Please read the Introductory Notes to this commentary.
WARNING: The text
used for my commentary is my own
paraphrase and must not be
considered
“a translation” or authorative in any way. It is, in fact, simply my commentary.
Maps, when used, are from
BibleAtlas.org. Created
using BibleMapper 3.0.
Additional data from OpenBible.info.
Source of Dates Used
שְׁמוֹת֙ • Sh'mot
(“Names”)
The Second Book of Moses,
Commonly Called
Exodus
פָּרָשָׁה בֹּא
Parashah 15. Bo |
![]() |
This week's commentary from First Fruits of Zion (Messianic) |
This Week’s Reading Schedule | ||
Sunday Review and meditate on last week’s Parashah Monday Rishon [1st]: 10:1-11 Sheni [2nd]: 10:12-23 Tuesday Shlishi [3rd]: 10:24-11:3 R'vi'i [4th]: 11:4-12:20 Wednesday Chamishi [5th]: 12:21-28 Shishi [6th]: 12:29-51 |
Thursday Shvi'i [7th]: 13:1-13 Maftir [Concluding]: 13:14-16 Friday Haftarah: (Selections)[GN] Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 46:13–28 Ketuvei HaShalichim (Apostolic Writings) Basar: The Gospel Luke 2:22–24 Yochanan (John) 19:31–37 Kepherim: Letters (optional) Acts 13:16 –17 Revelation 8:6–9:12; 16:1–21 |
Torah
TorahThe Blessing of the TorahClick here to listen to this canted byCantor Kenneth B. Cohen of Temple Sholom, Greenwich, CT. |
|
Aliya: (the one who “goes up” to read) | |
Bar-khu et Adonai
ham-vor-ack. (Praise ADONAI Who is worthy to be praised.) |
![]() |
Congregation: | |
Ba-rookh Adonai ham-vor-ack
ley-oh-lam vah-ed. (Praise ADONAI Who is worthy to be praised for all eternity.) |
![]() |
All: | |
Ba-rookh Adonai ham-vor-ack
ley-oh-lam vah-ed. (Praise ADONAI Who is worthy to be praised for all eternity.) |
![]() |
Ba-rookh ah-tah
Adonai, Eh-lo-hay-noo meh-lekh hah oh-lahm, ah-sher ba-char ba-noo me-kol ha-ahmeem, v’na-tahn lah-noo et torah-toe, ba-rookh ah-tah Adonai, no-tane hah-torah. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has chosen us from all peoples and given us His Torah. Blessed are You, O Lord, Giver of the Torah. |
![]() |
Listen
to Bo read from the CJB
h. The Eighth Plague: Locusts (10:1-20) [WHICH GODS?]
[Egypt • 30 March 1463 BCE]
(i) 1 Yehovah said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may show My signs among them, 2 and that you may tell your children and your grandchildren how severely I have dealt with the Egyptians when I performed My miraculous signs among them, so that you may know that I am Yehovah.”
3 So Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what Yehovah the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so they may serve Me.[3] 4 If you refuse to let My people go, watch! Tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, 5 and they will cover the face of the land so that no one will be able to see the ground. They will devour whatever is left after the hail, and willll eat every tree that grows in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and the houses of every Egyptian, something neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moshe turned his back on Pharaoh and left him.
[Egypt • 31 March 1463 BCE]
7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so they may serve Yehovah their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is devastated?”
8 Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, “Go, worship Yehovah your Elohim,” and he said to them. “But who will be going?”
9 Moshe said, “We will go with our young and with our old. We will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds; for we must hold a festival to Yehovah.”
10 “Yehovah be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones!” Pharaoh said to them. “Watch out! You are clearly planning evil. 11 Not so! You men go and worship Yehovah since that is what you want!” Then they were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.
(ii) 12 Then Yehovah said to Moshe, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts to swarm over the land of Egypt, and to eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left.” 13 So Moshe stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Yehovah caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and all night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.
[Egypt • 1 Apr 1462 BCE]
14 The locusts swarmed across the entire land of Egypt, and settled on the whole territory of Egypt— extremely numerous. Never before had there been so many locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 For they covered the surface of the whole land until it was black, and they consumed every plant on the ground and all the fruit on the trees— everything that the hail had left. There remained nothing green — neither tree nor plant — throughout all the land of Egypt.
[Egypt • 2 Apr 1462 BCE]
16 Then Pharaoh urgently summoned Moshe and Aharon, and said, “I have sinned against Yehovah your God, and against you. 17 Now please forgive my sin once again, and appeal to Yehovah your Elohim, that He would remove this death from me.”
18 So Moshe left Pharaoh and appealed to Yehovah. 19 Yehovah sent changed the wind to an extremely strong west wind, which carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea.[19] Not a sincle locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But Yehovah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the Isra'elites go.
i. The Ninth Plague: Darkness (10:21-29) [WHICH GODS?]
[Egypt • 3-5 Apr 1462 BCE]
21 Then Yehovah said to Moshe, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, so darkness may spread across the land of Egypt — a darkness that can be felt.” 22 Moshe stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They couldn’t see each other, and nobody left his home for three days. But all the Isra'elites had light where they lived.
[Egypt • 6 Apr 1462 BCE]
(iii) 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and said, “Go, worship Yehovah. Even your little ones may go with you. But leave your flocks and your herds behind. ”
25 Moshe said, “You must provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to Yehovah our Elohim. 26 Our livestock must also go with us; not a hoof can be left behind, because we must take some of them to worship Yehovah our Elohim. We will not know what we will need to worship Yehovah until we arrive there.”
27 But Yehovah hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go. 28 “Get away from me!” Pharaoh said to him. “Make sure you never see my face again, because when you see my face you will die!”
29 “You are so right!” Moshe replied. “I will never see your face again!”
3. Isra'el had served Pharaoh for 400 years; now they were to serve Yehovah. The Hebrew word translated “serve” is עָבַד (abad). Although many Bible versions translate the word as “worship” the primary meaning of the word is to work, to serve (as a slave or vassal), which includes performing acts of worship, as reflected in Romans 12:1. [BACK]
19. Literally “Sea of Suf,” the translation for the Hebrew יָ֣מָּ (yām) סּ֑וּף (sūp̄) or “Yam Suf,” which could be more literally translated “Sea of Reeds” or “Sea of Cattails.” Some claim that it refers to a lake near the Red Sea which was destroyed by the construction of the Suez Canal. However, the vast majority opinion is that it refers to the Red Sea, [MAP] specifically the north-western “arm” known as the Gulf of Suez. [BACK]
Other commentaries on Exodus 10
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Pulpit Commentary
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
|
ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!