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Exodus Chapter
Nine
New King James Version
(NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
EXODUS 9
This chapter relates the
plague of murrain upon the cattle
and which yet was not upon the cattle of the
Israelites
Exodus 9:1 and the
plague of boils and blains on man and beast
Exodus 9:8 and
Pharaoh's heart being hardened
Moses is sent to him with a message from the
Lord
threatening him that all his plagues should come upon him
and
particularly the pestilence
if he would not let Israel go; and signifying
that to show his power in him
and declare his name throughout the earth
had
he raised him up
and a kind of amazement is expressed at his obstinacy and
pride
Exodus 9:12
and he
is told that a terrible storm of hail should fall upon the land
and destroy
all in the field; wherefore those that regarded the word of the Lord got their
cattle within doors
but those that did not took no care of them
Exodus 9:18 and
upon Moses's stretching out his hand
when ordered by the Lord
the storm
began
and destroyed every thing in the field throughout the land
excepting
the land of Goshen
Exodus 9:22 upon
which Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron
acknowledged his sin
and the justice
of God
begged they would entreat for him
which Moses did; but when the storm
was over
Pharaoh's heart was still more hardened
and he refused to let the
people go
Exodus 9:27.
Exodus 9:1 Then the Lord said to Moses
“Go in to Pharaoh and tell him
‘Thus says the Lord God of the
Hebrews: “Let My people go
that they may serve Me.
YLT 1And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Go in unto
Pharaoh
and thou hast spoken unto him
Thus said Jehovah
God of the Hebrews
Send My people away
and they serve me
Then the Lord
said unto Moses
.... The same day the plague of the flies was removed:
go in unto
Pharaoh boldly
without any fear of him or his court:
and tell him
thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews: speak in the name of
Jehovah
the God whom the Hebrews worship
and who owns them for his people
and has a special love for them
and takes a special care of them
and is not
ashamed to be called their God
as poor and as oppressed as they be:
let my people
go
that they may serve me; this demand had been often made
and
though so reasonable
was refused.
Exodus 9:2 2 For
if you refuse to let them go
and still hold them
YLT 2for
if thou art refusing to send away
and
art still keeping hold upon them
For if thou
refuse to let them go
.... Continue to refuse
as he had done:
and wilt hold
them still; in the land
and under his dominion and oppression.
Exodus 9:3 3 behold
the hand of the Lord
will be on your cattle in the field
on the horses
on the donkeys
on the
camels
on the oxen
and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.
YLT 3lo
the hand of Jehovah is on thy cattle
which [are] in the field
on horses
on asses
on camels
on herd
and on flock
-- a pestilence very grievous.
Behold
the
hand of the Lord
.... Which was stronger than his
with which he held the
Israelites:
is upon thy
cattle which is in the field: this takes in all in general
of which the
particulars follow
though limited to such as were in the field
and so did not
take in what were at home in their out houses and stables:
upon the horses: of which
there was great plenty in Egypt
as appears from various places of Scripture:
upon the asses; used for
carrying burdens from place to place:
and upon the
camels; used the like purposes
and to ride upon
and particularly to
travel with through desert places for commerce
being able to proceed on
without water for a considerable time:
upon the oxen
and upon the sheep; oxen were for labour to plough with
and sheep for their wool
and all of them to trade with: there shall be
a very grievous
murrain: or "pestilence"F25דבר
"pestis"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Piscator;
"pestilentia"
Drusius; so Tigurine version.
a very noisome one
and which would carry off great numbers; the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan
render it a "death"
as the Jews commonly call a pestilence
whether
on man or beast
because it generally sweeps away large numbers.
Exodus 9:4 4 And
the Lord
will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of
Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of
Israel.”’”
YLT 4`And Jehovah hath separated between the
cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt
and there doth not die a thing of all
the sons of Israel's;
And the Lord shall
sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt
.... Make such
a difference and distinction between them
that the murrain should not be on
the one
when it was on the other
and which was a very marvellous thing; and
especially in the land of Goshen
where the Egyptians had much cattle
and
Pharaoh himself
see Genesis 47:6 and
yet
though the cattle of Israel breathed in the same air
drank of the same
water
and fed in the same pastures
they had not the murrain as the cattle of
Egypt had; and the word here used signifies a marvellous separation
as has
been observed on Exodus 7:22
and there shall
nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel; not an horse
nor an ass
nor an ox
nor a sheep.
Exodus 9:5 5 Then
the Lord
appointed a set time
saying
“Tomorrow the Lord will do this
thing in the land.”
YLT 5and Jehovah setteth an appointed time
saying
To-morrow doth Jehovah do this thing in the land.'
And the Lord
appointed a set time
.... For the coming of this plague
that it might plainly appear
it came from him
and was not owing to any natural cause:
saying
tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land; thus giving
him time and space
as he had often done before
to consider the matter well
repent
of his obstinacy
and dismiss the people of Israel
and so prevent the plague
coming upon the cattle
as threatened.
