Exodus 9

CHAPTER 9

The Plague on Livestock (9:1–7)

1–7 The fifth plague struck the Egyptians’ livestock. As with the previous plagues, God continued to use natural means to inflict judgment on the Egyptians—but in a supernatural way. The flies of the fourth plague were probably the means of infecting the livestock. However, God chose the exact timing of the plague; He limited it to only those livestock in the field (verse 3)—thus giving God-fearing Egyptians the chance to move their livestock into shelter. And He spared all the animals of the Israelites; not one animal . . . died (verse 6).

Once again God was confronting the deities of Egypt. Egyptians worshiped their animals, but now their livestock was being struck down by the power of Israel’s God (see Exodus 8:1–7 and comment).

The Plague of Boils (9:8–12)

8–12 The plague of boils was brought about by Moses throwing some soot in the air; the soot was most likely taken from a brick-making furnace, the symbol of Israel’s slavery. How appropriate it was to use soot from the labor of the Israelites to inflict boils on their Egyptian oppressors.

The poor magicians were becoming more and more impotent in the face of God’s terrifying plagues. Now they couldn’t even stand upright because of the boils covering their bodies!

But Pharaoh was unmoved. This time the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart (verse 12), thus confirming the hardening that had already taken place (see Exodus 4:21 and comment). When people descend more and more into sin and grow farther and farther from God, God has no choice but to “give them over” to their wickedness (Romans 1:24,26,28); this is what is meant by God’s “hardening” someone’s heart.

The Plague of Hail (9:13–35)

13–18 The plague of hail was introduced by a long warning given by Moses to Pharaoh. The people of Egypt had not yet seen the worst. They had not yet truly understood that there was no one like [God] in all the earth (verse 14). God could have destroyed them all instantly, but He chose not to because He wanted to make Pharaoh a permanent example to all people of the folly of resisting Israel’s God (verse 16). Evil men are sometimes raised . . . up so that God can demonstrate His justice and power in dealing with them (see Romans 9:17). No ruler—good or evil—sits in power without God having placed him there (Romans 13:1).

19–21 Once again God gave the God-fearing Egyptians the chance to bring their livestock back into shelter, along with their slaves. Some of these Egyptians would leave Egypt together with the Israelites (Exodus 12:38); they were the ones whose hearts had been softened, not hardened.

22–26 The hailstorm fell upon all of Egypt—except the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived (verse 26).

27–32 No hail like this had ever fallen on Egypt before. The hailstorm came during the winter, when flax and barley were most vulnerable (verse 31). For the first time, Pharaoh realized he had sinned, and that he and his people were receiving their just punishment from God. However, Pharaoh was not yet ready to turn from his sin, from his mistreatment of the Israelites, from his deceitfulness. And Moses knew it (verse 30). Moses knew that Pharaoh and his officials still did not fear God; they were remorseful but not repentant (see Exodus 8:28–32 and comment).

Talk is cheap; it’s easy to say “I’m sorry” and not mean it. True repentance is always accompanied by a change of life. Without such a change, words of repentance are as empty as those of Pharaoh.

Just as God had brought on the hail, so He stopped it in response to Moses’ prayer, so that it would be known that the earth and everything in it—including lightning and hail—belonged to God and was under His control(verse 30).

33–35 Once again Pharaoh broke his promise; just as the Lord and Moses had predicted, Pharaoh’s heart remained harder than ever.