Exodus 10:12

“YHWH 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 plant of the land, all that the hail has left.””
Exodus 10:12 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

YHWHיְהוָהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלMoses,מֹשֶׁה“Stretch outנְטֵהyour handיָדְךָoverעַלthe landאֶרֶץof Egyptמִצְרַיִםfor the locusts,בָּאַרְבֶּהthat they may come upוְיַעַלonעַלthe landאֶרֶץof Egyptמִצְרָיִםand eatוְיֹאכַלeveryאֶת כָּלplantעֵשֶׂבof the land,הָאָרֶץallאֵת כָּלthatאֲשֶׁרthe hailהַבָּרָדhas left.”הִשְׁאִיר

Allusion · Revelation 9:3-4

Go to Revelation 9:3-4

Both texts speak of locusts that come up over the land; in Exodus they eat the grass, in Revelation they are told not to harm it.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

אַרְבֶּהarbeH697ἀκρίδεςakridesG200“locust”
אֶרֶץeretsH776γῆνgēnG1093“earth, land”
עֵשֶׂבesevH6212χόρτονchortonG5528“grass, plant”

Exodus 10:12, word by word

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “yomer” appears

Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe

Moses

Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).

Where else “moshe” appears

“Stretch outנְטֵהnete

stretch out

To reach out the hand, or set up a tent.

Where else “nete” appears

your handיָדְyad

hand

The part of the body with which one takes, gives and works; also what one does.

Where else “yad” appears

the landאֶרֶץerets

land

A region or nation, above all Israel's.

Where else “erets” appears

of Egyptמִצְרַיִםmitsrayim

Egypt, Mizraim

See it on the map Where else “mitsrayim” appears

for the locustsאַרְבֶּהarbe

locust

Locust: an insect that comes in huge swarms and devours everything green.

Where else “arbe” appears

that they may come upיַעַלyaal

go up

To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.

Where else “yaal” appears

and eatיֹאכַלyochal

eat

To bring food to the mouth and swallow it, above all at a shared table.

Where else “yochal” appears

plantעֵשֶׂבesev

plants, vegetation

Small plants, herbs and crops that serve as food for people and animals.

Where else “esev” appears

the hailבָּרָדbarad

hail

Hail.

Where else “barad” appears

has leftהִשְׁאִירhishir

leave

To leave something over.

Where else “hishir” appears

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
Genesis 12:10 Genesis 37:28 Exodus 12:41 Matthew 2:14

The context

11Not so! Go, you men, and serve YHWH, for that is what you are asking for.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 · This verse (above)

13So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and YHWH drove an east wind over the land all that day and all the night; when it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts.

Read all of Exodus 10

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