1 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still, 3 behold, the hand of Yahweh 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. 4 Yahweh 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."'" 5 Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh shall do this thing in the land." 6 Yahweh 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. 7 Pharaoh 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. 8 Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt." 10 They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal. 11 The magicians couldn't stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians. 12 Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses. 13 Yahweh said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For 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 none like me in all the earth. 15 For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; 16 but 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; 17 as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won't let them go. 18 Behold, 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. 19 Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn't brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die."'" 20 Those who feared the word of Yahweh among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses. 21 Whoever didn't respect the word of Yahweh left his servants and his livestock in the field. 22 Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch forth 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." 23 Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So 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. 25 The 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. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail. 27 Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28 Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." 29 Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh's. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you don't yet fear Yahweh God." 31 The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up. 33 Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn't let the children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.
The Lord sends Moses to Pharaoh to inform him that, if he did not let the Israelites depart, a destructive pestilence should be sent among his cattle, Exodus 9:1-3; while the cattle of the Israelites should be preserved, Exodus 9:4. The next day this pestilence, which was the fifth plague, is sent, and all the cattle of the Egyptians die, Exodus 9:5, Exodus 9:6. Though Pharaoh finds that not one of the cattle of the Israelites had died, yet, through hardness of heart, he refuses to let the people go, Exodus 9:7. Moses and Aaron are commanded to sprinkle handfuls of ashes from the furnace, that the sixth plague, that of boils and blains, might come on man and beast, Exodus 9:5, Exodus 9:9; which having done, the plague takes place, Exodus 9:10. The magicians cannot stand before this plague, which they can neither imitate nor remove, Exodus 9:11. Pharaoh's heart is again hardened, Exodus 9:12. God's awful message to Pharaoh, with the threat of more severe plagues than before, Exodus 9:13-17. The seventh plague of rain, hail, and fire threatened, Exodus 9:18. The Egyptians commanded to house their cattle that they might not be destroyed, Exodus 9:19. These who feared the word of the Lord brought home their servants and cattle, and those who did not regard that word left their cattle and servants in the fields, Exodus 9:20, Exodus 9:21. The storm of hail, thunder, and lightning takes place, Exodus 9:22-24. It nearly desolates the whole land of Egypt, Exodus 9:25, while the land of Goshen escapes, Exodus 9:26. Pharaoh confesses his sin, and begs an interest in the prayers of Moses and Aaron, Exodus 9:27, Exodus 9:28. Moses promises to intercede for him, and while he promises that the storm shall cease, he foretells the continuing obstinacy of both himself and his servants, Exodus 9:29, Exodus 9:30. The flax and barley, being in a state of maturity, are destroyed by the tempest, Exodus 9:31; while the wheat and the rye, not being grown up, are preserved, Exodus 9:32. Moses obtains a cessation of the storm, Exodus 9:33. Pharaoh and his servants, seeing this, harden their hearts, and refuse to let the people go, Exodus 9:34, Exodus 9:35.
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, Exodus 9:1 and the plague of boils and blains on man and beast, Exodus 9:8 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, Exodus 9:12, 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, Exodus 9:18 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, Exodus 9:22 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, Exodus 9:27.
(Exodus 9:1-7) The murrain of beasts.
(Exodus 9:8-12) The plague of boils and blains.
(Exodus 9:13-21) The plague of hail threatened.
(Exodus 9:22-35) The plague of hail inflicted.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.