

Moses rejects the compromise: Pharaoh must even supply animals for sacrifice and whole offerings, and all Israel's livestock must go, not a hoof remaining, because the required offerings will be known only when they arrive to serve the LORD (10:25-26). Worship is regulated by God's revealed will, not negotiated with Pharaoh. The later judgment on Nadab and Abihu for unauthorized fire (Leviticus 10:1-3) shows how seriously God guards the terms of His worship, and Christ teaches that the Father seeks true worshipers, whose worship accords with who He is and with the truth (John 4:23-24).

  • Exodus 10:25-26 (BSB)
    “But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.””
    Moses insists every animal must go, since Israel will not know what the LORD requires for worship until they arrive.
  • Leviticus 10:1-3 (BSB)
    “Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent.”
    Nadab and Abihu die for offering fire God had not commanded, showing that God Himself sets the terms of worship.
  • John 4:23-24 (BSB)
    “But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.””
    Jesus teaches that the Father seeks worshipers who worship Him as He is, in spirit and truth.

General

True or False: After hearing the locust warning, Pharaoh's own officials urged him to release the Israelites, telling him Egypt was already ruined.

Answer: True

This is true. After Moses walks out, Pharaoh's officials ask how long Moses will be a trap for them and plead with the king to release the Israelites so they can serve their God (10:7). They ask whether he still fails to see that Egypt is already destroyed. Even Pharaoh's own court now recognizes what his stubbornness is costing the country; some of them had already taken God's warning seriously during the hail (9:20). Pharaoh does call Moses back (10:8), but he still will not release the whole people as his own advisers urged, which shows how hard his heart had become (Proverbs 29:1).

  • Exodus 10:7 (BSB)
    “Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt lies in ruins?””
    Pharaoh's own court pleads with him to release the Israelites before Egypt is destroyed.
  • Exodus 9:20 (BSB)
    “Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,”
    Some of Pharaoh's officials had already feared the LORD's word during the hail and sheltered their servants and livestock.
  • Proverbs 29:1 (BSB)
    “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.”
    A man who stays stubborn after repeated warning is suddenly broken, which fits Pharaoh refusing to yield fully even when his own advisers pleaded with him.

Theological

True or False: In 10:7 Pharaoh's officials press him to release the Israelites, arguing that Egypt already lies in ruins.

Answer: True

This is true. Pharaoh's servants call Moses a snare to Egypt and urge the king to release the Israelites to serve their God, asking whether he still does not grasp that Egypt is ruined (10:7). The court's growing fear of God's word was already visible when some officials hurried their slaves and animals indoors before the hail (9:20). Although Pharaoh recalls Moses in response (10:8), he still withholds the full release his counselors urged, the pattern of the one who stiffens his neck after repeated reproof and is suddenly broken (Proverbs 29:1).

  • Exodus 10:7 (BSB)
    “Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt lies in ruins?””
    Pharaoh's own court pleads with him to release the Israelites before Egypt is destroyed.
  • Exodus 9:20 (BSB)
    “Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,”
    Some of Pharaoh's officials had already feared the LORD's word during the hail and sheltered their servants and livestock.
  • Proverbs 29:1 (BSB)
    “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.”
    A man who stays stubborn after repeated warning is suddenly broken, which fits Pharaoh refusing to yield fully even when his own advisers pleaded with him.

General

After the darkness, what new offer does Pharaoh make (10:24)?

Answer: Everyone may go, including the little ones, but the sheep and cattle must remain in Egypt

Pharaoh calls Moses and now allows the whole people, children included, to go and serve the LORD, but he insists that their flocks and herds stay behind (10:24). This is his last attempt at a compromise. Earlier he had tried to keep Israel from going far (8:28) and then had tried to keep the families back (10:11). Keeping the animals would still give Pharaoh a hold on Israel, and it would leave them with nothing to sacrifice, even though God's demand from the start was that they go and offer sacrifices to Him in the wilderness (3:18).