Exodus 9:6 6 So
the Lord
did this thing on the next day
and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the
livestock of the children of Israel
not one died.
YLT 6And Jehovah doth this thing on the morrow
and all the cattle of Egypt die
and of the cattle of the sons of Israel not
one hath died;
And the Lord
did that thing on the morrow
.... Brought a murrain
or a pestilential
disease on the cattle. This
according to Bishop Usher
was on the second day
of the seventh month
which afterwards became the first month
the month Abib
which answers to part of March and part of April
and seems to be about the
seventeenth of March:
and all the
cattle of Egypt died; not all absolutely
for we read of some afterwards
Exodus 9:9 but all
that were in the field
Exodus 9:3 and it
may be not strictly all of them
but the greatest part of them
as Aben Ezra
interprets it; some
and a great many of all sorts
in which limited sense the
word "all" is frequently used in Scripture:
but of the
cattle of the children of Israel died not one; at least of the murrain
or by the hand of God
and perhaps not otherwise
which was very wonderful
since such a disorder is usually catching and spreading.
Exodus 9:7 7 Then
Pharaoh sent
and indeed
not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was
dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard
and he did not let the people go.
YLT 7and Pharaoh sendeth
and lo
not even one of
the cattle of Israel hath died
and the heart of Pharaoh is hard
and he hath
not sent the people away.
And Pharaoh sent
....
Messengers to the land of Goshen
to see whether the murrain was upon the
cattle of Israel or not
and whether any of them died or not. The Targum of
Jonathan is
"he sent to Pelusium to see"
and inquire
about this matter; that is
to Raamses
for so that paraphrase calls Raamses in Exodus 1:11 a city
built by the Israelites
and where many of them might dwell. This Pharaoh did
not merely out of curiosity
but to know whether the divine prediction was
accomplished
and that he might have wherewith to confront it
could he find
the murrain was upon any of the cattle of Israel
or any died of it; and if
they did not
his view might be to convert them to his own use
and make up his
loss
and the loss of his people
in a good measure in this way
and perhaps
this may be the reason why he so little regarded this plague:
and
behold
there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead; which was
very wonderful
and therefore a "behold"
a note of admiration
is
prefixed to it
yet it made no impression on Pharaoh:
and the heart
of Pharaoh was hardened
and he did not let the people go; though this
plague was so heavy upon him and his people
and the loss they sustained so
great: in the other plagues of the water
the frogs
lice
and flies
though
very troublesome and terrible
yet the loss was not very great; but here much
damage was done to their property
yet this did not make his heart relent
or
cause him to yield to let Israel go.
Exodus 9:8 8 So
the Lord
said to Moses and Aaron
“Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace
and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.
YLT 8And Jehovah saith unto Moses and unto Aaron
`Take to you the fulness of your hands [of] soot of a furnace
and Moses hath
sprinkled it towards the heavens
before the eyes of Pharaoh
And the Lord
said unto Moses and unto Aaron
.... This very probably was the day
following
on the third day of the month Abib
about the eighteenth of March
that orders were given to bring on the following plague:
take to you
handfuls of ashes of the furnace; either in which the
bricks were burnt
or rather in which food was boiled
since it can scarcely he
thought there should be brickkiln furnaces so near Pharaoh's court; though
perhaps some reference may be had to them
and to the labour of the children
Israel at them
and as a just retaliation for their oppression of them in that
way. These ashes were such as were blown off the coals
and though fresh
yet
not so hot but that they could take and hold them in their hands:
and let Moses
sprinkle it towards the heaven
in the sight of Pharaoh; this was to
be done before Pharaoh
that he might be an eyewitness of the miracle
he
himself seeing with his own eyes that nothing else were cast up into the air
but a few light ashes; and this was to be done towards heaven
to show that the
plague or judgment came down from heaven
from the God of heaven
whose wrath
was now revealed from thence; and Moses he was to do this; he alone
as PhiloF26De
Vita Mosis
l. 1. p. 622. thinks
or rather both he and Aaron
since they were
both spoken to
and both filled their hands with ashes; it is most likely that
both cast them up into the air
though Moses
being the principal person
is
only mentioned.
Exodus 9:9 9 And
it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt
and it will cause boils that
break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”
YLT 9and it hath become small dust over all the
land of Egypt
and it hath become on man and on cattle a boil breaking forth
[with] blains
in all the land of Egypt.'
