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Exodus Chapter Nine

 

Exodus 9 Outlines

The Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased (v.1~7)

The Sixth Plague: Boils (v.8~12)

The Seventh Plague: Hail (v.13~35)

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