  • Exodus 10:24 (BSB)
    “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.””
    Pharaoh now allows the children to go but insists the flocks and herds stay.
  • Exodus 8:28 (BSB)
    “Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.””
    Pharaoh's earlier offer also set limits, telling Israel not to go very far.
  • Exodus 3:18 (BSB)
    “The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”
    God's original demand was to go into the wilderness to sacrifice, which required their animals.

Theological

What is Pharaoh's final compromise offer, in 10:24?

Answer: Release of the entire people, little ones included, with the flocks and herds kept back

Pharaoh's concession after the darkness extends the release to the little ones but retains the flocks and herds (10:24). It is the last of a series of partial offers: sacrifice within the land or not far away (8:25-28), the men only (10:11), and now the people without their livestock. Retaining the animals would secure Israel's return and deprive them of the very sacrifices God required when He first sent Moses (3:18).

  • Exodus 10:24 (BSB)
    “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.””
    Pharaoh now allows the children to go but insists the flocks and herds stay.
  • Exodus 8:28 (BSB)
    “Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.””
    Pharaoh's earlier offer also set limits, telling Israel not to go very far.
  • Exodus 3:18 (BSB)
    “The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”
    God's original demand was to go into the wilderness to sacrifice, which required their animals.

General

What does Pharaoh say when he quickly summons Moses and Aaron during the locust plague (10:16-17)?

Answer: He admits his sin against the LORD and against the two of them, asks forgiveness once more, and asks them to pray that the deadly plague be removed

Pharaoh hurries to summon Moses and Aaron, admitting that he has done wrong against their God and against them (10:16). He asks for forgiveness just this once more and begs them to pray that God would take away this deadly plague (10:17). But he had said much the same thing during the hail and then went back on his word (9:27-28, 34). His words sound like repentance, but what he really wants is relief from the plague. Paul describes this kind of sorrow: worldly sorrow is only sadness about consequences, while godly sorrow leads to a real change of heart (2 Corinthians 7:10). King Saul later confessed his sin in a similar way while excusing it by blaming his fear of the people (1 Samuel 15:24-25).

  • Exodus 10:16-17 (BSB)
    “Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.””
    Pharaoh hurriedly calls Moses and Aaron back, admits his sin, and asks them to pray for the plague to be removed.
  • Exodus 9:27-28 (BSB)
    “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.””
    Pharaoh had made almost the same confession during the hail and then broken his word.
  • 2 Corinthians 7:10 (BSB)
    “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
    Paul distinguishes godly sorrow that leads to repentance from worldly sorrow, which is what Pharaoh shows.
  • 1 Samuel 15:24-25 (BSB)
    “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.””
    King Saul also confessed sin and asked for forgiveness, yet excused himself by pointing to his fear of the people.

Theological

What does Pharaoh's confession in 10:16-17 consist of?

Answer: An admission of sin against the LORD and against Moses and Aaron, a plea for forgiveness once more, and a request for prayer to remove this death

Pharaoh urgently summons Moses and Aaron, confesses sin against the LORD and against them, asks pardon once more, and requests intercession for the removal of this death (10:16-17). The confession echoes his words during the hail, which he promptly retracted (9:27-28, 34). It is attrition driven by consequence rather than repentance that turns from sin to God; Paul distinguishes the worldly sorrow that produces death from the godly sorrow that produces repentance unto salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). Saul's confession to Samuel (1 Samuel 15:24-25) is a parallel instance of acknowledging sin while excusing it by appeal to fear of the people.

  • Exodus 10:16-17 (BSB)
    “Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.””
    Pharaoh hurriedly calls Moses and Aaron back, admits his sin, and asks them to pray for the plague to be removed.
  • Exodus 9:27-28 (BSB)
    “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.””
    Pharaoh had made almost the same confession during the hail and then broken his word.
  • 2 Corinthians 7:10 (BSB)
    “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
    Paul distinguishes godly sorrow that leads to repentance from worldly sorrow, which is what Pharaoh shows.
  • 1 Samuel 15:24-25 (BSB)
    “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.””
    King Saul also confessed sin and asked for forgiveness, yet excused himself by pointing to his fear of the people.