And it shall
become small dust in all the land of Egypt
.... Which ashes
thrown
up into the air
should be so multiplied and spread as to be over all the land
of Egypt
and come down like showers of snow or sleet everywhere
only of a hot
and scalding nature; or these handfuls of ashes were to be cast up into the
air
and come down in the above manner
about Pharaoh's court
as a sign and
token of what would be the case all over the kingdom:
and shall be a
boil breaking forth with blains; that is
these ashes
becoming a small dust
and falling down like the dew
snow
or sleet
yet hot
and burning
should produce sore boils
burning ulcers
hot carbuncles
rising
up in pustules
blisters
and buboes
which last word is pretty near in sound
with the Hebrew word here used:
upon man
and
upon beast
throughout all the land of Egypt; so that
as the last
plague affected their property
substance
and riches
which in those times
greatly lay in cattle
this
besides that
would affect their persons
and give
them exceeding great pain
though it might not issue in death.
Exodus 9:10 10 Then
they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh
and Moses scattered them
toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and
beast.
YLT 10And they take the soot of the furnace
and
stand before Pharaoh
and Moses sprinkleth it towards the heavens
and it is a
boil [with] blains
breaking forth
on man and on beast;
And they took
ashes of the furnace
.... Which was near at hand
perhaps in Pharaoh's kitchen:
and stood
before Pharaoh; not in his palace
or in any covered room
but in some place
open to the heaven
a courtyard or garden adjoining to the palace: and Moses
sprinkled it up towards heaven; cast it up in the air; this being again
ascribed to Moses
seems to confirm the notion of those who think he only did it;
but
for the reasons before given
both may be thought to be concerned:
and it became a
boil breaking forth with blains
upon man
and upon beast; these failing
down in the manner before described
on whomsoever they lighted
whether man or
beast
produced sore boils and inflammations
and raised blisters and blotches;
and hence arose those lying scandalous stories of the Israelites being a scabby
people
and of their being driven out of Egypt on that account
affirmed by
Manetho
Lysimachus
Diodorus Siculus
Tacitus
Justin
and others; See Gill on
Exodus 4:6 with
this plague the first vial poured forth on mystical Egypt
or antichrist
has
some agreement
Revelation 16:2.
Exodus 9:11 11 And the magicians could
not stand before Moses because of the boils
for the boils were on the
magicians and on all the Egyptians.
YLT 11and the scribes have not been able to stand
before Moses
because of the boil
for the boil hath been on the scribes
and
on all the Egyptians.
And the
magicians could not stand before Moses
because of the boils
.... Which
were on them as on others
and which with all their art and skill they could
not keep off; and which were so sore upon them
and painful to them
that they
were obliged to withdraw
and could not stand their ground
confronting Moses
contesting and litigating with him; for it seems
though they had not acted
nor attempted to act in imitation of Moses and Aaron
since the plague of the
lice
yet they still continued about Pharaoh
lessening as much as in them lay
the miracles wrought by them
and suggesting that they had done the most and
the worst they could
and so contributing to harden the heart of Pharaoh
against the people of Israel; wherefore they were righteously punished with boils
for so doing
and for their contempt of the messengers and miracles of God
and
for their imposition upon men
and their deception of them:
for the boil
was upon the magicians
and upon all the Egyptians; but not upon
Moses and Aaron
nor upon any of the Israelites
and was afterwards called
peculiarly the botch of Egypt
Deuteronomy 28:27.
Exodus 9:12 12 But
the Lord
hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them
just as the Lord had spoken to
Moses.
YLT 12And Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of
Pharaoh
and he hath not hearkened unto them
as Jehovah hath spoken unto
Moses.
And the Lord
hardened the heart of Pharaoh
.... He having often
and so long hardened
his own heart
God gave him up to judicial hardness of heart
to his own
corruptions
the temptations of Satan
and the lying magicians about him
to
make an ill use of everything that offered to him
and put a wrong construction
on all that befell him
so that whatever was said to him
or inflicted on him
made no impression to any purpose:
and he
hearkened not unto them; to Moses and Aaron
and to the Lord by them:
as the Lord had
spoken to Moses; both that he would harden his heart
and he should not hearken
to them; all this was no other than what the Lord had said should be
Exodus 4:21.
Exodus 9:13 13 Then
the Lord
said to Moses
“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh
and say to
him
‘Thus says the Lord
God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go
that they may serve Me
YLT 13And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Rise early in
the morning
and station thyself before Pharaoh
and thou hast said unto him
Thus said Jehovah
God of the Hebrews
Send My people away
and they serve Me
And the Lord
said unto Moses
rise up early in the morning
and stand before Pharaoh
.... Who it
seems used to rise early in the morning
and so was a fit time to meet with
him
and converse with him; it might be one of the mornings in which he used to
go to the water early
though not mentioned
unless that was every morning:
and say unto
him
thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews
let my people go
that they may
serve me; thus had he line upon line
and precept upon precept
so that he
was the more inexcusable
see Exodus 9:1.
Exodus 9:14 14 for
at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart
and on your
servants and on your people
that you may know that there is none like
Me in all the earth.
