Exodus 9:19 Kommentar

In this chapter we have an account of three more of the plagues of Egypt. I. Murrain among the cattle, which was fatal to them (Exo 9:1-7). II. Boils upon man and beast (Exo 9:8-12). III. Hail, with thunder and lightning. 1. Warning is given of this plague (Exo 9:13-21). 2. It is inflicted, to their great terror (Exo 9:22-26). 3. Pharaoh, in a fright, renews his treaty with Moses, but instantly breaks his word (Exo 9:27, etc.).

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, Exo 9:1 and the plague of boils and blains on man and beast, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 9:27.

Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field,.... The servants that were at work there: this is said to denote both the certainty of the plague, and the terribleness of it, that all, both men and beast, would perish by it, if care was not taken to get them home; and also to show the wonderful clemency and mercy of God to such rebellious, hardened, and undeserving creatures, as Pharaoh and his people were; in the midst of wrath and judgment God remembers mercy: for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home; and there sheltered in houses, barns, and stables: the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die; the hailstones that would fall would be so large and so heavy as to kill both men and beasts, like those which fell from heaven upon the Canaanites in the days of Joshua, which killed more than the sword did, Jos 10:11.

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, Exo 9:1-3; while the cattle of the Israelites should be preserved, Exo 9:4. The next day this pestilence, which was the fifth plague, is sent, and all the cattle of the Egyptians die, Exo 9:5, Exo 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, Exo 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, Exo 9:5, Exo 9:9; which having done, the plague takes place, Exo 9:10. The magicians cannot stand before this plague, which they can neither imitate nor remove, Exo 9:11. Pharaoh's heart is again hardened, Exo 9:12. God's awful message to Pharaoh, with the threat of more severe plagues than before, Exo 9:13-17. The seventh plague of rain, hail, and fire threatened, Exo 9:18. The Egyptians commanded to house their cattle that they might not be destroyed, Exo 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, Exo 9:20, Exo 9:21. The storm of hail, thunder, and lightning takes place, Exo 9:22-24. It nearly desolates the whole land of Egypt, Exo 9:25, while the land of Goshen escapes, Exo 9:26. Pharaoh confesses his sin, and begs an interest in the prayers of Moses and Aaron, Exo 9:27, Exo 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, Exo 9:29, Exo 9:30. The flax and barley, being in a state of maturity, are destroyed by the tempest, Exo 9:31; while the wheat and the rye, not being grown up, are preserved, Exo 9:32. Moses obtains a cessation of the storm, Exo 9:33. Pharaoh and his servants, seeing this, harden their hearts, and refuse to let the people go, Exo 9:34, Exo 9:35.

Send - now, and gather thy cattle - So in the midst of judgment, God remembered mercy. The miracle should be wrought that they might know he was the Lord; but all the lives both of men and beasts might have been saved, had Pharaoh and his servants taken the warning so mercifully given them. While some regarded not the word of the Lord, others feared it, and their cattle and their servants were saved, See Exo 9:20, Exo 9:21.

MURRAIN OF BEASTS. (Exo 9:1-7) Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle--A fifth application was made to Pharaoh in behalf of the Israelites by Moses, who was instructed to tell him that, if he persisted in opposing their departure, a pestilence would be sent among all the flocks and herds of the Egyptians, while those of the Israelites would be spared. As he showed no intention of keeping his promise, he was still a mark for the arrows of the Almighty's quiver, and the threatened plague of which he was forewarned was executed. But it is observable that in this instance it was not inflicted through the instrumentality or waving of Aaron's rod, but directly by the hand of the Lord, and the fixing of the precise time tended still further to determine the true character of the calamity (Jer 12:4).

The fifth plague consisted of a severe Murrain, which carried off the cattle (מקנה, the living property) of the Egyptians, that were in the field. To show how Pharaoh was accumulating guilt by his obstinate resistance, in the announcement of this plague the expression, "If thou refuse to let them go" (cf. Exo 8:2), is followed by the words, "and wilt hold them (the Israelites) still" (עוד still further, even after Jehovah has so emphatically declared His will).

The good advice to be given by Moses to the king, to secure the men and cattle that were in the field, i.e., to put them under shelter, which was followed by the God-fearing Egyptians (Exo 9:21), was a sign of divine mercy, which would still rescue the hardened man and save him from destruction. Even in Pharaoh's case the possibility still existed of submission to the will of God; the hardening was not yet complete. But as he paid no heed to the word of the Lord, the predicted judgment was fulfilled (Exo 9:22-26). "Jehovah gave voices" (קלת); called "voices of God" in Exo 9:28. This term is applied to the thunder (cf. Exo 19:16; Exo 20:18; Psa 29:3-9), as being the mightiest manifestation of the omnipotence of God, which speaks therein to men (Rev 10:3-4), and warns them of the terrors of judgment. These terrors were heightened by masses of fire, which came down from the sky along with the hail that smote man and beast in the field, destroyed the vegetables, and shattered the trees. "And fire ran along upon the ground;" תּהלך is a Kal, though it sounds like Hithpael, and signifies grassari, as in Psa 73:9.