The Meaning of Exodus 10:21 Explained

Exodus 10:21

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Stretch out thy hand towards the heavens, and there is darkness over the land of Egypt, and the darkness is felt.'

Darby: And Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward the heavens, that there may be darkness in the land of Egypt so that one may feel darkness.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 10:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 10:12-29 - The Plagues Of Locusts And Of Darkness
The locust is the most terrible plague of Eastern lands. The heat intense; the air languid; the sound as of a strong breeze; the sun darkened by a cloud of living things, which cover the earth several inches thick and devour every green thing, Exodus 10:15. Notice the extorted confession, at last, of sin, Exodus 10:16. Many hearts and lives are devastated by these locust-cares, which eat up all the blades of promise and darken heaven. At the first trace of genuine repentance, however, they are borne away.
The Hebrew word for darkness is the same that is used in Genesis 1:2. The sun was one of the chief deities of Egypt, hence the horror that paralyzed her population, Exodus 10:23. But there was light in Goshen. See Psalms 112:4 and John 8:12. Pharaoh proposed one last compromise. See Exodus 10:24. Moses made a grand answer. The whole universe shall share in our redemption, Romans 8:20-21. Jesus will be content with nothing less than all the purchased possession. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 10

1  God threatens to send locusts
7  Pharaoh, moved by his servants, inclines to let the Israelites go
12  The plague of the locusts
16  Pharaoh entreats Moses
21  The plague of darkness
24  Pharaoh again entreats Moses, but yet is hardened

What do the individual words in Exodus 10:21 mean?

And said Yahweh to Moses Stretch out your hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt and even [which] may be felt darkness
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־ מֹשֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֹֽשֶׁךְ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֹשֶׁ֗ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
נְטֵ֤ה  Stretch  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
יָֽדְךָ֙  your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עַל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וִ֥יהִי  that  there  may  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
חֹ֖שֶׁךְ  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶ֣רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְיָמֵ֖שׁ  and  even  [which]  may  be  felt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁשׁ  
Sense: to feel, grope.
חֹֽשֶׁךְ  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.