General

What reasons does God give in 10:1-2 for the miraculous signs against Egypt?

Answer: To display His signs and so that Israel would retell them to their descendants and know He is the LORD

God explains that the signs were meant to be performed among the Egyptians and to become a story Israel would pass down (10:1-2). Moses was to recount to his descendants the severe way God had dealt with Egypt, so that every generation would know that He is the LORD. The plagues were not only about getting Israel out of Egypt; they were about making God known. Later Scripture carries out this plan: Israel's songs and teaching recount these works for children not yet born (Psalm 78:4-7), and parents were to explain God's mighty acts when their children asked (Deuteronomy 6:20-23).

  • Exodus 10:1-2 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.””
    God gives His reasons for the signs: to perform them among the Egyptians and so that Israel would retell them.
  • Psalm 78:4-7 (BSB)
    “We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.”
    Israel's psalmist commits to passing God's mighty works on to generations not yet born, exactly the purpose given in 10:2.
  • Deuteronomy 6:20-23 (BSB)
    “In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?” then you are to tell him, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household. But He brought us out from there to lead us in and give us the land that He had sworn to our fathers.”
    Parents are told to answer their children's questions by recounting the signs God did against Pharaoh.
  • Exodus 9:16 (BSB)
    “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
    God states that He raised Pharaoh up so that His power would be shown and His name proclaimed throughout the earth.

Theological

What purposes for the signs does God state in 10:1-2?

Answer: To display His signs and to make them a memorial Israel would recount to its descendants, that they might know He is the LORD

The hardening serves God's self-revelation (10:1-2). God multiplies His signs among the Egyptians and makes them a deposit of covenant memory: Israel is to recount to its descendants how He dealt with Egypt, so that all may know that He is the LORD. The same purpose is stated to Pharaoh in 9:16, where God raised him up to display His power and publish His name throughout the world. Israel's worship and catechesis took up this mandate (Psalm 78:4-7; Deuteronomy 6:20-23), rehearsing the exodus to generations yet unborn.

  • Exodus 10:1-2 (BSB)
    “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.””
    God gives His reasons for the signs: to perform them among the Egyptians and so that Israel would retell them.
  • Psalm 78:4-7 (BSB)
    “We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.”
    Israel's psalmist commits to passing God's mighty works on to generations not yet born, exactly the purpose given in 10:2.
  • Deuteronomy 6:20-23 (BSB)
    “In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?” then you are to tell him, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household. But He brought us out from there to lead us in and give us the land that He had sworn to our fathers.”
    Parents are told to answer their children's questions by recounting the signs God did against Pharaoh.
  • Exodus 9:16 (BSB)
    “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
    God states that He raised Pharaoh up so that His power would be shown and His name proclaimed throughout the earth.

General

What question does the LORD put to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron in 10:3?

Answer: How long he would refuse to humble himself before God

God's message in 10:3 goes to the root of the problem: Pharaoh's pride. God asks him how long he will keep refusing to humble himself before Him, then repeats the command to let His people go to worship Him. Pharaoh's stubbornness is not a misunderstanding; it is a proud heart setting itself against God. Scripture warns that God sets Himself against the proud (James 4:6) and that pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar later learned the same lesson, confessing that God can bring the proud low (Daniel 4:37).

  • Exodus 10:3 (BSB)
    “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told 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, so that they may worship Me.”
    Moses and Aaron bring God's question to Pharaoh, exposing his pride.
  • James 4:6 (BSB)
    “But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””
    God sets Himself against the proud, which is exactly the posture Pharaoh keeps taking.
  • Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)
    “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
    Pride leads to ruin, as Pharaoh's refusals lead to the ruin of Egypt.
  • Daniel 4:37 (BSB)
    “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
    Another pagan king confesses that God is able to bring low those who walk in pride.

