Exodus 10 6

Exodus 10:6 kjv

And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:6 nkjv

They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians?which neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.' " And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:6 niv

They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians?something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.'?" Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:6 esv

and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.'" Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:6 nlt

They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!" And with that, Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

Exodus 10 verses

Exodus 10 6 Meaning

Exodus 10:6 conveys God's escalated and unprecedented judgment on Egypt through a devastating plague of locusts. Moses warns Pharaoh that these locusts will overwhelm every private dwelling, every public building, and the entirety of Egyptian territory. This calamitous event is prophesied to be unlike anything experienced or even remembered by any generation in Egypt's history, highlighting its unparalleled severity as a divine act.

Exodus 10 6 Context

Exodus chapter 10 recounts the eighth and ninth plagues against Egypt: locusts and darkness. Verse 6 specifically articulates the devastating scope of the impending locust plague as Moses's direct warning to Pharaoh and his court. This prophecy comes after Pharaoh has stubbornly refused to let Israel go despite previous, severe plagues, including the hailstorm that devastated crops (Ex 9:25). The locust plague, therefore, is an escalation targeting the very sustenance of Egypt, consuming any crops the hail had spared, ensuring total agricultural destruction. It also represents a direct challenge to Egyptian deities associated with harvest, fertility, and the well-being of the land, demonstrating the Lord's absolute supremacy over these gods and over all of creation.

Exodus 10 6 Word analysis

• And they shall fill (וּמָלְא֖וּ, ūmālʾû): From the root מלא (malaʾ), meaning 'to fill,' 'be full,' or 'to be accomplished.' Here, it suggests an overwhelming, complete inundation. It implies that the locusts will not merely cover but utterly occupy every available space, making it impossible to exist or function. This indicates the oppressive and pervasive nature of the coming judgment.
• thy houses (בָּתֶּ֑יךָ, bātêḵā): Refers to the private dwellings of Pharaoh. The plural emphasizes the extent to all buildings. The shift from plagues primarily affecting outside lands (rivers, fields, livestock) to invading personal residences is a significant escalation. It breaches the sacredness of personal space, making escape impossible and illustrating God's capacity to invade the most intimate areas of life as judgment.
• and the houses of all thy servants (וּבָתֵּ֥י כָל־עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ, ūvātê ḵāl-ʿăvādeḵā): Extends the warning from Pharaoh's own home to those of his officials and advisors. This highlights the widespread nature of the judgment, showing that no level of Egyptian society, from the highest ruler to his immediate subordinates, will be spared. It directly impacts the powerful who might otherwise feel shielded.
• and the houses of all the Egyptians (וּבָתֵּ֖י כָּל־מִצְרָֽיִם, ūvātê kāl-miṣrāyim): Expands the scope further to every Egyptian, underscoring the universal and comprehensive nature of this judgment across the entire populace. This signifies a national disaster, leaving no segment of society untouched by the severity of God's hand.
• which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen (אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־רָא֤וּ אֲבֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ וַאֲב֣וֹת אֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ, ʾăšer lōʾ-rāʾû ʾăvōteḵā waʾăvōt ʾăvōteḵā): This phrase, literally "which your fathers and the fathers of your fathers have not seen," is a Hebrew idiom denoting an event entirely unprecedented in historical memory or tradition, covering many generations. It emphasizes the extraordinary nature of the plague, marking it as beyond any human experience or record. It declares that God is performing a new, never-before-witnessed act of judgment.
• since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day (מִיּוֹם֩ הֱי֨וֹתָם עַל־הָאֲדָמָה֙ עַד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה, mīyôm heyiôtām ʿal-hāʾădāmāh ʿad hayyôm hazzêh): This strengthens the preceding phrase, extending the unprecedented nature from generational memory to the entire span of human existence ("upon the earth"). It serves as a hyperbole indicating absolute uniqueness and a testimony to the ultimate power of God who can execute judgments never conceived or seen before in the annals of humankind. It also implies God's comprehensive knowledge of history.

Exodus 10 6 Bonus section

• The detail of the locusts filling the houses serves as a direct, psychological attack, turning safe havens into terrifying zones of infestation and destruction. This went beyond mere property damage; it attacked the mental peace and sense of security of every Egyptian.
• This particular plague likely targeted areas of Egyptian theology and national pride. The Egyptians viewed their land, particularly its fertile fields, as gifts from their gods, especially Ra and Osiris. A complete obliteration of all vegetation, previously protected by some divine blessing in their view, demonstrated the impotence of their deities before the power of Yahweh.
• The phrase "neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen" prepares for Ex 10:14, where the locust plague indeed fulfills this prophecy as "such a one as had never been before you, nor ever shall be again." This serves to validate Moses's prophetic word and underscore God's faithfulness to His threats, just as He is faithful to His promises.
• The progression of plagues from external inconveniences to increasingly intrusive and economically ruinous ones reflects God's increasing pressure on Pharaoh's hardened heart, culminating in the death of the firstborn. The locusts effectively wipe out all future agricultural prosperity and further break Egypt's will.

Exodus 10 6 Commentary

Exodus 10:6 is a potent warning, escalating the divine conflict between Yahweh and Pharaoh. It signifies a profound shift in the nature of the plagues. Earlier judgments largely affected the outside environment or property, but this warns of an overwhelming invasion of the most sacred private spaces—the homes themselves. The prophecy that the locusts "shall fill" these dwellings conveys a suffocating, inescapable omnipresence of destruction. This detail is not merely quantitative but qualitative, highlighting the psychological torment of having one's sanctuary invaded by an uncountable swarm, a testament to God's all-encompassing judgment.

The emphatic repetition of "neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day" serves as a rhetorical device to underscore the sheer magnitude and uniqueness of this coming plague. It is an argument from history and a declaration of God's power that surpasses any past experience. This divine act aims to prove Yahweh's unparalleled sovereignty, particularly against the Egyptian gods of prosperity, agriculture, and order, by dismantling the very foundations of their societal and spiritual comfort. The complete historical void for such an event highlights God's unique capacity to introduce something entirely new and devastating into human history. Pharaoh's continued resistance brings about increasingly severe and historically unmatched judgments, showcasing the divine patience exhausted by human stubbornness, leading to an inevitable, inescapable climax of divine justice.