^10:22So Moses extended his hand toward heaven, and there was absolute darkness⁶⁶ throughout the land of Egypt for three days.⁶⁷^10:23No one⁶⁸ could see⁶⁹ another person, and no one could rise from his place for three days. But the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

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Footnotes

66 The construction is a variation of the superlative genitive: a substantive in the construct state is connected to a noun with the same meaning (see §133.i).
67 S. R. Driver says, “The darkness was no doubt occasioned really by a sand-storm, produced by the hot electrical wind … which blows in intermittently …” (Exodus, , ). This is another application of the antisupernatural approach to these texts. The text, however, is probably describing something that was not a seasonal wind, or Pharaoh would not have been intimidated. If it coincided with that season, then what is described here is so different and so powerful that the Egyptians would have known the difference easily. Pharaoh here would have had to have been impressed that this was something very abnormal, and that his god was powerless. Besides, there was light in all the dwellings of the Israelites.
68 Heb “a man … his brother.”
69 The perfect tense in this context requires the somewhat rare classification of a potential perfect.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.

NLTNew Living Translation

So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was darkness of night in all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see his brother, and because of it no one could move from where they were for three days, but there was light for the Israelites in their dwellings.

KJV 1900King James Version

And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

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