But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
Parallel translations
- WEB Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
- KJV Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
- NKJV Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
- NASB For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
- NLT If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God warns that refusal will bring a plague of locusts upon Egypt. The eighth plague is announced in advance.
Overview
The conditional warning again gives Pharaoh genuine opportunity to relent before judgment falls. Locusts were a feared devastation in the ancient world, capable of stripping a land bare. The advance notice authenticates the plague as God's deliberate act, not a chance swarm. The escalating judgments press toward the climactic confrontation over the firstborn.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rev 9:3And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.
- Joel 2:25I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.
- Exod 9:5The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.”
- Exod 11:4–5So Moses declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt,
- Exod 9:18Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.
- Exod 8:23I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”
- Joel 1:4–7What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.
- Prov 30:27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
- Exod 8:10“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.
- Joel 2:2–11a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 10:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.