YLT 14for
at this time I am sending all My plagues
unto thy heart
and on thy servants
and on thy people
so that thou knowest
that there is none like Me in all the earth
For I will at
this time send all my plagues upon thine heart
.... Not meaning
particularly the plague of the hail
which next follows
so called
because it
consisted of various things
as hail
rain
lightning
and thunder
as Aben
Ezra
and who observes
that Pharaoh was more terrified with this plague than
with any other; but rather all the plagues yet to come
for by them are not
meant all the plagues that were in the power of God to inflict
which how many
and great they are none can say
but all that he had determined in his mind to
bring upon him; and these should not so much affect and afflict his body
as
the boils and ulcers had the magicians
but should reach his heart
and fill
him with horror and terror:
and upon thy
servants
and upon thy people; even all that he intended to bring not only
upon himself
but upon his subjects
both high and low:
that thou
mayest know
that there is none like unto me in all the earth; for the
perfections of his nature
and the works of his hands
particularly his
providential dealings with the sons of men
and especially with him.
Exodus 9:15 15 Now
if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence
then you would have been cut off from the earth.
YLT 15for now I have put forth My hand
and I smite
thee
and thy people
with pestilence
and thou art hidden from the earth.
For now will I
stretch out my hand
that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence
.... Which yet
we never find was done; for though this by many is referred to the slaying of
the firstborn
yet it is not certain that this was done by the pestilence:
besides
Pharaoh was not then smitten
nor his people
only their firstborn;
wherefore these words are to be rendered
not in the future
but in the
imperfect or preterpluperfect tense
thus; "for when now I stretched out
my hand
or if now I had stretched out my hand to smite thee and thy people
with pestilence"F1כי עתה שלחתי "modo enim cum
extendi"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius
"vel si
extendissem"
Fagius
Cocceius; so Jarchi
Gersom
Targ. Onk. & Jon. ;
that is
at the time when he smote the cattle with the murrain or pestilence
when he could as well have smote him and his people with it; there was no want
of power in God to do it
and had he done it
it would have been all over with
him and them:
and thou shall
be cut off from the earth; or "thou hadst been
or wouldest have
been cut off from the earth"F2ותכחד
"sic fuisses excisus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius
Cocceius. must have perished out of it
and been no more in the land of the
living.
Exodus 9:16 16 But
indeed for this purpose I have raised you up
that I may show My power in
you
and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
YLT 16`And yet for this I have caused thee to
stand
so as to show thee My power
and for the sake of declaring My Name in
all the earth;
And in very
deed
for this cause have I raised thee up
.... Or but truly or
verilyF3ואולם "veruntamen"
Junius & Tremellius
Psicator
Drusius
Fagius; so Ainsworth. ; instead of
smiting thee with the pestilence
and cutting thee off out of the land of the
living
"I have raised thee up"; made thee to standF4העמדתיך "stare fecite"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus.
to continue in being; I have preserved thine from perishing by the
former plagues
and have reserved thee for greater judgments and sorer
punishments. It may take in all that God did to him; the constitution and
appointment of him to all this in his eternal mind; his bringing him into
being
and raising him up to kingly dignity; preserving him from perishing by
the pestilence
boils and blains
and keeping him for future evils
and all
upon this account for the following reasons:
for to shew in
thee my power; in working miracles
inflicting judgments one after another
and
especially in destroying him and his host in the Red sea:
and that my
name may be declared throughout all the earth; as it has been more by
that last action than by all the rest of the plagues; though
in all
his
sovereignty
wisdom
power
patience
longsuffering
and justice
are most
visibly displayed and glorified.
Exodus 9:17 17 As
yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.
YLT 17still thou art exalting thyself against My
people -- so as not to send them away;
As yet exaltest
thou thyself against my people
that thou wilt not let them go? And so against
God himself
disobeying his commands
despising his messengers
and slighting
his miracles
and hardening his heart against him
and refusing to let Israel
go
after all; thereby showing the most intolerable pride and insolence not
only against the Lord's poor people
but against himself
for what is done to
them he takes as done to himself; or "dost thou still tread upon my
people?"F5עודך מסתולל
בעמי "adhuc tu calcas populum meum?" some
in Drusius; so Jarchi. trample them under foot
and make an highway or causeway
of them.
Exodus 9:18 18 Behold
tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down
such as has
not been in Egypt since its founding until now.
YLT 18lo
I am raining about [this] time to-morrow
hail very grievous
such as hath not been in Egypt
even from the day of its
being founded
even until now.
