Exodus 9
Exodus 9 covers the fifth, sixth, and seventh plagues that God brings upon Egypt through Moses: the death of the livestock, painful boils, and hail. These events show Pharaoh’s continuing hardness of heart and reveal God’s power before Egypt, Israel, Moses, and Pharaoh.
1verseThen the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.
2verseFor if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,
3versebehold, the LORD’s hand is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.
4verseThe LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.”’”
5verseThe LORD appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.”
6verseThe LORD did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.
7versePharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn’t let the people go.
8verseThe LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.
9verseIt shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.”
10verseThey took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal.
11verseThe magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.
12verseThe LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
13verseThe LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.
14verseFor this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
15verseFor now I would have stretched out my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;
16versebut indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth,
17versebecause you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go.
18verseBehold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
19verseNow therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. The hail will come down on every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, and they will die.”’”
20verseThose who feared the LORD’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.
21verseWhoever didn’t respect the LORD’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22verseThe LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”
23verseMoses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and the LORD sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. The LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.
24verseSo there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25verseThe hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.
26verseOnly in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.
27versePharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
28versePray to the LORD; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”
29verseMoses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
30verseBut as for you and your servants, I know that you don’t yet fear the LORD God.”
31verseThe flax and the barley were struck, for the barley had ripened and the flax was blooming.
32verseBut the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up.
33verseMoses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.
34verseWhen Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
35verseThe heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1–7 (Fifth plague: the death of the livestock): God’s sovereignty and faithfulness in distinguishing between Israel’s and Egypt’s livestock are revealed.
- Verses 8–12 (Sixth plague: painful boils): God causes the ashes to be thrown into the sky, and painful boils break out on all the people of Egypt and on their livestock. Pharaoh’s heart remains stubborn.
- Verses 13–35 (Seventh plague: hail): Severe hail falls across all of Egypt, and God commands the people to go into their houses in order to be protected—both people and livestock. No hail falls on the land of Goshen, where the Israelites live. Pharaoh seems to repent for a moment, but afterward he hardens his heart again.
Overall Meaning and Message
This chapter emphasizes human stubbornness and God’s sovereign plan of salvation through God’s judgment that is repeated and grows stronger. God clearly distinguishes between the people of Egypt and the people of Israel, and even within the plagues, He reveals both His purposes and plans and His grace at the same time. It suggests that the plagues on Egypt are not merely punishments, but are meant to make God known so that people will fear and honor Him.
Reflection Points
- Through God’s patience and repeated warnings, what message is He giving us?
- When a stubborn heart remains firmly set, think about how God comes to our lives.
- In seeing how God distinguishes people and protects them, what can we learn or see?
Personal Application
- If there is stubbornness in my life or parts that do not change, I need an attitude of responding sensitively to God’s warnings and guidance.
- I reflect on my experiences of God protecting and guiding me, and I resolve to live today with gratitude.