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Exodus 10:12-15 · Bible study

Exodus 10:12-15 Commentary: Locusts as Divine Judgment

Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say

Meaning in one sentence

Exodus 10:12-15: The locust plague shows God's judgment through Moses' obedience, the east wind as God's tool, and the complete devastation of Egypt.

Research Summary

  • Meaning: God's judgment through locusts, mediated by Moses' obedience, stripping Egypt of all remaining food and vegetation after the hail.
  • Key words: nateh (stretch out), arbeh (locusts, H0697), ruach qadim (east wind), chashakh (darkened), ka.ved (grievous/heavy).
  • Main debate: How much was natural and how much was supernatural? The consensus is both: natural locusts and wind, but divinely timed and intensified.
  • Theological theme: God's sovereignty over creation and His use of human instruments to execute judgment.
  • Best use: Preaching on the certainty of God's warnings, the cost of pride, and the partnership of divine power and human action.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

12Then 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.”

13So 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.

14The 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.

15They 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.

WEB World English Bible 2000

12Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.”

13Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, nor will there ever be again.

15For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

KJV King James Version 1769

12And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

13And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

15For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

12And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

13And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

15For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

12And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Stretch out thy hand against the land of Egypt for the locust, and it goeth up against the land of Egypt, and doth eat every herb of the land--all that the hail hath left.'

13And Moses stretcheth out his rod against the land of Egypt, and Jehovah hath led an east wind over the land all that day, and all the night; the morning hath been, and the east wind hath lifted up the locust.

14And the locust goeth up against all the land of Egypt, and resteth in all the border of Egypt--very grievous: before it there hath not been such a locust as it, and after it there is none such;

15and it covereth the eye of all the land, and the land is darkened; and it eateth every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail hath left, and there hath not been left any green thing in the trees, or in the herb of the field, in all the land of Egypt.'

Darby Darby Bible 1890

12And Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up over the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land — all that the hail hath left.

13And Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt, very grievous; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them will be such.

15And they covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left; and there remained not any green thing on the trees, and in the herbs of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

12And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch forth thy hand upon the land of Egypt unto the locust, that it come upon it, and devour every herb that is left after the hail.

13And Moses stretched forth his rod upon the land of Egypt: and the Lord brought a burning wind all that day, and night; and when it was morning, the burning wind raised the locusts.

14And they came up over the whole land of Egypt; and rested in all the coasts of the Egyptians, innumerable, the like as had not been before that time, nor shall be hereafter.

15And they covered the whole face of the earth, wasting all things. And the grass of the earth was devoured, and what fruits soever were on the trees, which the hail had left; and there remained not any thing that was green on the trees, or in the herbs of the earth, in all Egypt.

Verse in Context

10 He said to them, “Yahweh be with you if I let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.
11 Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is what you desire!” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.”
13 Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, nor will there ever be again.
15 For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.
17 Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”

Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)

וַ/יֹּ֨אמֶר va/i.Yo.mer Hc/Vqw3ms H0559 and/ he said
יְהוָ֜ה Yah.weh HNpt H3068 Yahweh
אֶל\־ 'el- HR H0413 to
מֹשֶׁ֗ה mo.Sheh HNpm H4872 Moses
נְטֵ֨ה ne.Teh HVqv2ms H5186 stretch out
יָדְ/ךָ֜ ya.de./Kha HNcbsc/Sp2ms H3027 hand/ your
עַל\־ 'al- HR H5921 over
אֶ֤רֶץ 'E.retz HNcfsc H0776 [the] land of
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ mitz.Ra.yim HNpl H4714 Egypt
בָּֽ/אַרְבֶּ֔ה ba./'ar.Beh HRd/Ncmsa H0697 for the/ locust[s]
וְ/יַ֖עַל ve./Ya.'al HC/Vqj3ms H5927 so/ may it come up
עַל\־ 'al- HR H5921 on
אֶ֣רֶץ 'E.retz HNcfsc H0776 [the] land of
מִצְרָ֑יִם mitz.Ra.yim HNpl H4714 Egypt
וְ/יֹאכַל֙ ve./yo.Khal HC/Vqu3ms H0398 so/ it may eat
אֶת\־ 'et- HTo H0853 <obj.>
כָּל\־ kol- HNcmsc H3605 all
עֵ֣שֶׂב 'E.sev HNcmsc H6212 [the] vegetation of
הָ/אָ֔רֶץ ha./'A.retz HTd/Ncfsa H0776 the/ land
אֵ֛ת 'et HTo H0853 <obj.>
כָּל\־ kol- HNcmsa H3605 all
אֲשֶׁ֥ר 'a.Sher HTr H0834 that
הִשְׁאִ֖יר hish.'Ir HVhp3ms H7604 it left over
הַ/בָּרָֽד\׃ ha./ba.Rad HTd/Ncmsa H1259 the/ hail

Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators across traditions agree that the locust plague is a direct act of God, accomplished through natural means at a divinely appointed time. Calvin emphasizes that Moses stretching out his rod is a "token of power," yet God alone receives the glory, Moses is an instrument, not the source. Keil & Delitzsch note that the east wind brought locusts from Arabia, but the timing and extent (covering all Egypt) were miraculous. Barnes points out that Moses records the "natural and usual cause" alongside the portentous scope. The consensus holds that God uses human instruments and natural forces, but the judgment is His alone.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Medium

Main views:

  1. Providential timing view: Natural locust swarms are common; God simply caused the wind at the right moment (Barnes, Clarke).
  2. Direct supernatural creation: The unprecedented size and coverage imply a special act of creation or multiplication (Gill, Wesley).
  3. Eschatological type view: The plague prefigures final judgment in Revelation 9, where locusts are described as an invading army (Keil & Delitzsch).

What is clear: God brought the locusts in response to Pharaoh's refusal, using Moses' action as the signal, and the devastation was complete and unparalleled.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

TopicAgreedDebated
Moses' action vs God's causationGod alone brought the locusts; Moses' rod was a sign of his authority as God's servant.Some traditions (e.g., Calvin) emphasize Moses as vicegerent whose action is necessary; others see the rod purely as symbolic, focusing on God's direct control.
Natural vs supernatural in the plagueThe east wind is a natural phenomenon, and locusts are native to the region.Some hold that God simply used an existing natural pattern with perfect timing (Barnes, Clarke); others argue for a special creation or extraordinary increase of the swarm (Gill, Wesley).
The uniqueness of the swarmThe text states that no locust swarm before or after was as severe.Some read this as a literal historical claim (Gill), while others (noted by Keil & Delitzsch as a 'dilution') treat it as a hyperbolic or proverbial expression of severity.
Typology and eschatologyThe plague shows God's judgment against sin and oppression.Keil & Delitzsch link this to Revelation 9 and a type of final judgment; other traditions focus more on the immediate historical lesson and do not press typology.

Historical & Cultural Context

Locust plagues were a known scourge in ancient Egypt and the wider Near East. The Hebrew term arbeh (H0697) refers to a swarm, often appearing in devastating numbers. Adam Clarke notes that locusts abounded in Ethiopia and Arabia, and God did not need to create new swarms, He simply caused a wind to bring existing ones at the right moment. The east wind (ruach qadim, H7307 + H6921) is typical for Arabia and the desert. Keil & Delitzsch explain that Moses' rod, first used to turn the Nile to blood and bring the hail, is the same sign of divine authority. Calvin calls it a "royal scepter." The plague came after the previous judgment of hail, which had destroyed the flax and barley but left wheat and spelt (Exodus 9:31-32). The locusts consumed what remained, a picture of total loss. The language of "covering the face of the earth" (v.15) echoes the earlier warning in Exodus 10:5 and matches travel accounts of swarms that darken the sky. This plague attacked the livelihood and pride of Egypt, leaving no green thing behind.

Textual Notes

The consulted sources note one minor textual variant. In verse 12, the Masoretic Text reads "every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left." The Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch add "and all the fruit of the trees that," likely harmonizing with verse 15. That change makes the command match the later description of what was devoured. The Cambridge Bible notes that this reading "perhaps rightly" brings verse 12 into alignment with the fulfillment. No other significant variants are reported in the supplied material.

Reception History

Across church history, Exodus 10:12-15 has been read as a stark display of divine judgment and mercy interwoven. Early church fathers like Origen saw the plagues as spiritual lessons, Egypt representing the bondage of sin, the locusts as destructive passions. The Reformation era tradition (Calvin, Geneva Notes) emphasized the absolute sovereignty of God using natural means. Matthew Henry (18th century) described the locusts as "God's great army," linking to Joel 2. Keil & Delitzsch (19th century) drew a typological link to Revelation 9, where locusts from the abyss torment the ungodly. In modern reception, the passage is often used to preach on the certainty of judgment and the call to humility, Pharaoh's stubbornness contrasts with Moses' obedient cooperation. It appears in hymns about God's power over creation and in catechetical teaching on the Ten Commandments as a demonstration of God's anger against idolatry.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

  1. God commands, Moses obeys. The Lord tells Moses to stretch out his hand; Moses stretches out his rod. Simple obedience activates divine power. The rod itself has no inherent force, it is a symbol of God's authority vested in His servant.
  2. God works through natural means. The east wind blows all day and night. Keil & Delitzsch remark that the wind blowing so long showed the locusts came from a great distance, proving God's reach beyond Egypt's borders. The natural and the miraculous are not opposed.
  3. Judgment is complete. Nothing green remains, no tree, no herb. The unique severity ("before them there were no such locusts, nor will there ever be again") shows that this was no routine disaster, but a targeted act of God against Pharaoh's pride.

