Exodus 9:18-35

The Plague of Hail

18 "Behold, about this time tomorrow, 1I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
19 "Now therefore send, bring 2your livestock and whatever * you have in the field to safety. 3Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.""'
20 4The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses;
21 but he who paid no regard * to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that 5hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."
23 Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and 6hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.
24 So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25 7The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field.
26 8Only in the land of Goshen, where * the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
27 Then Pharaoh 9sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "10I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones.
28 "11Make supplication to the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail; and 12I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."
29 Moses said to him, "As soon as I go out of the city, I will 13spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that 14the earth is the LORD'S.
30 "15But as for you and your servants, I know that 16you do not yet fear the LORD God."
31 (Now the flax and the 17barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud.
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they ripen late.)
33 18So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain no longer poured on the earth.
34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
35 Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the 19LORD had spoken through Moses.

Exodus 9:18-35 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.

Cross References 19

  • 1. Exodus 9:23, 24
  • 2. Exodus 9:6
  • 3. Exodus 9:25
  • 4. Proverbs 13:13
  • 5. Revelation 16:21
  • 6. Genesis 19:24; Joshua 10:11; Psalms 18:13; Psalms 78:47; Psalms 105:32; Isaiah 30:30; Ezekiel 38:22; Revelation 8:7
  • 7. Exodus 9:19; Psalms 78:47, 48; Psalms 105:32, 33
  • 8. Exodus 8:22; Exodus 9:4, 6; Exodus 11:7
  • 9. Exodus 8:8
  • 10. Exodus 10:16, 17; 2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalms 129:4; Psalms 145:17; Lamentations 1:18
  • 11. Exodus 8:8, 28; Exodus 10:17
  • 12. Exodus 8:25; Exodus 10:8, 24
  • 13. 1 Kings 8:22, 38; Psalms 143:6; Isaiah 1:15
  • 14. Exodus 8:22; Exodus 19:5; Exodus 20:11; Psalms 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26
  • 15. Exodus 8:29
  • 16. Isaiah 26:10
  • 17. Ruth 1:22; Ruth 2:23
  • 18. Exodus 8:12; Exodus 9:29
  • 19. Exodus 4:21

Footnotes 23

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.