Exodus 9:31

31 The flax and barley were ruined, because the barley was ripe and the flax in bud.

Exodus 9:31 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 9:31

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. Shaw ^F16 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Travels, tom. 2. c. 2. sect. 5. p. 407. Ed. 2.

Exodus 9:31 In-Context

29 Moshe said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to ADONAI; the thunder will end, and there won't be any more hail - so that you can know that the earth belongs to ADONAI.

30 But you and your servants, I know you still won't fear ADONAI, God."

31 The flax and barley were ruined, because the barley was ripe and the flax in bud.

32 But the wheat and buckwheat were not ruined, because they come up later.

33 Moshe went out of the city, away from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to ADONAI. The thunder and hail ended, and the rain stopped pouring down on the earth.