Exodus 9:8-12

8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Take ye your hands full of ashes of a chimney, and Moses sprinkle it into heaven before Pharaoh; (And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Take ye some handfuls of ashes from a chimney, and Moses toss it into the air before Pharaoh;)

9 and be there dust on all the land of Egypt; for why botches shall be in men, and in work beasts, and swelling bladders shall be in all the land of Egypt. (and let there be dust in all the land of Egypt; and let it bring forth sores of swelling boils on the people, and on the work beasts, in all the land of Egypt.)

10 And they took ashes of a chimney, and they stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it into heaven; and wounds of swelling bladders were made in men, and in work beasts; (And so they took some ashes from a chimney, and they stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it into the air; and sores of swelling boils were made on the people, and on the work beasts;)

11 and the witches might not stand before Moses, for the wounds, or sores, that were in them, and in all the land of Egypt. (and the witches could not stand up before Moses, because of the sores that were on them, and on all the Egyptians.)

12 And the Lord made hard the heart of Pharaoh, and he heard not them, as the Lord spake to Moses. (But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said to Moses.)

Exodus 9:8-12 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.