Behold
tomorrow about this time
.... It was now the fourth day of the month Abib
and the fifth
when the following was inflicted:
I will cause it
to rain a very grievous hail; which should fall very thick
and the
hailstones be very numerous and heavy
and the storm last long:
such as hath
not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof
even until now; not since the
earth or land itself was founded
for that was founded when the rest of the
world was
and the sense then would be the same as since the foundation of the
world; and so the Targum of Jonathan seems to understand it
paraphrasing the
words
"from the day that men were made
even until now.'And a like
expression is used of a storm of hail
thunder
and lightning
and earthquakes
yet to come
which will be such as has not been since men were upon the earth
with which this plague may be compared
Revelation 16:19
but here is meant since Egypt was inhabited
or rather formed into a kingdom
and founded as such
which had been many hundreds of years before this time;
there was a king of Egypt in Abraham's time; the first founder of this empire
and king of it
was Mizraim
the son of Ham
from whom it had its name
by
which it is usually called in Scripture. This supposes that it did sometimes
rain in Egypt
contrary to a vulgar notion
or otherwise there would have been
no room for the comparison; though it must be owned that rain is rare in Egypt
especially in some parts of it; See Gill on Zechariah 14:18.
Exodus 9:19 19 Therefore
send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field
for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in
the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.”’”
YLT 19`And
now
send
strengthen thy cattle and
all that thou hast in the field; every man and beast which is found in the
field
and is not gathered into the house -- come down on them hath the hail
and they have died.'
Send therefore
now
and gather thy cattle
and all that thou hast in the field
.... The
servants that were at work there: this is said to denote both the certainty of
the plague
and the terribleness of it
that all
both men and beast
would
perish by it
if care was not taken to get them home; and also to show the
wonderful clemency and mercy of God to such rebellious
hardened
and
undeserving creatures
as Pharaoh and his people were; in the midst of wrath
and judgment God remembers mercy:
for upon every
man and beast which shall be found in the field
and shall not be brought home; and there
sheltered in houses
barns
and stables:
the hail shall
come down upon them
and they shall die; the hailstones that
would fall would be so large and so heavy as to kill both men and beasts
like
those which fell from heaven upon the Canaanites in the days of Joshua
which
killed more than the sword did
Joshua 10:11.
Exodus 9:20 20 He
who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of
Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses.
YLT 20He who is fearing the word of Jehovah among
the servants of Pharaoh hath caused his servants and his cattle to flee unto
the houses;
He that feared
the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh
.... Who
if
they had not the true fear of God
and were not sincere proselytes
yet had a
servile fear of him
and dreaded his word
his threatening
his denunciations
of judgments and predictions of future punishments; of which they had had many
instances wherein they were fulfilled
and therefore had reason to fear that
this also would
even the word that had been just now spoken:
made his
servants and cattle flee into the houses; called home his
servants
and drove his cattle in great haste out of the fields
and brought
them home as fast as he could
and housed them; in which he acted the wise and
prudent part
and showed a concern for his servants and his cattle
as well as
believed the word of the Lord.
Exodus 9:21 21 But he who did not regard
the word of the Lord
left his servants and his livestock in the field.
YLT 21and he who hath not set his heart unto the
word of Jehovah leaveth his servants and his cattle in the field.
And he that
regarded not the word of the Lord
.... Or "set not his
heart"F6לא שם
לבו "non posuit cor suum"
Pagninus
Montanus
Piscator
Fagius. "unto it"
took no notice of it
but
treated it with the utmost contempt; and of this sort it may be thought there
were the far greatest number: everyone of this cast
left his
servants and cattle in the field; let them remain there
and took no care of them
nor thought about them
and so took no methods to
preserve them; in which he acted a foolish part
to his own detriment and loss.
Exodus 9:22 22 Then
the Lord
said to Moses
“Stretch out your hand toward heaven
that there may be hail in
all the land of Egypt—on man
on beast
and on every herb of the field
throughout the land of Egypt.”
YLT 22And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Stretch forth
thy hand towards the heavens
and there is hail in all the land of Egypt
on
man
and on beast
and on every herb of the field in the land of Egypt.'
And the Lord
said unto Moses
.... When the morrow was come
the fifth day of the month Abib:
stretch forth
thine hand toward heaven; with his rod in it
as appears from the next verse
to show that
the following plague would come from the heaven
that is
the air
and from
God
who dwells in the heaven of heavens:
that there may
be hail in all the land of Egypt; not only in that spot
and near it
where Moses stood
and from that part of the heaven towards which
he stretched forth his hand
but from the whole heaven all over the land of
Egypt; which shows it to be an unusual and extraordinary hail
for a hail storm
seldom reaches far
a mile it may be
or some such space; but never was such an
one heard of as to reach through a whole country
and so large an one as Egypt:
upon man and
upon beast; such as belonged to those who would take no warning
nor attend
to the word of the Lord to fetch home their servants and cattle:
and upon every
herb of the field throughout the land of Egypt; it should fall so thick
that scarce an herb would escape it.
Exodus 9:23 23 And
Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder
and hail
and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on
the land of Egypt.
