Bible Strands
Exodus 10:12
Then 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.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD speaks to Moses after Pharaoh refuses to release the Israelites and Moses and Aaron are driven from his presence. This command occurs immediately before the locust plague is executed.
The words — The Hebrew verb נְטֵה (ne.Teh) means "stretch out," paired with יָדְ/ךָ֜ (ya.de./Kha), "your hand," directing Moses to extend his hand over אֶ֤רֶץ ('E.retz), "the land."
The thread — This directive follows the plague pattern seen when the LORD told Moses to stretch out his hand over the waters of Egypt (Exodus 7:19) and fulfills the earlier warning that locusts would enter the territory if the people were not released (Exodus 10:4).
Why it lands — The text commands a physical gesture to trigger a judgment that will consume every plant the hail spared. A reader must recognize that obedience to this specific action directly precedes the completion of the plague.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And 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.
Cross-references
- Exodus 7:19 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
- Exodus 10:4 But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.