Exodus 9ASV
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Exodus9

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Then Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

3behold, the hand of Jehovah is upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

4And Jehovah shall make a distinction between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belongeth to the children of Israel.

5And Jehovah appointed a set time, saying, To-morrow Jehovah shall do this thing in the land.

6And Jehovah did that thing on the morrow; and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

7And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.

8And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

9And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

10And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast.

11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

12And Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken unto Moses.

13And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

14For I will this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.

15For now I had put forth my hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off from the earth:

16but in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

17As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

18Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.

19Now therefore send, hasten in thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field; for every man and beast that shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.

20He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:

21and he that regarded not the word of Jehovah left his servants and his cattle in the field.

22And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

23And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and Jehovah sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth; and Jehovah rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

24So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

25And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

27And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: Jehovah is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

28Entreat Jehovah; for there hath been enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.

29And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto Jehovah; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is Jehovah’s.

30But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear Jehovah God.

31And the flax and the barley were smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom.

32But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten: for they were not grown up.

33And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto Jehovah: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.

34And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

35And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as Jehovah had spoken by Moses.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 9.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The murrain of beasts. (1–7). The plague of boils and blains. (8–12). The plague of hail threatened. (13–21). The plague of hail inflicted. (22–35).

vv1-7

God will have Israel released, Pharaoh opposes it, and the trial is, whose word shall stand. The hand of the Lord at once is upon the cattle, many of which, some of all kinds, die by a sort of murrain. This was greatly to the loss of the owners; they had made Israel poor, and now God would make them poor. The hand of God is to be seen, even in the sickness and death of cattle; for a sparrow falls not to the ground without our Father. None of the Israelites' cattle should die; the Lord shall sever. The cattle died. The Egyptians worshipped their cattle. What we make an idol of, it is just with God to remove from us. This proud tyrant and cruel oppressor deserved to be made an example by the just Judge of the universe. None who are punished according to what they deserve, can have any just cause to complain. Hardness of heart denotes that state of mind upon which neither threatenings nor promise, neither judgements nor mercies, make any abiding impression. The conscience being stupified, and the heart filled with pride and presumption, they persist in unbelief and disobedience. This state of mind is also called the stony heart. Very different is the heart of flesh, the broken and contrite heart. Sinners have none to blame but themselves, for that pride and ungodliness which abuse the bounty and patience of God. For, however the Lord hardens the hearts of men, it is always as a punishment of former sins.

vv8-12

When the Egyptians were not wrought upon by the death of their cattle, God sent a plague that seized their own bodies. If lesser judgments do not work, God will send greater. Sometimes God shows men their sin in their punishment. They had oppressed Israel in the furnaces, and now the ashes of the furnace are made a terror to them. The plague itself was very grievous. The magicians themselves were struck with these boils. Their power was restrained before; but they continued to withstand Moses, and to confirm Pharaoh in his unbelief, till they were forced to give way. Pharaoh continued obstinate. He had hardened his own heart, and now God justly gave him up to his own heart's lusts, permitting Satan to blind and harden him. If men shut their eyes against the light, it is just with God to close their eyes. This is the sorest judgment a man can be under out of hell.

vv13-21

Moses is here ordered to deliver a dreadful message to Pharaoh. Providence ordered it, that Moses should have a man of such a fierce and stubborn spirit as this Pharaoh to deal with; and every thing made it a most signal instance of the power of God has to humble and bring down the proudest of his enemies. When God's justice threatens ruin, his mercy at the same time shows a way of escape from it. God not only distinguished between Egyptians and Israelites, but between some Egyptians and others. If Pharaoh will not yield, and so prevent the judgment itself, yet those that will take warning, may take shelter. Some believed the things which were spoken, and they feared, and housed their servants and cattle, and it was their wisdom. Even among the servants of Pharaoh, some trembled at God's word; and shall not the sons of Israel dread it? But others believed not, and left their cattle in the field. Obstinate unbelief is deaf to the fairest warnings, and the wisest counsels, which leaves the blood of those that perish upon their own heads.

