Exodus 9:7

7 And Pharaoh sent to see (what had happened), (for) neither anything was dead of these things which Israel wielded; and the heart of Pharaoh was made full grievous, and he delivered not the people (but Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go).

Exodus 9:7 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 9:7

And Pharaoh sent
Messengers to the land of Goshen, to see whether the murrain was upon the cattle of Israel or not, and whether any of them died or not. The Targum of Jonathan is,

``he sent to Pelusium to see''

and inquire about this matter;
that is, to Raamses, for so that paraphrase calls Raamses in ( Exodus 1:11 ) a city built by the Israelites, and where many of them might dwell. This Pharaoh did, not merely out of curiosity, but to know whether the divine prediction was accomplished, and that he might have wherewith to confront it, could he find the murrain was upon any of the cattle of Israel, or any died of it; and if they did not, his view might be to convert them to his own use, and make up his loss, and the loss of his people, in a good measure in this way, and perhaps this may be the reason why he so little regarded this plague: and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead;
which was very wonderful, and therefore a "behold", a note of admiration, is prefixed to it, yet it made no impression on Pharaoh: and the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people
go;
though this plague was so heavy upon him and his people, and the loss they sustained so great: in the other plagues of the water, the frogs, lice, and flies, though very troublesome and terrible, yet the loss was not very great; but here much damage was done to their property, yet this did not make his heart relent, or cause him to yield to let Israel go.

Exodus 9:7 In-Context

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).

6 Therefore the Lord made this word in the tother day, and all the living beasts of the Egyptians were dead; forsooth utterly nothing perished of the beasts of the sons of Israel. (And so the Lord brought this about the next day, and all of the Egyptians? beasts died; but none of the Israelites? beasts perished.)

7 And Pharaoh sent to see (what had happened), (for) neither anything was dead of these things which Israel wielded; and the heart of Pharaoh was made full grievous, and he delivered not the people (but Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go).

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.)