The Ninth Plague - The Plague of Thick Darkness (Exodus 10:21-29).
As with the third and sixth plagues this one comes without introduction or warning, like a second hammer blow following a first or like a left followed by a right in boxing.
a Yahweh tells Moses to stretch out his hand towards heaven so that there will be darkness over the whole land of Egypt, a darkness which may be felt (Exodus 10:21).
b Moses did as he was bid and there was thick darkness over Egypt for three days so that they could not leave their homes, nor could they see one another, although the children of Israel had light in their dwellings (Exodus 10:22-23).
c Pharaoh calls Moses and says that they may go with their little ones but must leave their cattle behind (Exodus 10:24).
d Moses replies that he must let them also have their cattle for they will need sacrifices and whole burnt offerings, for their sacrifices to Yahweh (Exodus 10:25).
d ‘Not a hoof' would be left behind, for they will not know the details of what they require until they have arrived at their destination (Exodus 10:25-26).
c But in the end Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let them go (Exodus 10:27).
b Pharaoh tells him to leave him and ensure that he (Moses) sees his face no more, for in the day that Moses sees his face he will die (Exodus 10:28).
a Moses replies that he has spoken well, ‘You will see my face no more' (Exodus 10:29).
The contrasts are striking. In ‘a' total darkness is promised (so that none can see anyone's face) and in the parallel Moses confirms that Pharaoh will not see his face again. This comparison is confirmed in ‘b' for there it is specifically stated that one man would not be able to see another in the thick darkness, while in the parallel Pharaoh ironically tells Moses that he will not be allowed to see his face again. In ‘c' Pharaoh gives reluctant half-permission, and in the parallel he will not let them go. His intransigence is being drawn out. In ‘d' Israel must have their cattle for purposes of sacrifice, and in the parallel not a hoof will be left behind.
‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand towards heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness that may be felt (literally ‘that one may feel darkness').” '
Pharaoh had seen what Yahweh had done to Re in the previous plague, which had affected him deeply, and now He struck again, this time without warning. The sun was blotted out and the land was in total darkness. This was not ordinary darkness. It was probably caused by an unusually heavy and severe khamsin dust storm resulting from a fierce hot wind from the desert containing within it an immense number of particles of sand, exacerbated by the large amounts of the red earth which had been deposited by the Nile which would have dried out as a fine dust, and would be lying on the ground. Thus the khamsin resulted in it blowing across the land. The khamsin wind would stir all this up making the air unusually thick and dark even for a khamsin, and blotting out the light of the sun. Approximately three days is the known length of a khamsin (Exodus 10:23). This, coming on top of all that had come before, and seeming again to affect the sun god himself would have a devastating effect. Pharaoh was indeed being attacked at his heart (Exodus 9:14). And the land would be brought to a total standstill.
“Darkness that may be felt.” The sand and dust made it something which men felt as well as experienced. During the storm nothing could be done. The dust forced its way into their houses (they had little protection for their windows). All men could do was shelter as best they may and wait for it to pass.
‘And Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did any rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.'
Previously Moses had stretched out his staff (Exodus 9:23; Exodus 10:13), now he merely stretched out his hand. It was the hand of Yahweh. He was growing in confidence and trust and no longer needed visible supports. And the result was a khamsin dust storm more severe than anything in living memory, for it covered the whole of Egypt. To be caught in such a severe dust storm in the desert is to be rendered immobile. Those so caught often cannot see beyond their noses, and are helpless except to protect their camels, their noses, their eyes and their bodies from the storm, and wait crouched and immobile until the storm has passed, which usually takes three days. Being in Egypt (which was mainly desert, rendered even more dusty by the red dust that had come down on the Nile) they were able to take shelter in their homes, but the khamsin found its way in and they were unable to see each other, and simply lay without moving until it had passed.
“Thick darkness.” Literally thick with the sand and the dust. It swirled everywhere and there was no escaping it. It could not be kept out. And the land would be totally dark and the people would undoubtedly envisage evil spirits at work causing illness and death.