Theological

What does God's question to Pharaoh in 10:3 identify as the root of his resistance?

Answer: His refusal to humble himself before the LORD

The LORD's question in 10:3 diagnoses Pharaoh's resistance as pride: he will not humble himself before God. The demand itself is unchanged (release My people to serve Me), but the question exposes the moral character of Pharaoh's refusal. God resists the proud (James 4:6), and pride precedes destruction (Proverbs 16:18), as Egypt's ruin will show. Nebuchadnezzar's confession that God can bring the arrogant low (Daniel 4:37) states the same principle from the mouth of another humbled monarch.

  • Exodus 10:3 (BSB)
    “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told 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, so that they may worship Me.”
    Moses and Aaron bring God's question to Pharaoh, exposing his pride.
  • James 4:6 (BSB)
    “But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””
    God sets Himself against the proud, which is exactly the posture Pharaoh keeps taking.
  • Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)
    “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
    Pride leads to ruin, as Pharaoh's refusals lead to the ruin of Egypt.
  • Daniel 4:37 (BSB)
    “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
    Another pagan king confesses that God is able to bring low those who walk in pride.

General

True or False: The text says the locust swarm left some green plants in Egypt so that people would not starve.

Answer: False

This is false. The swarm was larger than any before it or after it; the locusts covered the ground until it turned black, ate every plant and every piece of fruit the hail had spared, and not a single green leaf remained on tree or plant anywhere in Egypt (10:14-15). The destruction was total. Psalm 105 remembers the same result: the locusts devoured every plant and the produce of the land (Psalm 105:34-35). The prophet Joel later describes a coming invasion with similar never-before, never-again language (Joel 2:2).

  • Exodus 10:14-15 (BSB)
    “The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”
    The locusts blanket all Egypt in unmatched numbers and leave nothing green behind.
  • Joel 2:2 (BSB)
    “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.”
    Joel describes a later locust-like invasion in similar never-before-and-never-again terms, echoing this plague.
  • Psalm 105:34-35 (BSB)
    “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.”
    The psalm recalls that the locusts devoured every plant and all the produce of Egypt's soil.

Theological

True or False: According to 10:14-15, some green vegetation survived the locust plague.

Answer: False

This is false. The text stresses the plague's totality: an unprecedented and never-repeated swarm darkened the land, consumed every plant and all fruit left by the hail, and left nothing green on tree or plant throughout Egypt (10:14-15). Psalm 105:34-35 recalls the same complete devastation of the land's produce, and Joel 2:2 uses the same superlative idiom for the eschatological invasion of the day of the LORD.

  • Exodus 10:14-15 (BSB)
    “The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”
    The locusts blanket all Egypt in unmatched numbers and leave nothing green behind.
  • Joel 2:2 (BSB)
    “a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.”
    Joel describes a later locust-like invasion in similar never-before-and-never-again terms, echoing this plague.
  • Psalm 105:34-35 (BSB)
    “He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.”
    The psalm recalls that the locusts devoured every plant and all the produce of Egypt's soil.

General

How were the locusts removed from Egypt (10:18-19)?

Answer: After Moses prayed, the LORD reversed the wind, and a powerful wind from the west carried them off to the Red Sea, leaving none

Moses leaves Pharaoh and prays to the LORD (10:18). God answers by turning the wind around into a fierce wind from the west that lifts the swarm and hurls it into the waters of the Red Sea, so that not one locust is left anywhere in Egypt (10:19). The same God who brought the locusts with an east wind removes them with a west wind. Wind obeys Him (Psalm 148:8), and Jesus showed that same power when wind and sea obeyed Him (Mark 4:41). Moses' prayer is also answered at once, a picture of how powerful a righteous person's prayer is (James 5:16).

  • Exodus 10:18-19 (BSB)
    “So Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the LORD. And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.”
    Moses prays, and the LORD reverses the wind so that every locust is swept into the Red Sea.
  • Psalm 148:8 (BSB)
    “lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,”
    The wind carries out God's word both in bringing and in removing the plague.
  • Mark 4:41 (BSB)
    “Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?””
    Jesus' command over wind and sea shows the same lordship the LORD exercises here.
  • James 5:16 (BSB)
    “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.”
    The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, as Moses' intercession is here.

