Chapter 9

1 The murrain of beasts. 8 The plague of boils and blains. 13 His message about the hail. 22 The plague of hail. 27 Pharaoh sueth to Moses, 35 but yet is hardened.

3. Upon thy cattle. Hitherto the plagues had been directed against the Egyptians themselves rather than against their property. Property may have suffered somewhat under the preceding plague (see ch. 8:24), but otherwise the various afflictions had been the cause of little more than annoyance and pain. Now property was to be affected. Whether Pharaoh would be more impressed by calamities that impoverished his subjects than by those that merely caused them personal suffering remained to be seen. With this in view, the hand of God was first laid upon their cattle, or rather, upon all their domesticated animals.

The horses. Horses, which had been unknown prior to the Hyksos invasion and which consequently do not appear in the list of animals presented to Abraham (Gen. 12:16), first became common under the Eighteenth Dynasty. They seem to have been used chiefly in warfare.

Camels. The camel was not widely used throughout the ancient Near East before the 13th century b.c.; hence it is mentioned but infrequently in the earlier Biblical records. However, representations of camels found in Egypt, Syria-Palestine, and Mesopotamia from the third and second millenniums b.c. show that sporadic domestication of this animal had taken place long before the 13th century b.c. (see on Gen. 12:16; 24:11).

Murrain. The usual Hebrew term for “plague,” and so rendered in the RSV. Inasmuch as the particular disease here mentioned affected animals only, the word might be rendered “animal plague.” Epidemic cattle diseases are not uncommon in Egypt and have at times carried off vast numbers of animals. The miraculous character of this visitation, however, was indicated by its previous announcement, by its appearance on the day appointed, by its severity, and by the fact that the animals of the Hebrews remained unaffected.

5. To morrow. A definite time was fixed for the coming of the plague, as in the case of the previous one (ch. 8:23), in order that Pharaoh might recognize in it a judgment of God. Also, there would be time for those who believed Moses to bring their animals in from the fields (see ch. 9:3).

6. All the cattle of Egypt. That is, all that were in the field (v. 3). At the time of the next plague many of the Egyptians still possessed animals (v. 19). The fact that many Egyptians brought their cattle in indicates how deeply they had been impressed by the power of God and the catastrophes that followed each other in quick succession.

Died not one. On the distinction between Israelites and Egyptians see ch. 8:22.

7. Pharaoh sent. For the first time Pharaoh manifests curiosity regarding the plagues. But in spite of finding the facts to correspond with Moses’ announcement, he was not seriously impressed. In one sense he seems to have been less moved by this plague than by the others. Apparently, he had suffered no great personal loss, and the financial loss to his subjects was of little concern to him. He may have attributed the escape of the animals of the Israelites to the healthier air of Goshen, or to a higher knowledge of their owners in regard to animal care, since they were professional shepherds. An obdurate heart always finds reasons for things it chooses to believe.

8. Take. The sixth plague, like the third, came unannounced, although the miracle was to be performed in the presence of the king. Perhaps this occurred as he was on his way to the river for the daily rites he performed there (see chs. 7:15; 8:20).

Ashes of the furnace. Scholars are divided as to the meaning of the Hebrew word translated “ashes.” Some think it should be rendered “soot.” The furnace was a smelter. This plague in particular seems to be a fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham four centuries earlier (PP 267).

9. A boil. Perhaps an “abscess,” or a “boil breaking forth in blisters.” The exact nature of this disease is not clear. Some have thought that the so-called Nile boils are meant, from which the people of Egypt suffer much toward the end of the annual inundation and which cause an almost unbearable itching. Since this malady is common in Egypt, it would hardly have been considered supernatural unless it came in unprecedented severity. Some have thought the plague to have been smallpox or a skin disease similar to leprosy.

11. The magicians could not stand. It seems that the magicians had, up to this time, always been present when the miracles were wrought, though they had for some time failed to produce counterfeit miracles. On this occasion the plague fell on them with such severity that they could not attend the king, but fled to their homes for protection and treatment.

