Ex. 10 The reason why God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Ex. 10:1–2. Egypt threatened with locusts, Ex. 10:4. Pharaoh’s servants persuade him to let the Israelites go, Ex. 10:7. Pharaoh inquires of Moses who are they that shall go to serve the Lord, Ex. 10:8. Of Moses’s answer, Ex. 10:9.

The residue; the wheat and the rye, the staff of their lives. Every tree; the fruits and leaves of every tree.

Such for number, or shape, or mischievous effects, as were never seen before.

How long shall this man be a snare; an occasion of sin and destruction? See Ex. 23:33, Josh. 23:13.

A feast upon a sacrifice, wherein all are concerned, and therefore all must be present and ready to do what God requires us.

I wish God may be no more ready and willing to be with you, and to do you good, than I am willing to let you go. Evil is before you; either, 1. Evil of sin. You have some ill design against me, either to stir up sedition or war against me, or utterly to depart out of my kingdom. Or rather, 2.

For that ye did desire; which was not true, but only was gathered by him out of their declared intention of going to sacrifice, wherein he thought the presence of the women and children wholly unnecessary.

This is no unusual plague in Africa and Arabia, where, when the harvest is ripe, they frequently come in vast numbers, and upon all their corn, and what they do not eat they infect with their touch, and the moisture coming from them, and afterwards dying in great numbers, they poison the air, and…

Over the land; over divers parts of the land, shaking his rod towards the several quarters of it. An east wind in those parts is a most violent and pernicious wind, Ex. 14:21, Num. 11:31, and a dry wind, and therefore fit for the engendering of those creatures.

Quest. How can this be true, when the same words are used of the locusts in Joel’s time? Answ. It might be true of both in divers respects; of these for number and quality, of them for long continuance, for they lasted three or four years, when these were but for a little time; of these for Egypt,…

The land was darkened; either by their flying in vast numbers, and so darkening the air, as they have ofttimes done; or by covering the green and lightsome herbs and productions of the earth with their dark and direful bodies. They did eat every herb of the land.

Pharaoh called for them, because this kind of plague in itself was most pernicious, whereby whole countries had been wasted, and grievous famines and pestilences caused, and was mightily aggravated by the vengeance of God, and by the peculiar quality of these locusts, which did not only fall upon…

I desire no further favour, I will no more offend nor need your pardon. This death; this deadly plague, compare 2 Kings 4:40, 2 Cor. 11:23. Besides it did destroy the life of herbs and trees, yea, of beasts and men, either directly, or at least by consequence, in depriving them of the necessary…

A mighty strong west wind; Heb. a wind of the sea, i.e. coming from the sea, called there the great sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, from whence came the north-west wind, which did blow the locusts directly into the Red Sea.

It is an hyperbolical expression, such being very frequent both in Scripture and in all authors. For darkness being only a privation, cannot be properly felt, yet it might be felt in its cause, to wit, those thick and gross vapours which filled and infected the air.

They saw not one another, because these gross and moist fogs and vapours did not only quite shut out the light of the heavenly bodies, but also put out their candles, or other artificial lights, or at least so darken them that men could have no benefit by them. From his place.

And Pharaoh, or therefore, or then, to wit, after the darkness was either wholly or in part removed. Let your flocks and your herds be stayed, either as a pledge of your return after your sacrifice is ended, or as a recompence for the cattle which I have lost by your means.

Thou must give us, i.e. suffer us to take of our own stock

Which was not a pretence, but a real truth. For this being a solemn and extraordinary sacrifice by the express and particular appointment of God, they knew not either of what kinds, or in what number or manner their sacrifices must be offered.

Thou hast spoken well, Heb. right; not morally, for so it was very ill said; but logically, that which agrees, though not with thy duty, yet with the event and truth of the thing; for as thou hast warned me to see thee no more, so I in the name of God assure thee that thou shalt see me no more, to…