Five-point outline

  1. The command to stretch out: Moses acts as God's vicegerent (Calvin).
  2. The east wind: God's control over weather and creation.
  3. The swarm: locusts as God's army (Keil & Delitzsch, citing Joel 1:6).
  4. The darkness: the land is darkened literally and symbolically.
  5. The aftermath: total consumption, leaving Egypt bare.

Illustration hooks

  • A modern farmer watching a massive locust swarm on the news, helpless despite all technology. The ancient Egyptians had no defense either.
  • The difference between a first warning and the actual event: Pharaoh had been told (Exodus 10:4) but did not relent. The judgment filled what the warning described.
  • A homeowner whose garden is stripped by pests overnight, a small echo of what a whole nation experienced.

Questions your congregation is asking

  • Did God really send insects to punish people? That seems harsh.
  • Why did Moses have to do anything? Couldn't God just send the locusts Himself?
  • How can we see God at work in natural disasters today? Is it different from this plague?

Leading a Discussion

This passage sits within a series of escalating judgments, each breaking something that Egypt trusted, the Nile, the livestock, the crops. Here the locusts finish what the hail began. Talk together about what the text shows of God's power, human partnership, and the progression of judgment.

Discussion questions

  1. Read Exodus 10:12-15 aloud. What stands out to you first?
  2. Why does God command Moses to stretch out his hand? What does this action accomplish?
  3. The east wind blows for a full day and night. What does that detail tell you about how God works, quickly or slowly? Naturally or supernaturally?
  4. Verse 14 says no locusts like these had ever been seen. Why do you think the narrative stresses this uniqueness?
  5. How does the phrase "the land was darkened" (v.15) connect with the earlier plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21-29)? What is the effect of this physical darkness?
  6. If you were an Egyptian farmer watching the locusts consume everything, what would you think about the gods of Egypt? About the God of Israel?
  7. How does this passage challenge or comfort you about God's willingness to use ordinary things (wind, insects, a human leader) to accomplish His purposes today?

What the Commentators Say

10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Clarke observes that God did not create new locusts but used a natural east wind to bring existing swarms from Ethiopia. The miracle lay in the precise timing — God caused the wind to blow at exactly the right moment and then to cease, removing the plague just as deliberately.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832

Barnes notes that Moses deliberately records the natural east wind as the ordinary cause of the locust plague, even though its extent and connection to the divine warning were extraordinary. He then describes the locusts appearing like a dense cloud that rose up and completely hid the sun, a swarm unprecedented in size.

Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564

Calvin emphasizes the careful balance between Moses' authoritative command and God's sole power. Though Moses stretches out his rod as God's appointed deputy, the locusts come only by divine action through the east wind, not by anything Moses himself creates or attracts. The minister's work is not wasted, yet no glory transfers from God to the instrument.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The Cambridge Bible commentary highlights that the "east wind" in this plague is not a gentle breeze but the violent, scorching sirocco known to dry up vegetation and carry locusts. The Hebrew verbs for "brought" suggest a deliberate leading and bearing along of the insects, matching both ancient and modern accounts of such invasions.

Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748

Gill highlights the unprecedented scale of this plague: the locusts covered the entire land of Egypt at once, not moving gradually as locusts usually do. He stresses that no locust swarm before or after in Egypt was like this one—both in its instantaneous spread and in the total devastation it caused in a single day.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871

JFB notes that while locust plagues were common in Egypt, this one was utterly unprecedented because it followed the wave of Moses' miraculous rod. Human effort could offer no protection against the overwhelming invasion, and Pharaoh, fearing total ruin, hastily summoned Moses to confess his sin and beg for intercession.

Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876

Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the plague portrays locusts as a hostile army, using the Hebrew word for a military invasion. They stress that the east wind blowing for a day and night proved the locusts came from far away, demonstrating God's power beyond Egypt's borders. The unparalleled extent over the whole land made this judgment a type of the final judgment.

Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857

Lange distinguishes Pharaoh’s self-hardening from God’s subsequent judicial hardening. After the seventh plague, Pharaoh’s sentence was settled, and the later plagues completed his obduracy. Moses needed to know this in advance so the apparent failures would not discourage him, revealing Moses’ deep insight into God’s justice.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Henry notes that Moses did not stretch out his own hand but the rod of God, the appointed sign of God’s presence. The locusts came at a call, like a great army under God’s command, showing that the plague was entirely the Lord’s doing.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754

Wesley emphasizes that God sovereignly used the east wind to bring locusts from Arabia and then miraculously multiplied them. Though God gave the earth to humans, He can disturb their possession by even the smallest creatures, making locusts eat the very bread from their mouths.

Word Study

The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Exodus 7:19 Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
Exodus 10:4 Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
Exodus 10:5 and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won’t be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.
Genesis 41:6 Behold, seven heads of grain, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.
Exodus 14:21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
Psalms 78:26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
Psalms 105:34 He spoke, and the locusts came with the grasshoppers, without number.
Psalms 107:25 For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves.

Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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