וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה כִּֽי־אֲנִ֞י הִכְבַּ֤דְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ֙ וְאֶת־לֵ֣ב עֲבָדָ֔יו לְמַ֗עַן שִׁתִ֛י אֹתֹתַ֥י אֵ֖לֶּה בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

The Lord said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh for I made his heart and the heart of his servants stubborn, in their continuous refusal to let the Israelites go, so that I might place these signs of Mine in his midst, and thereby display My power;

וּלְמַ֡עַן תְּסַפֵּר֩ בְּאָזְנֵ֨י בִנְךָ֜ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ֗ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִתְעַלַּ֙לְתִּי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶת־אֹתֹתַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בָ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

and so that you may relate, in the ears of your son and the son of your son, how I have harried Egypt. I did not strike them with the ultimate plague of death at the outset, but repeatedly with other plagues, all the while strengthening Pharaoh’s heart. And you will retell My signs that I placed among them; and you will know that I am the Lord.

וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹן֮ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֒ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽעִבְרִ֔ים עַד־מָתַ֣י מֵאַ֔נְתָּ לֵעָנֹ֖ת מִפָּנָ֑י שַׁלַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י וְיַֽעַבְדֻֽנִי׃

Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and said to him: So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to submit before Me and refuse to accept My authority? Send forth My people, and they will serve Me.

כִּ֛י אִם־מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ אֶת־עַמִּ֑י הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֥יא מָחָ֛ר אַרְבֶּ֖ה בִּגְבֻלֶֽךָ׃

For if you refuse to send forth My people, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border.

וְכִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְאָכַ֣ל ׀ אֶת־יֶ֣תֶר הַפְּלֵטָ֗ה הַנִּשְׁאֶ֤רֶת לָכֶם֙ מִן־הַבָּרָ֔ד וְאָכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעֵ֔ץ הַצֹּמֵ֥חַ לָכֶ֖ם מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

They, the great swarm of locusts, will cover the face of the earth, that one will be unable to see the earth, and they will devour the rest of that which was saved that remains for you from the hail, the young plants that survived the hail (9:32), and they will devour all the trees that grow for you from the field, since not all the trees were completely destroyed by the earlier hail. Anything remaining will be eaten by the locusts.

וּמָלְא֨וּ בָתֶּ֜יךָ וּבָתֵּ֣י כָל־עֲבָדֶיךָ֮ וּבָתֵּ֣י כָל־מִצְרַיִם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־רָא֤וּ אֲבֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ וַאֲב֣וֹת אֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ מִיּ֗וֹם הֱיוֹתָם֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּ֥פֶן וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֥ם פַּרְעֹֽה׃

They will fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all Egypt, as your fathers and the fathers of your fathers did not see from the day that they were upon the earth until this day. He turned and departed from Pharaoh’s presence, without waiting for a response. Moses’ dramatic exit from Pharaoh is an act of defiance, marking a turning point in their relationship.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י פַרְעֹ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו עַד־מָתַי֙ יִהְיֶ֨ה זֶ֥ה לָ֙נוּ֙ לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְיַֽעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם הֲטֶ֣רֶם תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י אָבְדָ֖ה מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Pharaoh’s servants said to him: Until when will this man, Moses, be a snare for us? He is constantly bringing upon us fresh troubles. Send forth the people that they may serve the Lord their God; do you not yet know that Egypt is lost? While you sit in your comfortable palace, we move among the people. The kingdom is suffering from plague after plague, and the population cannot bear it anymore.

וַיּוּשַׁ֞ב אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְכ֥וּ עִבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם מִ֥י וָמִ֖י הַהֹלְכִֽים׃

Moses and Aaron were returned to Pharaoh; messengers were sent to bring them back to the ruler, and he said to them: Go, serve the Lord your God. After expressing his agreement in principle, Pharaoh seeks to clarify the details: Who are those who are going?