12. The Lord hardened. See on ch. 4:21.

13. Stand before Pharaoh. The sixth plague was without effect upon the hard heart of Pharaoh, who was untouched either by the sufferings of his people or by his own affliction. Moses was therefore ordered to appear before him once more to warn him of further and even more dreadful visitations.

Say unto him. Moses was to repeat the same message in the very same words as before, indicating that God changes not (see chs. 8:1, 20; 9:1; etc.). The long message that follows, previously without parallel, contains warnings calculated to make an impression even upon the most hardened sinner.

14. All my plagues upon thine heart. This emphatic announcement contrasted the immediate future with the recent past, and informed the king that God was to bring upon him even more severe judgments than in the past. He might now expect plagues of greater intensity and in more rapid succession, directed primarily at his obdurate and stubborn spirit. The loss of his first-born, the prospective crown prince, would subdue his calloused heart and he would even beg the Israelites to go, entreating their leaders, his worst enemies, to give him their blessings (ch. 12:32).

15. I will stretch out my hand. In Hebrew the verbs of this verse are in the perfect tense and not in the future, as the KJV renders them and thus creates at least an apparent contradiction (see further under v. 16).

16. To shew. God proceeds to explain His reason for not having already destroyed Pharaoh, whose obstinacy had long since called for such punishment. The reason here presented is twofold: (1) that Pharaoh might experience and so come to recognize the might of the true God and repeatedly be compelled to give glory to Jehovah; (2) that the name of God might be declared throughout all the earth. This was completely fulfilled, and Pharaoh was forced to admit not only the superior might of God but His righteousness as well (see v. 27). The mighty events preceding and accompanying the Exodus became world famous. In keeping with their custom not to record adverse events, the Egyptians left no trace of the Exodus experience on their monuments. But they could not prevent the spread of the story of these mighty events to other nations (see Ex. 15:14; Joshua 2:10; etc.). And today, though more than three millenniums have passed since these “marvellous things” happened “in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Ps. 78:12), the story is still read in more than a thousand languages, in every country of the world, proclaimed by countless thousands of preachers, and still believed by millions of Jews and Christians. Could any prophecy be more literally fulfilled than this one spoken to the king of Egypt?

The future tense used by the KJV in rendering Ex. 9:15, 16 (see on v. 15) has led to a misunderstanding of the character of God and the nature of His dealings with men. It is made to appear that God has predestined Pharaoh to pursue his policy of resisting God, in order that God might benefit by his hardness of heart. It is inferred, furthermore, that God either brought him into existence or set him upon the throne of Egypt for this very purpose and doomed him to act in defiance of the divine will. Such an inference is at variance with many plain statements of Scripture which affirm that God does not predetermine the fate of any individual nor does He compel the human will (see Joshua 24:15; Isa. 55:1; John 1:12; John 3:16; John 7:37; Rev. 22:17; etc.). The thought of the original Hebrew of vs. 15 and 16 is more appropriately expressed thus: “By now I could have put forth my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; but for this purpose have I let you live, to show you my power, so that my name may be declared throughout all the earth” (RSV; see Ed 174-178, 238, 304).

17. As yet exaltest thou thyself? It is implied that even at this late hour Pharaoh might have avoided the major disasters that later befell him and his people. Pharaoh was yet to have the opportunity of deciding for himself whether or not he would cooperate with God. In the Hebrew, this verse is not a question, but a simple statement of fact, though the sense is not thereby changed: “You are still exalting yourself,” etc.

18. To morrow about this time. That the time was fixed for the beginning of the plague would testify to the king that Jehovah was Lord of heaven and earth, and that the forces of nature, all objects of Egyptian idolatry, were the creatures of His power and subservient to His will. Far from being able to help them, these elements, regarded by the Egyptians as their gods, were under the control of the God of their enemies, and He would now use them as instruments for the punishment of those who worshiped them. How greatly God abhors idolatry!

