Exodus 9:16

16 But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.

Exodus 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 9:16

And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up
Or but truly or verily F3; 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 stand F4, 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.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (Mlwaw) "veruntamen", Junius & Tremellius, Psicator, Drusius, Fagius; so Ainsworth.
F4 (Kytdmeh) "stare fecite", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.

Exodus 9:16 In-Context

14 If you don’t, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
15 By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth.
16 But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.
17 But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go.
18 So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Greek version reads to display my power in you; compare Rom 9:17 .
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.