A mighty strong west-wind— A wind of the sea, according to the Hebrew. Thus Jehovah rendered obedient to his pleasure, either of punishment or mercy, those winds, and that element of air, which the Egyptians idly adored as their gods. Many naturalists have observed, that locusts are often destroyed, by winds driving their swarms into seas and lakes. The providence of God hath often used the same means to destroy and to save. This strong west-wind, or wind of the sea, most probably, blew from the Mediterranean, which, in respect of Canaan, is west: but, as Moses is here speaking of Egypt, it may mean any wind between the north and west. The Red-sea, or Arabian gulph, lies east of Egypt. But of this we shall have occasion to say more on ch. 14:
REFLECTIONS.—The locusts come, the sky is darkened, the earth covered, and the little which the hail had left utterly consumed. How soon can God, by the most contemptible insects, make our land a wilderness! Hereupon,
1. Pharaoh returns to submission and entreaty, begs pardon of God and his servants, and promises very largely. Note; (1.) They who despise God's ministers, had well ask their pardon, before they stand to accuse them at the bar of God. (2.)
They who are more solicitous to remove the threatened death, than their sin which is the cause of it, are certainly hypocritical penitents.
2. Moses prays, and a west-wind carries the locusts away. No sooner is the plague removed, than Pharaoh returns as the dog to his vomit again. Frequent relapses into sin usually end in final apostasy.