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה בִּנְעָרֵ֥ינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵ֖ינוּ נֵלֵ֑ךְ בְּבָנֵ֨ינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵ֜נוּ בְּצֹאנֵ֤נוּ וּבִבְקָרֵ֙נוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֥י חַג־יְהוָ֖ה לָֽנוּ׃

Moses said: With our youth and with our elders we will go, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our cattle we will go. We will not leave anyone or anything here, young or old, male or female, human or animal, because it is a festival of the Lord for us. Moses is alluding to the fact that Israel’s exit will signal its independence, and he does not promise their return.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם יְהִ֨י כֵ֤ן יְהוָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶֽת־טַפְּכֶ֑ם רְא֕וּ כִּ֥י רָעָ֖ה נֶ֥גֶד פְּנֵיכֶֽם׃

He, Pharaoh, said to them, angrily and with derision: So may the Lord be with you when I will send forth you and your children. In a mocking tone, Pharaoh makes it clear that he has no intention of allowing this to occur. See that evil faces you. You do not wish to go out to celebrate a religious holiday, but to seek trouble for yourselves.

לֹ֣א כֵ֗ן לְכֽוּ־נָ֤א הַגְּבָרִים֙ וְעִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֑ים וַיְגָ֣רֶשׁ אֹתָ֔ם מֵאֵ֖ת פְּנֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה׃ (פ)

Not so! Pharaoh continued. You do not get to decide. Rather, let the men go now and serve the Lord; as that, a one-time gathering to worship the Lord , is what you seek. The women and children, and certainly the flocks, are not required for such a purpose. He banished them from Pharaoh’s presence.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֨ה יָדְךָ֜ עַל־אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְיַ֖עַל עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיֹאכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁאִ֖יר הַבָּרָֽד׃

The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, meaning, in order to begin the plague of locusts. Alternatively, God commands Moses: Extend your hand while grasping a locust, or tie a locust to the end of your staff, as a symbolic action marking the plague that is about to occur. And they shall go up upon the land of Egypt and eat all the vegetation of the land, everything that the hail left.

וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת־מַטֵּהוּ֮ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ וַֽיהוָ֗ה נִהַ֤ג ר֥וּחַ קָדִים֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וְכָל־הַלָּ֑יְלָה הַבֹּ֣קֶר הָיָ֔ה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַקָּדִ֔ים נָשָׂ֖א אֶת־הָאַרְבֶּֽה׃

Moses extended his staff over the land of Egypt and the Lord directed an east wind in the land all that day and all the night; it was morning and the east wind carried the locusts.

וַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד לְ֠פָנָיו לֹא־הָ֨יָה כֵ֤ן אַרְבֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֔הוּ וְאַחֲרָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן׃

The locusts went up upon the entire land of Egypt and settled within the entire border of Egypt; it was very severe; before them there were no locusts like them, and there will never be so after them.

וַיְכַ֞ס אֶת־עֵ֣ין כָּל־הָאָרֶץ֮ וַתֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ הָאָרֶץ֒ וַיֹּ֜אכַל אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־פְּרִ֣י הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹתִ֖יר הַבָּרָ֑ד וְלֹא־נוֹתַ֨ר כָּל־יֶ֧רֶק בָּעֵ֛ץ וּבְעֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

They covered the face of the entire land, and the land was darkened, as it was covered with locusts. Alternatively, the shadow of the flying swarm of locusts cast a giant shadow over the surface of the earth. And they consumed all the vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail left, and no greenery remained on the tree or in the vegetation of the field, in the entire land of Egypt.

וַיְמַהֵ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה לִקְרֹ֖א לְמֹשֶׁ֣ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָטָ֛אתִי לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֖ם וְלָכֶֽם׃

Pharaoh hastened to summon Moses and Aaron, and he said: I have sinned to the Lord your God and to you. This time he explicitly apologized for his rude behavior and for banishing them from his presence.

וְעַתָּ֗ה שָׂ֣א נָ֤א חַטָּאתִי֙ אַ֣ךְ הַפַּ֔עַם וְהַעְתִּ֖ירוּ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְיָסֵר֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י רַ֖ק אֶת־הַמָּ֥וֶת הַזֶּֽה׃

Now, please bear my sin just this time and plead with the Lord your God that He will remove from me just this death. Since it consumes all agricultural produce, the plague of locusts could kill us all.

וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃

He, Moses, departed from Pharaoh’s presence, and pleaded with the Lord to remove the locusts.

וַיַּהֲפֹ֨ךְ יְהוָ֤ה רֽוּחַ־יָם֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂא֙ אֶת־הָ֣אַרְבֶּ֔ה וַיִּתְקָעֵ֖הוּ יָ֣מָּה סּ֑וּף לֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר֙ אַרְבֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֥וּל מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Countering the east wind that brought the locusts to Egypt, the Lord changed it to a very powerful west wind, and it carried the locusts and cast them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained within the entire border of Egypt.

וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)

However, after Pharaoh’s admission that he had sinned, his apology and his realization beyond a shadow of a doubt that Moses was capable of controlling these dramatic events, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he did not send forth the children of Israel.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

The Lord said to Moses: Extend your hand at the heavens and let there be darkness over the land of Egypt, and the darkness will be a palpable, tangible entity, not merely the absence of light. Alternatively, the verse means that the darkness will move, arriving from elsewhere.

וַיֵּ֥ט מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָד֖וֹ עַל־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיְהִ֧י חֹֽשֶׁךְ־אֲפֵלָ֛ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃

Moses extended his hand at the heavens and there was pitch darkness, an absolute blackness, in the entire land of Egypt for three days.

לֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּֽלְכָל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָה א֖וֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָֽם׃

They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place, for three days. Due to the intensity of the darkness, they could not move around. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. The darkness did not reach their vicinity. The Sages teach that the Israelites were accompanied by light wherever they went.

וַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְכוּ֙ עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה רַ֛ק צֹאנְכֶ֥ם וּבְקַרְכֶ֖ם יֻצָּ֑ג גַּֽם־טַפְּכֶ֖ם יֵלֵ֥ךְ עִמָּכֶֽם׃

Pharaoh summoned Moses and he said: All of you, go, serve the Lord; only your flocks and your cattle will remain as security for your return; also your children will go with you. This time I am allowing all the people, including men, women, and children, to depart.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה גַּם־אַתָּ֛ה תִּתֵּ֥ן בְּיָדֵ֖נוּ זְבָחִ֣ים וְעֹל֑וֹת וְעָשִׂ֖ינוּ לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

Moses said: We have no intention of leaving our herds and flocks behind. On the contrary, you too will put in our hand peace offerings and burnt offerings, and we will sacrifice to the Lord our God.

וְגַם־מִקְנֵ֜נוּ יֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֗נוּ לֹ֤א תִשָּׁאֵר֙ פַּרְסָ֔ה כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ נִקַּ֔ח לַעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ לֹֽא־נֵדַ֗ע מַֽה־נַּעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַד־בֹּאֵ֖נוּ שָֽׁמָּה׃

Our livestock will also go with us; a hoof from our animals shall not remain, as we will take from it, our herds and flocks, to serve the Lord our God, and we will not know with what we will serve the Lord until we come there. We do not know how, in what quantity, and which kinds of animals will be required as offerings until we reach the wilderness and God reveals Himself and instructs us in His worship.

וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לְשַׁלְּחָֽם׃

The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not assent to send them forth, despite the fearful darkness.

וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֣ךְ מֵעָלָ֑י הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֗ אֶל־תֹּ֙סֶף֙ רְא֣וֹת פָּנַ֔י כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם רְאֹתְךָ֥ פָנַ֖י תָּמֽוּת׃

Pharaoh said to him, Moses: Go from my presence; beware, do not continue to see my face, because on the day that you see my face you shall die. Once again, Pharaoh banished Moses, but this time he threatened his life if he dared approach him again.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה כֵּ֣ן דִּבַּ֑רְתָּ לֹא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֖וֹד רְא֥וֹת פָּנֶֽיךָ׃ (פ)

Since Moses had already heard from God what would happen, as recounted in the following section, he knew that he would not need to initiate another meeting with Pharaoh at the palace. Therefore, he confirmed Pharaoh’s statement. And Moses said: You have spoken truly; I will not continue to see your face anymore.