Exodus 9:3

3 I will punish you by sending a terrible disease on all your animals - your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.

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.


FOOTNOTES:

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

Exodus 9:3 In-Context

1 The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the king and tell him that the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, "Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
2 If you again refuse to let them go,
3 I will punish you by sending a terrible disease on all your animals - your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.
4 I will make a distinction between the animals of the Israelites and those of the Egyptians, and no animal that belongs to the Israelites will die.
5 I, the Lord, have set tomorrow as the time when I will do this.' "
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.