YLT 23And Moses stretcheth out his rod towards the
heavens
and Jehovah hath given voices and hail
and fire goeth towards the
earth
and Jehovah raineth hail on the land of Egypt
And Moses
stretched forth his rod toward heaven
.... The same which Aaron
had made use of before
but was now in the hand of Moses
and whose rod it
properly was:
and the Lord
sent thunder and hail
and the fire ran along upon the ground
hot
thunderbolts
which struck their flocks
Psalm 78:48 and
hail which fell so thick and weighty as to destroy both men and cattle
and
break trees in pieces
and spoil the corn
the grass
and the tender herb; and
fire
that is lightning
which descended so low
and in such quantities
as ran
along the ground
and consumed all it met with. ArtapanusF7Apud
Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27. p. 435
436.
an Heathen writer
who
speaks of this storm of hail
says
that Moses
besides the hail
caused
earthquakes by night
so that those that escaped the earthquakes were taken
away by the hail
and those that escaped the hail perished by the earthquakes
which he says overthrew all the houses
and most of the temples:
and the Lord
rained hail upon the land of Egypt; upon Egypt
where rain
was not common
and on all the land of Egypt
when in some parts of it it was
scarce known
and hail as thick as rain; ice
snow
and hail
are most rarely
if ever seen there
the air not being cold enough for the production of themF8Vid.
Scheuchzer. Physica Sacra
vol. 1. p. 139. . This was the Lord's immediate
doing
when there was no likelihood of it
nor any appearance of second causes
concurring to produce it
and came at the exact time he had foretold it should;
all which were very extraordinary.
Exodus 9:24 24 So
there was hail
and fire mingled with the hail
so very heavy that there was
none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
YLT 24and there is hail
and fire catching itself
in the midst of the hail
very grievous
such as hath not been in all the land
of Egypt since it hath become a nation.
So there was
hail
and fire mingled with the hail
.... Which was a miracle
within a miracle
as Aben Ezra observes; and very wonderful indeed it was
that
the hail did not quench the fire
nor the fire melt the hail
as Philo the JewF9De
Vita. Mosis
l. 1. p. 620. remarks:
very grievous
such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt
since it became a
nation; See Gill on Exodus 9:18.
Exodus 9:25 25 And
the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt
all that was in the
field
both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and
broke every tree of the field.
YLT 25And the hail smiteth in all the land of Egypt
all that [is] in the field
from man even unto beast
and every herb of the
field hath the hail smitten
and every tree of the field it hath broken;
And the hail
smote throughout all the land of Egypt
.... It was in all the
land
and it smote and did mischief in all parts of it
only in Goshen
after
excepted:
all that was in
the field
both man and beast; which they that neglected the word of the
Lord took no care to fetch home
these were all smitten and destroyed by the
hail: and the hail smote every herb of the field; that is
the greatest part of
them
for some were left
which the locusts afterwards ate
Exodus 10:15
and
brake every tree of the field; and the vines and fig trees
Psalm 78:47.
Exodus 9:26 26 Only
in the land of Goshen
where the children of Israel were
there was no
hail.
YLT 26only in the land of Goshen
where the sons of
Israel [are]
there hath been no hail.
Only in the
land of Goshen
where the children of Israel were
was there no hail. So that such
Egyptians as might dwell among them
they
their servants
their cattle
and
their fruits
escaped this plague; and oftentimes do wicked men fare the better
for the people of God that are among them.
Exodus 9:27 27 And
Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron
and said to them
“I have sinned
this time. The Lord
is righteous
and my people and I are wicked.
YLT 27And Pharaoh sendeth
and calleth for Moses
and for Aaron
and saith unto them
`I have sinned this time
Jehovah [is] the
Righteous
and I and my people [are] the Wicked
And Pharaoh
sent
.... Not persons to observe whether there was any hail fell in
the land of Goshen
though there are someF11"Misisset qui
observarent"
Junius & Tremellius. that so supply the words; but it
cannot be thought that Pharaoh would send
or that any would go thither amidst
such a storm of thunder and hail; but he sent messengers:
and called
Moses and Aaron; who might be in his palace
at least not very far off:
and said unto
them
I have sinned this time; not but that he had sinned before
and must
be conscious of it
particularly in breaking his promise so often; but now he
acknowledged his sin
which he had never done before: and this confession of
sin did not arise from a true sense of it
from hatred of it
and sorrow for it
as committed against God; but from the fright he was in
the horror of his
mind
the dread of the present plague being continued; and the terror of death
that seized him
the rebounding noise of the thunder in his ears
the flashes
of lightning in his face
and the hailstones beating upon the top of his house
and against the windows and sides of it
frightened him exceedingly
and forced
this confession from him:
the Lord is
righteous
and I and my people are wicked; which was well spoken
had it been serious and from his heart; for God is righteous in his nature
and
in all his works
and in all those judgments he had inflicted upon him; and he
and his people were wicked in using the Israelites in such a cruel manner
and
in detaining them when it had been promised them again and again that they
should have leave to go
and especially in rebelling against God
and
disobeying his commands.
