Exodus 10:5 kjv
And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
Exodus 10:5 nkjv
And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field.
Exodus 10:5 niv
They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.
Exodus 10:5 esv
and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field,
Exodus 10:5 nlt
They will cover the land so that you won't be able to see the ground. They will devour what little is left of your crops after the hailstorm, including all the trees growing in the fields.
Exodus 10 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 9:25 | "The hail struck down everything... all the plants of the field and stripped every tree of the field." | Precedes and sets up Exo 10:5's "remains." |
| Joel 1:4 | "What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left..." | Cumulative destructive power of locusts. |
| Joel 1:6-7 | "For a nation has come up against my land... It has laid waste my vines and splintered my fig trees." | Describes total agricultural devastation. |
| Psa 78:46 | "He gave their crops to the grasshopper and their toil to the locust." | God sending plagues of insects as judgment. |
| Psa 105:34-35 | "He spoke, and there came locusts... they ate up all the vegetation in their land." | Affirmation of God's control over the plagues. |
| Deut 28:38-40 | "You shall carry much seed out into the field and gather little in, for the locust shall devour it." | Locusts as a curse for disobedience. |
| 1 Kin 8:37 | "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar..." | Locusts as a form of divine judgment/curse. |
| Rev 9:3 | "Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and to them was given power..." | Symbolic depiction of locusts in end times judgment. |
| Exo 8:6 | "Frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt." | Parallels in pervasive covering of plagues. |
| Exo 9:26 | "Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail." | Distinction of God's people amidst judgment. |
| Gen 41:25-27 | "The seven thin ears devour the seven plenteous years." | Devastation of food supply by "eating." |
| Hag 2:17 | "I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you did not turn to me." | Previous warnings that didn't lead to repentance. |
| Mal 3:11 | "I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil." | God's power to send and withhold destroyers. |
| Amo 4:9 | "I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured." | Locusts as God's instrument for discipline. |
| Isa 32:10 | "For the vintage will fail, the grape harvest will not come." | Description of agricultural ruin. |
| Pro 30:27 | "The locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank." | Highlighting the overwhelming numbers of locusts. |
| Jer 14:1-6 | Describes a severe drought, leading to food scarcity. | Connects natural disaster to divine action. |
| Lam 2:16 | "All your foes revile you... they say, 'We have swallowed her up!'" | Metaphorical "eating" as complete destruction. |
| Neh 9:36-37 | "We are slaves in the land that you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit... its rich produce goes to the kings..." | Foreign oppression leading to lack of produce. |
| Eze 12:20 | "The land shall be despoiled of all that fills it." | The result of widespread destruction. |
| Hab 3:17 | "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines... yet I will rejoice in the Lord." | Acknowledging devastation but maintaining faith. |
Exodus 10 verses
Exodus 10 5 Meaning
Exodus 10:5 describes the specific devastating effect of the impending locust plague as declared by Moses to Pharaoh. It warns that the locusts will be so numerous they will entirely obscure the ground, making it invisible. Furthermore, they will consume every remaining plant and tree that survived the previous plague of hail, ensuring complete agricultural destruction across the land of Egypt. This forecast highlights the utter totality of God's judgment against Pharaoh's defiance.
Exodus 10 5 Context
Exodus 10:5 is part of the seventh dialogue between Moses, Aaron, and Pharaoh concerning the liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Specifically, it is Moses' declaration to Pharaoh regarding the impending eighth plague: the locusts. Pharaoh had remained hardened after the seven preceding plagues, including the devastating hail plague (Exo 9:13-35) that had destroyed crops and livestock. Pharaoh's officials urged him to release the Israelites (Exo 10:7), but Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let all of Israel go, only offering partial concessions which were rejected by Moses (Exo 10:8-11). This verse warns of the locusts' specific purpose: to finish the destruction of any remaining vegetation that the hail had left, signaling a cumulative judgment designed to utterly cripple Egypt's sustenance and break Pharaoh's will, while demonstrating Yahweh's absolute power over nature and life, thereby challenging the gods of Egypt who supposedly governed agriculture and fertility.
Exodus 10 5 Word analysis
- And they shall cover (וְכִסָּה, v'khissah): From the Hebrew root כסה (kasah), meaning "to cover, conceal, overwhelm." This is an active and powerful verb. Its significance here is two-fold: physically obscuring the land due to their immense number, and symbolically overwhelming Egypt, suggesting no escape or hiding from the plague's effects. It implies an invading, swarming force that takes possession.
- the face of the earth (אֶת־עֵין הָאָרֶץ, et-ʿên hāʾāreṣ): The term עֵין (ʿên) literally means "eye" but is also idiomatically used for "surface," "appearance," or "face" of something, particularly the land. This highlights a complete and pervasive coverage, not just on but over the land, as far as the eye can see, mirroring the later plague of darkness by making the very ground indiscernible.
