Exodus 10:5and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won't be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.
The setting
Egypt, ~1446 BC. Moses stands before Pharaoh threatening the eighth plague. The royal court is tense as previous plagues have devastated the land. Modern-day Egypt.
The emotion here: recording with trembling hands the terrible power of God
The original word
arbeh (אַרְבֶּה) — swarming locust, from 'rabah' meaning to multiply abundantly
Why it matters
Desert locusts can eat their own body weight daily and swarms can cover 460 square miles
Read with care
What most readers miss in Exodus 10:5
This wasn't the first locust plague - Egypt had natural locust swarms, but this would be supernatural in scope
Common misconceptionPeople think this was just a natural locust swarm, but ancient Egypt regularly dealt with locusts - this was supernatural devastation beyond anything in living memory.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Exodus 10:5
Bible Genome reading
Exodus 10:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Exodus 10:5 comes from the book of Exodus, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include judgment, plague. Notable phrases: cover the surface of the earth. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Exodus 10:5 mean to you, today?
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