Exodus 10 covers the eighth and ninth plagues against Egypt, locusts and three days of darkness, along with Pharaoh’s repeated refusals to let Israel go. These questions are for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. Each set of questions comes with a note on how to lead it, and each question includes a discussion answer you can use or adapt.
Exodus 10 at a Glance
The chapter opens with God telling Moses that he has hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that the signs may be shown and the story told to later generations. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, who bargains about who may go, and the locusts come after Pharaoh’s officials beg him to relent. Pharaoh admits his sin and asks for prayer, but once the locusts are gone he hardens his heart again.
The chapter then moves to the darkness that covers Egypt for three days while Israel has light. Pharaoh offers a partial release and then orders Moses out of his presence, with a warning that he will die if he sees Pharaoh’s face again. Moses agrees, and the chapter ends with the tension unresolved and the next plague waiting.
Observation Questions
Use this set first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the text, read the verses aloud, and describe what happens without explaining why yet. Keep answers short and tied to the words on the page.
Exodus 10:2
And that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD.”
(WEB)
This verse explains why the plagues matter, pointing to teaching the next generation about what God has done. Reading it early helps the group see the purpose behind the entire chapter.
Exodus 10:16-17
16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to the LORD your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”
(WEB)
Pharaoh’s confession and request for prayer show the pressure his choices have produced. Reading it aloud lets the group hear the urgency in his words and connect it to the reversal that follows.
Exodus 10:20
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.
(WEB)
This verse is the turning point that many groups find hardest to understand. Reading it slowly gives room for honest questions about God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
Exodus 10:22-23
22 Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They didn’t see one another, and nobody rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
(WEB)
The darkness and the light for Israel are described side by side, making the contrast easy to see. Reading this passage helps the group feel the weight of the plague and the comfort of God’s protection.
Exodus 10:28-29
28 Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!” 29 Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”
(WEB)
The chapter closes with a sharp break between Moses and Pharaoh. Reading these final words leaves the group with the sense of a confrontation that is not yet finished.
Memory Verse for Exodus 10
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who sometimes harden our hearts the way Pharaoh did, promising obedience and then turning back to our own way. Thank you that you are patient with us and that you keep telling the story of your faithfulness so that we might know you are the LORD. Give us humble hearts that confess quickly and change truly. Help us remember your light in our dark seasons, and teach us to pass your goodness on to the children and friends around us. Keep our group close to you as we study your Word together. Amen.