Theological

According to 10:18-19, how did the locust plague end?

Answer: In answer to Moses' prayer the LORD reversed the wind, and a violent wind from the west drove every locust off to the Red Sea

Moses intercedes (10:18), and the LORD reverses the wind into a violent wind from the west that sweeps the entire swarm away to the Red Sea, leaving no locust in Egypt (10:19). The plague's arrival and removal are equally the LORD's doing through the wind that fulfills His word (Psalm 148:8), an authority Christ exercises over wind and sea (Mark 4:41). The immediate answer to Moses' intercession illustrates the efficacy of a righteous man's prayer (James 5:16).

  • Exodus 10:18-19 (BSB)
    “So Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the LORD. And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.”
    Moses prays, and the LORD reverses the wind so that every locust is swept into the Red Sea.
  • Psalm 148:8 (BSB)
    “lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,”
    The wind carries out God's word both in bringing and in removing the plague.
  • Mark 4:41 (BSB)
    “Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?””
    Jesus' command over wind and sea shows the same lordship the LORD exercises here.
  • James 5:16 (BSB)
    “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.”
    The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, as Moses' intercession is here.

General

When Pharaoh asks who will go, what does Moses answer, and what does Pharaoh offer instead (10:8-11)?

Answer: Moses says young and old, sons and daughters, sheep and cattle must all go; Pharaoh offers to let only the men go

Pharaoh brings Moses and Aaron back and asks exactly who plans to go (10:8). Moses answers that everyone must go, from the youngest to the oldest, sons and daughters, along with their flocks and herds, because they must hold a festival for the LORD (10:9). Pharaoh refuses. He says the Israelites are plotting evil and offers to let only the men go worship, and then he has Moses and Aaron driven out (10:10-11). Keeping the women and children behind would ensure that the men came back. It is another half-way offer, like his earlier attempts to keep Israel close (8:25-28), while God's demand from the start was for His people to journey out to the wilderness to offer sacrifice to Him (3:18).

  • Exodus 10:8-11 (BSB)
    “So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?” “We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.” Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil. No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.”
    Pharaoh asks who will go, rejects Moses' answer that everyone and all the livestock must go, and offers to release only the men.
  • Exodus 3:18 (BSB)
    “The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”
    From the start God's demand was for Israel to go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to Him.
  • Exodus 8:25-28 (BSB)
    “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.””
    Pharaoh had earlier tried a similar compromise, first proposing sacrifice within Egypt and then only a short distance away.

Theological

In the negotiation of 10:8-11, what does Moses require and what does Pharaoh counter-offer?

Answer: Moses requires all Israel, young and old, with flocks and herds; Pharaoh offers to release only the men

Pharaoh reopens talks by asking precisely who is to go (10:8). Moses' answer is total: young and old, sons and daughters, sheep and cattle, since the festival for the LORD requires the whole covenant people (10:9). Pharaoh sarcastically invokes the LORD's presence against the idea, accuses them of evil intent, limits the release to the men, and expels Moses and Aaron (10:10-11). Holding the families hostage would ensure Israel's return. The counter-offer continues the pattern of partial compromise seen in 8:25-28, whereas God's summons from the beginning was for His people to go into the wilderness to sacrifice to Him (3:18).

  • Exodus 10:8-11 (BSB)
    “So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?” “We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.” Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil. No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.”
    Pharaoh asks who will go, rejects Moses' answer that everyone and all the livestock must go, and offers to release only the men.
  • Exodus 3:18 (BSB)
    “The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’”
    From the start God's demand was for Israel to go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to Him.
  • Exodus 8:25-28 (BSB)
    “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.””
    Pharaoh had earlier tried a similar compromise, first proposing sacrifice within Egypt and then only a short distance away.