Cross References

Exodus 9
v16Romans 9:17quotation

Paul explicitly quotes Exodus 9:16 to establish the doctrine of God's sovereign purpose in raising up Pharaoh.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole

Paul quotes the exact truth declared here: 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.'

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v29Psalms 24:1thematic

Declares that 'the earth is the Lord's,' directly corresponding to Moses' words of sovereign ownership.

Supported by Matthew Poole

The 'iron furnace' of Egypt is converted to ashes of judgment to chastise Israel's oppressors.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v23Psalms 105:32thematic

Direct historical poetic reflection on God sending hail and flaming fire upon Egypt.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v23Psalms 78:47thematic

Poetic recounting of the plague destroying Egyptian vines and sycamore trees with frost and hail.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v34Exodus 8:15thematic

Matches Pharaoh's pattern of hardening his heart as soon as he saw there was respite.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v7Romans 9:18thematic

Paul uses Pharaoh's hardening to illustrate that God has mercy on whom He will, and hardens whom He will.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v8Jeremiah 11:4thematic

Verbal link to the 'furnace' symbolizing Egypt's crucible of cruel oppression.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

The 'botch of Egypt' is threatened as a covenant curse, referencing these historical boils and blains.

Supported by JFB

v112 Timothy 3:8thematic

Paul names Jannes and Jambres, the magicians who withstood Moses but could not stand before his miracles.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v21Deuteronomy 4:20thematic

Refers to Egypt as the 'iron furnace,' reflecting the symbolic source of the ashes of plague.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v231 Samuel 12:17thematic

Parallel where God sends unseasonable thunder and rain at a prophet's word to show his power.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v35Romans 9:17thematic

Paul cites Pharaoh's hardening to demonstrate God's sovereign purpose in raising him up.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v9Job 2:7thematic

Job is smitten with sore boils from head to foot, using the same physical affliction.

Supported by JFB

v14Leviticus 26:21thematic

Calvin notes the grading of judgments: sevenfold plagues are sent on those who remain obstinate.

Supported by John Calvin

v16Proverbs 16:4thematic

God has made all things for himself, even the wicked Pharaoh for the day of evil.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v20Hebrews 11:7thematic

Like Noah, those Egyptians who 'feared the word' took warning of unseen events and housed cattle.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Genesis 19:14thematic

Those who mock warnings perish, mirroring Pharaoh's servants who disregarded God's word.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v21Proverbs 22:3thematic

A prudent man foresees evil and hides, while the simple pass on and are punished.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v22Revelation 16:21thematic

Eschatological parallel where men blaspheme God due to a great plague of plague-like heavy hail.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v26Exodus 10:23thematic

Parallels the strict geographical separation between the plagued Egyptians and the light-filled dwellings of Israel.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v27Exodus 10:16thematic

Pharaoh's identical, insincere confession of sin under the pressure of the next severe plague.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v4Exodus 8:22thematic

Repeats the divine severing/distinction between Goshen and Egypt to demonstrate Yahweh's unique presence.

Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin

v11Exodus 8:19thematic

Magicians who previously confessed 'the finger of God' are now utterly overcome by the boils.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v12Exodus 4:21fulfillment

Fulfills the early prediction that God would progressively harden Pharaoh's heart.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v14Micah 6:13allusion

Poole links God making Pharaoh's heart sick with the wording of making sick by smiting.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v271 Samuel 15:24thematic

Saul's insincere 'I have sinned' confession, driven by fear of consequences rather than true repentance.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v28Acts 8:24thematic

Simon Magus, like Pharaoh, asks others to entreat God to avert consequences without true repentance.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v12Revelation 16:10thematic

The plague of darkness and sores in Revelation causes the obstinate to blaspheme rather than repent.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v15Exodus 9:15thematic

Refers to the potential of immediate pestilential destruction which God has withheld to display power.

Supported by Matthew Poole