Exodus 9:19

9:19 So now, send instructions ¹  to gather ²  your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person ³  or animal caught ⁴  in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”’”

Exodus 9:22

9:22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the sky ⁵  that there may be ⁶  hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals, ⁷  and on everything that grows ⁸  in the field in the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 10:5

10:5 They will cover ⁹  the surface ¹⁰  of the earth, so that you ¹¹  will be unable to see the ground. They will eat the remainder of what escaped ¹²  – what is left over ¹³  for you – from the hail, and they will eat every tree that grows for you from the field.

Exodus 23:11

23:11 But in the seventh year ¹⁴  you must let it lie fallow and leave it alone so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave any animal in the field ¹⁵  may eat; you must do likewise with your vineyard and your olive grove.

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¹ tn The object “instructions” is implied in the context.

² tn הָעֵז (ha’ez) is the Hiphil imperative from עוּז (’uz, “to bring into safety” or “to secure”). Although there is no vav (ו) linking the two imperatives, the second could be subordinated by virtue of the meanings. “Send to bring to safety.”

³ tn Heb “man, human.”

⁴ tn Heb “[who] may be found.” The verb can be the imperfect of possibility.

⁵ tn Or “the heavens” (also in the following verse). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

⁶ tn The jussive with the conjunction (וִיהִי, vihi) coming after the imperative provides the purpose or result.

⁷ tn Heb “on man and on beast.”

⁸ tn The noun refers primarily to cultivated grains. But here it seems to be the general heading for anything that grows from the ground, all vegetation and plant life, as opposed to what grows on trees.

⁹ tn The verbs describing the locusts are singular because it is a swarm or plague of locusts. This verb (וְכִסָּה, vÿkhissah, “cover”) is a Piel perfect with a vav consecutive; it carries the same future nuance as the participle before it.

¹⁰ tn Heb “eye,” an unusual expression (see v. 15; Num 22:5, 11).

¹¹ tn The text has לִרְאֹת וְלֹא יוּכַל (vÿlo’ yukhal lir’ot, “and he will not be able to see”). The verb has no expressed subjects. The clause might, therefore, be given a passive translation: “so that [it] cannot be seen.” The whole clause is the result of the previous statement.

¹² sn As the next phrase explains “what escaped” refers to what the previous plague did not destroy. The locusts will devour everything, because there will not be much left from the other plagues for them to eat.

¹³ tn הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת (hannish’eret) parallels (by apposition) and adds further emphasis to the preceding two words; it is the Niphal participle, meaning “that which is left over.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “and the seventh year”; an adverbial accusative with a disjunctive vav (ו).

¹⁵ tn Heb “living thing/creature/beast of the field.” A general term for animals, usually wild animals, including predators (cf. v. 29; Gen 2:19-20; Lev 26:22; Deut 7:22; 1 Sam 17:46; Job 5:22-23; Ezek 29:5; 34:5).