Exodus 9:28 28 Entreat
the Lord
that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail
for it is
enough. I will let you go
and you shall stay no longer.”
YLT 28make ye supplication unto Jehovah
and plead
that there be no voices of God and hail
and I send you away
and ye add not to
remain.'
Entreat the
Lord
for it is enough
.... Hail
thunder
and lightning enough; or pray that this may
be enough
and thought sufficient
and that there may be no more; or
"entreat the Lord
and much"F12העתירי־ורב
"orate multam"
Rivet. ; pray
and pray much
pray earnestly and
without intermission until the plague ceases:
that there be
no more mighty thunderings and hail; or "voices of
God"F13קלת אלהים
"voces Dei"
Montanus
Drusius. ; for thunder is the voice of God
and these thunderings or voices were very loud
the claps were very terrible to
hear
and the hail was very grievous and heavy
and the whole was very amazing
and frightful
and the more to Pharaoh
who perhaps had never heard the voice of
thunder
or seen an hail storm before
even a common one
these being rare in
the land of Egypt:
and I will let
you go
and ye shall stay no longer; go the three days'
journey into the wilderness
directly and immediately; he would not put it off
on any account
and much less refuse to let them go at all
as he had often
done.
Exodus 9:29 29 So
Moses said to him
“As soon as I have gone out of the city
I will spread out
my hands to the Lord;
the thunder will cease
and there will be no more hail
that you may know that
the earth is the Lord’s.
YLT 29And Moses saith unto him
`At my going out of
the city
I spread my palms unto Jehovah -- the voices cease
and the hail is
not any more
so that thou knowest that the earth [is] Jehovah's;
And Moses said
unto him
as soon as I am gone out of the city
.... Zoan or Tanis
for
it was in the field of Zoan where these wonders were wrought
Psalm 78:12
the
reason why he went out of the city to pray
Jarchi says
was because it was
full of idols; but the truer reason was
that he might be private and alone
while he was praying to God; and perhaps he went out also to show that he was
not frightened at the storm
or afraid of being destroyed by it
and was
confident of preservation in the midst of it
in the open field
by the power
of God
whom he served:
I will spread
abroad my hands unto the Lord; which was a prayer gesture directed to by
the light of nature
and was used very anciently
and by the Heathens
as well
as others; of which the learned Rivet has given many instances in his comment
on this text:
and the thunder
shall cease
neither shall there be any more hail; this he had
faith in
and full assurance of before he prayed for it; he knew the mind and
will of God
and not only he knew what he could do
but what he would do
and
which he tells Pharaoh of before hand; which was a full proof that he was a god
to Pharaoh
as the Lord said he had made him
Exodus 7:1.
that thou
mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's; that the whole earth is
his
and therefore he can do
and does in it whatever he pleases; as the
heavens also are his
and therefore can cause thunder
lightning
hail
and
rain
and stop them when he thinks fit; or that the land of Egypt particularly
was his
and not Pharaoh's
and therefore could destroy
or save it at his
pleasure; and particularly it being his
Pharaoh had no right to detain his
people in it against his will
who was Lord of it.
Exodus 9:30 30 But
as for you and your servants
I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.”
YLT 30but thou and thy servants -- I have known
that ye are not yet afraid of the face of Jehovah God.'
But as for
thee
and thy servants
.... Notwithstanding the confession of sin he had made
and his
earnest request that the Lord might be entreated to remove this plague
and
though he had been assured it would be removed:
I know that ye
will not yet fear the Lord God: they had not feared him yet; the confession
of sin made did not arise from the true fear of God
but from a dread of
punishment
and when delivered from this plague
the goodness of God would have
no such effect as to cause him and his servants to fear the Lord; or "I
know
that before ye were afraid of the face of the Lord God"F14טרם תיראון "priusquam
timeretis"
Tigurine version.
which KimchiF15Sepher Shorash
rad. טרם. and Ben Melech interpret thus
"I know
that thou and thy servants
before I pray for you
are afraid of the face of
the Lord God
but after I have prayed
and the thunders and rain are ceased
ye
will sin again;'and so they did.
Exodus 9:31 31 Now the flax and the
barley were struck
for the barley was in the head and the flax was
in bud.
YLT 31And the flax and the barley have been
smitten
for the barley [is] budding
and the flax forming flowers
And the flax
and the barley was smitten
.... With the hail
thunder
and lightning
and were beat down
bruised
broken
and blasted
and destroyed; of the former
there were great quantities produced in Egypt
which was famous for linen
much
was made there
and there were many that wrought in fine flax
see Isaiah 19:9 and the
latter were used not only to feed their cattle
but to make a drink of
as we
do
ale and strong beer; and so the Egyptians use it to this day
as Dr. ShawF16Travels
tom. 2. c. 2. sect. 5. p. 407. Ed. 2. says
both to feed their cattle
and
after it is dried and parched
to make a fermented
intoxicating liquor
called
"bonzah"; probably the same with the barley wine of the ancients
and
a species of the "sicar"
or strong drink of the Scriptures:
for the barley was
in the ear
and the flax was bolled; or in the stalk
quite
grown up
and so the ears of the one were beat off
and the stalks of the other
battered with the hail
and broken and destroyed.
