Exodus 10:21
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The LORD commands Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven so that darkness will cover Egypt—a darkness that can be felt.
Context
The ninth plague introduces a new dimension of judgment: darkness. Unlike the previous plagues that attack food or livestock, darkness attacks the senses and the spirit. The description 'darkness which may be felt' suggests an oppressive, almost tangible darkness that defies natural explanation.
What Does Exodus 10:21 Mean?
The ninth plague introduces a new dimension of judgment: darkness. Unlike the previous plagues that attack food or livestock, darkness attacks the senses and the spirit. The description 'darkness which may be felt' suggests an oppressive, almost tangible darkness that defies natural explanation.
Darkness often symbolizes divine judgment and the absence of God's light. This plague isolates each person in their own blindness, a darkness that no human light or knowledge can penetrate—a spiritual state reflecting Pharaoh's hardened, closed heart.
In the Original Language
chosek (חֹשֶׁךְ), 'darkness' — physical and metaphorical absence of light, often representing God's judgment.