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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Exodus 10:4

Do this by tomorrow, or I will cover your country with so many locusts

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Locust;   Plague;   Thompson Chain Reference - Agriculture;   Agriculture-Horticulture;   Locusts;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Locust, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Locust;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Insects;   Locust;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Leviticus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Locust;   Locust ;   King James Dictionary - Coast;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Locusts;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Plagues of egypt;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Plagues, the Ten,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Plagues of Egypt;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Locust;   Plagues of Egypt;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
King James Version
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
Lexham English Bible
But if you are refusing to release my people, look, I am about to bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
New Century Version
If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.
New English Translation
But if you refuse to release my people, I am going to bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
Amplified Bible
'For if you refuse to let My people go, then hear this: tomorrow I will bring [migratory] locusts into your country.
New American Standard Bible
'For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But if thou refuse to let my people go, beholde, to morowe will I bring grashoppers into thy coastes.
Legacy Standard Bible
For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
Complete Jewish Bible
Otherwise, if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
Darby Translation
For, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, I will to-morrow bring locusts into thy borders;
Easy-to-Read Version
If you refuse to let my people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.
English Standard Version
For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
George Lamsa Translation
Else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts upon all Four domain;
Good News Translation
If you keep on refusing, then I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.
Christian Standard Bible®
But if you refuse to let my people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
Literal Translation
For if you refuse to send away My people, behold, I am going to bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thou wilt not let my people go, beholde, tomorow wil I cause greshoppers to come vpon all places,
American Standard Version
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border:
Bible in Basic English
For if you will not let my people go, tomorrow I will send locusts into your land:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Or els if thou refuse to let my people go, beholde, to morowe wyll I bryng greshoppers into thy coastes:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border;
King James Version (1611)
Els, if thou refuse to let my people goe, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But if thou wilt not send my people away, behold, at this hour to-morrow I will bring an abundance of locusts upon all thy coasts.
English Revised Version
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts into thy border:
Berean Standard Bible
But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and nylt delyuere it, lo! Y schal brynge in to morewe a locuste in to thi coostis,
Young's Literal Translation
for if thou art refusing to send My people away, lo, I am bringing in to-morrow the locust into thy border,
Update Bible Version
For if you refuse to let my people go, look, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border:
Webster's Bible Translation
Else, if thou shalt refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring the locusts into thy border:
World English Bible
Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
New King James Version
Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
New Living Translation
If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country.
New Life Bible
If you will not let My people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.
New Revised Standard
For if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But if, refusing, thou art to let my people go, behold me bringing in tomorrow a locust within thy bounds;
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if thou resist, and wilt not let them go, behold I will bring in to-morrow the locusts into thy coasts;
Revised Standard Version
For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord said to Moses: Go back to the king. I have made him and his officials stubborn, so that I could work these miracles. 2 I did this because I want you to tell your children and your grandchildren about my miracles and about my harsh treatment of the Egyptians. Then all of you will know that I am the Lord . 3 Moses and Aaron went to the king and told him that the Lord God of the Hebrews had said: How long will you stubbornly refuse to obey? Release my people so they can worship me. 4 Do this by tomorrow, or I will cover your country with so many locusts 5 that you won't be able to see the ground. Most of your crops were ruined by the hailstones, but these locusts will destroy what little is left, including the trees. 6 Your palace, the homes of your officials, and all other houses in Egypt will overflow with more locusts than have ever been seen in this country. After Moses left the palace, 7 the king's officials asked, "Your Majesty, how much longer is this man going to be a troublemaker? Why don't you let the people leave, so they can worship the Lord their God? Don't you know that Egypt is a disaster?" 8 The king had Moses and Aaron brought back, and he said, "All right, you may go and worship the Lord your God. But first tell me who will be going." 9 "Everyone, young and old," Moses answered. "We will even take our sheep, goats, and cattle, because we want to hold a celebration in honor of the Lord ." 10 The king replied, "The Lord had better watch over you on the day I let you leave with your families! You're up to no good.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

morrow: Exodus 8:10, Exodus 8:23, Exodus 9:5, Exodus 9:18, Exodus 11:4, Exodus 11:5

locusts: The word arbeh, Locust, is derived from ravah, to multiply, be numerous, etc., because they are more prolific than any other insect, and because of the immense swarms of them by which different countries, especially the East, are infested. The locust, in entomology, belongs to a genus of insects known among naturalists by the name of Grylli; which includes three species, crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts. The common great brown locust is about three inches in length; has two antennae about an inch long, and two pair of wings. The head and horns are brown; the mouth and inside of the larger legs bluish; the upper side of the body and upper wings brown, the former spotted with black, and the latter with dusky spots. The back is defended by a shield of a greenish hue: the under wings are of a light brown, tinctured with green, and nearly transparent. It has a large open mouth, in the two jaws of which it has four teeth, which traverse each other like scissors, being calculated, from their mechanism, to gripe or cut. The general appearance of the insect is that of the grasshopper. The Egyptians had gods in whom they trusted to deliver them from these terrible invaders; but by this judgment they were taught that it was impossible to stand before Moses, the servant of Jehovah. Proverbs 30:27, Joel 1:4-7, Joel 2:2-11, Joel 2:25, Revelation 9:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 7:14 - he refuseth Exodus 9:2 - General Exodus 10:12 - eat every Leviticus 11:22 - General 2 Chronicles 7:13 - I command Jeremiah 38:21 - if thou James 4:6 - God

