10-00

The Ten Plagues

This title can also be translated as: “About how God made the Egyptians suffer with the Ten Plagues” or “What happened when God made the Egyptians suffer from the ten plagues?”

10-01

stubborn

This means the Pharaoh would refuse to obey God. You may also want to add: “stubborn and refuse to listen (or obey).”

to Pharaoh

It may be clearer to say: “to Pharaoh’s palace to talk to him.”

This is what the God of Israel says, ‘Let my people go!’

This is a quotation within a quotation. The entire quotation can be restated so that this portion is an indirect quotation: “The God of Israel says to let his people go!’” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotesinquotes/01.md]])

the God of Israel

This could be translated as: “God, who chose the Israelites to be his people” or “God, who rules the people of Israel” or “the God whom the Israelites worship.”

Let my people go!

Other ways to say this are: “Allow my people to go free!” or “Free my people to leave Egypt!”

my people

See my people in 09:13.

But Pharaoh did not listen

The connecting word But connects what Moses and Aaron said God told Pharaoh to do (let his people go), with what he did (he did not listen to them). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast/01.md]])

listen to

This could be translated as: “heed” or “obey.”

Instead of letting the Israelites go free

The connecting word Instead connects what Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh to do (listen to God and let his people go), with what Pharaoh did (make them work harder). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast/01.md]])

he forced them to work even harder!

This is a strong statement that Pharaoh not only did not free the Israelites, he made their lives even harder! (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-exclamations/01.md]])

10-02

the people

This refers to the people of Israel, also called the Israelites.

so God sent

The connecting word so connects the cause (Pharaoh made the Israelites work harder instead of letting them go), with the result (God sent ten terrible plagues on Egypt). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md]])

ten terrible plagues

A plague is something very bad or terrible that happens to someone or something. A plague usually refers to something that affects many people or happens over a large geographic area. Another word for plague would be disaster.

all of Egypt’s gods

It may be more clear to say: “all the gods that the Egyptian people worshiped.” The people of Egypt worshiped many different false gods. Some of these false gods did not exist. Other false gods that they worshiped were actually demons. Demons are not as powerful as the God of Israel.

10-03

turned the Nile River into blood

Some languages may need to say: “turned the water in the Nile River into blood.” There was blood in the river instead of water, so the fish died and the people had no water to drink.

but Pharaoh still

The connecting word but contrasts God turning the river to blood with Pharoah not letting the Israelites go. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast/01.md]])

10-04

God sent frogs all over Egypt

This could be translated as: “God caused many frogs to appear throughout Egypt.”

hardened his heart

He became stubborn again and refused to obey God. Here hardened is a synecdoche that refers to Pharaoh. His stubborn attitude is spoken of as if his heart were hard. Alternate translation: “will cause Pharaoh to be stubborn” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-synecdoche/01.md]], [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metaphor/01.md]])

10-05

God sent a plague

This could be translated as: “God caused there to be a plague” or “God caused a plague (of gnats) to come over the land of Egypt.”

gnats

These were tiny, biting insects flying in large swarms, annoying and landing on all the people and animals of Egypt. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])

flies

These were much bigger flying insects that were both annoying and destructive. There were so many of these flies that they covered everything, even filling the Egyptians’ houses.

hardened his heart

See note in 10:04.

10-06

farm animals

This refers to large animals that the Egyptians used to help them in their work, such as horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.

heart was hardened

See note in 10:04.

10-07

God hardened Pharaoh’s heart

God caused Pharaoh to continue to be stubborn. See also note in 10:04.

10-08

After that

This refers to after God caused the painful sores to appear on the Egyptians’ skin.

God sent hail

God caused hail to fall from the sky.

hail

Hail is like chunks of ice that fall down from the clouds as rain does. These chunks can be very small or very large. The larger ones will hurt or kill whatever they fall on. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])

Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them, “I have sinned. You may go.”

This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them that he had sinned, and said that they could go.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])

You may go

The word You refers to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites.

10-09

hardened his heart

See note in 10:04.

10-10

swarms of locusts

Locusts are grasshoppers that fly together in swarms, or large groups, and that can destroy large areas of all kinds of plants and food crops by eating them. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/translate-unknown/01.md]])

the hail

Hail is like chunks of ice that fall down from the clouds as rain does.

10-11

God sent darkness

God caused darkness to cover or spread over most of Egypt. In other words, God took away the light from this part of Egypt.

that lasted for three days

This darkness was darker than ordinary nighttime darkness, and it continued to be totally dark for three whole days.

10-12

these nine plagues

This means: these nine disasters that God had caused.

Since Pharaoh would not listen, God planned to send one last plague. This would change Pharaoh’s mind.

The connecting word Since connects the action (God sending one last plague), with the reason (Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go free). (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result/01.md]])

Since Pharaoh would not listen

This could be translated as: “Since Pharaoh would not do what God was telling him to do” or “Since Pharaoh refused to obey God.”

This would change Pharaoh’s mind

Another way to say this would be: “This last plague would cause Pharaoh to change how he thought about God and, as a result, he would let the Israelites go free.”

A Bible story from

These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.