“For three days”. Khamsins regularly lasted for three or four days. Three is the number of completeness. The Egyptians were trapped wherever the storm had found them and were unable to socialise outside the home or have contact with each other. Life stood still. Time stood still. But Goshen escaped the worst of the storm and the children of Israel were hardly affected. There was light in their houses. The sun still shone on them. They were not in darkness, in either way.
‘And Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go yourselves, serve Yahweh, only let your flocks and your herds be kept behind. Let your little ones go with you.”
Pharaoh now made a further concession. He was fighting desperately for his pride. All the people may go to worship Yahweh, but they must leave their flocks and herds behind. He knew that they would be reluctant to lose them and that without them they could not survive for long. They would have to come back. This suggests that by this stage he was suspecting that they were hoping to depart for good.
Or it may be that he feared that they intended to join with some unknown enemy hiding in the wilderness, and thought that if they had left their cattle behind they would think twice about participating in such a venture. For they could then lose all their wealth. This incidentally draws our attention to the fact that in their ‘slavery' they owned much cattle. Certainly they had to endure arduous forced labour on Pharaoh's building works, but they had a certain amount of freedom and independence.
That it was Moses' hope that they would leave permanently is clear. But that does not mean that it was his direct intention. He was simply doing what Yahweh had told him, and that was to go into the wilderness with the whole people of Israel and offer sacrifices. He was leaving in God's hands what would follow. (For he knew only too well that if they tried to escape, the Egyptian army would be able to force them back. But he simply trusted God to sort the situation out).
‘And Moses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God. Our cattle also will go with us. Not a hoof will be left behind. For from them we must take what is needed to serve Yahweh our God, and we do not know what we must serve Yahweh with until we arrive there.”
Moses now insisted that Pharaoh's offer was not good enough. Their cattle and flocks must go with them. There could be no compromise. They would need sacrifices and whole burnt offerings, and until they arrived they would not know what Yahweh would demand. The ‘sacrifices' would be partly consumed on the altar and partly shared among the worshippers, so that many would be required for the feast. And the ‘whole burnt offerings' (‘that which goes up') would be totally burned up.
“You must also give into our hands --.” This may be a demand that Pharaoh also now provide further means of sacrifice. But it was more probably simply a recognition that what they had ‘belonged' to Pharaoh and he must let them take it with them.
‘But Yahweh made Pharaoh's heart strong and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said to him, “Get yourself from me, see to your own safety, do not come before me (see my face) again, for in the day that you come before me (see my face) again you will die.”
Patience was running out on both sides. Pharaoh felt cornered and he did not like it. He had had enough. He would yield no further. Total surrender was too humiliating and unbecoming to a Pharaoh, so he warned Moses that if he ever came to see him again he would have him put to death. ‘See my face no more.' The statement is intended to be ironic as the analysis above confirms. In the khamsin no one had been able to see anyone else's face. He wanted it to be known that Yahweh was not the only one who could prevent men seeing the faces of others. As far as he was concerned this was the end of any negotiation. Permission to worship Yahweh in the wilderness was now strictly denied. Let Moses be gone, and let Yahweh do what He will.
‘And Moses said, “You have spoken well. You will see my face no more.”
Moses equally ironically confirms that Pharaoh also will not see his face again. The repetition brings home the illustration. Pharaoh is in his own thick darkness, and there is therefore nothing ahead for him but tragedy. Indeed circumstance will be such that he will soon wish to see Moses' face.
It should be noted that at this point there is a deliberate insertion of text (although certainly by the original author for it fits in to both literary chiastic constructions). For Moses does not leave after his words in Exodus 10:29. His diatribe continues in Exodus 11:4-8.
In the behaviour of Pharaoh we have a picture of the behaviour of the world in its obstinacy against God. Like Pharaoh man will not yield to God's approach. He may make a pretence of submission but his heart is hardened and when it comes to the crunch he stands up for his own ‘rights'. He refuses to obey the voice of God. Thus does he bring himself into judgment.