A very grievous hail. Rain and, more particularly, hail are comparatively rare in Egypt. The region of Cairo has but 2 in. of rainfall annually, and south of Cairo rain is a rare occurrence. Sometimes not a drop of rain falls for years. It is understandable, therefore, that a hailstorm such as that described in vs. 23 and 24 was so extraordinary an experience as to be considered an act of divine punishment (see v. 27).

Since the foundation. This is from another typically Egyptian expression rendered by Moses into Hebrew, which, with numerous others, shows that the author was well acquainted with the Egyptian language. In v. 24 the same thought is expressed by the words “since it became a nation.” Many Egyptian inscriptions refer to the ancient past when their first king united several tribes into one nation.

19. Gather thy cattle. Even in the midst of judgment God still showed mercy, warning the Egyptians of their impending doom and advising them to safeguard both themselves and their property. Had Pharaoh and his servants accepted the warning so mercifully given, the lives of both men and beasts would have been spared. On the contrary, the warning was not taken to heart, and great loss of life occurred (v. 25).

20. He that feared. For the first time an intimation is made that there were Egyptians who had learned to fear the Lord. Apparently the effect of the plagues had gradually convinced many of them that the God of the Hebrews was indeed a powerful God. They probably did not yet know Him as the only true God, but only as One whom it was advantageous to respect and propitiate. At the Exodus a “mixed multitude,” apparently not Hebrews themselves (cf. Num. 11:4), left Egypt with the departing slaves (Ex. 12:38). As a result of the plagues many Egyptians must have come to the conclusion that it would be to their advantage to join the despised Hebrews and benefit by at least nominal allegiance to their God. Here, at the time of the seventh plague, is the first indication of dissension among the Egyptians, who seem thus far to have been united in their opposition to the Israelites. Some of the “servants [officials] of Pharaoh” profited by the warning given by Moses (ch. 9:19) and housed their cattle and herdsmen in anticipation of the coming storm.

21. He that regarded not. A hailstorm of sufficient proportions as to endanger the lives of men and beasts was beyond all Egyptian experience and seemed an utter impossibility. Moses and Aaron must therefore have appeared to the great mass of Egyptians as Lot did to his sons-in-law—“as one that mocked” (Gen. 19:14).

22. Toward heaven. The action of stretching the hand toward heaven was appropriate, for the plague was to come from heaven. Aaron’s hand had been stretched out upon the waters in a similar way for the first and second plagues (chs. 7:19, 20; 8:6), and upon the “dust of the earth” for the third (ch. 8:17).

23. Moses. Beginning with the seventh plague Moses steps forward as the sole agent of God. When calling the representatives of the Israelites, Pharaoh still sent for both Moses and Aaron (v. 27; ch. 10:8) as the two with whom he had been dealing from the time the plagues began. But Moses had now become God’s spokesman in the presence of the king and executor of the divine judgments. By now he must have lost his timidity and fearfulness and become the dauntless champion for the cause of God that he remained till the close of his life.

Thunder and hail, and the fire. Although hail only had been predicted, lightning and thunder commonly accompany hailstorms in warm climates. The peculiar electrical display described here as fire running “along upon the ground” seems to have been something corresponding to “fireballs.”

25. The hail. Severe as the lightning may have been, the hail wrought greater destruction. According to the warning given (v. 19), herdsmen and cattle left in the open were killed.

Smote every herb. Not in the absolute sense, since according to ch. 10:5 some vegetation escaped. It indicates, rather, every kind of crop and fruit tree. From ch. 9:31 it is apparent that only two crops were totally destroyed, the barley and the flax, while others suffered damage in lesser degree.

