Exodus 9:3

3 lo! mine hand shall be on thy fields, (and) on the horses, and asses, and camels, and oxen, and sheep, a pestilence full grievous; (lo! my hand shall be upon thy fields, and upon the horses, and donkeys, and camels, and oxen, and sheep, with a horrible pestilence;)

Exodus 9:3 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 9:3

Behold, the hand of the Lord
Which was stronger than his, with which he held the Israelites: is upon thy cattle which is in the field:
this takes in all in general, of which the particulars follow, though limited to such as were in the field, and so did not take in what were at home in their out houses and stables: upon the horses:
of which there was great plenty in Egypt, as appears from various places of Scripture: upon the asses;
used for carrying burdens from place to place: and upon the camels;
used the like purposes, and to ride upon, and particularly to travel with through desert places for commerce, being able to proceed on without water for a considerable time: upon the oxen, and upon the sheep;
oxen were for labour to plough with, and sheep for their wool, and all of them to trade with: there shall be a very grievous murrain:
or "pestilence" ^F25, a very noisome one, and which would carry off great numbers; the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render it a "death", as the Jews commonly call a pestilence, whether on man or beast, because it generally sweeps away large numbers.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (rbd) "pestis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator; "pestilentia", Drusius; so Tigurine version.

Exodus 9:3 In-Context

1 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, Enter thou to Pharaoh, and speak thou to him, (and say,) The Lord God of Hebrews saith these things, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me (And the Lord said to Moses, Go thou to Pharaoh, and tell him, The Lord God of the Hebrews saith these things, Let my people go, so that they can worship me;)

2 that if thou forsakest yet, and withholdest them, (but if thou yet forsakest, and holdest onto them,)

3 lo! mine hand shall be on thy fields, (and) on the horses, and asses, and camels, and oxen, and sheep, a pestilence full grievous; (lo! my hand shall be upon thy fields, and upon the horses, and donkeys, and camels, and oxen, and sheep, with a horrible pestilence;)

4 and the Lord shall make a marvellous thing betwixt the possessions of Israel and the possessions of the Egyptians (and the Lord shall make a distinction between the Israelites? possessions, and the Egyptians? possessions), (so) that utterly nothing perish of these things that pertain to the sons of Israel.

5 And the Lord ordained a time, and said, Tomorrow the Lord shall do this word in the land (Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land).