Exodus 10:4 But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.

◄ Exodus 10:4 ►

New International Version
If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.

New Living Translation
If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country.

English Standard Version
For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

Berean Standard Bible
But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.

King James Bible
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

New King James Version
Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

New American Standard Bible
For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

NASB 1995
‘For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

NASB 1977
‘For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

Amplified Bible
For if you refuse to let My people go, then hear this: tomorrow I will bring [migratory] locusts into your country.

Christian Standard Bible
But if you refuse to let my people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if you refuse to let My people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

American Standard Version
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border:

Contemporary English Version
Do this by tomorrow, or I will cover your country with so many locusts

English Revised Version
Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts into thy border:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.

Good News Translation
If you keep on refusing, then I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.

International Standard Version
But if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I'm going to bring locusts into your territory.

Majority Standard Bible
But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.

NET Bible
But if you refuse to release my people, I am going to bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.

New Heart English Bible
Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, look, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

Webster's Bible Translation
Else, if thou shalt refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring the locusts into thy border:

World English Bible
Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
for if you are refusing to send My people away, behold, tomorrow I am bringing in the locust into your border,

Young's Literal Translation
for if thou art refusing to send My people away, lo, I am bringing in to-morrow the locust into thy border,

Smith's Literal Translation
For if thou refusest to send forth my people, behold me bringing to-morrow the locust into thy bounds.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if thou resist, and wilt not let them go, behold I will bring in to morrow the locust into thy coasts:

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you resist, and you are unwilling to release them, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders.

New American Bible
For if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

New Revised Standard Version
For if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts upon all Four domain;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if you choose not to send my people out, behold, tomorrow I shall bring the locust upon your entire border:

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But if thou wilt not send my people away, behold, at this hour to-morrow I will bring an abundance of locusts upon all thy coasts.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Eighth Plague: Locusts
…3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 4But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. 5They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Joel 1:4
What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten.

Joel 2:25
I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.

Revelation 9:3-4
And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. / They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Psalm 78:46
He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

Psalm 105:34-35
He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number. / They devoured every plant in their land and consumed the produce of their soil.

Deuteronomy 28:38
You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it.

Nahum 3:15-17
There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! / You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. / Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where.

Proverbs 30:27
the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

Isaiah 33:4
Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.

Jeremiah 51:14
The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”

Amos 4:9
“I struck you with blight and mildew in your growing gardens and vineyards; the locust devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD.

1 Kings 8:37
When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy besieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,

2 Chronicles 7:13
If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people,

Revelation 16:10-11
And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish / and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores. Yet they did not repent of their deeds.

Matthew 24:7
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Treasury of Scripture

Else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into your coast:

tomorrow

Exodus 8:10,23
And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God…

Exodus 9:5,18
And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land…

Exodus 11:4,5
And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: …

locusts.

Proverbs 30:27
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Joel 1:4-7
That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten…

Joel 2:2-11,25
A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations…

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Exodus 10

1. God threatens to send locusts
7. Pharaoh, moved by his servants, inclines to let the Israelites go
12. The plague of the locusts
16. Pharaoh entreats Moses
21. The plague of darkness
24. Pharaoh again entreats Moses, but yet is hardened

Berean Study Bible

But if you refuse
This phrase indicates a conditional warning from God to Pharaoh. The Hebrew word for "refuse" is "מָאֵן" (ma'en), which implies a deliberate and stubborn rejection. Historically, Pharaoh's repeated refusals to heed God's commands demonstrate the hardness of his heart, a theme that runs throughout the Exodus narrative. This refusal is not just a personal decision but a defiance against the divine will, showcasing the spiritual battle between God's sovereignty and human obstinacy.

to let My people go
The phrase "My people" emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "people" is "עַם" (am), signifying a collective group bound by shared identity and purpose. This highlights God's protective and possessive nature over Israel, affirming His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The demand to "let go" is not merely a call for physical freedom but a divine mandate for spiritual liberation, underscoring the theme of redemption that is central to the Exodus story.

I will bring locusts
The locusts represent the eighth plague, a direct act of divine judgment. The Hebrew word for "locusts" is "אַרְבֶּה" (arbeh), creatures known for their destructive swarms. Archaeologically, locust plagues were a known phenomenon in ancient Egypt, often devastating crops and leading to famine. This plague serves as a powerful symbol of God's control over nature and His ability to use creation as an instrument of judgment. It also foreshadows the ultimate deliverance of Israel, as each plague progressively demonstrates God's power over the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh's impotence.

into your territory
The term "territory" refers to the land of Egypt, which was considered the domain of Pharaoh. The Hebrew word "גְּבוּל" (gevul) can mean border or boundary, indicating that the locusts would invade every part of Egypt, leaving no area untouched. This invasion signifies the breaking of Pharaoh's control and the encroachment of divine authority into human domains. Historically, Egypt was a land of abundance and fertility, and the locusts' devastation would have been a direct assault on the nation's pride and economic stability.

tomorrow
The specificity of "tomorrow" underscores the certainty and immediacy of God's actions. The Hebrew word "מָחָר" (machar) conveys a sense of impending judgment, leaving Pharaoh with a limited window for repentance. This immediacy serves as a reminder of God's patience and justice, offering Pharaoh one last chance to comply with His demands. The use of "tomorrow" also highlights the prophetic nature of God's word, as His declarations are not only promises but also certainties that unfold in His perfect timing.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) To morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast.--Locusts, as already observed, are not indigenous to Egypt, but only occasional visitants. Consequently they always enter the country from some other, as Nubia, Abyssinia, Syria, or Arabia. On the quarter from which the present plague came, see the comment on Exodus 10:13.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - To-morrow. Again a warning is given, and a space of time interposed, during which the king may repent and submit himself, if he chooses. The locusts. The species intended is probably either the Aeridium peregrinum or the Oedipoda migratoria. Both are common in Arabia and Syria, and both are known in Egypt. They are said to be equally destructive. The Hebrew name, arbeh, points to the "multitudinous" character of the visitation. A traveller in Syria says - "It is difficult to express the effect produced on us by the sight of the whole atmosphere filled on all sides and to a great height by an innumerable quantity of these insects, whose flight was slow and uniform, and whose noise resembled that of rain; the sky was darkened, and the light of the sun considerably weakened. In a moment the terraces of the houses, the streets, and all the fields were covered by these insects." (Ollivier, Voyage clans l'Empire Ottoman, vol. 2. p. 424.) Into thy coast - i.e. "across thy border, into thy territories." The locust is only an occasional visitant in Egypt, and seems always to arrive from some foreign country.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But
כִּ֛י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you
אַתָּ֖ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

refuse
מָאֵ֥ן (mā·’ên)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3986: Unwilling

to let My people
עַמִּ֑י (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

go,
לְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ (lə·šal·lê·aḥ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

I will bring
מֵבִ֥יא (mê·ḇî)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

locusts
אַרְבֶּ֖ה (’ar·beh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 697: (a kind of) locust

into your territory
בִּגְבֻלֶֽךָ׃ (biḡ·ḇu·le·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

tomorrow.
מָחָ֛ר (mā·ḥār)
Adverb
Strong's 4279: Deferred, the morrow, tomorrow, hereafter

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OT Law: Exodus 10:4 Or else if you refuse to let (Exo. Ex)