Cross-References

Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from Cyprus, bringing people who will invade the lands of Assyria and Eber. But finally, Cyprus itself will be ruined."
Isaiah 23:1
This is a message from distant islands about the city of Tyre: Cry, you seagoing ships! Tyre and its houses lie in ruins.
Isaiah 23:12
The Lord has said to the people of Sidon, "Your celebrating is over— you are crushed. Even if you escape to Cyprus, you won't find peace."
Ezekiel 27:12
Merchants from southern Spain traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products.
Ezekiel 27:25
Large, seagoing ships carried your goods wherever they needed to go. You were like a ship loaded with heavy cargo
Daniel 11:30
Ships from the west will come to attack him, and he will be discouraged. Then he will start back to his own country and take out his anger on the religion of God's faithful people, while showing kindness to those who are unfaithful.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Else, if thou refuse to let my people go,.... He threatens him with the following plague, the plague of the locusts, which Pliny x calls "denrum irae pestis":

behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast; according to Bishop Usher y this was about the seventh day of the month Abib, that this plague was threatened, and on the morrow, which was the eighth day, it was brought; but Aben Ezra relates it as an opinion of Japhet an Hebrew writer, that there were many days between the plague of the hail, and the plague of the locusts, that there might be time for the grass and plants to spring out of the field; but this seems not necessary, for these locusts only ate of what were left of the hail, as in the following verse.

x Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29. y Annales Vet. Test. p. 21.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The locusts - The locust is less common in Egypt than in many eastern countries, yet it is well known, and dreaded as the most terrible of scourges. They come generally from the western deserts, but sometimes from the east and the southeast. No less than nine names are given to the locust in the Bible, of which the word used here is the most common (ארבה 'arbeh); it signifies “multitudinous,” and whenever it occurs reference is made to its terrible devastations.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

The EIGHTH plague - the LOCUSTS

Verse Exodus 10:4. To-morrow will I bring the locusts — The word ארבה arbeh, a locust, is probably from the root רבה rabah, he multiplied, became great, mighty, c. because of the immense swarms of these animals by which different countries, especially the east, are infested. The locust, in entomology, belongs to a genus of insects known among naturalists by the term GRYLLI; and includes three species, crickets, grasshoppers, and those commonly called locusts; and as they multiply faster than any other animal in creation, they are properly entitled to the name ארבה arbeh, which might be translated the numerous or multiplied insect. See this circumstance referred to, Judges 6:5; Judges 7:12; Psalms 105:34; Jeremiah 46:23; Jeremiah 51:14; Joel 1:6; Nahum 3:15; Judith 2:19, 20; where the most numerous armies are compared to the arbeh or locust. The locust has a large open mouth; and in its two jaws it has four incisive teeth, which traverse each other like scissors, being calculated, from their mechanism, to grip or cut. Mr. Volney, in his Travels in Syria, gives a striking account of this most awful scourge of God: -

"Syria partakes together with Egypt and Persia, and almost all the whole middle part of Asia, in the terrible scourge, I mean those clouds of locusts of which travellers have spoken; the quantity of which is incredible to any person who has not himself seen them, the earth being covered by them for several leagues round. The noise they make in browsing the plants and trees may be heard at a distance, like an army plundering in secret. Fire seems to follow their tracks. Wherever their legions march the verdure disappears from the country, like a curtain drawn aside; the trees and plants, despoiled of their leaves, make the hideous appearance of winter instantly succeed to the bright scenes of spring. When these clouds of locusts take their flight, in order to surmount some obstacle, or the more rapidly to cross some desert, one may literally say that the sun is darkened by them."

Baron de Tott gives a similar account: "Clouds of locusts frequently alight on the plains of the Noguais, (the Tartars,) and giving preference to their fields of millet, ravage them in an instant. Their approach darkens the horizon, and so enormous is their multitude, it hides the light of the sun. They alight on the fields, and there form a bed of six or seven inches thick. To the noise of their flight succeeds that of their devouring actively, which resembles the rattling of hail-stones; but its consequences are infinitely more destructive. Fire itself eats not so fast; nor is there any appearance of vegetation to be found when they again take their flight, and go elsewhere to produce new disasters."

Dr. Shaw, who witnessed most formidable swarms of these in Barbary in the years 1724 and 1725, gives the following account of them: "They were much larger than our grasshoppers, and had brown-spotted wings, with legs and bodies of a bright yellow. Their first appearance was towards the latter end of March. In the middle of April their numerous swarms, like a succession of clouds, darkened the sun. In the month of May they retired to the adjacent plains to deposit their eggs: these were no sooner hatched in June than the young brood first produced, while in their caterpillar or worm-like state, formed themselves into a compact body of more than a furlong square, and, marching directly forward, climbed over trees, walls, and houses, devouring every plant in their way. Within a day or two another brood was hatched, and advancing in the same manner, gnawed off the young branches and bark of the trees left by the former, making a complete desolation. The inhabitants, to stop their progress, made a variety of pits and trenches all over their fields and gardens, which they filled with water, or else heaped up therein heath, stubble, c., which they set on fire but to no purpose: for the trenches were quickly filled up and the fires extinguished, by infinite swarms succeeding one another; while the front seemed regardless of danger, and the rear pressed on so close that retreat was altogether impossible. In a month's time they threw off their worm-like state; and in a new form, with wings and legs, and additional powers, returned to their former voracity." - Shaw's Travels, 187. 188, 4to edition.

The descriptions given by these travellers show that God's army, described by the Prophet Joel, Joel 2:1-11, was innumerable swarms of locusts, to which the accounts given by Dr. Shaw and others exactly agree.


 
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