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.

EXODUS 10:15KJV
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Exodus 10:15 (KJV)

What does Exodus 10:15 mean?

Exodus 10:15 describes how a massive swarm of locusts covered the entire land of Egypt, making the land dark and consuming every remaining plant and fruit that had survived the earlier hailstorm, leaving nothing green anywhere in Egypt. This verse emphasizes the total devastation caused by the locusts during one of the plagues God sent upon Egypt.

In this part of Exodus, Moses is recounting the effects of the eighth plague to Pharaoh and his officials. The verse highlights the overwhelming scale of the disaster: the locusts are so numerous that they block out the sunlight and destroy every last bit of vegetation. This sets the stage for Pharaoh’s increasing desperation and shows how each plague builds on the previous ones, leaving Egypt in worse condition each time.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 10:15

  • "Covered" (כָּסָה, kasah) means to completely blanket or conceal. The use of this word stresses that the locusts were so thick they hid the ground from view, not just scattered here and there.
  • "Face" (עַיִן, ayin) literally means "eye" but is often used for "surface" or "appearance." Here, it refers to the visible surface of the land, showing that nothing could be seen except locusts.
  • "Darkened" (חָשַׁךְ, chashakh) means to become dark or obscure. The verse uses this word to show that the swarm was so dense it blocked out the daylight, not just figuratively but in a real, physical sense.
  • "Remained" / "left" (יָתַר, yatar) is used twice to stress that after the locusts, nothing green was left—total destruction, not just partial damage.

Why Exodus 10:15 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that the plague was minor or localized; the language makes it clear that the devastation was total and affected all of Egypt.
  • The verse emphasizes the cumulative effect of the plagues: whatever little was left after the hail was now completely destroyed by the locusts, showing a worsening of Egypt’s situation.
  • By describing the darkness and the complete loss of vegetation, the verse sets up the tension for Pharaoh’s next response and the continuing conflict between Moses and Pharaoh.

Where else these words appear

“thing” Hebrew H3418 · used in 6 verses

  • Genesis 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
  • Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
  • Psalms 37:2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

“darkened” Hebrew H2821 · used in 18 verses

  • Job 3:9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
  • Psalms 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
  • Lamentations 4:8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

“hail” Hebrew H1259 · used in 26 verses

  • Exodus 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
  • Exodus 9:29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD'S.
  • Psalms 18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

“herb” Hebrew H6212 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Deuteronomy 11:15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
  • Psalms 105:35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.