Exodus 9:8-18

The Sixth Plague: Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses is to throw it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
9 It will become fine dust over the entire land of Egypt. It will become festering boils on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt."
10 So they took furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward heaven, and it became festering boils on man and beast.
11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.
12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had told Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh. Tell him: This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
14 Otherwise, I am going to send all My plagues against you, your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like Me in all the earth.
15 By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.
16 However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power and to make My name known in all the earth.[a]
17 You are still acting arrogantly against[b] My people by not letting them go.
18 Tomorrow at this time I will rain down the worst hail that has ever occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.

Exodus 9:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

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, Ex 9:1-7 and the plague of boils and blains on man and beast, Ex 9:8-11 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, Ex 9:12-17, 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, Ex 9:18-21 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, Ex 9:22-26 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, Ex 9:27-35.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. 1 Kg 8:43; Ps 8:1,9; Rm 9:17
  • [b]. Or still obstructing
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