26. Only in the land of Goshen. See chs. 8:22; 9:4; 10:23.

27. I have sinned. The plague of hail made a stronger impression upon the king than any of the previous judgments. It was the first plague to inflict death upon men, and was the most striking and terrible manifestation of divine power he had yet experienced (v. 24). Pharaoh was therefore more humble than before, and though he had twice called Moses and requested the removal of plagues (ch. 8:8, 28), this was the first time the proud king had admitted the error of his ways. Remarkable as such a confession was, it did not, however, represent sincere repentance, as the limitation “this time” indicates. It was, rather, the effect of terror occasioned more by the fearful lightning and destructive hail than by genuine sorrow for sin.

28. Stay no longer. Again the king gave his word to let the Hebrews depart, if the plague would but cease.

29. Out of the city. Possibly Memphis or Tanis, more likely the latter city (see on ch. 7:15), where the king resided, and to which Moses and Aaron went when sent by God to interview the king or when called by him.

Spread abroad my hands. This is one of several texts in which the custom of spreading one’s hands in prayer is mentioned. Not only Moses prayed in this fashion, but also Job (Job 11:13), Solomon (2 Chron. 6:13), and Ezra (Ezra 9:5).

The earth is the Lord’s. Although the word translated “earth” could also be rendered “land,” and thus applied to Egypt, the former is probably correct, because it was ever God’s purpose to teach men to recognize Him, not as a local god, but as the Ruler of heaven and earth.

30. I know that ye will not yet fear. Moses, knowing that the king’s attitude would remain as adamant as ever, once relief from the plague should come, was bold enough to express his conviction of that fact in the presence of the king. True fear of God is shown by obedience to His commandments, but Pharaoh’s fear was of the kind the devils feel, for they “also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). Devout fear leads to obedience, but the fear in Pharaoh’s heart led him to false promises and greater sin. Genuine “fear of the Lord” is not the cringing fear felt by Pharaoh, but a spirit of reverent awe resulting from awareness of God’s sublime majesty and power.

31. Flax. Information concerning the crops that suffered indicates the approximate time of year in which the plague occurred. The Egyptians cultivated flax because they preferred linen garments. The priests wore nothing but linen.

“Was bolled.” Better, “was in blossom.” This would point to the end of January or the beginning of February.

Barley. The barley crop was in ear about the same time, commonly being cut in March. Barley was raised largely for the production of beer, a common beverage among the ancient Egyptians. It was also used for horse feed, and was made into bread by the poorer classes.

32. Wheat. In Egypt the wheat harvest began about a month later than the barley harvest, and continued until the early part of April.

Rie. Rye was not grown in Egypt, and it is generally agreed that the Hebrew word here translated “rie” was in reality spelt, an inferior kind of wheat now ordinarily raised in Egypt as an aftercrop. As the monuments show, it was grown more commonly in ancient times than it is today. Being sown simultaneously with wheat, it would also ripen about the same time, in late March.

The remark that the flax and barley had been destroyed, but that the wheat and spelt had escaped major harm, shows that the plague of hail must have occurred at either the end of January or the beginning of February. That would be two or three months before the Exodus. On the duration of the plagues, see on chs. 7:25 and 9:31.

34. He sinned yet more. In perverse impenitence the king “hardened his heart,” as Moses had predicted. Apparently his officials stood by him in this decision, though the following plague convinced them of the futility of further resistance (ch. 10:7). Whether they supported Pharaoh out of servility or because they were not yet convinced of the power of God is not certain.

Like some of the preceding plagues, the seventh again demonstrated the worthlessness of repentance born of fear. God might thus secure the submission of all men, but the conquest would be worthless, because men’s hearts would not be won. God is met, not in the tempest and fire of fear, but in the still small voice speaking within man’s breast. Many sinners have passed through the gates of fear, where they hear His voice, confess His power, and acknowledge their own unworthiness, but it is not until the silence of the soul has made that voice distinct that men will be transformed in character.

Ellen G. White comments

1-35PP 267-270

3     PP 267

3-11SR 117

6-8, 10PP 267

11   1T 292

11, 12, 14        PP 267

16   PK 368; PP 267

18-21PP 269

23-25SR 117

24-26PP 269

27   SR 117; 5T 637

27-30, 33-35PP 270