- so that one cannot see the earth (וְלֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת אֶת־הָאָרֶץ, v'lo yukhal lir'ot et-ha'aretz): Emphasizes the sheer, unimaginable multitude of locusts. The overwhelming number renders the ground invisible, causing not just agricultural damage but a complete disruption of the visible landscape. It's a statement of sensory deprivation and horror, signifying total dominance by the locusts.
- and they shall eat (וְאָכַל, v'ʾākhal): A simple but powerful verb for "to eat" or "to consume." Here it denotes destructive consumption. The locusts are not merely covering; they are actively devouring, demonstrating a direct attack on Egypt's lifeblood.
- every green thing (אֶת־כָּל־יֶקֶם הָאָרֶץ, et-kol-yeqem haʾāreṣ): The crucial word here is יֶקֶם (yeqem), meaning "that which remains," or "standing crop," or "all living growth." It’s significant because it specifies what was left after the previous, devastating hail plague. This emphasizes the cumulative, targeted nature of the plagues, leaving Egypt utterly barren. This targets their primary sustenance.
- which remains to you (אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאַר לָכֶם, asher nish'ar lakhem): Reinforces the meaning of yeqem. This specifies the target: not just random plants, but the precious, few things that belonged to them and had managed to survive the previous calamity. This shows the precision and deliberateness of God's judgment.
- from the hail (מִן־הַבָּרָד, min-habbārād): This directly connects the locust plague to the seventh plague, the hail (Exo 9:13-35). It highlights that the locusts are sent to complete the agricultural ruin already initiated, demonstrating a progressive, escalating judgment intended to remove all means of support from the land and Pharaoh's people.
- and shall eat every tree (וְאָכַל אֶת־כָּל־הָעֵץ, v'ʾākhal et-kol-hāʿēṣ): Trees represent more durable, long-term vegetation and sustenance (fruit, shade, timber). Their consumption by locusts indicates a destruction so thorough that even resilient plants are devastated, impacting Egypt's economy and landscape for years. This underscores the unparalleled severity of this plague.
- which grows for you out of the field (הַצֹּמֵחַ לָכֶם מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה, haṣṣomēaḥ lakhem min-hassadeh): Haṣṣomēaḥ means "that which sprouts" or "grows." "Out of the field" specifies agricultural land. This confirms the direct impact on Egyptian farming and livelihoods. It also implies God’s total control over nature's capacity to yield sustenance. The emphasis "for you" reiterates that this judgment is directed precisely against Pharaoh and his people, against what sustains them.
Exodus 10 5 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for locust (אַרְבֶּה, ʾarbeh) appears prominently in the biblical plague narrative. In ancient Near Eastern understanding, vast locust swarms were synonymous with utter disaster, representing God's disciplinary hand or even destructive armies. The promise in Exodus 10:5 not only highlights the visual and material destruction but carries psychological weight; Egyptians would wake to a land unrecognizable, barren, and obscured, intensifying their despair and highlighting Pharaoh's futile struggle against the Creator of the heavens and earth. This plague served as a final economic blow to Egypt's agricultural-based economy before the decisive blow against their firstborn.
Exodus 10 5 Commentary
Exodus 10:5 presents a vivid and terrifying prophecy of the locust plague, building upon the devastation wrought by the previous hail plague. It is a masterful stroke in God's escalating display of power, meticulously targeting Egypt's agricultural foundation, which was their lifeblood and source of wealth. The detail of the locusts covering the "face of the earth" until "one cannot see the earth" speaks to an unprecedented swarm, effectively blinding the land and its inhabitants, a prelude to the literal darkness of the ninth plague. The critical phrase "every green thing which remains to you from the hail" reveals a precise, cumulative judgment. The locusts are not a random calamity but an instrument designed to complete the ruin, demonstrating God's foreknowledge and methodical precision.
This plague served as a direct polemic against Egypt's pantheon of gods. Egyptian deities like Min (fertility), Isis (agriculture and abundance), Seth (disorder but also protector of crops from some pests), and even Ra (who nourished life) were utterly impotent to prevent this widespread desolation. Yahweh's locusts demonstrate absolute sovereignty over creation, directly nullifying the perceived powers of the false gods. The verse underscores Pharaoh's unwavering defiance, as even after witnessing previous catastrophic plagues, he continued to resist. This further emphasizes God's sovereign hand in hardening Pharaoh's heart (Exo 9:12, 10:1-2), ensuring His power is magnified to His people and all the nations (Exo 9:16). The outcome for Egypt would be utter famine and a land stripped bare, a stark illustration of the consequences of rejecting the true God.