The Meaning of Exodus 10:15 Explained

Exodus 10:15

KJV: For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

YLT: and it covereth the eye of all the land, and the land is darkened; and it eateth every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail hath left, and there hath not been left any green thing in the trees, or in the herb of the field, in all the land of Egypt.'

Darby: And they covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left; and there remained not any green thing on the trees, and in the herbs of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

ASV: For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For they covered  the face  of the whole earth,  so that the land  was darkened;  and they did eat  every herb  of the land,  and all the fruit  of the trees  which the hail  had left:  and there remained  not any green thing  in the trees,  or in the herbs  of the field,  through all the land  of Egypt. 

What does Exodus 10:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 10:12-29 - The Plagues Of Locusts And Of Darkness
The locust is the most terrible plague of Eastern lands. The heat intense; the air languid; the sound as of a strong breeze; the sun darkened by a cloud of living things, which cover the earth several inches thick and devour every green thing, Exodus 10:15. Notice the extorted confession, at last, of sin, Exodus 10:16. Many hearts and lives are devastated by these locust-cares, which eat up all the blades of promise and darken heaven. At the first trace of genuine repentance, however, they are borne away.
The Hebrew word for darkness is the same that is used in Genesis 1:2. The sun was one of the chief deities of Egypt, hence the horror that paralyzed her population, Exodus 10:23. But there was light in Goshen. See Psalms 112:4 and John 8:12. Pharaoh proposed one last compromise. See Exodus 10:24. Moses made a grand answer. The whole universe shall share in our redemption, Romans 8:20-21. Jesus will be content with nothing less than all the purchased possession. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Exodus 10:15 mean?

For they covered - the face of all the earth so that was darkened the land And they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which had left the hail So not there remained anything green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt
וַיְכַ֞ס אֶת־ עֵ֣ין כָּל־ הָאָרֶץ֮ וַתֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ הָאָרֶץ֒ וַיֹּ֜אכַל כָּל־ עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־ פְּרִ֣י הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹתִ֖יר הַבָּרָ֑ד וְלֹא־ נוֹתַ֨ר כָּל־ יֶ֧רֶק בָּעֵ֛ץ וּבְעֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה בְּכָל־ אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם

וַיְכַ֞ס  For  they  covered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵ֣ין  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
כָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָרֶץ֮  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַתֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ  so  that  was  darkened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָשַׁךְ 
Sense: to be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden.
הָאָרֶץ֒  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיֹּ֜אכַל  And  they  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֣שֶׂב  herb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵשֶׂב  
Sense: herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
פְּרִ֣י  the  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
הָעֵ֔ץ  of  the  trees 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הוֹתִ֖יר  had  left 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
הַבָּרָ֑ד  the  hail 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּרָד  
Sense: hail.
וְלֹא־  So  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נוֹתַ֨ר  there  remained 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
כָּל־  anything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יֶ֧רֶק  green 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶרֶק  
Sense: green, greenness, green plants, greenery.
בָּעֵ֛ץ  on  the  trees 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וּבְעֵ֥שֶׂב  or  on  the  plants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵשֶׂב  
Sense: herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה  of  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
בְּכָל־  throughout  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֶ֥רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָֽיִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.