Exodus 9:32 32 But
the wheat and the spelt were not struck
for they are late crops.
YLT 32and the wheat and the rye have not been
smitten
for they are late.
But the wheat
and the rye were not smitten
.... Bruised
broken
beat down
and
destroyed by hail: the word by us rendered "rye"
and by other
"fitches" or "spelt"
is thought by Dr. ShawF17Travels
tom. 2. c. 2. sect. 5. p. 407. Ed. 2. to be "rice"
of which there
were and still are plantations in Egypt; whereas rye is little
if at all known
in those countries
and besides is of the quickest growth; and he observes that
rice was the "olyra" of the ancient Egyptians
by which word the
Septuagint render the Hebrew word here; and from PlinyF18Nat. Hist.
l. 18. c. 7. 9. we learn
that "olyra"
and "oryza"
or
rice
are the same
and which with the Greeks is "zea"
by which some
translate the word here:
for they were
not grown up; and so their leaves
as the same traveller observes
were at
that time of so soft and yielding a nature
that the hail by meeting with no
resistance
as from the flax and barley
did them no harm; and so the
Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it: "they were late";
and so the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret it: for the wheat harvest
with the Jews
and so with the Egyptians
was later than the barley harvest
there being about a month's difference between them: some render the word
"dark or hidden"F19אפילת
"caliginosa"
Montanus
Vatablus; "latuerant"
Tigurine
version; "latentia"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius.
because
as Aben Ezra says
they were now under ground; and if this was the
case
indeed the reason is clear why they were not smitten; but this was not
the case
for
according to PlinyF20Ut supra. (Nat. Hist. l. 18. c.
7. 9.)
there was but one month's difference in Egypt between the barley and
the wheat; but rather they are said to be so
because the ear was as yet hid
and was not come forth; it just began to spindle
or
as the above traveller
explains it
they were of a dark green colour
as young corn generally is
as
contradistinction to its being of a bright yellow or golden colour
when it is
ripe; for
adds he
the context supposes the wheat and the rice not only to
have been sown
but to have been likewise in some forwardness
as they well
might be in the month of Abib
answering to our March.
Exodus 9:33 33 So
Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord; then the
thunder and the hail ceased
and the rain was not poured on the earth.
YLT 33And Moses goeth out from Pharaoh
[from] the
city
and spreadeth his hands unto Jehovah
and the voices and the hail cease
and rain hath not been poured out to the earth;
And Moses went
out of the city from Pharaoh
.... Into the field
where
being retired
from company
he could freely
and without being disturbed
pray unto God:
and spread
abroad his hands unto the Lord; denoting the spreading of cases before God
and expectation
hope
and readiness to receive favours from him:
and the thunder
and hail ceased; immediately upon the entreaty of Moses; see the power and
prevalence of prayer: a like instance we have in Elijah
James 5:17 and the
rain was not poured upon the earth; so that there was rain as well as hail
which
was restrained and entirely ceased.
Exodus 9:34 34 And
when Pharaoh saw that the rain
the hail
and the thunder had ceased
he sinned
yet more; and he hardened his heart
he and his servants.
YLT 34and Pharaoh seeth that the rain hath ceased
and the hail and the voices
and he continueth to sin
and hardeneth his heart
he and his servants;
And when
Pharaoh saw that the rain
and the hail
and the thunders were ceased
.... And there
was a clear sky and a fine serene heaven
the black clouds were dispersed and
gone
and he heard no more the clattering of the hailstones
and the terrible
claps of thunder
and saw no more the flashes of lightning
but all was calm
and composed:
he sinned yet
more
and hardened his heart
he and his servants; instead of
giving glory to God
who had heard the prayers of Moses and Aaron for them
and
had delivered them from their frights and fears
and the terror and horror they
were in
and of letting the people of Israel go
see Revelation 16:21.
Exodus 9:35 35 So
the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go
as the Lord
had spoken by Moses.
YLT 35and the heart of Pharaoh is strong
and he
hath not sent the sons of Israel away
as Jehovah hath spoken by the hand of
Moses.
And the heart
of Pharaoh was hardened
.... Instead of being softened
as it seemed to be when under the
plague
it became harder and harder when delivered from it:
neither would
he let the children of Israel go; though he had so absolutely
promised it
and assured them that he would not keep them
and that they should
not stay any longer:
as the Lord had
spoken by Moses; that so his heart would be hardened until the signs and wonders
were multiplied upon him
God designed to perform
Exodus 4:21.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》