וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹן֮ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה֒ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽעִבְרִ֔ים עַד־מָתַ֣י מֵאַ֔נְתָּ לֵעָנֹ֖ת מִפָּנָ֑י שַׁלַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י וְיַֽעַבְדֻֽנִי׃
모세와 아론이 바로에게 들어가서 그에게 이르되 히브리 사람의 하나님 여호와께서 말씀하시기를 네가 어느 때까지 내 앞에 겸비치 아니하겠느냐 내 백성을 보내라 그들이 나를 섬길 것이라
Shemot Rabbah
“And so that you will relate in the ears of your son, and of your son's son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs that I have performed among them; and you will know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 10:2).
“And so that you will relate in the ears of your son” – the Holy One blessed be He revealed to Moses what plague He would bring upon them, and Moses wrote it in an allusion: “And so that you will relate in the ears of your son” – this is the plague of locusts, as it is stated: “Relate to your children about it” (Joel 1:3).5What is to be related appears in the following verse – locusts.
“Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said to him: So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, and they will serve Me. For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border” (Exodus 10:3–4).
“Moses and Aaron came.… For if you refuse to let My people go…” – what is “behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border”? But not in the borders of the descendants of Ḥam. In this regard it is stated: “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants [of the world] learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). Through the plague of locusts, they recognized until where the border of Egypt is.
“And your houses will be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; that neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, from the day that they were on the earth until this day. He turned, and exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:6).
“They will cover the face of the earth.… And your houses will be filled…He turned, and exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:5–6) – what is this?6Why does the Torah state that “he turned, and exited”? That does not appear in the account of any other plague. It is because he saw that they were looking at each other and believing his words, and he left there so they would take counsel and repent.
“And so that you will relate in the ears of your son” – the Holy One blessed be He revealed to Moses what plague He would bring upon them, and Moses wrote it in an allusion: “And so that you will relate in the ears of your son” – this is the plague of locusts, as it is stated: “Relate to your children about it” (Joel 1:3).5What is to be related appears in the following verse – locusts.
“Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said to him: So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, and they will serve Me. For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border” (Exodus 10:3–4).
“Moses and Aaron came.… For if you refuse to let My people go…” – what is “behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border”? But not in the borders of the descendants of Ḥam. In this regard it is stated: “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants [of the world] learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). Through the plague of locusts, they recognized until where the border of Egypt is.
“And your houses will be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; that neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, from the day that they were on the earth until this day. He turned, and exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:6).
“They will cover the face of the earth.… And your houses will be filled…He turned, and exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:5–6) – what is this?6Why does the Torah state that “he turned, and exited”? That does not appear in the account of any other plague. It is because he saw that they were looking at each other and believing his words, and he left there so they would take counsel and repent.